Hey everyone! How is your week going? I hope you’re having a great week. It’s been busy as usual here, working during the day and chasing the kids around in the afternoons and evenings. The new school year feels like total chaos after a very calm summer. I’m still trying to balance it all, especially since the kids are so busy with their own activities and loads of homework.
In today’s post, I want to share a bit about my personal health and wellness journey and what I’ve learned the hard way. If you’re an OG blog reader (hello! Thanks for sticking around for so long!), you’ve had a front row seat to how things have changed over time. I’ve seen the cardio queen era, the raw food era, pregnancy, the good, the bad, the weird, and everything in between. 🙂
It’s funny, as health and wellness professionals, we like to think that we’re doing a good job and following our own advice most of the time. But the reality is, many of us try different things, fail, and learn along the way. Even things that you *know* like the value of sleep, stress management, and eating your vegetables can be difficult for those of us who work in this industry.
Here are some of the things I had to learn the hard way.
Things I learned the hard way about health and wellness:
– Not everything is for everyone. As someone who has tried just about everything (except swimming-related activities, because I’m more of a floater/dog paddler type), I’ve found that my body doesn’t like all types of exercise classes or formats. I’m still in recovery and trying to keep inflammation down, so I know I can’t do tons of sprints or HIIT right now, and that’s ok. Barre and yoga feel a million times better than box jumps and burpees, and I don’t feel like I have to take a nap afterwards.
The same goes for nutrition and supplements: some people do better on a high-fat diet, others don’t. Some people need more B vitamins and protein and fewer carbs, while others eat more carbs and can’t digest protein well.
Probiotics are a great tool, but if you have an overgrowth of gut bacteria, they can make your symptoms worse.
Cold therapy can make your already stressful day even worse.
The answer really is to find what works for you 🙂
– Good shoes make a big difference! I remember the first time I ran a long distance I was wearing kid-sized Nikes (laughs). I’m glad I’ve leveled up on my shoe choices!
I’ve tried a lot of different shoes, but my current favorite is Bibo Barefoot. (<— click this link for 20% off) I’ll be posting about barefoot sneakers in the future, but I love that they allow me to use my foot muscles more, grip the floor better, allow my toes to spread fully, and are super lightweight for traveling.
– What you wear when working out isn’t that important, but it can be fun to motivate you. I used to spend a lot of money on workout clothes, but now I only wear clothes when I go to a studio class, and when I’m at home I’m usually barefoot and in my pajamas. Sculpture Society This is my favorite pajama workout.
– Many raw foods can be difficult to digest. If you don’t get much fiber, eating lots of salads and raw vegetables can be hard on your digestive system. Steaming, baking, sautéing, or roasting vegetables can make them easier to digest.
– It’s worth skipping the evening scrolling and sleep. At the end of a long day, I’d stay up late drinking wine, watching TV, and scrolling through my phone and feel like it *was worth it.* I’d suffered from extreme fatigue for years. Now that I’m vigorously protecting my sleep, I’m a happier, more energized person.
– Just lift weights. I used to be really into strength training, but now I force myself to do it at least 2-3 times a week. I got exhausted from constantly creating programs for other people and didn’t want to create programs for myself. When I do lift heavy weights, it’s usually on an F45 strength training day.
Strength training is so important for women. When I neglected strength training and overdid cardio, I wasn’t happy with my body composition. From a vanity standpoint, strength training makes a huge difference, and from a longevity standpoint, it’s invaluable.
– Alcohol doesn’t agree with me. I love wine and margaritas and still enjoy them every now and then, but most of the time it leaves me with a puffy face, poor sleep quality, and next day blood sugar issues. For me, it’s got to be worth it. Read here to find out how I’ve reduced my wine intake over time.
– Consistency always trumps intensity. When I was younger, I was obsessed with volume and intensity. More time, more sweat, more lessons. No wonder I was often hungry and cranky. I also often got injured from overtraining. Now, exercise is a daily checkbox. Not as intense as before, but very consistent in what feels good and gets my body moving. Whereas exercise used to feel like a punishment, now it feels like a joy.
What would you add to this list? What have you learned the hard way on your health and wellness journey?
I look forward to reading your experiences in the comments!
Have a great day and see you soon.
Kiss
Gina
