Injuries suck!

So right now, my left heel has been hurting due to a heel spur, plantar fasciitis, or a little from both. I'm not supposed to be running on it. Oh man, it is SO HARD to not run in Kaia! My heart hurts (not literally) from having to power walk and not able to run with my tribe. Honestly, I can definitely run with them. The next day, my heel reminds me that I should not have.

My primary care doctor has prescribed my some physical therapy. It's helping quite a bit! I'm sure the resting part is also doing its job. But that's the hardest part of all of this - the resting part. I think if you've been in Kaia for any lengths of time, you're bound to have tried our high impact Kaia level. The hard part is controlling what I do, or don't do in this level. Sure, it seems to push you harder than all the other levels, but if you truly need to rest your body, why are you pushing it?!

This past week's Fit Tip was great! It talks about "being brave enough to slow down your movements and commit to focusing on the balance level of each exercise. Work on good form and full range of motion." This is exactly what I need to work on. For some reason, as a Kaia vet, we think our Kaia sisters will think less of us if we slow it down, like we're going to be less of an athlete if we do balance level. Sometimes, we need to break it down in order to build it back up. 

With speed, sometimes, we compromise form. It's not good - when FORM goes out the window, you know who shows up: INJURIES. So even if we have to bite down our pride, we should all practice getting back to balance form, executing perfect form, using those mirrors placed FOR US - in order to visualize if we are doing something correctly or just going through the motion, and lastly, listen to your Kaia coaches! Sometimes, as vets, we don't want to hear that we're not doing something in perfect form - that little voice in my head says, "Well damn! I've been here so long, I KNOW what I'm doing." I'm here to tell you that your coach might see something that you might not and we're not just walking around correcting form for 'shits and giggles'. With LOVE, we are here to help reduce injury, & reduce exercise downtime, so YOU don't get stuck having to walk/powerwalk like I have to.

Take it from me, slow it down, take it to Balance Level, and perfect that exercise before adding speed, weight or injuries!

When you miss a class..

Remember that if you miss a workout, you can always burn calories in different ways throughout the day by adding extra exercises to your daily routine:

- adding squats while loading and unloading laundry, showering, cooking in front of the stove etc.

- while waiting in line: tighten your abs and do 12 side crunches each side (it will look like you're stretching your back while in line)

- carrying grocery bags? you can always add some bicep curls (lift bags by behind elbows, palms towards face) or lateral flies (shopping bag on each side, lift arms straight out to the side)

- parking away from said store, or doctor's office and walking further rather than parking close and walking only a little bit

- going to the 2nd or 3rd floor? Let's take the stairs! Better yet, jog up the stairs! (I like to have a race with myself - call me crazy! Ready set go!)

- I like to do calf raises while brushing my teeth sometimes, or even in the shower - assuming you take those.

- Watching TV? Why not stretch those legs out while watching the tube? 

- Grabbing a tennis ball under a side table or something low to the ground? My husband does a push-up on his way up from retrieving such small items. Why not do 5 while you're down there?!

-Waiting at a stop sign or red light in your car? Let's tighten down low and get some kegels in! That way when you do some tuck jumps, you won't feel like having to use the bathroom like sometimes do! 

- Baking something in the oven? Hold that squat low for 10 seconds before retrieving that turkey/baked sweet potatoe fries/whatever..

- Washing dishes? Might be awkward but come into a plie squat while in front of the sink..

- Have a baby? There's an exercise in itself! Lay on your back and do some arm work with your cutie.

- Are you next to a wall, waiting for the printer at work? Do some wall push-ups while waiting.

All these things don't have to be big, or even that many, but each little thing adds up in your day. So remember, it might look like you're a crazy person, but it's better than missing a workout entirely.

New Years Resolution

My New Year's Resolution is to stop eating crap and get healthier. My fitness goals are to show up to TRX more, get TRX certified eventually, and stop eating junk I don't need. I have the workout portion down. I can show up, I have no problems motivating myself to workout - I love to workout! I love Kaia! I need to love to eat better. Fuel my body with nutritious foods that are healthy and good for my body. Love my body by fueling it better. I have such a hard time with nutrition so that's what I want to focus in on for 2016. Maybe by the end of next year, I can see some abs? Not seeing my abs isn't the end of the world, because I know I'm pretty healthy. But seeing abdominal muscles does not come from working out; it comes from eating healthy.

I will definitely need my hubby's help on this one. If he's on board, we can stop eating out as much, eat more prepared meals and more greens. This will be the year that I buckle down in the kitchen. The kitchen will NOT defeat me this year!