Read this post A Little Life Update | Autumn ’22 on keep it simpElle.
Well, Happy New Year everyone! I was sat here wondering when I’m due to write my Winter 2023 update when I realised I started but never finished my Autumn 2022 update. I have no idea where the time went… In…
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As we wrap up another year around the sun, many of us become reflective of the year that has passed while also looking forward to what lies ahead.
Setting goals may be something that you are intuitively drawn to, or maybe it’s something that has you running the other way. Regardless of how you feel about goal setting, I encourage you to have a listen for actionable tips.
In this episode, you’ll learn how to achieve a thriving mindset, how to set goals for each part of your life, how to break goals down into actionable steps, and how to keep your goals realistic and achievable.
Humans are designed to grow. Without growth, we won’t be fulfilled. Having goals helps us to learn new things, enjoy new experiences, and have purpose.
However, many people shy away from goals because they feel that setting goals can lead to perfectionism and disappointment. But this doesn’t have to be the case. If you sprinkle in a bit of grace with your goals you’ll achieve a thriving mindset.
Goals+Grace=Growth
Having grace allows you to accept things the way they are as you continue to grow. There are several goals that I set last year that I did not achieve. Rather than wallow in guilt for not achieving my goals, I give myself grace and understand that not achieving some goals is a part of the process.
Life happens and things change, so if I didn’t achieve a goal it could have been due to things that I didn’t expect to happen. Having grace allows me to accept life the way it is. Not achieving a goal doesn’t say anything about me; it shows that sometimes life gets in the way.
I go into goal setting mode knowing I have grace in the process. As you look toward the new year, have the powerful combination of goals+grace.
Start goal planning with intentionality and vision. Have a vision for what you want to achieve because without vision you won’t know where you are going. One of my favorite bible verses speaks of vision: without vision, the people perish.
Each month I plan a day of reflection so that I can understand where I am going and how far I have come in my process. This step is critical since reflection allows for more growth.
Each December, my husband and I block off an entire morning to brainstorm and set goals for the upcoming year. I grab my favorite journal and pen and we take ourselves somewhere away from our daily lives. Listen in to get some ideas to help you find a great place to plan your goals.
Think back on the past year to reflect on what worked for you and what didn’t. Remember to give yourself grace for the things that didn’t work out the way you planned. This also gives you an opportunity to adjust your plans for the new year.
Make sure to listen in to hear how to set goals and intentions for total wellness, how not to fall into the trap of perfectionism, and innovative ideas for choosing a theme for your year. When you know your theme of the year, share it with me on Instagram @wearelindywell.
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Read this post What To Wear Running On Your Period on keep it simpElle.
I recently shared how I chose a half marathon race day strategy based on where I was in my menstrual cycle, and it seems that running on your period, or your period landing on your race day can cause some…
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Progress over perfection has become a popular saying in the health and wellness space, but at Lindywell, it’s been a core value since the very beginning. One thing we’ve learned over the years, however, is that it can be hard to let go of self-criticism in our modern world, where everyone’s successes are made public. Hello, comparison, shame, and judgment.
Striving for that false perception of perfection, however, slows you down, pulls you away from your most authentic self, and leaves you feeling defeated more often than not. When you can shift your focus instead to progress, the experience and journey become more enjoyable.
What’s more, the idea of perfection, well, it becomes less important.
If you’re still struggling to smooth those sharp, critical edges, we have a simple but powerful framework for you to embrace progress over perfection.
While there are a lot of ways to embrace the journey, at Lindywell, we find that Pilates is the best teacher. Specifically, the six guiding principles, which break down as follows:
Rather than striving for perfection, we focus on doing it well, feeling good, and staying connected. This progress-over-perfection approach is not always the norm in the fitness industry, particularly in the world of Pilates.
Here, we take a more grace-filled and progress-focused approach to Pilates and fitness as a whole, and you can do the same, on and off the mat. Now, let’s see how we can apply these six principles to the idea of progress over perfection.
Here’s how you can use these six principles to truly embrace progress over perfection, and experience all the goodness that this shift can bring. As always, take what resonates and implement what feels good. Not all of these will feel relevant to your life, but one or two may be just what you need.
Commit fully but remain flexible.
Your desires and needs ebb and flow and so your approach to achieving goals should follow suit. To embrace progress over perfection, you need to commit to what you desire, but remember that the way you get there can evolve along with you.
In this way, what “perfection” looks like shifts as well. At one time, perfection may have been going to the gym five days a week before work. Now, with two kids at home, it looks like 10 minutes of Pilates two days a week with the Lindywell app.
In both cases, you were committed fully to what you desired, to feel great in your body, but how you got there changed as your circumstances shifted. That’s embracing progress over perfection.
Be conscious, deliberate, and intentional.
In Pilates, we refer to controlling your movement. Being intentional and deliberate, moving slowly and consciously. The same goes for embracing the progress over perfection mindset. When you focus on progress, you focus less on “getting it right” and more on being deliberate as you move toward what we desire.
Instead of wishing that what you want would just be here already, and getting frustrated when it’s not, you become more aware and in tune with yourself. Ask yourself questions like, Why am I frustrated? What could I change to make this feel easier or less stressful? Then take intentional action based on your honest and authentic answers.
Leverage the breath-body connection.
Think about a moment when you were trying to get everything just right. You may have been rushing around. Your mind was probably racing. You may have felt frantic and anxious. You were focused solely on getting it perfect.
Though you may not have realized it at the time, your breath was also likely shallow and fast. This is how we breathe when we’re anxious and stressed. This type of breathing then feeds that same state of anxious being.
The good news is, simply slowing and deepening your breathing can immediately shift you into a more calm and centered state of being. It’s in this state that you can let go of that idea of perfection, and instead, see that being “good enough” is in fact, perfect.
Do it well, but at your own pace and in your own way.
Perfection is a driving force when you feel the need to get something right according to someone else’s standards or because of what someone else might think. The idea of precision can be applied to progress over perfection as a reminder that you can do it well, but at your own pace and in your own way.
For example, if your goal is to make movement a part of your regular routine to feel stronger in your body, doing it well looks like:
Doing it your way, and doing it well based on your own standards, is what progress over perfection is all about.
Seek alignment above all else.
At Lindywell, we start every workout with centering. This is important when you’re on your mat, but I would argue it’s even more important off your mat. In life, you’re surrounded by people, experiences, and circumstances that can easily throw you off-center.
When you get out of alignment, you lose sight of what’s right for you. Then it becomes easy to start focusing on perfection according to someone or something else. When you stay in alignment, it’s easier for you to come back to your center, check in, let go of “perfection,” and focus back in on what feels good for you in each and every moment.
You may still veer off course, or get distracted by “perfection. When you practice coming back to your center, however, like with Pilates, you will always be able to get back into your own alignment.
Find yours and let it guide you.
Pilates always feels incredible, but if you’ve practiced even just a few times, you know how truly juicy it feels when you get into the flow. In that space, perfection doesn’t matter—what matters is staying connected to that movement and that experience.
Finding this flow in your life, and letting it be your guiding force, is key to embracing progress over perfection. The journey feels best when we create our own current and flow with that, rather than letting someone else define it for us.
Striving for perfection is tiring. It also keeps us disconnected from ourselves and what we truly desire, creating anxiety and stress along the way. Use these strategies and ideas to connect back to you, find your flow, and focus on the journey that’s meant for you. When the journey feels amazing, reaching perfection doesn’t matter, because it’s already great where you are.
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Read this post 12 Zwift Cycling Tips To Get You Started on keep it simpElle.
It’s crazy to think that when I first wrote this post, it had been 10 months since I had properly ridden outdoors. Zwift was our saving grace when we wanted to continue riding, and keep the social and community feeling….
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A great travel workout is helpful for staying connected to your body when you’re not at home. While more than 50 percent of Americans reporting scheduling fitness time into their vacations or business trips, the hard part is often making time for this much-needed movement. It can feel like it gets in the way of family activities, exploring your destination, or enjoying yourself.
At Lindywell, however, we believe you can always create balance, and in this case, Pilates makes that possible.
Staying consistent with Pilates while traveling helps you show up even stronger for your family, keeps you energized for busy sightseeing, eases the aches and pains of travel, and gives your mental clarity a boost.
Whether you’re new to this style of movement or already love it, here’s why you shouldn’t overlook Pilates for your travel workouts. Be sure to check out the standing Pilates workout below for you to try on your next trip too.
If you want to make time for intentional movement during travel, Pilates is a great option—and here are a few of the many reasons why:
Standing workouts are perfect for travel because you don’t need a lot of space—or any equipment—to do them. Use this Pilates workout to connect with your mind and energize your body in just 10 minutes so you can spend the rest of your day exploring, relaxing, and having fun.
Take a few beats to deeply inhale and exhale, find your balance, and root your feet on the ground. Use this time to activate your core muscles, straighten your posture, and focus on the present moment. These few moments of intentional mindfulness help you connect to yourself and the practice which, in turn, makes it more enjoyable and effective.
From this standing position, you’ll ease into 4 to 5 Roll Downs to warm up the body. To do so, bend your torso forward as far as you can, allowing the arms to stretch toward your feet, then return to standing with your spine tall, shoulders back, core tight, and pelvis lifted.
Once completed, transition into 6 to 7 calf raises, or what we call in Pilates, prancing. Shift your weight from your heels up onto the balls of your feet while still maintaining that firm core and straight posture.
In Pilates, we bring strength, balance, and flexibility together into one. This travel workout will incorporate movements that destabilize the body, forcing the muscles to work harder, so you remain upright. Feel free to grab a chair for extra balance or make any other modifications to feel comfortable and safe in each movement. Remember, this is your practice and I want it to feel good for you.
Draw your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your core. Flex at the hip crease raise your left knee up in front of you, lower back to the ground and repeat on the other side maintaining your balance as you slowly march the legs up and down.
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Draw your belly button toward your spine to stabilize your core. Flex at the hip crease raise your left knee up in front of you, rotate it out to the side, circle down, across mid-line, and back up to center. Draw 10 circles and repeat on the other side.
Cross it in front of the body again to complete one rotation. Repeat this motion with the same leg for three more rotations, then lower it down. Repeat this series of motions with the other leg.
Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Bend the knees to lower yourself into a deep squat as if you’re about to sit down in a chair. In the squat position, tilt your torso forward, raise your arms up by your ears, draw your shoulders down your back and activate the core by drawing your belly button toward your spine.
Hold this position for a few seconds, then pulse the thighs downward for a count of 10. Return to a standing position, then lower back down to repeat this motion three more times. On the last one, hold the squat position with your arms raised up by your ears and pulse the arms in a swimming motion for 10 repetitions. Keep your core strong, your shoulders down and back, and remember to breathe!
Stand with your legs a little bit wider than your shoulders, with a slight external rotation in the hips, knees and feet. Bend your knees coming into a deep plié. Lengthen your spine, draw your belly button in toward your spine, and place both hands behind your head with fingers interlaced for support. Relax your shoulders down the back.
As you inhale, tilt your torso over to one side, imagining that you’re moving between two panes of glass. As you exhale, use the obliques to return to an upright position. Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions.
Stand with your legs a little bit wider than your shoulders, with a slight external rotation in the hips, knees and feet. Bend your knees coming into a deep plié. Lengthen your spine, draw your belly button in toward your spine, and place both hands behind your head with fingers interlaced for support. Relax your shoulders down the back.
As you inhale, rotate the rib cage to the left, while keeping your hip bones facing forward. Exhale return to center. Repeat on the other side for a total of 10 repetitions.
No more waking up extra early to hit the gym or spending an hour away from family or friends to move your body. This Pilates travel workout, and many others in the Lindywell app, give you an opportunity to move, connect, and strengthen in less than 10 minutes so you can get back to having fun on your trip! Even better, you’ll finish the workout feeling more connected and rejuvenated than before, making your time away that much more enjoyable.
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So many of us are on the happiness treadmill. We believe we’ll be happy once we achieve our next goal since the traditional way of thinking about happiness is wrapped up in our accomplishments. This means we don’t make room for happiness while we’re on the journey of life or we get caught up in the day to day whirlwind of feelings and emotions.
Stephanie Harrison from The New Happy has made it her life’s work to study the science of happiness and has created a new science backed philosophy of happiness. Today she’ll share the difference between the emotion of happiness and creating a truly happy life, how caregivers can achieve happiness for themselves, and how she redefined happiness.
Like many of us, Stephanie Harrison grew up feeling that happiness was just beyond her reach. She was surprised to find that often after achieving a once coveted goal the spark of happiness was fleeting. That’s why she decided to study the science of happiness in college. Her goal was to explore why happiness is so elusive and understand the impact of culture on happiness.
Stephanie learned that we will always feel a wide range of emotions. Experiencing difficult emotions is a part of life. The good comes with the bad. A happy person not only experiences these emotions but acknowledges them as well. The important thing is to shift the way you treat these emotions.
What Stephanie discovered is that we don’t have to feel happy all the time to be happy. There is a difference between the emotion of happiness and leading a happy life. True, lasting happiness comes with a variety of feelings and emotions.
She created a new definition of happiness. The old version of happiness was impossible to achieve since there is no way to be happy all the time. The New Happy allows for a wide range of feelings and emotions and is not only achievable, it’s empowering.
True happiness comes when you use your gifts to serve the world. Helping others makes for a happy life. This doesn’t mean that one must take on a service oriented career; what it means is that every moment is an opportunity for happiness. You can help others in many ways. Kindness is who you are, not what you do. This means acting with kindness and compassion.
Stephanie has discovered a creative way to share her knowledge and experience. She is a fantastic follow on Instagram with her creative representation of data. She has found beautiful ways to represent the science behind happiness studies. She translates actionable takeaways into a simple visual design. Check out her website and sign up for her weekly newsletter which contains tips, tools, and research on the latest happiness studies.
We all know someone who needs to find happiness in their life. Please take a moment and share this episode with them.
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Read this post Period Story Podcast Feature on keep it simpElle.
If there’s one thing in this world I am so grateful for right now, it’s the progress we’ve made when it comes to Women’s Health. I feel like being at home during the pandemic gave the world time to reflect….
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Read this post Maintaining A Healthy Smile on keep it simpElle.
In the past 6 months alone, I’ve spent more time in a Dentists chair than I think I have my whole life. And it’s only been in the past couple of years that I also added seeing a Dental Hygienist…
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Neck mobility may not be something you think about often, yet we use (and abuse) our necks more than we might realize. Think about this scenario: your phone buzzes with a new text message, and you look down at the screen, open the notification, and begin to scroll. Before you know it, 20 minutes have passed, you’re still caught in a scroll hole and now your neck hurts.
The feeling of soreness, tension, or stiffness is not in your head. It’s called “tech neck,” a modern-day issue that can lead to chronic pain, limited range of motion, or even spinal-related injuries.
While this is incredibly common, it doesn’t have to be your reality. If you’ve noticed aches, pains, or restricted mobility in your neck, here’s what you need to know—and how you can start finding relief.
Tech neck is the forward pronation of your cervical spine (neck region) where it connects to the brain stem. This causes an unnatural posture in which the spinal vertebrae round, the shoulders slump, and the chin tucks into the chest. While you’re in this position, the tendons, ligaments, and muscles of your neck and shoulders can become tight, strained, or compressed.
Not only does this exert pressure on the neck itself, but it can also provoke tension headaches or musculoskeletal pain in other areas of the body. Researchers from Harvard Medical School estimate that seven in 10 people will deal with this issue at some point in their lives, and while mobile device usage is not the sole culprit, it is a frequent cause.
In fact, a recent study in the PLOS One Journal found a strong correlation between the amount of time someone spends looking at a phone and the severity of their neck or spinal discomfort.
If tech neck persists untreated over a long period of time, your risk of certain injuries and other health concerns could also escalate. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, neck pain is the eighth most common source of disability among 15–19-year-olds who, uncoincidentally, have grown up in a world of ubiquitous smartphone use.
Continual damage to the cervical spine as a result of tech neck can eventually lead to one or more of the following complications:
Here’s the good news: you don’t have to live in pain, or be at risk for these complications. Pilates is a powerful tool for soothing your discomfort and strengthening your neck mobility.
Pilates is one of the best ways to build strength, improve mobility, and ease any tension you experience in your neck. These gentle but effective exercises will stabilize the muscles, improve alignment and posture, alleviate stiffness or soreness, and protect against injuries.
Sit comfortably on your mat or in a chair. Take your fingers to your chin and do a little push on the chin to tuck the chin toward the neck and bring it back up. Notice how the skull slides back and up at the top of the spine and then back down. This helps you shift out of the forward neck posture.
Lay on your back, knees bent, and feet flat on the ground. Interlace your fingers and place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Bring your elbows into your peripheral vision and slide your shoulders away from your ears. Take an inhale, and as you exhale, create a slight tuck of your chin and curl up off the ground. Imagine that you’re folding in the middle of your rib cage as you move up. Lengthen your spine with control back down to starting position.
Lie on your stomach, forehead gently resting on the mat, hands under your shoulders, and toes flat on the ground. Imagine there’s an ice cube under the belly button. Tighten your core by raising your belly button above the ice cube so it doesn’t melt. Inhale, lengthen your spine toward the end of your mat and lift just slightly into the upper back. Imagine that you have an orange or apple between your chin and your chest as you slide your shoulders down away from your ears.
Remember to use your upper back muscles, sliding your shoulder blades down into your back pockets and opening up across your collarbone.
Sitting straight up and down, gently shift your gaze from side to side. Afterward, gently nod your head forward and backward as well. You can easily do this movement throughout the day in your chair to help ease any unwanted tension or straining.
Chronic pain doesn’t have to be a normal part of life. You can ease soreness, tightness, and pain, in your neck and otherwise, with Pilates. In the Lindwell app, you’ll find a variety of workouts that target neck pain. All of these allow you to create relief and strengthen to avoid future discomfort. Work these stretches into your daily and weekly movement routine to prioritize neck mobility that supports the habits of your daily life.
The post <strong>Could Your Phone be Impacting Neck Mobility? (Plus: Pilates Exercises for Tech Neck)</strong> appeared first on Lindywell.
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