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