Take a few minutes to slow down and tune into your body. This simple grounding exercise helps to cultivate more connection to the present moment and supports stress reduction and overall well-being.
Summertime can be a whirlwind of different schedules, kids’ activities, vacations and taking advantage of more daylight. It’s normal for workout routines to shift as you want to spend more time outside, and vacations can take you away from your normal routines.
If you struggle with consistency while traveling or with the change in summer schedule, here are some tips to support you in moving and feeling your best.
Learn what movement feels the best for your body and spend time doing that. It’s much harder to force yourself to exercise doing something you don’t enjoy. Exercise and movement should feel good in your body! You’ll naturally want to include it in your summer activities when they do.
Have a regular practice of a few simple exercises or stretches to support your health and well-being. A few minutes of movement will start your day off right, ease travel aches and pains and offer consistency with different schedules. Want help with this? I’m happy to design a program for you!
A little movement counts! Don’t have time for a full workout? Any movement is good! A few minutes of stretching or a few minutes of exercise is better than none!
Try going for a walk. Especially while traveling, walking is a great way to move your body and see some sights.
Join a virtual Pilates class while on vacation. If you’re used to in person Pilates, consider taking a virtual class to keep your Pilates practice consistent while you are away or have a different schedule.
Enjoy the different pace that this season brings and keep moving however feels good to you.
Working on balance is crucial as we age.
Balance is often described as stability and steadiness when standing, sitting or walking. Good balance means one can maintain their body position comfortably while doing different normal activities, such as sitting, standing, going upstairs, etc.
Each year, 25% of adults over 65 years old experience a fall, according to HealthinAging.org. Falls are scary and can cause injuries. Falling can also result in someone becoming more limited in their movements, which impacts how they move, what activities they want to do, and the fears they experience with certain activities or movements.
When I work with clients on balance, I think about how we can work with their relationship to the ground. How can the ground offer support? How can you feel the ground providing that support under your feet? Most of us spend a lot of our time wearing shoes, and we can become disconnected from our feet and have poor awareness, strength and flexibility in our feet.
Often, I’ll start by having clients stretch, move and release the feet. Next, we’ll do other grounding exercises to bring more feeling and awareness back into the feet. We’ll notice the surrounding environment and the feedback that being present brings into the body.
There are so many exercises and ways we can challenge balance, and it can be fun to time these so you can see how your balance improves over time (and it really can improve quickly!). You can start simply by standing on one foot. Feel the wobble. See how long you can stand for.
My goal with Pilates and somatic sessions is to support you in feeling safe in your body. I want you to be able to trust your body in a deeper way, which will allow you to do all the things you want to do and keep you strong and active as you age. You’ll find balance exercises in my virtual mat classes or sign up for a one-on-one session (virtual or in studio) to work on balance in more detail.
A frittata is a great way to use fresh veggies and makes a simple summer meal. You can also make it ahead of time and reheat for an easy protein packed breakfast.
The recipe I originally tried used spinach, and you can easily swap out ingredients as you like. This one, with kale, potatoes and bacon, is pretty perfect!
10 eggs
5 slices bacon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups russet potatoes pealed and cut into small cubes (slices work, too)
1/2 cup diced onion
2 large handfuls of chopped kale
1/2 cup cheese (cheddar or whatever you like!)
Preheat oven to 450 °F
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper and set aside
Over medium heat, cook bacon until mostly done, set aside on paper towels. When cool, chop into bite sized pieces.
In an oven-safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and sauté for at least 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Add the onion and continue to sauté for a few more minutes.
Add the chopped kale and sauté until wilted.
Turn off the heat and add the bacon and eggs followed by the cheese. Leave the skillet on the hot burner for 2-3 minutes until the egg starts to set.
Carefully transfer to the oven and cook for 15 minutes, or until the eggs are set in the middle.
Enjoy hot or save for later.
I encourage you to try this recipe with different vegetables, herbs, greens and cheeses that sound good to you.
I’m continually amazed at the local options we have here in Charlottesville. Local food is a priority for me, and of course I’m interested in healthy living and wellness. As a small business owner, I also really love to support other small businesses. Here are some of my current favorites!
Gathered Threads Farm has amazing teas, salad dressings, marinades, unique garden plants and herbal products. They also have kimchi, which has quickly become my favorite. I use it regularly in my favorite pork kimchi recipe (find the recipe here). In my quest to someday grow my own medicinal herbs, I purchased some starter herbs this year from Gathered Threads, including stinging nettle, which makes a great nutritious tea. It’s planted down near a creek in my back yard and we’ll see how it grows this year. You can find them and all their wonderful things at the Ix park market on Saturdays. https://gatheredthreadsllc.com/
I’ve been more consistent with gluten-free eating lately, and sometimes a girl just wants a healthy sweet treat. Moon Maiden Delights makes super tasty, gluten-free and vegan pastries. She’s at the Ix market on Saturdays, but go early because she sells out of popular items fast! Get the turmeric and black pepper coffee cake (I know it sounds weird, but you’ll thank me later!). https://www.moonmaidensdelights.com/
This is the first time in seven years that I am not a member of Bellair’s CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The only reason for that is I’m hoping to grow most of my own veggies this year. Bellair is great. I can’t say enough good things about their CSA, but you can also purchase veggies and meat products from them even if you aren’t a member. They are at the Ix market on Saturdays and the Meade Park market on Wednesdays. https://www.bellairfarm.com/
Is there a local business you just love? Please share with me!
