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Stressed Out??

Who doesn’t deal with some sort of stress in their lives?? It could be family, your kids, their homework, your job, your pets tearing up the place, not having laundry detergent when you go to do the laundry, forgetting to pack your clothes for the gym when you have every intention to workout…and the list can go on and I KNOW you all know what I’m talking about!

Yesterday I listened to a podcast regarding mental health and stress management. The biggest take away (and I already know this but it’s so hard to do sometimes!) is to focus on what you CAN control and to set yourself up for success. The only thing I really can control is how I react to a certain situation.

Here are five tips on how to manage your stress in the first place (and managing your stress leads to a healthier mindset!)

  1. Get enough sleep…do not watch the news or have electronics at least 30min before bed. An hour if you can handle it. I used to always stay up and watch the weather for the next day – it was a habit; and what comes before the weather? ALL the news! And what is normally at the forefront of the news-the BAD news…things that will make you angry, sad and depressed so who wants to feel like that before you go to bed OR during the day?? Not me! So schedule your time wisely and catch those zzzz’s!
  2. Get on a schedule! Don’t be running around by the seat of your pants all of the time! Dial it in and then life should run a bit smoother for you. Get up one hour earlier and get 3 main tasks done and you should have a big “W” for the day! I’m already getting one of my tasks done by writing this little blog 🙂
  3. EXERCISE!! I’ve added a 30min walk to my daily habits to help me just destress and do nothing but walk. I’m only on day 3 but I can tell it is going to help me…I also try to schedule in workouts 5 times a week where I’m strength training and doing a CrossFit workout. Good for the heart, bones, muscles and mind!
  4. Practice Gratitude! What/Who are you thankful for? Tell them! Surprise someone with a text or phone call and tell them that you are grateful for them. Two people will have smiles on their face for sure! Make it a daily habit and I guarantee you will have more joy in your life!
  5. Dial in your nutrition! If you eat crap, you’re going to feel like crap! Start off with a healthy breakfast; it doesn’t have to be a “typical breakfast”, it could be an Oikos yogurt, peanut butter toast, a smoothie…anything to get your metabolism going so you have energy for your day. Try it, you might like the way it makes you feel!

Remember, you don’t have to focus on ALL of these at once…start small and go from there. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit stick so let’s see what we can do in the next 21 days, shall we?? Pretty sure if we can make even one of the above happen, we can reduce our stress in our lives! Who’s with me??

Have a Great Wednesday! 🙂

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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The Feel of Fall…

Have you been outside yet? We are in that “season” of a 30-35 degree fluctuation of the temperature between morning and afternoon! My son left for school this morning with no jacket, opened the door and was in for a rude awakening 🙂 He toughed it out knowing he could do without a jacket since he knew it would warm up.

This is one of my favorite times of the year, cooler temps and lower humidity! It makes for a more pleasant temperature at the gym as well since we’ve been battling high temps and humidity for the past few months. It’s also a time where I see more people out and about exercising either on the track, on the road and the parks.

Today I start my second week of our Healthy Habits Challenge and my habit this week is to do an extra 30 minute walk sometime during the day. I will definitely look forward to this later on today to de-stress a bit after a long morning…How do you de-stress? And if outside is your go-to, what do you do during bad weather? Do you have a routine at home?

If you’re looking for some accountability “after” the fall turns to winter OR want some now, book a Free Intro where we can discuss some online coaching and training…we want to help you stay active through ALL of the months! 🙂 Have a great Monday!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Bright Spots…

Sometimes (well, all of the time) we need to look for the bright spots in our lives and not focus on what we don’t have or what we can’t do.

Yesterday a friend posted about her son, DIL and two grandsons being rescued from the hurricane. They were trapped in their flooded and luckily got rescued. Now one could think about the total loss that they have endured with their house, but the bright spot is that everyone is SAFE and ALIVE! Thank goodness. I could not imagine being a young couple with young kids going through all of that.

I like for our members to focus on the bright spots in their life no matter how minimal it may seem. Hot coffee, bright sunshine, a car to drive to work, my spouse, my kids, my daughter’s birthday today, ability to workout, and the list can go on! So when you are having a bad day, remember your bright spots and know that someone else might be considering YOU their bright spot!

Make it a BRIGHT and HAPPY day! 😉

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Discipline…

#tbt to some “wisdom” I posted a couple of years ago…maybe you’re feeling like this…maybe you need a little discipline in your life…hope this helps(it’s kinda long 😉 stay awake😆)

Normally I just post these to the CFU Facebook page, but I felt the need to put this one out there for all to see…so many of us struggle with discipline when it comes to taking care of our bodies.

This FCA devotion comes at a great time in my opinion because I’ve heard rumblings about how people need to get back on track and need a kick in the pants…

Bottom line here folks is that YOU need to develop the discipline, YOU need to do the work, YOU must want IT (whatever IT is) more than you want the junk food, alcohol, and sitting on your rear.

No one else can do that for you…Here’s a question, have you prayed about your predicament?

Make YOU a priority AND prayer a priority and He will help you out! 🙂Happy reading!

I look forward to seeing more discipline around CFU! 😉

A Victorious Life

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” -Hebrews 12:11

Whenever I have an upcoming race, especially a marathon, I spend a lot of time training. People often ask me, “Where do you find the time?” But I think the real question on their minds is, “Why are you CHOOSING to spend your time doing that?”

When I began running marathons in 2009 my life and my pursuits were out of balance. I knew the training process would instill characteristics such as discipline, accountability and goal-setting. What I later realized was that running would also allow me plenty of time alone with my thoughts and time alone with God. Now I no longer have to justify my reason for doing marathons. People realize it has changed me for the better.

Many people today want results without the work. As athletes and coaches, we know that there are no shortcuts to victory. We can’t just hope for it. We can’t wish it our way. We have to choose to work for it. And we see this in our lives as Christians as well.

Time after time we find that the road to victory is paved with the series of important choices we make every day. Choices like the ones to be in close fellowship with God (Nehemiah 8:10), to take care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19), to use our words wisely (Luke 6:45) and to keep positive material in front of and around us (Philippians 4:8).

A victorious life is intentional. As a Christian athlete, I have implemented steps to help me compete and live for Christ and to stay on the path to victory.

Remove yourself from noise and distractions so you can talk to God and hear from Him. Spend time in God’s Word, prayer and worship. Evaluate how you are currently spending your time and examine the relationships in your life. If you see areas that need to change, create an action plan.

Write down your goals and the steps to achieving each one. Recognize and prepare for obstacles to your goals. Find someone you trust to keep you accountable. Build relationships with people of character who can assist you on your journey such as a mentor, coach or personal trainer. Access inspirational/educational material through the Internet, library, church or gym. As athletes and coaches, we know what it takes to train. Let that mindset help you as you train for godliness.

Have an awesome day! 🙂

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Will Lifting Weights Make Me Bulky??

225# 🙂

The simple answer is Nope… Many out there think that if you lift weights you will get “man muscles”. This is simply not true. Weight training simply makes you STRONGER!

When beginning a strength program, you will not see growth in the first few weeks since your nervous system is adapting to the training. It’s pretty complex but in layman’s terms, the more “muscle” you try to recruit, the more the brain works in finding that muscle to help with the strength. This is why you must give a strength program longer than a week or two 😉 The best plans take time!

Nutrition plays a big part in this as well because when you lift, in order to gain muscle, you need to “feed” that muscle the proper nutrients. Too many calories without burning it off results in the “bulkiness” or body fat gain. So eat to train, don’t train to eat!

Many people come in thinking they can just “tone up” or target a specific muscle area. The bottom line is to stick with an appropriate strength program (hire a coach 😉 ), use proper form and eat a well-balanced diet.

Hormones are the underlying factor when speaking about bulking up when lifting weights. Women will not bulk up like men, because they have a different hormone profile. Men have more testosterone, which promotes muscle growth. For women, both fortunately and unfortunately, their hormone profile allows them to tone without getting bulky, but also deters them from losing all the fat they may desire as easily as men. A clean diet will promote this wanted fat loss for them.

You need to be strong to be lean, and to do this, the recipe is simple: weight training, clean diet with everything in moderation and cardio. If you have other questions about exercise, fat loss, weight training or nutrition, go ahead and book a No Sweat Intro with one of our trainers and we can get you started to a strong and lean future!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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No Excuses!

I was recently working with a personal training client and we had just went over some stats on the progress made over the past two weeks. Yes, weight was lost, BUT when we got down to it, more progress could have been made had the “extra mile” would have taken place.

At the beginning of our PT sessions, I had discussed that “extra homework” would need to be done on the days not at the gym…that’s when the Excuse started rolling in…I’m too busy; I forget; I don’t have the energy…etc…

30 minutes is 2% of your day – TWO!! You mean to tell me that you can’t take 30 minutes for yourself a day to take care of your health whether it be physical or mental?? Hogwash as my grandma would say! You can even break up that 30 minutes into 3-10min sessions of a walk.

What would happen if you exercised ON PURPOSE starting today and just walked for 30min per day for the rest of the month?? One, you could destress a bit, two, you may lose a little bit of weight, and three you’d be taking time for YOU.

I’m challenging you to start the 30 minutes per day challenge and see how you feel at the end of the month…it will become a habit and you will even look forward to doing it! There’s no excuse to not to so GO FOR IT! Have a happy Friday Eve!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Pushing Out the Negative

Staying on the “taking care of mental health” train of thought, let’s learn how to keep the negative at bay…

Let’s face it, life is usually filled with obstacles that are outside our control. Events that are unforeseen, emergencies we are unprepared for, the list goes on. But there are things we have control over and among them are our thoughts. 

Negative thoughts and feelings do a lot of damage, so it’s important to keep them to a minimum. Easier said than done, but here are 3 ways to help stop negative self-talk:

Breathe: If you start thinking negative thoughts, and you are feeling overwhelmed and upset, pause and breathe. It will help by slowing your heart rate by calming you down and giving you some clarity.

Acknowledge it: When you start to have negative thoughts, acknowledge them. You’re not going to stop them by ignoring them. You have to acknowledge them before you can confront them. 

Consider the cause: What’s at the root of these thoughts? Are you afraid? Are you experiencing self-doubt? Why are these thoughts creeping in and why are they stopping you? Take some time to consider where these thoughts come from and confront them. 

Focus on the positive aspects of your day…what do you look forward to most? Put that at the forefront of your mind and keep pushing the negative back. You’ve got this! Happy Humpday! 🙂

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Rainy Day Blues

Taking care of your mental health…

If you’re in Central Missouri (Jefferson City) and you take a look outside…it’s cloudy, rainy and pretty miserable looking. Some days I like when it rains, a nice slow rain that’s calming, but yesterday’s storm was a little unsettling as it felt almost like a tornado came through.

I think some of us can chalk up our days and compare them to the different types of storms that occur. I saw an IG post the other day of 2 different pictures, one where it was sunny and he had a smile, the other it was rainy and he had a frown. 🙁

What makes the dreariness overtake our moods? It’s our mindset! If we LET the rain/cloudiness bring us down then you can for sure set yourself up for a bad mood. If you make yourself think on the positive – like, we needed the rain, the temps are cooler now, I don’t have to run (in our workout today 😉 ), etc…then this shifts your mindset!

Everyone has bad days, I for sure am one of them, but we don’t need to stay in those bad days…there are things that you can do to help shift your mindset where you can make things better. Speaking from experience of anxiety and depression, I KNOW it’s rough but there are ways to help and to make your mental health a priority…

  • Seek medical help/advice – anyone who has not experienced anxiety or depression, it sucks! But there IS help out there…no one has the same chemical balance/makeup in their brain, we are all different and our brains receive things in a different way. So if you have struggled with anxiety/depression, talk to your doctor because there IS a way to help you with your “blues”.
  • Get enough sleep; depriving your body of the right amount of sleep (7-8 hrs) is setting yourself up for lacking energy during the day, wanting to nap mid-afternoon and becoming irritable with family, friends and co-workers…No one wants that!
  • MOVE your BODY! Exercise is said to be the best anti-depressant on the market…Do this little thing for me, set a timer for 30 seconds, put some music on and just dance…no one’s watching you so let yourself go to town! I bet it puts a smile on your face! Get it!
  • Step up your Nutrition Game and fuel your body the RIGHT way! Stop putting crap in your body and you may stop feeling the same way! 😉
  • Surround yourself with like-minded and positive people…Yes, I’m going to say it, don’t be a “Debbie Downer” or “Negative Ned” 🙂 When your bad mood affects the others in the room, that is a sure sign that an attitude adjustment needs to take place.
  • Spend some quiet time reflecting on being grateful; something that I have been doing (not as regular as I should bc I forget!) is to add to my “Blessings Box”…I write down 2-3 things that I’m thankful for or great things that happened then toss them into my little box. I can then pull from them at a later time to reminisce and it for sure will put a smile on my face.

I for sure do not have all the answers for everything, but I have lived with mental health issues my entire life so I have a little bit of insight on how to deal with some things. I’m not a counselor, but I empathize with people who are going through a rough stretch, but remember – that rough stretch doesn’t have to be forever…seek the help you need and those rainy day blues will soon turn to rainbows 🙂

Have a happy and bright Tuesday!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!

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Mission: Possible!

CrossFit Unstoppable’s mission: We believe that when you walk through the doors, your day will be made better through the community, the workout, your effort and hard work; and when you leave, you will leave better than yesterday!  

We believe in ALL of our athletes no matter their shape, size or fitness level. Our mission is to help EVERYONE who steps through that door…Think back to an event or activity that you didn’t think you would be able to do. What was going through your head? All the negative stuff, right?? I Can’t…You’re not fast enough…I’m too old! All of this negative self-talk is holding you back!

That’s where we come in…we want you to try, we want you to practice, we want you to succeed! Those first box jumps can be scary, that first rope climb-terrifying, and those triple digits over your head for the first time, downright crazy, BUT we know you can achieve it…Because we believe in you and your capabilities.

Focus on all of the positives…I always like to tell an athlete – “at least you are here trying and lapping everyone on the couch!” If you try and fail, try again, and again, and again until anything is possible!

You may not see it now, but it’s coming…just you wait! BUT, you have to show up, put in the work AND believe that it’s POSSIBLE!

Have a great week!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed! 🙂

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Heading into September…

Blink…Yep, August is almost gone; how did that happen?? I’m sure everyone has those weeks where you think, “How did Friday get here so fast?” I mean you’re happy and all, but what just happened?

Most people this past week sent their kiddos back to school after being out for nearly 5 months…Stress is in the air…There’s tension and perhaps a little bit of chaos going around in homes these days – more so than usual.

If you are a bit stressed about how these next weeks are going to go, I want you to do this – Focus on what you CAN control!

  • Sleep-Try to shoot for 7-8 hours each night; more for your kids!
  • Meals-Make a list of meals you would like to have in the evenings during the week – meal prep for a couple hours during a wkd afternoon. Prepare healthy snacks for your kids to grab and go instead of having them reach for junk (same for you 😉 ) Our site now has tons of recipes!
  • MOVE – Even if you can only get a 20 minute walk in during the day, perhaps get up 20min earlier or walk on one of your breaks – it will do your body and mind good!
  • Focus on the positive – stay off of social media that causes stress

If you focus on these things that are in your control, then I think heading into September may be a little bit less stressful! If you need help with managing your nutrition or fitness, give us a shout, we are here to help!

OH! Want to experience a CrossFit Unstoppable Class?? In the month of September, Tuesday evenings at 6:30, come and give it a shot for FREE!

Have a great Sunday!

Work Hard, Eat Clean, Be Blessed!