“Work out. Lead a balanced life and try to have fun. It's what you make it.” ~Venus Williams TAKING ACTION: ✅Comment BALANCE below if you’re ready to learn more about how and why you should live a balanced life regarding your health & wellness journey! Good morning, and happy Monday, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend, full of a little productivity and a little rest. It’s called balance, and we all need it in our lives—and especially in our health & wellness journeys. 💯 Think of your journey as you would a pendulum. If you swing too far one way, you won’t be productive at all. If you swing too far in the other direction, you’re at risk for burning out. The goal is to find your sweet spot somewhere in the middle. Your sweet spot may look different throughout different seasons. For example, there may be seasons where you swing with a little more force toward one direction or the other, but with awareness and intentionality, you can always stay somewhere in the middle. That’s what balanced living is. We’re going to talk more about balance this week, as it’s a topic we’ve never really discussed in depth. Of course, I find it important, but it’s easy to get caught up in life and find yourself swinging too far one way. Maybe you do, too. This week, we’re going to be reminded of why balanced living is our best approach and why it ultimately leads to lifelong success! 🙌

“Activity and rest are two vital aspects of life. To find a balance in them is a skill in itself. Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have. Finding them in each other – activity in rest and rest in activity – is the ultimate freedom.” ~Sri Sri Ravi Shankar TAKING ACTION: ✅ Tell us how you’re honoring your body today through rest and recovery! Can I get an “Amen” on the quote above?! 🙌 We’ve been putting the work in this month. Not only have you continued to push yourselves in your workouts, but many of you have challenged yourself by focusing on your core strength, as well. You’ve been active! But, as the quote says, there’s wisdom in knowing when to be active and when to rest—and today, we rest! 🫶 Now go enjoy your day, and get ready for another great week of activity ahead!

TAKING ACTION: ✅ What questions do you have about core strength? All questions are welcome! Ask away! Have you always longed for abs? Well, guess what? You already have them! 💯 “Abs” are short for abdominal muscles, and yep, you already have ‘em. Just like you already have muscles everywhere else in your body. The visibility of your abs is another story and depends on the amount of belly fat you have. This isn’t to say you have too much belly fat if you can’t see your ab muscles. Most people must be very lean and have very little body fat to see abdominal muscles. Your nutrition plays a critical role in the visibility of your abs, but so do genetics. As you’ll read in the article attached, women specifically are predisposed to storing excess body fat—and this often shifts from the hip/buttock area to the midsection/belly area as we enter into perimenopause and menopause. Anyone experiencing this right now? 🙋‍♀️ The good news is that a strong core is much more important than visible abs! Of course, reducing excess belly fat is also beneficial, but the overall point is that you should work on your core strength regardless of whether or not you can see abs or not. 💯 ⬇️OPTIONAL READING⬇️ (This is a great article to read if you’re interested in core strength!) 7 Reasons Why Building Core Strength is Better than Six Pack Abs

TAKING ACTION: ✅ What’s your favorite core move? This week, we’re chatting about why building a strong core is important for your overall health. The truth is that building strength is important for all of your body/muscles. We use different muscles for different activities, but at the end of the day, your core is arguably one of the most important to focus on. That’s because it acts as a girdle, support system, and shock absorber for the rest of your body. When your core muscles are weak, you overcompensate by using other muscles, and that can often cause injury and/or unnecessary pain. 💯 Something you may not have realized is just how many muscles we’re talking about when we’re referencing your core. We often think of our abdominal muscles and maybe our back muscles. But did you know there are many more? 👉 Abdominal (both deep and superficial) 👉 Back (both deep and superficial) 👉 Obliques (the sides of your stomach) 👉 Diaphragm (your breathing muscle at the top of your core) 👉 Pelvic floor muscles (make up the bottom of your core) Your core is where all movement begins and is your center of gravity. Focusing on strengthening your core in its entirety will not only benefit your core but also the rest of your body, as well! 💯

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” ~Zig Ziglar TAKING ACTION: ✅Share a small win this week that is moving you closer to your big win/goal? Let’s celebrate them—they’re the real MVPs! 🎉 Ask anyone who’s ever accomplished anything in life, and I can guarantee they’ll tell you the lessons learned along the way were far more valuable than the victory. That’s not to say the victory isn’t sweet, because it certainly is; however, it’s much sweeter when you’ve fought tooth and nail to get there. 💯 Every time you choose the healthiest option (mentally or physically), your brain is rewiring its neural pathways and if you aren’t changing your neural pathways, you aren’t changing. This means much of who you become is in your control! You can change your brain. You can change your thoughts. You can change your future. You often hear me talk about embracing the discomfort in this space. Do you see a common theme? The reason this keeps coming up is that it’s critically important. The lessons learned—pushing through the discomfort—the small wins you celebrate on Fridays—becoming a better version of yourself each day—THESE are the real wins! 🎉