TAKING ACTION: ✅We’ve talked a lot about rest days this month, but how’s your sleep been throughout this challenge? Let’s talk about it! We’re almost in the home stretch of our STEPtember Challenge! 👟 With today being a rest day, it’s a good time to talk about the difference between rest and sleep. They can overlap, but they’re not the same thing — and both are critical when it comes to building lean muscle and supporting your overall health. 💯 Rest days are the days we intentionally take off from training so our muscles can recover. You’re not tearing down muscle fibers on these days. Your brain is still active and stimulated, but your body gets a break from the stress of lifting. Sleep is a different (and equally important) piece of the puzzle. When we sleep, our bodies release muscle-building hormones that help repair and rebuild the damage from training. 👉 Bottom line: Both rest days and good sleep hygiene are both non-negotiable on your muscle-building journey. They serve different purposes. You need both. 👌 ‼️ TOMORROW STARTS OUR NO BACKGROUND NOISE CHALLENGE. Monday-Friday of this week try to sit in silence as much as possible to regulate your nervous system and form actual thoughts: no music in your car, no mindless noise, no TV watching or doom scrolling, etc. YOU CAN DO IT and you’ll be surprised at how much better you feel! Who’s doing it with me?! ⬇️

TAKING ACTION: ✅Comment LET’S GO if you’re committed to locking in for the next six weeks before the holiday season arrives! The time is now, friends! We’re coming up on the official Fall season (next Tuesday!), and with it comes cooler temps followed by the holiday season! 😲 I don’t know how else to say this other than just to say it… The time is NOW. Next month brings Halloween. November brings Thanksgiving. December brings Christmas. SUGAR POISONING SEASON IS UPON US 😱 We have about six weeks before the madness begins, and the truth is, you can accomplish a lot in six weeks. If you lock in for the next six weeks, you can spend most of your holiday season maintaining your results. I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a good plan to me. As I’ve mentioned before, when you utilize your time and opportunity well throughout the year, you have more freedom to enjoy the holiday season. The time and opportunity are happening RIGHT NOW. Lock in and let’s go! 🔥

TAKING ACTION: ✅Share your weekly win in the comments below! I want to hear ‘em all, both big and small! 🎉 “Fight your brain’s negativity bias by appreciating and lingering on the tiny, positive moments you experience day-to-day.” ~Rick Hanson Take a moment to consider these questions today ⬇️ ➡️How many things can you consider as a win this week? ➡️How many things did you consider a failure this week? If I were a bettin’ woman, I’d bet that you can think of a lot more failures than wins… This is because humans are hardwired to focus on the negative. We have a negativity bias, and unfortunately, it causes us to place more emphasis on negative experiences than positive ones. This might be why some of you don’t show up every week to celebrate your weekly small wins. If science is correct, you’re far more focused on what you did wrong than what you did right—and even if you can think of something you did well, you probably brush it off as “not good enough”... Am I right or am I right? While negativity bias is something we all probably struggle with to a degree, the good news is that it’s totally changeable because your brain is neuroplastic—but it doesn’t happen without you putting in some effort. If you want to change your brain to focus on the positive, you must start focusing on the positive—and that means you should start celebrating even the smallest of wins each week. 💯

TAKING ACTION: ✅Share your weekly win below! Big or small—they all count! 🎉 You already know we pride ourselves on the fact that your daily exercise routine doesn’t have to take hours. We’re known for our 30-35 minute workouts that are quick but highly effective. With that, we’ve added our STEPtember Challenge, which means most of us are probably moving more than we normally would. Our daily workouts are great on their own, but adding steps every day is always a good idea if time permits. 💯 Because we’ve increased our movement this month, however, I need to reiterate the importance of rest days. Hopefully, you understand why rest and recovery days are so critical—not only for muscle growth, but also for energy replenishment, injury prevention, sleep and hormone recovery, and mental and emotional benefits. Rest days are non-negotiable and are not a sign of weakness—they are a strategic part of building strength, endurance, and resilience. 💯 Check out today’s optional reading to learn more about the importance of rest days. The article also addresses when you should take an active recovery day vs. a full rest day! ⬇️ The Importance of Rest Days in Your Fitness Routine

TAKING ACTION: ✅Do you normally stick to the same fruits and vegetables? Simplicity is a great tool (eating the same thing most days of the week); however, switching up your fruits and veggies is a simple strategy with healthy benefits! Last week, we briefly touched on the benefits of eating seasonal food, specifically seasonal produce. Some of my favorite benefits are ⬇️ 👉 Higher nutrient content 👉 Better flavor/freshness 👉 Supports gut health 👉 And of course, cost-effectiveness! Maybe you already have your favorite fruits and vegetables, and you’ve never really considered whether or not they’re in season. I get it. I used to be the same. However, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables provides your body with a variety of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients! Think about it—if you only eat strawberries and broccoli, you’ll consume plenty of Vitamins C and K; however, you’re likely to be low in Vitamins B12 and A. Consuming seasonal produce will help you consume a variety of fruits and veggies and ensure you’re consuming a variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients! Speaking of seasonal foods, check out this recipe blog full of healthy Fall recipes! 🍁 Dietitian's 30 Best Healthy Fall Recipes, Easy & Cozy - Mallory the Dietitian Recipes