There are a few ways one can show hope. They can wish on the first star they look upon in an otherwise dark sky. They can rub the soft fur of a rabbit’s foot as they cast their hopes upon it. Each year they can grab a whole bunch of hope as they pause before they blow out all of their birthday candles. But did you know you can hope with a simple flex of your muscles?

Do you remember when Buddy the Elf realizes that he is human and not an actual elf like his family and friends in the North Pole? Buddy’s world starts (literally) swirling around him as the shock of his humanness settles in.

At the end of the day, the research is clear when it comes to our health. We have more control than we ever thought. And building your muscle is at the forefront of the effort. And that is empowering and exciting. So let’s get busy!

Muscle is the armor of living well into your golden years. It strengthens you from slip and falls, increases your resting metabolic rate (ability to burn calories), guards you against type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s among other metabolic disease. And when in comes to muscle the “golden years” begin at age 30. So let’s get at it…one rep at a time.

Long gone is the idea that the one who spends their time getting all swoll in the gym or all svelte at the studio is wasting their time on frivolous and vain pursuits.  Muscle is the organ of longevity. Muscle is like armor against the typical frailty of aging. And the science is definitive.

“Awareness is the greatest agent for change”, said Eckhart Tolle. And as uncomfortable as it may be, I agree.

Science backs up the benefits of this practice and similar ones so you can’t discard it thinking it is all woo-woo pseudoscience crap. Sorry, man, denial doesn’t improve anyone’s health.

Overwhelm tends to make us freeze.  Think of a credit card balance that seems insurmountable. Or a closet so full of crap that the doors can’t close. Or a 10-page paper that is due next week and you have not even begun to do the research.  We avoid. We procrastinate. We distract ourselves. It is human nature.  One of our brain’s top jobs is to keep us safe and comfortable. To reserve our stores of energy. And starting out on an enormous task is, well, freaking exhausting at the outset. This is when I remind myself of the starfish. Thank God for the starfish.

Real Men (Who Want to Complement Their Gym Workouts) Do Barre!

We get asked about beginner classes a lot…and we do them once in a while…but a beginner class will limit you to that exact day and time it is held and we want to remove as many limiting factors as we can when we create our programs.

Here is to facing fears in 2022....leaning in....staying in it as the discomfort subsides...and celebrating it on the other side!! It is phenomenal!!

If they say they want to be a healthier version of themself yet their time and money goes anywhere else but their health, we talk about the disconnect.

Much is made about gratitude these days…especially this time of year.  For many of us it comes naturally.

I am a guinea pig. I test different habits, products, food and drink all the time.  I do this to see how my mind/body/spirit reacts. I also do it so I can comfortably report out how I did with something if I am suggesting it to a client.

You don’t need to read this post to know how important social connections are to your health. And that social isolation is a major risk factor in health.

Being in a state of joy can boost your immune system, promote a healthier lifestyle, fight stress and pain, and support longevity.

Somewhere in early 2000s boutique fitness studios began to explode. Rather than only gyms and non-profits such as the Y being at the forefront of fitness, specialized studios that catered to a specific exercise modality such as cycle or bootcamp or barre began showing up in larger cities and then eventually to suburbs and smaller downtowns in the quaint North Shore of Massachusetts.

Sometimes my schedule makes it such that I attend less barre and more strength or cardio classes. And then it shifts again and I am back to more barre….and holy crap!