I Turned My Pain Into Power

When I first got hurt, I didn’t think that my story was interesting or really even dramatic. It wasn’t until more people asked and I shared more that I realized my story was a little dramatic. I guess that makes sense. Not walking for a year is definitely not something that happens to every person.

In hindsight, it’s not even the injury itself that makes the situation dramatic. For most people, it’s seeing how I walk, workout, live my life in general and then finding out this traumatic event happened to me that’s dramatic. Because they can’t tell by looking at me that anything significant has happened to my body, that I had this life altering thing happen, or that I overcame such a major, well…THING.

Unbeknownst to them, that was my goal. I was YOUNG when I got hurt, and I knew that the life ahead of me would be (hopefully) long and fantastic. But I also knew that I didn’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else around me. I didn’t want the stares I received when I was in a wheelchair with metal sticking out of my foot, I didn’t want the special treatment I received when I couldn’t walk, I just wanted to be like everyone else.

So I took all the pain I experienced both physically and emotionally, and I reverse engineered it to make me stronger. I knew that pain could derail me, bring me down, it could ruin my whole life, or it could become my source of power. It could show me how strong and capable I am, how resilient I am, and how I have an amazing support system around me that builds me up when I can’t hold myself up.

I tell my classes every time the work gets hard to remind themselves that they’ve made it through 100% of their bad days, so they can do whatever it is that I’m asking them to do. I tell them that because I tell myself that when the work gets hard. If I can get through that pain and anguish, I can do just about anything and be grateful for the opportunity to be ABLE to do it.

I Love That Vacation Mode

Vacation mode. That IDGAF mode. I get it. We all have to be able to let loose and blow off steam. Shoot we need that mode.

Days are so chaotic and it can be completely overwhelming to think about all the things that need to get done and how you’re going to manage to get them all done. We all need that break, it’s important to have that break.

So how do you have that break without going bat shit crazy and completely losing all the progress you’ve made?

Here’s my Top 3 Vacation Survival Mode Tips:

1. Pre-pack snacks. If you can bring snacks from home with you, that’s awesome. If not, when you get to your destination, find a local grocery store and buy yourself some healthy snack options. Throw some fresh fruit or baby carrots in there too. It’ll help those late night hotel room cravings, and it’ll save you from grabbing stuff when you’re out because you’re hangry.

2. Use your hotel gym. Bring a couple sets of workout clothes and make time to hit the gym. if you really want to prep this one, write down some workouts you would want to do and bring them with you. If that doesn’t work for you, even 30 minutes on the elliptical or stationary bike will help you feel like you’re staying on track.

3. Bring your supplements. I know this one seems weird, but if you take certain supplements on a daily basis, you need to take them when you’re on vacation too. It’ll help keep your body on track and keep you feeling good while you’re out enjoying yourself!

Click the link below to schedule your 15 minute free consultation call for more tips specific to YOUR vacation mode!

Getting MY Healthy Back

Because motherhood is a journey and not a destination and because even though I had this HUGE blessing of knowledge and education with fitness and nutrition, it doesn’t mean that things were easy.

So to piggy back on my last post, I truly am grateful that Grace is being raised in an environment where healthy living is a priority and she can learn about what it means to make healthy choices without feeling pressured to do it.

I distinctly remember the first Pilates session I did post c-section with Grace. I went in by myself because I honestly wasn’t sure how any of it was going to feel. On the positive, my normally conservative doctor cleared me for all activities 4 weeks post partum as well as post op, so I went into the studio in between classes when I knew I wouldn’t run into anyone. I had already been back in the pool and was walking, but Pilates…geesh that was a WHOLE other story.

Here I am on the reformer trying to figure out what I was even going to do because it was at least 3 months since I programmed a class much less worked out on a reformer, and I’m going through the motions and then I go to do a roll up…and my body literally said ABSOLUTELY NOT. And I remember thinking holy moly I’m gonna have to get a new job because I can’t even do this one and this is so horrible because I just want to be able to do this and I can’t, well…you get the picture, there was for sure a moment of panic. There was no patience on my part that I was so soon in the studio after having a baby as well as having major abdominal surgery and there was for sure no humility when it came to my body and what I thought were its capabilities.

So I took a deep breath, let go of my frustration and slowly, with time, the things I was used to doing came back. For the most part, although I will say that the majority of exercises feel different especially where the core is concerned and I did have a significant amount of re-learning to do.

And then I held myself to the fire with Pilates. I made sure I was going to class, I was practicing at home, in the effort to get my strength back up. Not just because I only make people do what I have done myself (and recently), but also because I needed my confidence back to I could effectively teach class. For me, it’s a matter of holding my tribe to the fire because I hold myself to the fire. I don’t expect that anyone will be able to do everything on any given day, that’s why you take your necessary modifications, BUT I do expect that people will show up every time and will do THEIR best every time. Not what the person is doing next to them, but what their body can do for them. I want to teach people to let go of their ego so they can have a true appreciation for their own body’s capabilities and be able to celebrate those capabilities, knowing that it’s only going to get better. I want people to show up for themselves and when they do those things that amaze themselves, I want to be the coach in the corner telling them “See, I knew you could do it.”