2021 Fitness Motto: KISS more often

Wow. Was 2020 not the shortest longest year ever? I am sure many of us are glad to say goodbye, but I feel like it sort of flew by. I mean did quarantine really start almost nine months ago? Nevertheless, the year is behind us and I like to take time to reflect on the highs, lows and personal goals of the last year. At the beginning of 2020 I created a list of 20 things I wanted to accomplish in 2020. Some were personal, some were fun and some were professional, but they each gave me a specific target to work for in 2020. I am an internally competitive person. Competing with others doesn’t really motivate me, but if I set a goal for myself, I need to do my very best to achieve it. Can anyone relate? Here’s my 2020 list:

Now, I certainly didn’t complete them all. When I made them in January, I didn’t know I would spend 9 out of 12 months of 2020 in my house, so things like girls nights and date nights didn’t really happen. But I did get (a TINY bit better) at cooking, finished some home projects, found Gigi a weekly playdate (TY Mckenzie and Lily!), grew my fitness business, and we were blessed with our second baby. Honestly, we thought we would find a bigger house and then get pregnant, but God had different plans and His timing is always perfect.

TBH I haven’t created my 2021 list yet. I feel like the end of the year snuck up on me. It’s probably due to my extremely energetic and very distracting toddler, but also may be because I learned we don’t have to be incredibly productive all the time. I think most of us can agree that 2020 taught us that our most valuable possessions are humans, not things, places or activities. Do I crave getting dressed up for a nice dinner with my closest friends? Absolutely. But I also learned checking 1353 things off of my list doesn’t really give me happiness. My happiness lies within my daughter, my husband and the other amazing people in my life. And to have them made this unique last year, very special.

Thank you 2020 for teaching me the value of simplicity. That the simple things are truly the most important. And this applies directly to my wellness philosophy. I will never discourage those who use the start of a new year as a way to “reset” their health, but I don’t believe in all the New Years hype. The same way I don’t believe in a super strict diet, crazy specific workout plans or restriction in anyway. Improving your health doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, you are less likely to stick with it, if you set unreasonable high expectations for yourself. If one of your 2021 goals is to become a healthier version of yourself, GOOD FOR YOU, and my advice would be to:

K I S S

 

Keep It

Simple

Silly

 

Everyone deserves a customized wellness program. I absolutely believe that. But at the foundation of almost every healthy lifestyle are these components:

1) Drink half of your body weight in water (in ounces)! If you weigh 150 pounds that means you should be drinking about 75 ounces of water a day. Yes, you can include things like unsweetened tea and sparkling water. But standard, filtered H20 should be your primary liquid of choice! This helps to

• Keep organs functioning properly

• Hydrate skin

• Improve cognition, sleep quality and mood

• Flush out toxins

• Increase metabolism and energy

2) Move your body consistently. There are a lot of numbers out there for how much you need to move, but from my personal experiences, I see most people need to move their body minimally 4-5 days a week for at least 30 minutes. Some days this means a strength training circuit, some days a walk, some days it is a dance party with your kids. Just sit less and move more.

3) Socialize. Vent with a good friend. Call someone and share about your day. Sit and have a cup of coffee (safely with COVID of course)! I am an extrovert, but I think most people would agree you actually feel better seeing another human.

4) Eat some vegetables. Why?

• Naturally low in fat & calories, and HIGH in vitamins & minerals

• Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure

• Reduce risk of heart attack, stroke, certain types of cancers, obesity and Type 2 diabetes

• Improves potassium which can lower the risk of kidney stones and bone loss

• Veggies are full of fiber which can reduce cholesterol levels and prevent potential blood clots and heart disease

Whether you have specific wellness related goals for 2021 or just want to have a better quality of life, KISS is a perfect motto. Happy New Year friends and cheers to making it through 2020!