Enough!

​Somewhere along the way, fitness became a stick we use to beat ourselves up with.

I mean, when was the last time you felt as though you had done enough? It's difficult to feel good about our fitness when there are constantly new recommendations, fitness challenges and dressing room mirrors. Right?

I don't believe it was intended to be that way. 

Fitness is meant to be empowering, enlightening and a grand contributor to a life well lived. Not a guilt stick.

Can we please say "enough!"?

Enough of unrealistic expectations on our bodies.
Enough of recommendations, without help on how to get it all done.
Enough studies.
Enough Photoshop.
Enough judging one another on how we look, our size or our fitness ability.
Enough of not celebrating that one, small step.
Enough of not celebrating that one, healthy choice.

This is the stuff that always kept me from starting. If I couldn't do it all, I didn't do any. I was an all-or-nothing machine, and that kept me stuck in a horrible on again, off again relationship with health and fitness for many years.

It wasn't until I stopped judging myself so harshly, that fitness started to actually fit in my life. And that came through learning spiritual principles of acceptance and grace, not adding more exercise.

One of the most common questions I have gotten over the years is, "Is one workout a week going to do anything?" In other words, is once enough?

I always say the same thing. "Once is so much better than nonce." I usually get a smile or a laugh. But it's true! One simple, brief workout changes so many things in your body, mind and spirit. The most important thing it does, I believe, is it gives you the gift of getting to say that you are doing something about your health, as opposed to having that awful, gnawing feeling that you aren't doing anything.

I call it the I Did It. The I Did It rocks. It lasts for days! It boost self esteem, balances brain chemicals, reduces stress and tightens butts. Who doesn't want some of that! But what if there are limits to what you can do?

Another thing that is very commonly said to me is, "I only got one workout in this week."

Only? ONLY? ONLY??

I usually say, "Rephrase that, please." From a perspective of VICTORY, not failure or falling short or never enough. 

Do you see? This is our lens. Our root of never enough.

So how do we change our perception of this, and still get moving? Gently. One small step at a time.

This is how Love Your Body University was born. It's easy to talk about the aha moments and big picture. But where is the help for gentle daily practices, fitness baby steps, and simple healthier choices?

Meredith, our Registered Dietitian, just finished her 6-session Road to Wellness nutrition workshop at Clear Rock and it was really impactful. I believe it was so good because it was gentle, simple, yet filled with empowerment. Many people asked about it being offered again so we are offering it as part of Love Your Body U, because understanding basic nutrition, cutting through the marketing crap, and making balanced, healthy choices is part of how we learn to love our body.

By love I mean the verb: love. Love is to ACT lovingly. It's an action, a choice.

I just finished my I Know What to Do, I Just Don't Do It seminar this past week. Also incredibly impactful and empowering. But what to do with all that new information? How do you take it and translate it into loving action and choices? So I am offering a follow up class to the seminar, also part of Love Your Body U. We'll go through the main principles in the book together for six sessions, and keep the conversation going as we understand why we know what to do, but aren't doing it.

Then, we have the workouts.

The key to health and fitness is doing the work, right? But why is it do hard to do? Why is it so hard to get started? And keep going?

Like I talked about above, I believe one of the reasons is we expect too much, then never feel like we did enough. We get so stuck in all-or-nothing thinking. Who the heck would want to sign up for that kind of mental anguish. No one.

But what if you could get your workout done in a way that's not boring, but you are literally done in less than 15 minutes, and didn't have to drive anywhere to do it? That's where the 14- minute workouts came from in Love Your Body U. Yes, it IS enough. Yes, it will do something for your body, mind and spirit. Yes, you get to experience the I Did It.

Many of you reading this are doing a fantastic job with your workouts. If that is you, keep going!

But many of you who are reading this are struggling to get started or to keep going. It's still such a battle and a stick you are using to beat yourself up. Love Your Body University is for you. I want to take a sledgehammer to the lie that we are never doing enough, and make each workout a victory.

Yes, a 14 minute workout is a victory.
Yes, it will do something. Lots!
Yes, it is worth your time and resources.
Yes, once is so much better than nonce.
Yes, it gets you the feeling of I DID IT!
Yes, it is enough.

Don't give up because it hasn't worked yet. I will help you. You do not have to do this alone.

Classes start the week of September 10th. It is very simple. All you need is a device with video and a microphone (most phones will work, or tablet, laptop or desktop PC). Camera is optional, if you want to join the video classes live. You will have the option to pull up each class recording, when it's convenient for you, and watch, listen or follow along to a more-than-enough 14 minute workout.

To get started, you can read more and enroll in Fall Semester 2018 here.

You can also download the Zoom web-based training app and set up your profile so you're ready. https://zoom.us/

I will add more info as we get closer to Fall Semester. I could not be more excited, because this is my ministry and my calling, and to get the opportunity to help more people break free and get moving in the direction of their dreams, even if you don't live here in Ohio, is a dream come true for me.

Please join me. We will be learning together. And together we will say...WE DID IT!