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Melissa There is not a single day that is the same, but I do a lot of the same things every day if that makes sense! Here’s a snapshot of what a typical day looks like for me! 6:15 am Wake up! Unless one of my kids wakes up before me, I usually set my alarm for 6:15 am. Before I get out of bed, I stretch. Legs up, ankle circles, windshield wipers, and open the book. THEN I get out of bed. I chug some water and head downstairs to get breakfast ready for the kids before they wa

We hear it all the time: supplement this for that, I take this and feel great, you need ALL these supplements to feel your best. Everyone has an opinion, but here’s the thing: not all bodies are created equal. What works for one person may not work for another. We are very careful when we talk about what we eat, the supplements we take, etc because we’re all made differently and what works for us may not work for you. With that being said, we are asked a lot of questions abou

This is a story about patience and grace. Weight loss can be hard, frustrating and at times seems impossible to do. You try all the things and yet the scale doesn’t move. Did you know stress can hinder weight loss? Yep! Cortisol, also called our stress hormone, can hinder our weight loss by promoting fat storage, slowing down our metabolism, and even increasing our cravings for high-calorie “comfort” foods. Think about it, you get on the scale, it isn’t moving, you get upset,

A lot of us have wearable devices that tell us what our heart rate is at any given time. Sometimes we focus on this during our workout to understand how intense our workout was. Especially if you’re training for something intense, it’s important to understand the intensity of your workout far beyond the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale. Welcome to the Heart Rate Zones. You may have heard of this concept, but what is it exactly and how often should we focus on each zone for op

Yes we’re fitness professionals, but we’re also human and we get hurt too! We have a mixed approach to injuries and just like workouts - it’s not a one-size-fits-all remedy. You have to do a lot of things. We hear "if it hurts, don't use it" all the time and honestly, we think that's terrible advice. Suppose you have a broken bone -- yes, great advice. But that's rarely what's happening. It's not one thing -- it's all of it working together. More often, someone says "my knee

If you’re reading this, the algorithm has to have figured out you’re into wellness at least a little bit and you've probably noticed saunas are just another part of the wellness sphere that’s having a moment. And honestly, we get it. There's something pretty incredible about the fact that sitting in a hot room can do so much for your body. But not all saunas are created equal, and we've been getting more and more questions about infrared saunas specifically, so let's break it

We’ve all heard of it, some of us have tried it, but what is it really, and why are we doing it? As the name implies, cold water therapy (or cold plunging or cold water immersion) involves submerging yourself partially or completely into an icy cold bath of 50 - 59 degrees. So for some of us, that could be a bathtub filled with ice, a cold shower, immersing in a cold body of water outdoors like the ocean, or it could be at a wellness center or your own cold water immersion tu

We are not wellness influencers. We are wellness professionals. And honestly, we love this industry. We've spent decades in it, we're educated in it, we stay curious about the "new" things, which almost always stem from something old. We participate in workshops, certifications, and webinars, and we try our best to bring the relevant new things to you -- if they apply, of course. Because here's the distinction: since we've done this for most of our careers, we are able to loo

You’ve read what Melissa’s up to, now it’s Bryan and Laura! First up…Bryan! Regular readers of the blog have seen me write how I prefer to be training for something and not necessarily just working out for general health, strength, and fitness. Right now, I am training to run races through the spring, summer, and fall. (I’m signed up for my first of the season on Memorial Day weekend). Race prep includes 6 week-long blocks of running plans, run-specific strength training,

This year has been a transformative year for me.

The nice weather is here - finally!!! Time for some sunshine, warmth, travel, and much-needed good weather. When the nice weather hits, we don't feel like being inside, which also means we don't feel like going to the gym. It's too nice out! We get it, but that doesn't mean your workouts have to suffer. We are HUGE fans of outdoor workouts. You get the benefit of being outside while getting your workout in. You also don't need equipment! Here a few ideas to create a great w

There are so many things that we do to stay healthy and feel our best. We exercise, we eat healthy (with the occasional treats of course … 90/10 or 80/20 is our lifestyle), we practice good sleep hygiene and we try to keep our stress levels in check. These are baseline things that we do. Each of us has other unique ways of ensuring that we feel our best. On the flip side, there are things we actively choose not to do to stay healthy and feel our best. Here are some of those t

I received an Oura ring for Christmas and I was really excited to start tracking my sleep. The reason I wanted one in the first place was to actually track my sleep. I felt tired a lot and wanted to get some data on how my sleep quality was. I did some research and learned the Aura ring had the best data and was most accurate for sleep, so I decided to give it a whirl. What I didn’t know is how much more data I’d receive and what I would learn about myself. What I really lik

Does this sound familiar … You go in your fridge for a piece of fruit and boom its rotten. Or you plan a meal with potatoes and they’re sprouting flowers. I just bought those!!! You say. Yep - super annoying right?! This happens to use too - so we decided to do some research to figure out exactly how we should store our fruits and veggies so that they stay fresh and don’t rot right away! Here’s what we found. Temperature zones in your fridge. Did you know that your fridge has

Now that the Holidays are over, we are in the midst of a long period of winter. It seems of all the seasons, winter lasts the longest. Dark mornings, dark nights, unsettling weather, bitter cold, less time outside - it can be a tough season for our mental and physical health. We get it. We’ve found a few things that help us get through this season with more grace and happiness so we thought we’d share! Get outside. We know it’s cold - but if you dress properly, it’s really no

It’s January and if we’re being honest, either you are on a GLP-1 medication, thinking about starting one, or you know someone who is. And, you probably have questions. These medications are everywhere right now. I’m hearing they’re even sold out in some pharmacies during the first week of January. So does that mean everyone should be taking them? No. They can be incredibly helpful for some people, but despite what the internet wants you to believe, they are not for everyone

Are you finding that time is going at warp speed sometimes? You’re not alone. Especially during the Holiday season, we are so busy. Busy isn’t necessarily a bad thing! We get to be with those that we love and spend time with them. However, sometimes that can mean we don’t always get the time we need or want to do the things we want to do - such as working out. Sometimes that means we end up skipping our workouts altogether to accommodate for our busier-than-normal schedule. B

Social Media is a way of connecting the world. It can be a way of staying connected to old friends, new friends, growing a business, having an outlet for expression, and staying involved in your community. That is all well and good, but there is also a downside of social media which is not something new. The addictive side. The side where it’s the first thing we do in the morning when we wake up, and we spend countless hours just mindlessly scrolling through our phones. The s

A friend was telling me about this children's book about a little girl who thought there was a monster under her bed. She was getting tired of being afraid of this monster and tired of running into her parents' room every night. So, she made a decision. One night, instead of her usual running into her parents' room, she got a flashlight, looked under the bed and looked for the monster. She found it, it was there, but instead of running away she looked at it straight in the ey

The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity as well as 2 days of strength training a week. This is at a minimum. It actually adds up to about 30 minutes a day. But wait, there’s something missing…recovery. As important as exercise is, exercise is indeed stress on the body, and when something is stressed it needs to recover. Think about the last time you were super stressed ou