just a step away

I have a confession to make. Seems like a regular thing here on toliveboldly, huh? But, as I am a fan of authenticity, honesty and vulnerability, I'm pretty much ok with the open-up-my-heart-and-spill thing.

Truth be told, as I run a wellness blog and am studying to be a Health Coach, it's a little embarrassing and a lot humbling, but... I suck at the health thing, sometimes.  There are days when it seems like, just as I've gotten on track with healthy eating, my exercise routine goes out the window.  Or days when my stress level coaxes me towards my fall-back comfort foods.  To be honest, there are evenings that cooking a healthy meal sends me off the deep-end, as my perfectionist tendencies rear up into anxiety-fueled tears, and afternoons where a latte from Starbucks sounds better than making a lunch.  Some nights, I fall asleep realizing that I haven't taken the time to feed my most fundamental needs - for communication, for spiritual balance, for movement and purpose. My guess is that you have your days, too.

But the beautiful part about wellness is that we are never more than a step away from making a healthy choice -- and not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually.  Instead of letting stress and anxiety trigger your unhealthy habits, take a relaxing walk, grounding yourself with each step.  Instead of planning a complicated meal, sure to raise expectations... and stress levels, keep it simple, know your limits, and cook with fresh foods and whole grains. 

There have been days where living an embodied, healthy life looked about as possible as scaling Mount Everest -- my desires to be strong, healthy, and fit were mixed in with a heaping dose of societal expectation, shame and self-doubt.  I felt as though, to change one thing, I had to change everything -- a task that seemed down right impossible. 

But, the truth is, it only takes one step to begin the journey to wellness.  Drink more water.  Take a walk around the block to de-stress during the workday.  Unplug before bed and take some time to cultivate your spiritual practice, whatever that may be.  Get a massage.  Cultivate your relationships.  Practice cooking with new foods -- increasing your intake of whole grains or dark, leafy greens or a new kind of protein (hint, hint, plants have protein, too). 

Our healthy choices don't have to be overwhelming. My challenge to you this month is to pick one thing, one achievable goal, and make it happen! Join with a friend, share here at toliveboldly -- use the momentum (and accountability) of others to encourage you to keep walking those steps toward wellness!

For me, this month is about getting back on track with exercise -- a part of healthy living that I am notoriously bad at! Each day, I have set a goal to sweat-a-day for the month of May.  Whether it's a brisk walk in the park with my dog, a 20-minute yoga workout, or a hardcore sweat-fest, by setting a daily, manageable goal -- and finding others to keep me encouraged and motivated -- I'm taking a step towards wellness.

What about YOU?!

how do you workout?

If you're anything like me, with winter in full-gear, your workout habits are forced to change!  Here in Flagstaff, the weather changes daily - a beautiful 50 degrees and sunny this past weekend and 6 inches of snow today!  

How and where do you like to workout?  Outdoors?  Indoors?  In the gym or on a trail? 

Check out NY Times Well to gain some of the benefits for yourself!

get up and move

Somehow, I managed to start autumn off on a rough note... with a sore throat and total lack of energy, but it's meant that this week has had a definite theme for me: getting and staying healthy.  This has resulted in me finding ways to workout despite the cold, forgoing the usual ramped up cardio workout for a low-key yoga session and biking or walking to run errands, eating healthy and, always, remembering to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

It's also meant a little extra time to do the personal research that I love -- finding new research, health tips and more -- which means that I get to pass them onto you!

As autumn ramps up with work, sports, school and more -- what are you doing to keep a fitness routine?!  I want to know!

Also, make sure you check out some of the benefits of an A.M. workout!