fitness

Welcoming Cellulite Because There’s A Natural Way To Get Rid of It

October 16, 2019 by stevenshannah

We’ve all been there: standing in front of the mirror after trying on a pair of shorts, a bathing suit bottom, or our favorite dress that usually shows off our legs to perfection, and wondering where in the world that unflattering skin came from. Was it there last month when we were at the beach? Did it just show up all of a sudden?

We know that we have been watching our diet and getting to the gym as often as we can, but still, there it is. Cellulite. We hate it and we want it gone. But is it just a natural part of life? Do we have no choice but to accept is as we grow older? Absolutely not! And to prove it, we have some surefire tips to help you get that sleek and smooth look back without breaking your back working out or starving yourself on some fad diet.

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is the result of fat protruding past the connective tissues, which create visible dimpling of the skin. Although there are factors that aggravate the weakening of these connective tissues such as aging, targeting skin-health alone doesn’t target the root cause: excess fat.

So, how do you actually get rid of cellulite?

Increase Your Liquid Intake

This is something everyone should be doing regardless of whether or not they are battling the uprising of cellulite. The truth is that most of us are drinking far less water and other healthy fluids than we need to be. Things like water and natural or herbal teas carry key nutrients throughout the body and help to eliminate waste products that enable cellulite retention. These metabolites cause fat deposits and poor skin health.

Exercises That Target Specific Areas

If anyone tells you that you can get rid of cellulite without exercise, the next thing they should be seeing is the back of your head as you walk away, because you have just been lied to. While it isn’t necessary to kill yourself in the gym trying to leg press a minivan, there are definitely body part-specific exercises that should become a regular part of your gym routine. They include such moves as squats, lunges, side-to-sides, and step-ups.

Choosing these exercises targeting the specific areas doesn’t target fat through isolation, but compound movements with appropriate resistance allows for testosterone release as a whole. The result? Testosterone, as a hormone, does multiple benefits to fat lost over time. At higher levels, metabolism of fat is surely triggered with compound movements and is something you want to keep as part of your exercise routine.

Shifting to a More Mindful Diet

No need for extremes such as solely eating salads or eating a lower amount of calories; this is not what your body needs to help with long-term fat loss. A balanced diet that aids in muscle-building, carb-metabolism, and healthy fat levels is a good place to start.

Have you ever heard of a personal trainer saying, “You can’t target fat in one spot!” Well, he’s preaching the truth. The best way to target fat is understanding that your body fat percentage can only be targeted as a whole. Hence, the importance of a more intuitive diet.

One Last Bonus Tip

The sleep benefit that most people overlook is the fact that a good night’s rest, with an appropriate length of sleep, is fat metabolism’s best friend. The majority of your day’s fat metabolism happens continuously as you are sound asleep. In contrast, not getting enough sleep leads to a spike in cortisol which automatically releases serotonin to balance out the cortisol release. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that enhances your cravings for high-fat and high-carb food.

Be sure that you don’t minimize the importance that proper sleep and a complete daily rest cycle have on your overall appearance and function. Numerous studies have shown how getting enough sleep is essential to the body’s general wellness, healing, and recovery processes. Schedule time to rest just as you would a trip to the gym.

Body Positivity in the Fitness Industry: An Interview with Carly Compton

September 13, 2019 by Alison Hirshan

I’m ecstatic to share an in-depth and personal interview with someone I deeply look up to and have had the pleasure to work with. As co-facilitators at Project HEAL’s Communities of Healing program, she constantly inspires me to love and respect my body each and every day, and reminds me what it means to practice true self love and self-compassion.

Carly Compton is a model, fitness trainer, mentor, and coach, and I can’t wait for you to get up close and personal with her in this interview. She will explain the how and why behind her wellness company Paradise Fitness with Carly and how she practices body positivity within the fitness industry.

CARLY COMPTON model — Carly Compton from Paradise Fitness with Carly

ALI: What inspired you to start your own fitness brand?

CARLY: Despite being a multi-sport athlete and actively participating in things like yoga and hiking while growing up, I always hated my body. I struggled every single day to love my body and accept it for what it was even though it had always supported me and pushed me through difficult games, practices, drills, and other physical activities. Looking back, I believe the lack of representation I saw of my body type in popular media and especially in fitness played a huge role in fostering my insecurity, as did the diet and fitness industries that prey on your insecurities and always promise versions of a “better” you.

Throughout middle school and high school, I attempted every single diet and workout program, but none of them “worked” as I had wanted; my body wasn’t changing, and I was frustrated. My junior year of high school, I had a friend who was losing a lot of weight and getting a lot of attention for her “improved” looks. After asking what she was doing to get such visible results, I found out it was not because she had suddenly acquired a newfound passion for health and fitness but, rather, because she was bulimic. I immediately realized that I could do the same thing! I could lose weight and still eat in front of friends and family without them having any suspicion.

After five long years of battling bulimia, I was constantly tired, my body was malnourished, I was over-exercising, my throat constantly hurt, and I was just tired of lying. I realized I could just no longer live that lifestyle and, instead of succumbing to societal expectations that were only negatively impacting my physical and mental health, I instead needed to fight the cause of my insecurities head-on. In my attempt to lose weight in order to become “more healthy,” I was actually the unhealthiest I had ever been. Throughout my recovery and afterward, I knew that I wanted to continue to exercise and properly fuel my body, but I also knew that I somehow had to do so without focusing on weight loss.

However, I did not know of any workout programs or nutrition guides that didn’t somehow have weight loss as an explicit or primary goal. I didn’t know of any trainers that weren’t going to ask me how much I weighed, how much weight I wanted to lose, and how quickly I wanted to do it. So, instead of relying on these toxic workout and nutrition plans that were counter to my actual goals, I created Paradise Fitness with Carly, an at-home workout and lifestyle program that helps individuals develop a HEALTHY relationship with food and exercise. Since recovering and changing my mindset toward physical activity and eating, my relationship with myself has never been better. I finally feel like I can truly be me.

“Looking back, I believe the lack of representation I saw of my body type in popular media and especially in fitness played a huge role in fostering my insecurity…”

ALI: What is the mission behind Paradise Fitness with Carly?

CARLY: Paradise Fitness with Carly is, at its simplest, a lifestyle and way of thinking; it is everything I believe in and everything I hope to change about the fitness industry and its role in shaping society. The first thing that came about through Paradise Fitness with Carly was PFWC: At-Home Transformation, an at-home workout and lifestyle program that helps individuals develop a healthy relationship with food and exercise, but–most importantly–by starting with THEMSELVES. It takes the focus away from weight loss and shifts it toward strength, confidence, and self-love. The program consists of at-home high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that don’t require weights or equipment. This was VERY intentional. I wanted to create something that was convenient, low-stress, low-cost, and great for all levels. My mission behind PFWC: At-Home Transformation is to allow individuals to take back control of their lives, move their bodies how and when they want to, fuel their bodies without complete restriction, and work everyday on strengthening that self-love muscle. Recently, I’ve started the PFWC Podcast to talk about similar topics like this with like-minded people.

ALI: What is the hardest part of being a body positivity advocate within the fitness industry?

CARLY: Many people believe I am promoting an “unhealthy” lifestyle by promoting body positivity. This could not be further from the truth. Body positivity to me is accepting every person’s body for what it is. It is about representing minorities in size and color, acceptance and de-stigmatizing of fat bodies, desexualizing black and brown bodies, and eschewing the gender binary, among other things. These ideas that form the backbone of the body positive movement are directly translatable to the fitness industry. Healthy looks different on every body; there is not just one specific body type that represents healthy. Most of the fitness industry unfortunately relies on the complete opposite of this idea, that there is a singular “type” or societal standard that we should all strive to look like. My hope is to change that idea.

ALI: How do you see body positivity portrayed in the fitness industry – online and in-person?

CARLY: Body positivity in the fitness industry is about loving and accepting every body no matter one’s shape, size, color, and ethnicity, as well their own respective athletic ability. It is about showing that people can move their bodies and do amazing things no matter their abilities. For me, it’s so important to remind individuals that their body type shouldn’t stop them from doing what they love. The toxic sides of the fitness industry and society at large should not stop them from moving their bodies in whatever way makes them happy.

CARLY COMPTON by a basketball court — “When people look at me, they don’t see what they expect a “typical” healthy lifestyle coach to look like. They see my bigger body and just assume I’m “unhealthy,” which is an incorrect correlation we have been fed by the diet and fitness industry.”

ALI: What obstacles have you come up against within the fitness industry related to your body?

CARLY: I have been fat shamed by so many people. When people look at me, they don’t see what they expect a “typical” healthy lifestyle coach to look like. They see my bigger body and just assume I’m “unhealthy,” which is an incorrect correlation we have been fed by the diet and fitness industry. It can be hard at times because I sometimes let the bully inside my head tell me that I don’t have the right to help people live a healthy life. I have days when the comments get to me, and I think “You’re right! Maybe I shouldn’t be a healthy lifestyle coach because I don’t have the ‘look.’” But then I simply ask myself, “What does a healthy lifestyle coach look like and why?” This always helps me snap out of any negative thoughts. There is not a specific look or body shape you must have in order to have a positive influence and help individuals take back control of their lives.

ALI: How do you stay aligned to your mission of body positivity as a fitness trainer?

CARLY: I always think back to the “junior in high school Carly”, the girl who hated her body because she did not see her shape and size represented. I think about how strong my body was and how active and successful it helped me become even though I had convinced myself it wasn’t good enough. These are feelings I have since overcome and that I am trying to help others avoid. I believe that as long as you move your body, fuel your body, talk positively to yourself, and give up comparing your body to others, you will do AMAZING things. When you treat your body with love and respect, it treats you back.

CARLY COMPTON in the desert — “Do what you LOVE.”

ALI: What advice would you give other women about their own journey with fitness and body positivity?

CARLY: Do what you LOVE. Find a form of exercise that brings you excitement and happiness. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, stop falling for the fad diets and workout programs, and start doing what makes you happy, whether that is running, yoga, walking, rock climbing, etc. Do it for YOU! The same goes for food. Fuel your body and recognize when your body feels good and not so good. But, at the same time, take days to enjoy the foods you love. Life is all about balance; EMBRACE that balance! Lastly, embrace YOU. You are beautiful, strong, and capable already–it’s just about believing it within yourself.

CARLY COMPTON modeling at the beach — Website: Paradise Fitness with Carly
Instagram: @paradisefitnesswithcarly

On Living Your Best Life

August 21, 2019 by Martha Lopez

It’s funny as I sit here writing this I have in the background manifest affirmations playing and I am really contemplating my own life and am I truly living “my best life?”

I am currently working toward finishing off my first year in fitness! I have been teaching a variety of classes beyond yoga. These have ranged between mat pilates, myofascial release, cycle, and now cardio HIIT classes. I had to add additional certifications to teach these classes and even then I have not stopped growing! I am currently, along with my chemistry class, working on my certifications in personal training and corrective exercise. If you had told me a year ago this is what I would be doing before I started my YTT I would’ve laughed at you and said that would be crazy!

A year ago I was far from “living my best life,” I was a special education teacher in a private high school that specialized in working with severe social and emotional disabilities. I was doing something I liked, educating. However, despite my amazing group of coworkers, I was going home stressed and in tears every night. Sometimes I would barely make it to the car! I felt I was not making enough of an impact on my students and that as much as I wanted to help I wasn’t. This was the sign that I officially drove myself to total burnout. I was going on to finish my 4th year in education and had just dealt with the trauma of having my first miscarriage. Let’s just say it was the universe forcing myself to really reflect as to where I was going and what truly was going to make me happy.

Often times we want to settle for what is comfortable. We bite our tongue or try to shut our brains up thinking, “hey, I am ok with this. This will pay the bills and leave my family comfortable.” We stick with what is easy and what we have been doing because there’s a safe feeling that covers us like an old blanket.

It’s not only in just our minds but also when we talk to people in our surroundings as well. My parents for example pushed me to continue the school year. They told me going part time right now would be foolish and irresponsible despite how unhappy I was. It wasn’t until I called my mom in tears and explained everything in my job and what was going on where she finally agreed for me to put in my notice. We reach out to people in our support systems to either “talk sense” into us, or to reinforce what we are thinking. My family’s favorite statement to me was “you only speak to us about these things once you’ve made up your mind, why do you want us to fight your decision?” At which point I laughed, because in all reality this is what we do. We like bouncing things off of each other to hear every part of our choice because our brain can’t possibly do it all at once on its own. Despite making a decision already, because you never know…maybe they say something you haven’t thought yet. Sometimes your supports reinforce that blanket because they think that is the best way to make sure you are safe and supported. So they tuck you in further into your comfort blanket and you get settled in.

Here’s the best advice I can give, the life lesson I gained from all this:

Sometimes it’s when we let the blanket go that we really start to thrive!

I made the decision to try working part time as a special education teacher and was denied working the hours at the school so I gave a months noticed and signed up for another prerequisite so I could finally work towards my doctorates in physical therapy. This is something my mom had been pushing for because she knew I had wanted this since high school, but life happens and sometimes you go with a shorter path because you want to be that independent woman right away instead of grinding it out for what seems like eternity to then gain success.

In those 4 years of my “independent” life I was upset, stress, anxious, and overall unhappy. I did not feel I was living the life I was meant to. Though teaching had its happy moments it wasn’t over 60% of the time. This should’ve been the sign to go. When March rolled around I started working as a fitness instructor and dog walking part time to really focus on my studies. The concern that I wouldn’t be able to make it? Well guess what? I did well!

The fitness hustle is real, but I was enjoying teaching yoga and then mat pilates, and now cycle too. I began falling in love with what I did. I would find myself getting excited having discussions with friends about fitness. I would talk about the types of exercises and what they can do to aid with certain tight muscles, how the body moves and other life stuff. I for the first time ENJOYED talking bout the work and didn’t find myself complaining 100% of the time about how tough and hard my job was. I was even told it looks like I lost 20 lbs, even though it had only been a week away from teaching!

That’s when I knew I was on the right path. But how does this all apply to you? How can what has happened for me so far make any meaningful change in your life?

The start to living your best life is simple – ask yourself with everything you do:

Does this light me up?

Yes – do it!
No – toss it!
Eh? Maybe? – reflect and set it aside for some time. It’s like the love bird analogy, if you come back to it, it is meant to be!

This is the first part to slowly remove the choke hold the “comfort blanket” has over you. If you can categorize your life into these three categories you’ll start to find a pattern in the things that do light your fire and slowly start to go down that path.

Of course, there are always things we hate, like bills, that just need to be a part of life, but that doesn’t mean you cannot work in an area that lights your fire. I have slowly found that even working part time I am able to make ends meet because I am happy to work more hours teaching these fitness classes then when I was working an easier schedule teaching. I am happy to drive around and hustle the way I need to because it is something that lights my fire.

When you’re doing something you love, you don’t work a day in your life and that is true. This is the definition of living your best life.

A day, a Week, and a Month – Life of the Fitness Instructor

August 9, 2019 by Martha Lopez

Going on a year in the fitness industry I definitely have mixed reviews from other instructors and my previous impressions of what working in the industry would entail. I guess this is my way of giving the – so you’re certified in group fitness, now what? explanation by providing you with a day, week, and month in the life.

I find it is always best to start at the beginning and my journey started with finishing my 200 hr YTT in August of 2018 and trying to apply for a part time job to supplement my teaching schedule. I applied to numbers of jobs and there were some jobs where I applied knowing I wouldn’t get the position because they wanted 1-2 years of experience. This is when I realized fitness, like some industries has that, chicken or the egg, type experience where you may need to start working there as a desk attendant or just a sub with not set hours before you can build into having a more set schedule. Before giving up I received my first job from a boutique studio that was just starting a yoga program. And I lucked out that they would take a chance on me.

Before going into fitness as a career the week was like – teach 8 hours M-F, volunteer teaching yoga to the fellow teachers two times after school, go home, complete IEPs and grades, then on Saturdays teach 2 yoga classes to try and make some extra money. And for those who are looking for fitness as a supplement this may just be your week! Most people choose to keep their full time and teach maybe an evening class or two, maybe classes on the weekends to force themselves to get a workout in because who can do that with a busy schedule, AND you get paid to do so.

Now, I have transitioned in working in fitness and I can dissect a little more just what the day/ week/ month is like.

Day – Week Day (BTW this is a somewhat template. Other days there are more subbing than showed, or less classes and more free time. The schedule changes depending on what hours the gyms you work at have available. And yes, gyms, because unless you find the unicorn of gyms you will have to travel between 2/3 if you are making this more of your job)

Alarm goes off – 7:00 am (4:00 am for those that choose the 5 am/6 am classes, not me, YET!)

Sometimes you’re up even earlier! This is the time to work on your personal practice or work on some moves for the days classes!

7:15 – out of bed, form my to do list. I use the app – Daily To-do List because it crosses thing out for me so I can make sure I get stuff done. I have 3 lists made M/W/F, T/Th, Weekend, and Daily because I try my best to not make EVERYTHING a daily task.

7:30 – in the car – driving and playing my mindfulness practice using the meditation app – Happy Not Perfect. Once that is done its on to Spotify (by the way a Premium purchase, ~$10 a month, will be the best bet for making playlists) to try and find good new songs that I throw into a playlist labeled either: yoga, mat pilates, yin, or cycle, to later review for the following week’s classes.

8:00 – 30 min before my first class get a strength or cardio workout in so you have a moment to get yourself worked in. I know I had mentioned about getting paid to workout. This is not entirely the truth. In class you should be focused on your class. So giving these 15 min to get that sweat in for you either before or after is always good. Depending on how much time I have between classes I may even try to swim to bring back the old feeling of the pool. I swam competitively for 10 years.

8:15 – Set up the class. You should arrive 15-20 min early to every class because it gives you time to say hi, get to know your clients and make the connections you need. It also allows you to have any props or equipment set for your clients so there isn’t time used getting everything.

8:30 – class start

9:45 – subbing second class or personal workout time along with coffee or protein shake to keep going

11:00 – subbing third class – if not subbing it’s a one hour break to either workout or get lunch.

Starbucks studying chemistry, personal training, and trying to get some mindfulness reading during a free hour

12-4 walking dogs, class prepping, positing on social media about your schedule and future classes, applying for other fitness instructor jobs (because the schedule is never full), instacart work, or part time retail. This is where I explain that in fitness there is for the most part this huge gap between classes. You will work opposite the 9-5 because everyone is at work during the middle of the day. You may an the off chance get a noon class for those who try to get their fitness in during their lunch break, but it’s seldom. This being said this time block is where odd jobs come in. I personally do the shopping, dog walking, and tutor to fill the time. Right now this is filled with my summer class.

4:15 – prep for class

4:30 – class

5:30 – prep for class, chat with clients on some soreness that they have and what poses can be used to stretch the muscles, and foam rolling techniques to allow for

5:45 – class

6:45 – class

7:15 – class

8:00 – driving home ~30-40 min depending on the day

9:00 – dinner if hungry, and studying, class prep, chores, and setting up for the next day.

Rinse, lather, repeat

Day – Weekend (again somewhat of a template based on real life)

8:00 – alarm (I don’t have super early Saturday or Sunday classes…YET)

9:15 – prep for class.

9:30 – class

10:35 – class

11:35 – reach out to friends about brunch, if not go home. Study, class prep, post to social media about the upcoming week, provide some fitness information to clients to aid with frequent issues that you saw arise during the week.

Rinse, lather, repeat

I choose not to work 7 days a week. No one should, and this is where before I give a week and a month info explain this. In fitness part of the job has really taught me how to have the strength to say no. Often times you will get texts, hourly, if not daily about needing subs for fitness classes. Also people will ask if you work on weekends and if you’re will to work one or both days. It is important for you to take care of yourself, not just for you, but now in fitness you are a model of what people see for good health. You want to set the best example.

A week in the life – with the dissection of the weekday and the weekend day I feel this covers it with the rinse, lather, repeat, because this is how it will get to feel once you are more accustomed with having the ability to make your own schedule and set your routine. I will let you know that there is an adjustment period to this. You get so used to school and more traditional jobs which are 9-5 and your done. This is not the case with fitness. You will find yourself with super early or late dinners, asking people if they can meet for lunch or on weekends (if that day is free for you) and napping. My week is usually filled with trying to make sure I have my schedule set and written down in 3 different places because there’s 3/4/5 different places I am going to in one day. I live a bit out of my car with a change of non-fitness clothes, protein bars, yoga props, 3 different pairs of shoes, and shower stuff. Be prepared – girl and boy scouts are right about this one!

A month – by the end of the month, I will honestly say you have felt accomplished looking back at your schedule. I try to take either the end of a month or the beginning of the month to look back and really finalize what I could have done better, what I need to fix, what classes are and are not working for my schedule and trying to see if I am working at the right places as I get more and more in tune with the drive time (and there will be a lot!) and distance between places.

Going on to a year in fitness – wrapping up.

Ok, this was a lot to digest and process. I will say going on a year of doing this, your first year will be rocky, and bumpy. You may ask yourself why you are doing this type of schedule and why you are working mini part time jobs to make ends meet. But looking back, I am so much happier from when I was teaching. I have the ability to make my own schedule and do things I never thought I would have time to do!

Take away tips:

Give yourself ample time to drive between gyms. You think 20 min may be enough for a 15 min drive. 99.99% of the time it won’t be. Double it!
Take a day off – I mean it! A full day!
Don’t underestimate contract work – this could be dog walking, grocery shopping, blog post writing, aiding with social media at the yoga studio you work at. This will help pad the hours and pad your wallet as well.
Don’t stop learning – find your modality and stick to it, but if you notice there is an area you’re interested in or another class you would like to teach, learn how to teach it! Gyms love people with multiple certs, because you become their go to person when they need help, and if they decide to add classes you then become the person they ask to add to the schedule
Say no when you want to – this is important. The first 2 months of my fitness journey was Yes, Yes, and YES! This led to a really quick and very painful burnout that I needed an immediate vacation to recover. Don’t do this. Know your limits and set them a little before that boundary so you’re kept in a healthy safe position for work.

What to Do When You Hit an Exercise Plateau

August 9, 2019 by Alison Hirshan

Ah, the well known exercise plateau… It’s just the worst isn’t it? Well, maybe not. It may be the perfect opportunity to look at your exercise habits and ask yourself “what’s working and what’s not?” Plateaus are extremely common to those who exercise regularly.

First off, how do I know that I’ve hit a plateau?

Are you measuring or tracking your progress?

There are endless options to track your progress. Whether it be devices or apps, there are so many great options to monitor and track your fitness goals. If you’re not using tools like timing, heart rate monitoring, or tracking calories burned, it’s almost impossible to know the rate at which you’re improving.

Do you feel sore?

Soreness can mean a few things… it could mean you haven’t been stretching enough, or possibly you worked out without a warm-up, or maybe you’re pushing your muscles to a higher velocity and the muscles fibers are tearing. The last option is what you are ideally trying to do when you strength train. The muscle fiber tears are what cause the increase in size and strength of the muscle as it repairs. If you’re not feeling sore, your muscles may not be growing and this could mean you hit a plateau.

How are your clothes fitting?

I like to ask this one instead of focusing on weight. Your clothes are a great indicator of how your body is reacting to the type of exercise you’re doing. If you’re feeling uncomfortable in your clothes (i.e., they aren’t fitting as well as they did when you began training) this may be a red flag!

Okay, I think I’ve hit a plateau… what do I do now?

SWITCH IT UP

I get it, it’s so easy to get addicted to one type of workout. Maybe it’s cycling, running, yoga, barre, pilates, you name it. Unfortunately, though, sticking to only one type of training can get you stuck. Your body craves movement in a variety of ways. Challenge yourself. Try that dance class you’ve always wanted to try and see how open your body feels afterward. Try a mat pilates class and notice how deeply engaging your core can make you feel just as strong as weight lifting does.

BACK TO BASICS

This can be a great opportunity to go back to your fundamentals. Are you engaging your core when you squat? Are your shoulders pulled back and down as you bicep curl? Are you accidentally tipping forward and overextending your knee in a lunge? These minor adjustments can be huge change-makers in the quality of your results.

LOOK LOCAL

Notice the community around you. What are other people doing? Can you get involved in a local running club or a free yoga class at the park? Connecting with others in your local community can be a simple way to reconnect with why you exercise in the first place. Making a “workout date” with a friend will leave you with double the endorphins!

Hitting a plateau is a great place to be. You can now look towards your goals and reassess your fitness strategy. Just like you have to constantly balance your work, lifestyle, and relationships, you also have to realign your exercise routine to make it the best use of your time and energy. Use this plateau as a learning experience and get out there – try something new!

How To Use Social Media as a Fitness Professional

July 24, 2019 by Martha Lopez

One thing that many people in the fitness industry need to focus on is really creating their own brand and personality that separates them from all the other fitness professionals in the industry. This really starts with creating a presence where your future clients are, and that’s online. I have worked with some small businesses and have been working on building my own brand as a yoga instructor and here are some tips and tricks I found from both my education in Public Relations and just going through all the trial and error of trying to build my own presence online.

The biggest thing is CONTENT: All other workshops and groups will stress this day in and day out! Content and giving your audience something they can use will not only show how credible you are as a source, but also give future clients an insight to how you work as a professional.
- It’s OK to repost! If you follow someone with similar content feel free to repost that content, be sure to provide the source! This will generate people to your site or platform where you have like minded content.
- Speak to your specific audience! If you have a specific population your are looking to access – talk to them! That’s what social media is about! Use words like Ladies! Guys! Fellow Grads! Etc. to show who your audience is and access them on a more intimate level.
Consistency/Frequency: When thinking about content make a calendar and be specific about your posting schedule: For example, I use for posting that every other day I am using quotes to emphasize my blog topic or podcast topic to keep reinforcing my audience to go back to the podcast or blog post to drive people to continue to view my site and maybe collect people I may have missed on the weekend! This also gives some uniformity to my sites because visually there are positive messages between images of yoga poses, nutrition, etc.
- More on the posting schedule: You do NOT need to post every day! (woah, did I just say that?) There are a lot of analytics out there that say even 1x a day (depending on the platform is enough) Your audience doesn’t need to know the 3 meals and 2 workouts you did each and every day, nor do they really want to! If one day you are focusing on nutrition, post one great meal and give a recipe! If it’s a leg workout, maybe doing a quick video with modifications and going live to show key portions of your workout will be enough to show quality content without just force feeding. No one likes the person who lives on their social media and shows everything!
- The key to a great platform is trying to be consistent – your followers will know you for your content and know what to expect each day and will look forward to those nuggets of wisdom only you can offer!
- Personal tip: I set on my to do list a posting schedule and try to set alarms catered to the schedule based on when I know my followers will be on. I do this without using an organized platform like Hootsuite, but you can definitely look into these automated posting websites that will help relieve some of the hassle of trying to make your posts on a deadline!
Make your profiles “business” profiles: this mostly is catered to Instagram, but this allows you to look up analytics to see who you are accessing, how many people you are accessing, and even location. These insights allow you to really hone in to who you are reaching out and maybe seeing what areas you need to focus on.
- age group: try to keep content within the age group of your niche and do some look as to what content that age group wants.
- location: use the location tab and incorporate location of your business to get people looking at local businesses to find you!

Screenshot of my insights from Instagram

Hashtags: USE them! You are allowed to use 30 hashtags per post, I recommend using them as a comment after the post so it’s not in the forefront of what your audience sees, but use them to drag people to your content.
- I personally like: All Hashtag they generate for you the top 30 hashtags based on the word you use and you are able to just copy paste into a comment! You’re also able to see analytics as to how well certain hashtags are doing if you want to get super techy with your marketing!
Know how your audience functions and when they are looking for you!: Look up peak times that people view certain posts on social media. Also what platforms are they on?
- Don’t waste your time!: This is the time to really find your audience and post during those times where you know people are searching for that content. Typically this is around lunch or after work in the evening. If you are posting at 6 am and there’s no one watching, what good will that do? Here’s a great review of times for social media on SocialSprout!
- Pick a/a few platforms: you don’t need to be on ALL the platforms, and all the time! If you know your audience research where to bring your focus on. Also have a feel for different types of platforms. If your jam is on Facebook and creating Facebook content focus on that and maybe start to play with another social media platform that is more evident for your age group.
  - 22+ : Facebook still highly ranked with Instagram coming in close second. If you have a high visual content you may want to play with both but bring your focus to Insta. Pinterest is also emphasized for clients over 50 because it allows them for more searchable content.
  - <22: Snapchat is growing and Facebook users are steadily declining. Recommend access through more visual social media platforms due to need for high quality visual content with this age group.
  - Source: Business Insider
Be SOCIAL: Don’t just respond with emojis, actually respond to people, reach out to similar profiles and businesses and connect.
- Follow like businesses and profiles: When I mentioned this to a small business there was a lot of hesitation, and I get it, why would you like and share content so similar to you, wouldn’t people go shop or take their business there? There is power in creating a network of like-minded business people. You support each other! Sharing each other’s content creates a broader outreach which means more clients to all! It also gives you insights as to what is working within your niche or field and what is not. This helps you for content creation as well!
- My personal rule of thumb: as you are scrolling through content, which we all do almost every min of the day, like but also comment on one post (be sincere and add more than an emoji!). Who knows, you may spark a convo which brings people to your profile for more?!
Set a call to action!: People want to be involved with social media, so why not involve them? Ask them what areas they want to focus on when it comes to working out, ask what your peak yoga pose should be in the class. Ask questions and engage with people will also allow you to show your personality and get people to trust and want to work with you.
- Personal Tip: I try once every two weeks to incorporate those yoga students who follow me in their classes by asking which peak pose they want. I put the question as either a choice between 2 or 4 different poses. Or, I will ask between two areas of focus (i.e hip openers vs inversions). This allows you to create a personal relationship with your audience and when they see you in class it shows you are actively listening and engaging with them. It’s a nice special touch.

I hope these tips help! Use these steps to get started on making a more uniformed and professional looking profile that will allow you to grow your personal business/fitness personality!

Holistic Fitness Guide

March 5, 2019 by bolendr

Introduction

Over the years I have carefully crafted a health plan for myself. This plan was created from research, tutorials, and a great deal of trial and error. There are 3 aspects of health I try to focus on over the years, the first is a

Healthy Diet, to make sure I am taking care of my body from the inside, because what happens on the inside affects the outside.

A rigorous Exercise Schedule/Routine that to guarantee my body is functioning at full potential. This is not forgetting flexibility and balance

and finally

Mental Health, because it makes me alert towards everything else.

All of these revolve around individual goals that I set for myself. With goals, there must be routine and guidelines that provide the structure for meeting any goals.

The Mental State

This may not be the sexiest topic for health and fitness, but to me, it is the most important. How will you motivate yourself to get out of bed at 5:30 am every day to push yourself to do your best? One can put aside distractions and overcome inanimate obstacles.

Motivation to work out is one thing, another more important is having the correct state of mind to regulate which ingredients/Chemicals/microbiology is entering the body and making the right choices each day. Consume clean and healthy foods. Many food options these days contain processed preservatives, added sugar, and added sodium. Avoiding these and understanding nutrition labels is key to not only improving aesthetics but feeling energized.

The first pillar for good mental health is well-rounded sleep that will allow you to awaken in the morning with energy. The added bonus is that enough sleep will also help in the gym by increasing alertness. The amount of sleep needed depends on the individual and their history of getting enough rest and the individuals lifestyle, as in how active they are. How much other energy is being expended each day should be added to the equation. My personal sleep need is between 6 – 7 hours every night. Trial and error will determine how much sleep is needed for each individual.

Falling Asleep

Personally, what improved my sleep the most was no TV or screen time at least 1 hour before bed. The screens on these devices emit “blue light” which affect brain waves. Leaving the brain stimulated and requiring a bit of a cool down or unwinding period.

No Food at least one hour before bed. Food should be digested mostly before going to sleep. 2-3 hours would be even more beneficial.

Instead of tv or phone, try reading a book. Reading will tire out the mind as opposed to hyping it up.

Take melatonin,

Melatonin is a hormone, produced primarily by the pineal gland, which regulates wakefulness. As a medicine, it is used for the short term treatment of trouble sleeping such as from jet lag or shift work. Evidence of benefit, however, is unclear.

Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even on weekends set your alarm even if you turn it off.

Waking Up

Wake up at the same time every day, go to bed at the same time every day because that will get your mind and body in a routine and after time, after few months it will become automatic, Most people get used to it, I wake up within the 5 O’clock hour every day just by habit even when I intend on sleeping in. Make sure to get plenty of sleep by limiting screen time an hour before lying down to bed. Also, reading before bed will exhaust the mind that last little bit and aid in falling asleep.

Put your mind to it

When it came to growing my body I first had a great deal of brain power to grow. Workout routines, supplement routines, and just plain old focus on every last rep. I wouldn’t even say that having a good attitude is important, more the right attitude is important. For example many I have worked out in a fairly negative mood. When life events happen there were times when working out that’s all I can think about. However, I use even negative emotions for motivation to push through strenuous physical activity. Focusing those emotions into each rep, because even hatred can be a powerful tool when focused on self-improvement.

Mindfulness and meditation

This is the newest piece in the holistic puzzle I have been putting together. As I have mentioned throughout this section the state of mind is key when approaching exercise or diet plan. So not only can you train your stomach cravings and muscles, but you can also train your mind so it is in the right state when tackling the other areas.

Mediation can be defined as a practice where an individual focuses their mind on a particular object, thought or activity to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. It would make sense that when I am exercising that I would want to have an enhanced focus on pushing through the work and be mentally clear to lower the risk of injury.

To begin meditation try sitting quietly for minutes each day. Starting with one minute and each day adding a minute until you reach 30 mins at a minimum.

Yoga is like an advanced type of mediation that allows your muscles to “meditate” as they are forced to look inward.

Food is Fuel

Growing up I ate with no rules, no regards for the amount of sugar and carbs I was consuming. I would eat a cheeseburger, pizza, lots of Pop Tarts and Little Debbies because they made me feel good and I was a young kid with cravings. I was highly unlearned in the way that food actually powered our body. Such as which compounds affect our body in certain ways. For me, this is continuing education. Constantly, I am regularly learning about the different aspects of food.

Shrimp, calamari, deviled eggs and toast

You are what you eat.

For most of my life, I thought about food as something I consumed in order to feel good. I would wake up and grab something sweet to eat because it felt “good” and provides a sense of happiness when eating it. Or I based my order preference at restaurants based around what I felt like I wanted to eat as opposed to just choosing a healthy option that will fuel your body. For all this time I was totally neglecting what my body needed. Putting my wants over my actual needs. In fact, I didn’t know what my body needed, not until I took the time to learn exactly what that is.

That’s why a strong intellect is important, to read and educate yourself. Over many years I educated myself on what exactly a healthy diet consisted of. Not just some general food groups but understanding the chemistry of food and what happens to the matter after it enters your body. This understanding has given me a whole new appreciation of food. And not just the food I had been eating, but a whole new line of sustenance I never had access to as a naive and poor child.

Recently I have been introduced to intermittent fasting. Which on its most basic definition is allowing your body to run more efficiently using your body’s fuel sources.

Exercise

High School Lacrosse put me in shape for the first time in my life. Not until after a very non-impressive, fat, and slow Freshman Campaign. In the 10th grade, I found the ability to push myself from the inside in order to achieve physical peak performance. This line of thinking about the benefits of exercise other than aesthetic reasoning. Having a healthy heart and lungs is crucial. The ability to have strong joints and bones prevents injuries long term.

Routine is Valuable, change is key

Yes, it is great to have a set routine in terms of having a plan when going into a workout. One of the worst possible decisions you can make is to turn up at the gym with no idea of what you are going to do for the next 30-60 minutes.

I have a routine that is split weight lifting 3 times a week. Each split day focusing on specific and varying muscle groups. This method I pulled from the Beach Body DVD series, p90X. That is doing legs and back one day a week then alternating between chest/shoulders or chest/back, and back/biceps or biceps/shoulders.

While focusing on a specific muscle group on certain days of the week I do different exercises with different goals on a given day. Some cycles I may be going for maximum strength, as in low reps(3-5) with lots of weight and other cycles focus on high reps (12-15) etc.

Balance

By “balance” I am talking about a couple things. First and foremost balancing the types of workouts one completes. Cardio vs. Weights, plyometrics or yoga. And speaking of Yoga, the second type of balance refers to your body. Think to be able to stand comfortably on one leg and even performing exercises such as lightly weighted curls while on one leg.

Physical balance is key for strengthening the minor muscles in your body. These muscles support your large muscles groups. Also, the practice in focus is another key reason to challenge oneself with balance based exercises. These are related to body weight exercises. Using your body as the primary tool to work out.

Practicing balance also pulls your muscles together helping to achieve that lean body type.

Strength Training

Recently I have adopted the drop set method. Starting with a moderate weight and counting down from 25. Then as the weight gets too much every 5-10 reps you drop it an increment lower.

Interval Training for Cardio

Interval training is the most effective method for elevating heart rates. Of all common exercise types, this is most proven to make changes in overall body composition. Burning plenty of calories and molding lean muscle mass.

Conclusion

The 3 aspects broken down are having a clear and healthy mental state, focusing on fuel as food, and an exercise program focusing on strength training.

Thank you for reading, please let me know any positive or negative reactions to the thoughts outlined above.