There are three areas I come across that become major obstacles to someone’s long term health and wellness.  The first is Getting Started.  The second is Achieving Sustained Progress.  The third is Achieving the Lifestyle and Routine (without Injury) that makes you successful for years to come. 

Today I’m going to break down the first one…Obstacles to Getting Started.  You’ll hear someone say, you just need to get up and move…and if there was a mute button on the person who tells you, you’d push it in a heart beat. 

The most common reasons I hear when not starting a program are more common than you think and studies back them up.

“I can’t workout when there are people around.” Intimidation is real.  Studies show that more than 20% don’t set foot in a gym because of the intimidation.  Added onto that the feeling silly whether you are doing an exercise correctly, and the inhibiting...

How can you grow more vibrant with age? The conventional way to stay in shape we've been taught leads us down the path filled with aches and pains, no energy, and we start doubting ourselves. But You CAN start believing in yourself again-and grow younger-with this... 

Nutrition is one of the most important, and also most difficult, aspects of any fitness program.
If you've fallen off track recently or are concerned about doing so in the future, check out these tips from Ashley on what to do!

Are you finding yourself unsatiated throughout the day, or needing a snack but not sure what you should have?

Check out these tips from Dakota to choose healthy, filling snacks!

Be the light in someone else's life today and every day. Lending a hand to others won't lessen your pot, rather fill it even more.

Creating a Healthy Image of ourselves begins with overcoming what we’ve been taught to think of ourselves. 

 Your Weight does not define you.  This photo is of all the same weight (154 lbs) with different body types and shapes.  

They are all beautiful.  The weight does not define them or you.  Yet, most are not happy with their weight and use that as the only gage of progress. Why is that?  Well, a few reasons…

BMI has failed us.  BMI that is used by the medical field as a gage for healthiness has come with a baggage that leads to poor habits.  A high BMI tells us one thing…my weight is too high and I need to lose weight.  It tells us that I need to go on a restrictive, low calorie diet. 

But it's not the right approach, because ...

Diets have failed us.  Have you ever heard someone say they lost 10, 20, 30, even 100 pounds, but they have very flabby skin...those underarm...

What do workouts and flowers have in common? Your day will feel much brighter with them included!

On the other hand, exercise programs are like flower gardens. If done well and consistently cared for, they can be sustainable enough to provide those brighter days for life!

Are you struggling with energy and mood issues throughout the day?

Exercise can make a substantial positive impact on both of those.

Check out Jarrod's video for more info!

Common thinking in today's world is that success must be immediate or it isn't worth the effort.

However, the most satisfying and sustainable successes come from being consistent and understanding it doesn't happen overnight.

Never settle for the "quick fix"!

Eating chocolate has been associated with pleasure and guilt.  But there is a way to enjoy chocolate without the guilt. In fact, as Colin Champ, a physician dedicated to cancer prevention, writes that when eating chocolate, it promotes our body “to increase antioxidant production and reduce our risk of cancer, while leaving them more sensitive to insulin (and us with a lower blood sugar). They can also improve our blood vessel and heart function, and, much like when we eat bitter and cruciferous vegetables, stimulate our detoxification mechanisms to rid the body of dangerous chemicals.” 

That’s great, but there are loads of different chocolate...Are they all the same?  Well no.  Many companies have often replaced the healthier ingredients with sugar to sweeten the flavor and lower the cost.   But there are these key factors that you should include as a healthy way to choose the right chocolate and both enjoy and get the health benefit...