The Couple That Plays Together, Stays Together

The Benefits Of Working Out As A Couple

Most of us will agree that physical movement has benefits, but does that translate into working out as a couple? Research suggests it not only helps the couple, but it also aids the entire family.

In a cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between parents’ and children’s’ physical activity BioMed Central Public Health found that physically active parents typically have physically active children. If that doesn’t win you over let me list some of the other benefits to moving as a couple we have found to be true.

  1. Opportunity for Together Time

Planned movement is a great opportunity to be together. We are busy people and carving out time is a challenge. Working out together is a chance to be together and get your exercise in for the day. BONUS!

  1. Builds teamwork

Nobody can cheer you on like your partner. Whether working out doing the same activity or working out near each other. Encouraging each other to finish working out. Focusing on the same goal of finishing the workout is a great team-building activity

  1. Improves Romantic Relationship

The documented research is mixed, correlation but not yet causation. For me the anecdotal research is clear. 

Here is my shortlist on the benefits of exercise on intimacy: 

Increased stamina, 

Flexibility for positioning (I said what I said), 

Increased blood flow and circulation, 

and improved self-esteem. 

Listen up, friends getting hot during exercise is hot!

Let’s work to build stronger families, which starts with the foundation. Single or Couple.

 

Auto-Immune Disease: A Primer for Us All.

If you are living with an autoimmune disorder: chronic joint or muscle pain, extreme fatigue, difficulty sleeping, weakness, nausea, headache, and depression – are all symptoms you may experience. Autoimmune disorders currently effect 50 million Americans and are becoming more common, but you can significantly reduce your risk by avoiding environmental toxins, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting enough sleep at night.

If you are living with an autoimmune disorder: chronic joint or muscle pain, extreme fatigue, difficulty sleeping, weakness, nausea, headache, and depression – are all symptoms you may experience.

Your lifestyle and environment, not your genes, are the main determining factors in your risk of autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune disorders develop when the immune system, that is designed to protect us from disease and infection, mistakenly attacks healthy cells. It’s like your body declares friendly fire on itself and begins attacking normal cells as though they were invading bacteria or viruses. Arthritis, Hashimoto’s, Crohn’s Disease, Graves’ disease, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome and multiple sclerosis may be the autoimmune disorders you are most familiar with hearing but there are many more. 

Many sufferers go through periods when they are symptom free and then have a sudden onset of symptoms known as flare-ups. These can throw a frustrating wrench into your health and wellness plans. Do you suffer from an autoimmune disorder? Has this been your experience too?

Even if you have not been diagnosed with an official autoimmune disorder, if you suffer from similar symptoms, the following suggestions will help. When we take personal responsibility for our wellness things improve. Moderate, low-impact exercise, strength training and flexibility and balance work can do amazing things for your quality of life. Exercise boosts physical energy, which causes the release of endorphins, which are natural painkillers. In addition, movement and physical activity can reduce inflammation throughout the body. The better you feel, the more depression and anxiety will lift. Creating a strong body, leads to a strong mind and strong soul. This is a win-win-win. 

Here are some tips for exercising with an autoimmune disorder or even when you do not have an official disorder but experience some of the symptoms I have listed above.

1.Go at Your Own Pace

This one is big and one that I stress to the ladies that join me virtually for workout classes. Start slowly and work your way up in your workouts. Modify the exercise moves by listening to your own body. You don’t have to lift your leg up waist-high if your current range of motion is only half a foot off the ground. You do not have to do push-ups on the floor, you can do wall push-ups instead. Use a chair for balance. Where possible, do some exercise moves sitting down instead of standing up. Go at your own pace. Some days may be harder than others, and so I encourage you to adjust accordingly. Challenge yourself enough to get your heart rate up, but not so hard that you trigger a physical flare.  

2. Have A Good Support System

Before starting and during exercise, I always encourage you to talk to your trusted health care provider. As your fitness trainer, I am here to support you and work alongside what your doctor recommends. We are all in this together. Have fun with it. All members of the family can take part in the virtual studio together, so get your family to join you. Hold each other accountable and make a friendly competition out of it. 

3. Keep an Activity Journal

Keep track of your fitness. Write it out in a journal, or if you are techy, use an app, a Fitbit or an Apple Watch to help you keep track of your movement. Do you see any patterns emerge for when you have the most/least energy? Bring your results with you to the start of the 6 Week Warrior Woman: Autoimmune so we can look over them together and create a personalized game plan to propel you forward.

4. Pour Out of A Full Cup

Especially when you are battling autoimmune issues, you only have so much energy available to spend. So, you need to budget your time and energy wisely. Don’t overwhelm yourself with a laundry-list of to-dos. Prioritize your self-care activities. Replenish your strength and energy as well as your mental and emotional reserves. Get enough sleep.

5. Extinguish the Flame

Consider an anti-inflammatory diet. Food is fuel and so to keep your body strong, you need to eat well. When your autoimmune system is on the fritz, it is important to monitor what you eat so that you reduce and not increase the inflammation in your body. You want to eat lots of whole, nourishing and healing foods. Fruits and vegetables, drinking plenty of water and incorporating Omega 3’s and fatty acids into your diet. You will want to avoid lactose, red meat, processed sugars, deep-fried foods and white flour – which all increase inflammation. When we work together, we can come up with recipes and foods that work best for you. Afterall, you want to live life to the full and eat good, flavorful food, right?  

6. Reduce Stress

Stress is a huge enemy of the immune system. A continued state of fight or flight is not good for our bodies so when we reduce our stress our bodies can recover. Quiet time with God, meditation on the Word of God or scripture, stretching and mobility work, essential oils, herbs and massage therapy are all great ways to reduce stress.

Ultimately, I advocate taking a holistic approach to dealing with autoimmune disorders. This can be done by doing the things we talked about above and improving diet, getting adequate sleep, and sometimes by taking select supplements as suggested by your health care provider. I am motivated by knowing that there is help. There are things you can do to ease your symptoms and support your medical team in treating your condition. If you would like more information on how I can partner with you to create strong, healthy, healing routines and habits, simply shoot me an email of a message at: SisterhoodofStrong@gmail.com or www.Facebook.com/SisterhoodOfStrong 

The Gift of a Worship Walk

In the summer of 2019, stepping out of my familiar comfort zone I got on a plane, going somewhere other than a family vacation. I was flying 1000 miles to join women I had never meet for a Color Your Soul retreat I went in search of clarity and a deeper connection with God. I went asking. I went knocking. I received answers and open doors.  One answer was the gift of a Worship Walk.

Although I had been walking as a form of exercise for years this walk was different. This walk was time set aside to walk and talk with God. 

Here are three parts I love about the Worship Walk.

1.  It is a physical act of your temple.

Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Walking is a physical act of the body and can be offered up as worship. 

2. Walking is on autopilot.

We know how to walk and have been walking for years. It does not take a conscious effort on our part. This means it is not an act that requires our thoughts or concentration, leaving room for the focus on God.

3. It feels good.

We are created to move and walking is a basic form of movement we all can master. Although walking may seem basic it is actually an excellent source of exercise. Exercise releases not only endorphins which are one of the neurotransmitters released when you exercise. But,  physical activity also stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin. All of these help to regulate your mood and were a part of your Creator’s design for your mental and physical health.

If you are new to the habit of walking I suggest starting with a short 15-minute walk and building up from there to 30 minutes and if your schedule can permit an hour. I put together a playlist on Spotify or you to enjoy on the 30 minute Worship Walk. 

Let me know what you think. What songs are on your Worship Walk Playlist? Comment or email me your suggestions.