Who thinks recovery = cold plunges, sauna, red light, foam rolling, creatine and getting more sleep? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Yes ... those are all forms of "recovery"! 🤔 The thing is ... RECOVERY isn't something you necessarily add ... ... it's something you REMOVE An overcommitted schedule. The dinner you felt guilty saying "no" to. The volunteer role you didn't have the energy for. The obligation you dragged yourself to because of FOMO 🤭 or because you didn't want to disappoint someone. We spend so much time trying to "optimize" our recovery... ...while overlooking the fact that our calendar might be what's keeping our nervous system stuck in survival mode. Your body can't exit survival mode if it's constantly running from one commitment to the next. Time and energy are currencies. 💰💰 Every intentional "no" protects both. When our body isn't depleted of "currency", it has more resources to put towards repairing muscle tissue, healthier food choices and letting go of unwanted body fat. Saying "No, thank you" ❤️ is a more powerful recovery tool compared to the next supplement or biohack. RECOVERY isn't an accessory to the strength and nutrition "training." Recovery IS the training!! What's one thing you could say "no" to this week that your future self would thank you for?

Aloha Hazel! Welcome to the Strong Women team - we are stoked to have you join us! We'd love to get to know you-- feel free to introduce yourself below. Let us know where you're from and what you're currently loving for nutrition and training in 2026. 😊 💪 Here's one of my go-to tricep movements and a favorite functional movement for legs and glutes. What type of arm and legs movements have been working for you so far?

Halfway through 2026, I think a lot of us are simply taking life one day at a time. Today's post is some encouragement to give your heart a dose of happy. The kind you'd get from a hug... or a good laugh with a girlfriend. ❤️ Quick story. The last three weeks have been a lot. I came down with a respiratory infection on my son's birthday, and I'm still not quite over it. In the middle of that, we traveled to Phoenix and Reno for baseball. It was hot. It was busy. It was fun. It was exhausting. Every day was making sure the kids had breakfast, snacks, water, sunscreen, clean uniforms, enough sleep, and enough opportunities to make special memories. I happily ate the burgers and fries with them... while secretly missing my cottage cheese, slow-cooked oats, and giant arugula salads. I'm not complaining. I'm just tired. And if I'm honest, there was a little part of me hoping someone would say, "Thanks, Mom (or "Sis" or "Babe"). You're doing a great job." 😂 I laughed at myself as I wrote the above sentence. Because that's not usually how caregiving works. Women just keep the show running. We solve problems before anyone notices them. We carry the mental load - heck, even the physical load like coolers full of drinks and ice! We love hard. And then we wake up and do it all again. That's why I think we need to cheer for one another. And maybe... learn to cheer for ourselves, too. Quit focusing on everything you're not doing silly.😉 Pause long enough to notice everything you already are. The meals you've made. The appointments you've remembered. The people you've encouraged. The countless little things that no one else even sees. So if you need someone to tell you today... You're doing a fabulous job. You are strong. You are kind. You are deeply loved. We see you. Keep going. And when you need it... Take a bow. Then take a rest. 💚 💚 Consider this my little gift to you today: My friend and fellow health coach, Azul, shared a beautiful breathing practice inside the classroom

The reason you're doing more but feeling worse and how you can have MORE AGENCY TODAY. In perimenopause + menopause, estrogen and progesterone decline but in an erratic, non-linear style. That hormonal "wonkiness" can disrupt normal cortisol rhythms: • Blood sugar elevates • More belly fat storage • Middle-of-the-night waking • and every other woman I talk to tells me :"I tend to lose my sh$! more"😜 Our body gets stuck in low grade "survival" threat mode which is stressful. Stress KILLS progress. What do most women do? They tend to do more. More cardio, more dieting, more self-deprication ... which raises cortisol further. Which keeps us spinning wheels and tired. We had it backward. We don't get cortisol back to baseline by controlling our external environment harder. We get cortisol back in balance by IMPROVING OUR INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. Our external environment is made up of stressors outside of us, including: - Work demands - Relationship challenges - Deadlines and time pressure - Overcommitting and busy schedules - Comparing ourselves to others' physiques - Traffic and commuting - Bills and financial responsibilities - Other day-to-day life demands Here's how to start improving your internal environment: - Start using food/exercise as privilege not punishment. - Get to bed earlier without feeling guilt or like you're missing out. - Strength train- not too much, not too little, but just the right amount - Learn the difference between cravings, and true hunger. - Eat enough protein to support muscle and recovery. - Protect your energy by saying "no" more often even when it feels uncomfortable - Learn about your tendencies and recognize patterns; more awareness, less forcing/pressure A "lighter" internal environment fosters brain safety and cortisol is encouraged to drop back to baseline. When cortisol drops, insulin works better, muscle tissue can grow and fat metabolism actually functions. Today's action: Identify one area of your internal environment you'd like to improve. If you feel comfortable, share it below and we can drop tips as a team.

Does anyone else feel like summer is harder than the holidays when it comes to healthy habits? ☀️ Travel. BBQs. Vacation. Kids home. Schedules all crazy! If your routine feels crazy, that's normal. Here are three shifts that help our team the most this time of year. 𝟭. 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. It also IS NOT a free pass to throw caution to the wind! 😉 😉 There is a happy middle. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the people. Enjoy the experience. Be intentional enough so that getting back to your normal routine feels easy instead of feeling like you have to "start over." 𝟮. 𝗟𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 & 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. EXPECT fewer workouts. (Knowing what to expect ahead of time avoids the stress of frustration!) Instead of five workouts, aim for two or three. Instead of 45 minutes, do 15-25 min. Make EACH REP COUNT. Proper technique makes progress faster & safer than a mindless workout. Work smarter, not harder. Here's hotel-room workout you can do anywhere. Bands are helpful but not required. Do one round or three. It takes about 5-20 minutes. 𝟯. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻. Use a step by step framework that WORKS with almost any eating situation or food option. ✅ 1)Center each meal around a protein. ✅ 2) Add 1 to 2 fists worth of veggies (when possible). ✅ 3) Fill in the rest with foods you genuinely enjoy. Here's a 5 min flash lesson from one of my group coaching calls that walks through meal building, workout structure, and the mindset shifts that make consistency feel easier. Your goal this summer IS NOT TO NEED A "RESET" COME FALL. It's to come home ready to pick up where you left off or might I say "hit the ground running"! What do you need the most help with this Summer? Drop it below. I got you.