Let’s talk about the importance of revisiting goals and how that plays into showing yourself grace. Let’s say your goal was to be able to squat a certain amount of weight but then life knocks you on your ass.

What do you do?

Let's find out!

Words matter. Like the words “Princess Unicorn”. Let me explain.

You say a word like “deadlift” to a person who’s ever been told by a medical pro they should never do the exercise because they have a bad back or to someone who’s DONE deadlifts that have been followed up with pain: What’s a trainer to do? Call it something else, that’s what.

Here I am, a personal trainer in Evanston, IL. Claiming to be the picture of health and stuff... But the truth is I’m not a huge fan of drinking water.

I know it’s good for me, I know it would make EVERYTHING in my body happier but… it feels like just another chore and I’m over those ;)

The fact is, though, that most of us DO need more water so here’s how to make it less of a chore and more of a treat!

​So with that in mind, here is a quick recipe to glam up your water!

I don’t meditate. I think it’s “stupid” (quotes are there to indicate I KNOW it’s not stupid but I just can’t do it the traditional way and *feel* stupid when I try).

But at the gym the other night, as I was doing a modified Simple and Sinister (100 swings and 10 getups) and I decided to challenge myself with a kettlebell weight I hadn’t used consistently since, oh, 2018.

But. Like. They WERE.

I, like most of us, lived in a constant state of being reactive rather than proactive.

I, like many of us, indulged in lots of comfort food and beverages to deal with treading water with all of the demands of constant pivoting. Navigating the new normal has been like settling into a brand new country and getting the lay of the land.

But NOW: I feel like the land of the new normal is my new home and for the first time in three years, I can actually plan ahead.

Ah, the spectacular time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day: It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s six weeks that fly by so fast your head spins. It feels like weeks are shrunk into minutes. It feels like you’re being pulled in different directions every time you breathe. There are celebration plans with in-laws, parents, step-parents, step-grandparents, the pets, the office.

Ten years ago today, on June 23, 2011, my baby company was made an official LLC through the State of Washington.

IzzyFit is 10 years old now! It's a 5th grader! Time... If flies. Companies grow up so fast.

And I *hope* I've grown up with it. As I look back at the last ten years, I'd love to share with you some of the biggest lessons I've learned.

Ten years after my first side butt post, I figured it was time for an update with some other exercises.

I firmly believe the stronger your tush is, the longer your life can be. Here is why: The side butt (gluteus medius) is responsible for:

• Stabilizing your hips

• Bringing your leg out to the side, away from your body

• Rotating your hip internally and externally

We all hold on to numbers. How much we weighed in high school. The dress size we were at in March of 2020 and the dress size we are at now. The number WW points there are in a bag of popcorn. Our highest output on the Peloton.

We remember these numbers for different reasons. Maybe we’re competitive with ourselves or others. Maybe we have photographic memories. Maybe those numbers stand for something deeply emotional in the back (or front) of our psyche.

Is this still true?: March 27, 20202: "If this is a New Normal For Now, regardless of how long, then the new behaviors we adopt in the New Normal For Now will become new habits. And those habits will decide how we feel inside and out. And I can tell you that if grocery stores continue to be out of ice cream and cookies and chocolate and chips, we'll be feeling SUPER shitty inside and out soon enough.

2020 was a whole lot of a whole lot for all of us and, as I like to do at the end of each year, I sat down to reflect on these last 12 months of IzzyFit. The highs. The lows. What we can leave behind. What we can look forward to. And, like I do with clients (talk about life stuff), I'm going to share what came to the surface. Here are my Top Six lessons from 2020.

If you've fallen out of your regular routine lately and can't seem to get your groove back: Be kind to yourself. Your groove might just need to look a little bit different right now.

The loss of balance can be incredibly scary and that's why I'm here to bring you exercises you can do to help it get stronger! Balance is skill that needs practice. It is not something you have or don't have! So let's get to work!

“As a psychotherapist specializing in trauma and anxiety, I’m seeing an uptick in depressed, anxious, and panicked feelings in my clients — and to be honest, in myself. Here are a few of my best mind-body practices for surviving this … let’s just say challenging period,” says guest blogger and licensed therapist Elisabeth Abbott.

If you're like me, you've been bombarded with emails lately and they either:

1. Tell you what you should be doing

2. Give you a COVID-19 update

3. Spell gloom and doom

4. Sell you an online product that will change your life or

5. A combo of all of the above.

I'm not so into that, it's SO VERY tiring. Instead I'll just leave you with a few thoughts I've been having since we started sheltering in place.

I just checked in with my friend from high school and Northwestern University who now resides in Italy to see how she and her family were holding up (at the time of this post, Italy is on lockdown due to Covid-19). She jokingly said, "Send workout tips for people trapped at home," and I thought, "YES! I've got just the thing!" So now, I’m sharing it with you!

One of my nutrition coaching clients travels a LOT. One thing she's working on is changing up the habits that have caused her to gain weight on these trips in the past. When I asked how she could see herself replacing those old habits, here is what she told me: She made a self-care kit! How cool is that? I think it's SO cool that I'm going to list 10 items I would put in MY self care kit that I think you'll like, too!

I know I'm not Oprah but I still want to share my favorite things (related to fitness) for the holidays! Here are some treats that I swear enhance my own exercise routine and keep me excited to stay consistent. If you've got someone in your life (or ARE that someone in your life) who works out, consider these options as holiday or New Year's gifts!

September is Better Breakfast Month which I think is great! This is a month of transition for lots of us (end of summer, back to school, all that jazz) and is a perfect time to be more mindful and purposeful with what we are eating. So let's check out some options!