"Engage your core", "Use your core", "move from your core". If you engage in any fitness activity, particularly ones guided by an instructor/teacher, you have heard these cues a bazillion times! But have you ever found yourself thinking "what on earth are you talking about"? I'm sure you've received the memo by now that your core is not just your abdominal muscles. Your abdominals are one of the structures that make up your core but the story doesn't end there. In the most basic terms, your Core encompasses every muscle from the top of your ribcage to the entire hip structure. That means back muscles, obliques, abdominals, glutes, hip flexors, hamstring origin, a lot of 'stuff' right? So you

The comparison game is the worst game ever. When you find yourself comparing yourself to others, it can take away from all the progress and success you have had because, "compared to Mary Jane I haven't actually achieved anything". And that can be the death of your progress. Look, I'm all about having people in your life that you look up to and that drive you to do more and be better. That's a positive force in your life. The trouble comes when you place so much significance on the difference between where they are and where you are, in life/career/relationships, that you become frozen and unable to continue on your own path. That is nothing but negative, negative, negative. It's great to be

Guys! I am in my post-vacay funk. Except this down does not come from being back home and getting back to the predictable 'day-to-day' routines. I work for myself and was working every day while we were away so that isn't a factor. No, this down comes from looking at myself in the mirror and seeing those indulgent family meals and aaaaalllllll that wine reflected right back at me! Now, I could do what I honestly feel like doing (staying in bed and wallowing in my own self-pity) but I have a different strategy in mind. Since losing weight, I have had this huge fear of gaining it back and becoming that girl again; the girl that was miserable, insecure, weak. This fear has spawned me to create

Ok, I am in a take-no-prisoners mood so take a seat and get ready for some tough love. I cannot tell you how many people message, email, text and call me looking for help in establishing and maintaining an exercise and nutrition routine. Honestly, answering those enquiries is like a job in itself! And I am beyond flattered to be that go-to person for them and I love giving them solutions. What I don't love so much is when they then balk at the effort it will take to make the changes I know they desperately need and want, offering up a myriad of excuses as to why exercising 3-4 times per week and eating nutrient-dense food is "just not possible with their life demands" or "it's not the right

I was talking to one of my clients today about where she is currently in her journey, where she wants to go and how we can tweak her programming to ensure that she gets there. She told me that she was struggling a little bit with finding the motivation to show up and do her workouts every day. But, even though the motivation was lagging, she was still pressing play every single day and getting it done. I told her that THAT was the difference, THAT was why I knew she was going to succeed; she was disciplined (read here for more on motivation vs. discipline). So then we started talking about how we could make it all less of a slog, because no matter how disciplined you are, if you hate what yo