You HAVE to call Beth Burns first!

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If you have ANY kind of pain (especially from an overuse injury or a sports related injury) you HAVE to call Beth Burns first!! She is amazing and through some very simple exercises she has helped me to get rid of shoulder pain AND just recently also helped me with my heel pain (which may or may not be plantar fasciitis and a heel spur!) so that I could continue training for my first triathlon. After my triathlon, I hope to get to try out her kettlebell classes as well!

Carmen: after finishing her 1st triathlon!

Carmen: after finishing her 1st triathlon!

~Carmen

 

*Interested in Colorado Springs kettlebell classes? Check out my in-home training studio, Springs Kettlebells!*

I’ve never experienced better workouts than those I’ve done with Beth!

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Christine testimonial

I’m a runner, yoga practitioner/teacher, hiker, skier – you name it, I probably enjoy doing it! There is one exception, though: strength training. In the past my strength training consisted of the usual free-weight routines, with occasional sessions on cable machines. I always found these workouts boring, and struggled with finding the motivation to do them. I even tried a traditional personal trainer, and while he showed me some new exercises, ultimately it was the same old thing. Not only was I bored, but I didn’t see results translating into my other activities.

My whole concept of strength-training changed when I met Beth Burns and had my first kettlebell session with her. All I can say is “Wow!” First, I’ve never been bored, and I mean that in all aspects: not only is it fun, but Beth mixes things up so much that there is never time for my muscles to get too used to any single exercise. Second, kettlebell workouts consist of activities that directly translate to daily life: so whether I’m running a rocky trail, working on handstands, helping a friend move a ridiculously heavy and oddly-balanced piece of furniture or picking up my overweight cat, Beth’s kettlebell training gives me the overall strength and stability I need to perform at my best.

I will say that proper use of kettlebells definitely requires professional guidance – there’s nothing intuitive about it! That said, Beth ensures that her clients are fully grounded in the fundamentals and gradually increases the intensity and complexity of the sessions. Beth has a wealth of knowledge, and that definitely shows during her sessions. Her sessions are unintimidating and fun (we laugh a lot), but don’t be fooled: I’ve never experienced better workouts than those I’ve done with Beth!

~Christine

I began seeing improvement within a week!

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I was having a chronic problem with an over-use injury to my right wrist that just would not heal. Beth taught me a series of Z-health exercises for my wrist, hand, fingers, elbow and arms. The exercises took less than 10 minutes once a day to complete. I began seeing improvement within a week, and the problem, which had lasted many months, resolved completely within about 8 weeks.

I also used these same exercises when I was recovering from trigger finger surgery on my right hand. I started doing them when the physical therapist told me I had recovered as much flexibility as I was going to get, and I wasn’t satisfied. By using the Z-health exercises I was able to make additional significant gains in finger flexibility and strength. If I lived closer to Beth, I would be a very regular customer!

~Bruce

Beth has taught me the techniques I needed to continue staying active!

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Beth Burns has helped me with several of my physical problems using Z-health. She began by gathering information about my pain or limited mobility, watched and analyzed my movement and then suggested Z-health techniques to improve the problem. The exercises she gave me have helped with my occasional knee pain and the DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis in my thumb/wrist. I also had limited mobility in my neck and pain when I turned my head. Beth taught me head and hip movements to help keep my neck flexible. The pain is gone and the flexibility is better. As a physically active 57-year-old with a few aches, Beth has taught me the techniques I needed to continue staying active.

~Helen

I highly recommend Beth!

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“I am a 35-year old, five foot, 110 pound mom who has lived with back pain for the last 8 years. During this time I have been to several doctors, had radiographs taken and been prescribed many different prescriptions. Nothing seemed to make a difference. Beth has taught me exercises that target the muscles and joints all over my body which impact the pain signals that my back sends. The exercises can be performed easily throughout the day and have made an immediate improvement. Two months of working with Beth and learning Z-HeaIth and I have not taken any Ibuprofen and I can do things now that I haven’t been able to do for years. I am very grateful for all the time Beth has spent with me and for her impressive knowledge on just how muscles, joints and nerves affect each other. Also, Beth is very aware of my least favorite areas of my body and tortures me endlessly, all the time with a smile on her face. I highly recommend Beth. Chronic body pain is no longer an acceptable excuse!”

~ Michelle

Take Aways from a Weekend Without Internet

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This past weekend Joel and I were able to get away with some friends up to the beautiful Granby, Colorado area. One of our friends’ has a cabin up there, so we shoved all our crap into one backpacking pack and one regular backpack and headed out Friday afternoon.

all packed up

all packed up

We arrived at about 6 pm to find that the road to the cabin was blocked by snow drifts so we had to strap on the snowshoes and hike about a mile and half in. Thus began a weekend filled with good food, snowshoeing, napping, reading, games, and lots of thought-provoking talk. Our group was comprised of a dietician, an outdoorsy mechanical engineer (our very own Bear Grylls), a cop, a fitness enthusiast (I think she runs a marathon every other week or so), a musician, and myself.

"Bear" and his dog Ryker

“Bear” and his dog Ryker 🙂

 

Let’s just say, we make up a pretty varied and opinionated group. It was so much fun and I thought I’d share with you a few things I took away from the weekend….

Take Away #1:

If for no other reason, make exercise a regular part of your life so that you’re able to do awesome things like snowshoeing through snow-covered aspen fields with breath-taking views and herds of elk.

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I don’t know how many times I’ve been in a group where someone is telling me about how they just hate to exercise and someone else will jump in with, “well you look great, so you really don’t need to!” Our culture is so looks-driven that it’s too easy to get caught up in that as the one and only goal of exercise. For a long time, I was guilty of this myself.

Don’t get me wrong, if your goal right now is fat loss that’s great. After all, being overweight is not good for you and it makes regular activity of any kind much more difficult so it’s a perfectly legitimate goal to have. But I find it sad that so many of us go our whole lives exercising and dieting in order to fit our bodies into some ideal body type we have in our head and we forget about all of the other benefits of fitness. Regular exercise also allows you to play with your kids, get down & up off the ground, play sports, explore the great outdoors, ski, hike, bike, swim, and walk without feeling like you want to die. It improves your balance and memory, keeps your joints lubricated, and your muscles, bones, and heart strong.

I’ll digress now, but the point is you never know when you might get the opportunity to do something amazing. Don’t wait until that time to realize that you’re not physically capable. The ultimate goal isn’t just to look fit; it’s to BE fit.

Take Away #2:

Unplug from time to time.

This cabin we stayed at was pretty awesome. It had 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a full kitchen, a killer view, heat, electricity, and no internet….that’s right, absolutely none. What better way to connect with loved ones than to not even have the option of connecting with the internet?! 🙂

our view from the cabin

our view from the cabin

Most of us live in a constant state of connectedness. While this is awesome when you have family or friends that don’t live nearby, but it also means you’re always connected to everyone. Family, friends, acquaintances, work, news, media. How are you supposed to get to know people or spend quality time with loved ones or take a break from work when you are constantly available to everyone?

It also puts us in a constant state of distraction. All day long we are bombarded by advertisements, articles, news tickers, tweets, posts, and pics of all the fun and amazing lives others are living. We think we’re just gonna hop on facebook for a few minutes, but then there’s an article to read, which has a bunch of hyperlinks you have to click on and next thing you know, it’s been half an hour and you still have 30 tabs up of articles, blog posts, and videos you just. can’t. miss.

That constant state of distraction is costly. Mostly it’s costing us the ability to focus on a singular thing for any significant amount of time, like reading a book or having a conversation. I know that might sound crazy, but now that you’re aware of it I’ll bet you’ll notice how hard it is to get through an article on the internet without clicking on a hyperlink or getting distracted by an ad along the side (or smack dab in the middle of the dang article! I hate that!).

The weirdest thing is the way it becomes an addiction without us ever noticing. We start thinking if we don’t check our email for a day, we’ll lose a client or miss a sale. We think if we don’t check facebook or answer every call, we’ll miss out on something. Before you know it, you feel like you’re in a constant state of anxiety.

Good relationships take devoted time, energy, and attention. Mental health and sanity takes time alone, letting your body and your thoughts unwind and just breathe. Those things are hard to come by in this tech-savvy age, but they can be done. The cool thing is you don’t have to leave town to unplug. Here’s a few suggestions on how to unplug:

  • turn off the notifications for email and social media on your phone
  • pick one or two times a day in which you will check your email or facebook
  • pick a time each day to get away, go outside, or go on a walk; go by yourself or with your dog or husband, but no phones or headphones
  • set aside 15 minutes to read each day
  • pick a time in the evening in which you put your phone away for the rest of the night

“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.” ~Henry David Thoreau

Take Away #3:

Good friends are a rarity. When you find them, do everything you can to keep them and surround yourself with them. Good friends are those that:

  • love and encourage the things you have in common and the things that make you different
  • are not afraid to go deep, to make you think, to disagree and discuss
  • love you enough to call you out when necessary
  • are willing to be open and honest about their own faults and struggles and you know you can do the same with them
  • stick around through the good, the bad, and the ugly

I’d rather have a few good friends than a hundred fair-weather ones. I’m so thankful for the ones God has put in my life.

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*If you’re interested in learning how to disconnect more, I would strongly recommend this quick read: The Low Information Diet. You won’t regret it!

“What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence, a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention and a need to allocate that attention efficiently among the overabundance of information sources that might consume it. “

~Herbert Simon, Recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics and the A.M. Turing Award, the “Nobel Prize of Computer Science”

Beware of Trendy Enemies

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“Every generation laughs at the old fashions, but follows religiously the new.”

~Henry David Thoreau

Ah, trendiness. Even though we understand that from a marketing perspective moderation doesn’t sell products, it’s still hard to shut out all of the differing messages from magazines, celebrities, and tv commercials. We watch as they tout the latest trends knowing full well that in 6 months they will be pushing some new, and most likely contradictory, one. As a culture that is inundated with media, moderation and balance often take a back seat.

This is no exception in the health and fitness world. Indeed, if they keep us thinking there is always a new or better way to do something we will keep buying their products. In the ’80s, low fat was king. So everything from dairy to dessert became good for you as long as they were fat-free. Then there was low calorie, then low carb, now gluten will kill you! Paleo says to eat like a caveman. Dr. Oz says to eat smaller meals every 2-3 hours. Never skip breakfast….unless you’re intermittent fasting?! Zone and Atkins and vegans, oh my!

friends nutrition

Sure don’t.

And we wonder why we have the highest rates of both eating disorders AND obesity in the history of our country. As Dan John puts it, “Take a walk through the grocery store and you’ll notice yesterday’s diet crazes are today’s staples”. So how do we even begin to know where to start?

Let’s take a look at a couple of the biggest “enemies” of today. But first let me remind you, the more restrictive the diet the less sustainable it is. Focusing on one small habit at a time proves most effective in reaching and maintaining your goals. So I’ll be giving some suggestions for possible small habit changes.

Public Enemy #1: The Evil Carbohydrate

Carbohydrates have gotten quite the bad rap. Here is why you don’t need to fear them.

Indeed, many people who try low-carb dieting are initially pleased by an immediate weight loss… which is mostly water and glycogen. So, in the short term, it seems like low-carb diets are superior.

But does long-term evidence support low-carb dieting?

Research says no. Over the long haul, any differences between low-carb and other diets even out.*

More important is quality and quantity and how you feel with each. As far as quality goes, minimally processed, whole and fresh foods are best. Unfortunately there’s no one-size-fits-all formula for quantity. Most of us will do well with some. A cupped handful for women and 2 cupped handfuls for men is a great place to start. However, this will depend on your goals, genetics, and lifestyle. For example: the more sedentary you are the less carbohydrates you will need. Pay attention to how you feel when you have more or less: Are you low energy? Do you feel less bloated?

Small habit #1: Limit carbs to a cupped handful per meal. (If that seems too hard, make it easier! Limit them in one meal. Have 1 potato instead of 2. You get the gist.)

Public Enemy #2: The Dreaded Non-Organic Food

I used to get so overwhelmed by the organic vs. non-organic talk that in college I ended up in the middle of the produce section calling my mom crying because I couldn’t afford organic fruit. According to the Environmental Working Group, the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables outweigh the risks of pesticide exposure. And ultimately, conventionally grown fruits and veggies are still better for you than most of the stuff you’d end up replacing them with. My approach now is to buy organic when it is within my means. I have my priorities based on the stuff we eat the most and this list. If not, I wash them off before I eat them and leave the rest up to God.

Small habit #2: Eat a fruit or vegetable with every meal.

Public Enemy #3: The Rebellious Breakfast Skipper

For years and years, we have been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That is until recently when intermittent fasting became the only thing anybody was talking about, ever, in the world…at least it felt like that in the fitness world, anyways. So which is it?! Research seems to be finding that ultimately eating the right foods in the right amounts is much more important than when you eat them. So, do you wake up hungry? Eat breakfast. Does eating breakfast feel a bit like pulling teeth? Skip it! But listen to your body. Pay attention to your energy levels and hunger ques. If you skip breakfast then end up tired and dragging by 10 am, try eating a small breakfast for a week and see how you feel. No matter which works best for you, try this small habit out.

Small habit #3: Eat until you’re 80% full. In other words, you should feel satisfied but not stuffed.

friends

Ever felt this way? Me too!

Whether you’re reading what the latest actress did to get in shape or the newest fad diet, one thing you’ll start to notice is there always seems to be one common denominator: protein. Protein always seems to come out on top. I found this very interesting.

One recent study asked: Do low carb diets work because they restrict carbs or because they tend to increase protein?

Over the course of one year, the researchers compared four different conditions:

  1. normal protein, normal carbohydrate
  2. normal protein, low carbohydrate
  3. high protein, low carbohydrate
  4. high protein, normal carbohydrate.

Interestingly, the two groups eating the high protein lost the most weight.

And the real kicker? Varying the levels of fats and carbs seemed to make no difference to body composition.*

So there you have it. Might I suggest, if you don’t eat much protein, this is the best place to start.

Small habit #4: Get some protein in each meal.

The battle is not so much about organic vs. non-organic or low carb vs. low fat. The battle is choosing real food over convenience while it’s staring you in the face down every aisle and on every street corner. The battle is practicing moderation in the face of enormous portion sizes and ever available junk food. Most importantly, the battle is learning how to eat FOR YOU.

“Every man is the builder of a temple called his body.” ~ H.D.Thoreau

*Precision Nutrition blog – Carb Controversy: Why low carb diets have got it all wrong

Vday Partner Workout

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Honestly I’m perfectly content working out by myself most of the time. However, it is more fun to workout with someone and I think most people prefer it. So in the interest of Valentine’s Day, I present to you: a partner workout. It’s a quick one too, so you can get your metabolism ready for the delectable grub you plan to enjoy mindfully later tonight, right?. 😉 So grab someone you love and give this spicy number a try!

me & my bestie makin' our workout fun

me & my bestie makin’ our workout fun

It’s called I Go, You Go. The idea is one person works while the other one rests and vice versa. So there should always be someone gettin’ their move on!

Warm Up:

14 Hip Bridges

14 Walking Lunges

14 Plank Handshakes (Position yourself head to head in starting pushup position. Alternate shaking hands.)

30 Jumping Jacks (cuuuz 14 jumping jacks is like, nothing.)

Workout:

*For a couple of the exercises I gave a kettlebell option and a body weight option. PLUS, there are 2 ways to do this next part, so it’s kinda like a choose your own adventure. I know, fun, right?!

  1. Set the timer for 15 minutes. The 1st person goes until they cry “mercy”, at which point they tag out and the 2nd person goes. Rotate through the exercises circuit style until 15 minutes is up!
  2. Each person does as many reps as they can until, as a team, you reach 100 reps of each exercise. You can switch back and forth as many times as you need to get to 100.

Goblet Squat or Prisoner Squat (as fast and as low as you can go)

Pushups

Alternating Lunge Jumps

Mountain climbers (1 rep is when both knees have hit the chest)

Double KB Swing or Burpees

*A couple things to keep in mind: Any time there is no set rep range, only go as long as you can with good form. And if you don’t want to feel completely trashed at the end, don’t go to failure on your first set…or ever for that matter. Oh yeah, and have fun!!

**If you’re looking for something extra at the end, two words: plank competition. Always.

partner wo

Two of my favorite things: my hubs and kettlebell swings