I truly, seriously, have the best clients in the world. I don’t know how other trainers handle the loss My clients are world-changers with enormous hearts, big thinkers, and inspirations who keep me on my toes…and most of them have already uncovered some of thesesurprises about having me as a personal trainer: 1. I don’t give meal plans… …and I will do my very best to help you eat as many of the foods you love and still reach your goals quickly! I don’t “take away” anything, but I do offer a variety of alternatives if your progress suggests you need a change, and I am always an advocate of an ..read more

This week my tiny change at the studio is to make space – make sure you are leaving some empty space to allow life to expand! Spring is such a great time for growth, so give yourself some room for a new direction. New habits need space and time! I’m exploring some space this week and don’t have anything major to add here, so I’ll leave you with the task to inventory your positive traits before you feel down in the dumps and I’ll promise to see you shortly for…. Saturday 9:30am Zumba at Montrose Collective (free, meets at 888 Westheimer, street/garage parking, and make sure to use your Zumba ..read more

People think personal trainers are afraid to hear that they skipped their cardio, or that they went out drinking or ate ice cream, fast food, or another “forbidden” treat. To me, all of those things are just a part of life…but the words I do fear are “almost”, “pretty much”, and “basically”. These sneaky terms of self-mistrust and self-sabotage won’t just “almost” derail your journey toward your goals – they will absolutely undermine you, make you doubt yourself, and give you the wiggle room you need to let yourself down. Plus, doing “almost” all the work is harder than just doing the work; i ..read more

My job changed a lot in 2020, and while I’m lucky to see most of my wonderful, amazing, inspiring clients and group ex pals in person again and not through a screen, there are many other aspects of my work that haven’t returned to 2019-level “normal”. No judgment – there are a ton of great reasons why everyone is still so stressed out…but that stress has also made the path toward fitness progress a little different. I have a lot of “hacks” to drop your stress levels and help your results come into focus, so let’s take a minute together try some! 1. Breathe! Have I just written three blog post ..read more

What is your workout recovery routine like? Daily? Weekly? Nothing? Recovery is key if you’re in this for the long haul – good recovery routines can help prevent injury and overuse, improve mobility, and increase muscle definition…along with all their key hormonal benefits for your health. Let’s make a plan, just for you! I wish this was an announcement that my recovery class will be returning to our schedule soon, but I just haven’t found a good spot for it yet. That blend of foam rolling, trigger point work, and yin yoga was my favorite way to help you restore your balance after a busy week ..read more

What can be accomplished in 12 weeks? Advertising has plenty of answers that, no doubt, popped into your mind, but as a full-time personal trainer, I have another set. Is your progress on my list? In 12 weeks, you could… Go from doing a pretty competent full ROM push-up to doing a full pull-up, possibly from a dead hang Walk over 300 miles without a major sacrifice Safely build up to running 3 miles without stopping, with just 1-2 run workouts each week Eat somewhere north of 135,000 calories, hopefully most of them delicious and in good company Participate in almost 100 hours of Zumba….just ..read more

Enjoy spring break if you’re breaking this week – even I am, a bit! If you’re not, make sure you do build time into your life for rest…I really like this idea of 7 types of rest that we all need for our mental, emotional, and physical health. After the rest comes the work, of course…. NO CLASS 3/13 Wednesday 6:30pm Zumba at Jerabeck Athletic Center (free; second floor dance studio, street parking) Saturday 9:30am Zumba at Montrose Collective (free, meets at 888 Westheimer, street/garage parking, and make sure to use your Zumba discount at the Plant Project!) Sunday 9am Zumba (free, meets at ..read more

Why does working out or being active even matter? Here’s a long-ish list of my personal ideas about that (not the latest research studies, just my experience from 10+ years as a trainer) – I’d love to hear yours! 30 good reasons to stay active that have really impacted my clients’ lives over my past 10+ years as a trainer: Wake up refreshed and rested Better (happier) mood More even temperament Better mobility – can reach things when you drop them, do yard work without injury…. Fewer aches, pains, and injuries Lower disease risk / incidence Higher self-esteem Stronger self-concept Cool stori ..read more

Life is busy, and the negative things tend to get most of our attention. I am not a “no bad days” girlie, but I am a believer in keeping tabs on all of our progress toward our goals – those things that seem insignificant today could just be the foundation of our future success. My month-end review practice takes just a few minutes and helps capture all the info you need to make your fastest progress – let’s go! At the end of each week and month, I like to take a look back and ask a few simple questions. I write my answers in my planner so I can flip back and see my patterns (we all know are ..read more

New protein research has just dropped for heart health month, suggesting that you need more…and less…protein. Let’s take a look, and see some examples of how you might reach your protein goals: NPR has this lovely quick read up about womens’ strength training and protein needs – and it echoes conversations I have all day, every day, at work. But, of course, this other research popped up this week suggesting that 22%, or about 25g per meal, might be the magic amount of protein for improving health but not damaging your arteries…though the study was limited to just 23 human participants and use ..read more