Things I wish I knew in my 20’s

But I feel so good when I do HIIT workouts at 5 AM with nothing but coffee…

I am 99.9% sure these words have come from my mouth 🥴 I am a recovering stress addict which is why I am so passionate about helping you SUPPORT your body and not overwhelming it with stress. While some stress is good for our health, too much stress can have a negative impact on things like our blood sugar, adrenal health, thyroid, and hormones. If we don’t learn how to balance stress in our life, we will likely struggle with these areas of health.

But what do you do when you feel SO good pushing yourself to the max in the gym 7 days a week or love your busy, non stop job? After all, I know myself well enough to know that I literally THRIVE off of chaos and stressful situations which is probably why I worked in the live event industry for 7 years ha.

Let’s take a deeper look!

But Why do I feel so GOOD?

At first, we can feel reeeeaaaaallllyyy good when we run off of stress hormone. After all, stress hormone is suppose to make us feel like we can fight off danger or at least run away and survive.

This is why when we are in those initial stages of increased stress, we often think that we couldn't be healthier! The harder we push in workouts, the better we feel. When we cut calories or carbs, the weight simply falls off, and who needs sleep when you can drink more coffee!

However, what we don’t always realize is that our body cannot keep up with this long term.

Those feelings of resiliency will turn to overwhelm and anxiety. That sharp thinking will turn to brain fog and forgetfulness. Your weight will plateau or increase despite you not changing anything about your diet or workout routine. You find that you keep getting injured the harder you push in the gym. Your lack of appetite turns into cravings for salt or sugar. Your hair starts falling out while you lose any libido you once had...

👉🏻This is why it is SOOOO important to understand that running off of stress does not mean that you are in a healthy place. You may feel healthy now, but your body will run out of fuel and come to a screeching halt.

What if the morning is the only time that I can workout?

I get it, sometimes those early mornings are the only way you can fit in a workout for the day. In general, morning workouts aren’t a “bad” thing - it’s more about knowing how to support you body so that it can continue to get the benefits of movement without running your body into the ground. Here are some practices that I highly suggest implementing:

• Always consume an adequate breakfast before your workout. Yes, this may mean you need to get up early and go to bed even earlier but you have to be well fueled if you want to support your body through your workout. Ensure that your breakfast has more carbohydrates than protein than fat. This will get you the needed nutrients in the fastest way possible. Fasted cardio is not a supportive practice for women and can take a toll on your thyroid (metabolism) and hormone function long term.

• Consider consuming an intra-workout drink that combines supportive nutrients like vitamin C, salt, and potassium. Combine 1/2 cup of orange juice, 1/4 tsp sea salt, and 1/2 - 1 cup of coconut water in a bottle or glass. Fill the remaining space with filtered water if desired and consume throughout your workout. This will provide you glucose (fuel for your cells), vitamin C for your adrenals, and minerals for proper hydrations and adrenal function.

• Get adequate sleep. You need a minimum of 8 hours of sleep before your workout. Make sure that you plan a head and do not skimp on sleep. This is a one way ticket to adrenal burnout! If you don’t sleep well or are not able to get to bed early enough, I personally encourage clients to skip their morning workout and opt for lighter movement later in the day if possible.

• Balance your workouts with strength training, higher intensity days, and rest / recovery days. Attending that HIIT Bootcamp class 6 days a week is not helping you lose weight faster. Unfortunately it is only driving you deeper into a place of fatigue and exhaustion. Finding a variety of workout styles that promote muscle building, cardiovascular endurance, and rest / recovery days will actually get you the most results long term.

• Listen to your body. Check in with how you feel before your workout and assess your energy levels. If your body is feeling run down, mentally, emotionally, or physically, take that into consideration! It’s possible that adding more stress to your body may not be the best answer for that day. This may also look like stopping a workout early if you feel like it is too much. This does not make you a failure, this simple means that you are listening to what your body is telling you.

Long term, these practices will set you up for a more sustainable healthy lifestyle.

Join Flourish Glow Up to learn more about how you can find balance in your lifestyle!

This is one of the reasons why I LOVE being a part of Flourish Glow Up ! We teach you how to approach nutrition and fitness is a sustainable way that prioritizes your health so that you can create your best self today AND long term! Check out our website to learn more.