Consistently Good

My tennis coach told me recently that it looked like one of my biggest hurdles I needed to get over is not letting one bad shot ruin the next 5-10 minutes of my game. The inability to leave the mistake behind and stay present in the now, is costing me the match. Why in the world should I expect to be perfect in every moment of every game. That’s unrealistic, right? In the two-plus decades of his professional career, tennis legend, Roger Federer won nearly 80% of his matches. But when broken down by point by point, his percentage of wins drops down to 54%. One of the greatest tennis players in history won barely more than half of the points he played. It appears that being consistently good can be a roadmap for success.

Consistently good vs. perfect

Do we expect too much from ourselves? When we aren’t perfect, is it too easy to throw in the towel and give up? Do we believe that we can actually achieve great things simply by being consistently good?! No one wants to be mediocre at something, but maybe being mediocre over time is actually the best thing for us.

Achieving any goal will require facing challenges, having setbacks, and moments of self-doubt. It’s unrealistic to expect perfection every single day. Learning to be consistently good is the most effective strategy for ultimately reaching your goals.

Why consistently good is a better strategy for reaching our goals:

1. Reduces Pressure: Striving for perfection can create immense pressure and stress. By aiming to be consistently good, you allow yourself room to grow and make mistakes without feeling like a failure.

2. Builds Sustainable Habits: Perfection is often unsustainable, leading to burnout. Consistency fosters habits that are realistic and maintainable over the long term.

3. Encourages Progress Over Perfection: Small, regular improvements accumulate over time, leading to significant progress. Consistently good efforts compound into success more reliably than sporadic attempts at perfection.

4. Increases Enjoyment: When the pressure to be perfect is removed, the process becomes more enjoyable. This enjoyment can motivate you to stick with your habits and goals.

5. Promotes Learning and Adaptation: Mistakes and imperfections are valuable learning opportunities. Consistent effort allows you to adapt and improve, while perfectionism often leads to stagnation.

So how do we establish consistency:

1. Set Realistic Goals: Break your larger goal into smaller, achievable tasks. This makes it easier to maintain consistency and measure progress without the burden of perfection.

2. Be Flexible!: Develop a daily or weekly schedule that incorporates time for working on your goal. A flexible routine helps you adapt to life's unpredictabilities while staying consistent. You may need to modify the task or pivot and do something different.

3. Use Reminders and Tools: Utilize calendars, apps, or alarms to remind you of your tasks. Tools like habit trackers can help visualize your progress and keep you motivated. This is what we love about our BBH Fit Coaching App!

4. Stay Accountable: Share your goals with friends, family, or a mentor. Our BBH clients know better than anyone that their weekly training sessions with their trainers help them best stay accountable and provide much needed encouragement.

5. Start Small and Grow: Begin with small, achievable tasks to build momentum. Gradually increase the difficulty or time commitment as you become more consistent.

6. Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate your progress, no matter how minor. This positive reinforcement encourages continued effort and consistency.

Takeaway:

Embrace imperfection. Accept that mistakes are part of the journey. Notice them. and have a plan for moving forward. Consistently good rather than perfect is a mindset that reduces pressure, builds sustainable habits, and fosters progress. By establishing consistently good habits and following through with the next steps, you can reach your goals and even surpass them. Embrace the power of consistent goodness, and watch as it propels you toward success in every endeavor.

Strength Training During Perimenopause and Menopause

Strength Training During Perimenopause and Menopause

I turned 40 recently, and before I did, I can’t tell you how many times someone in their 40’s looked at me and said, “just wait until you’re 40’. Well I’m here…and I’m waiting…..although I’m not sure, exactly, what for? J/K. I can only assume that what these lovely friends of mine were referring to, are the negative symptoms many women will experience related to hormonal changes once they’ve entered perimenopause and menopause! In all truth, now that I am 40, my vigilance around these (seemingly imminent) changes in my hormones has heightened. I’m grateful that women are having these conversations more openly than ever before and that medical doctors are taking seriously, specializing and getting better at treating women experiencing symptoms related to perimenopause and menopause. Some of these symptoms include hot flashes, poor sleep, weight gain and moodiness (or should I more accurately say, “wanting to murder everyone around you”).

As a fitness professional, what I can do to contribute to the conversation is to talk about what I know, thanks to science. And to share with you how I am personally arming myself for this phase of life and how you can too!

My first line of defense is strength training- in particular, lifting HEAVY. So I’m sorry pilates and yoga. If you love these workouts (and I do them too), they are not enough. If you want to combat age related hormonal changes in a powerful way, you must build muscle and strength training is the most effective way to do this. Here’s why LIFTING HEAVY is so important:

1. Combat Muscle Loss:

One of the most critical changes as we age is the loss of estrogen, a hormone that plays a vital role in maintaining muscle mass and strength. Proteins responsible for muscle contraction, such as actin and myosin, have estrogen receptors. When estrogen levels drop, these proteins don't function as effectively, leading to muscle loss and decreased strength. Lifting heavy weights helps counteract this by stimulating muscle growth and maintaining muscle mass.

2. Boost Metabolic Health:

As estrogen declines, women are at a higher risk of gaining weight due to metabolic changes. Strength training plays a crucial role in improving metabolic health. Lifting heavy weights enhances the function of mitochondria—the powerhouse of cells. Healthy mitochondria are more efficient at burning calories and providing energy, which helps combat weight gain and maintain a healthy metabolism.

3. Strengthen Bones:

Loss of estrogen can lead to a decrease in bone density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis. Lifting heavy weights puts stress on your bones, which helps to stimulate bone growth and maintain bone density, keeping your skeleton strong and healthy.

4. Improve Mood and Energy:

The hormonal fluctuations during perimenopause and menopause can wreak havoc on your mood and energy levels. Exercise, including weightlifting, is a natural way to boost endorphins, improve your mood, and increase your energy levels.

I’m so grateful that I’ve been building a strong foundation over the years and know that it puts me in a great place for combatting these potential perimenopause and menopause symptoms. But, it’s truly never too late to start lifting and building muscle to improve your health and age gracefully. If you need guidance, on where to start and the most effective game plan moving forward, book a coaching call with me or one of my amazing BBH trainers. We know there are still very individual considerations to understand about you and we can help you create an effective program that works for you!

Leave a question in the comments and I’ll be happy to get to it!

Exercising Safely in the Heat

Summer is a fantastic time to take your workouts outside, but the soaring temperatures can pose a risk. Here are five essential tips to help you stay cool and safe while enjoying your outdoor exercises in the heat.

1. Choose the Right Time

The best times to exercise outdoors during hot weather are early in the morning or late in the evening. These periods typically have lower temperatures and reduced sun exposure. Aim for workouts before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day.

2. Stay Hydrated

Hydration is crucial when exercising in the heat. Drink plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. Consider carrying a water bottle with you and take small sips every 15-20 minutes. You can also incorporate sports drinks to replenish electrolytes lost through sweat.

3. Wear the Right Gear

Opt for lightweight, breathable, and moisture-wicking clothing. Light-colored clothes can help reflect the sun's rays, keeping you cooler. Don't forget a hat and sunglasses for additional protection, and always apply sunscreen with at least SPF 30 to protect your skin from UV rays.

4. Adjust Your Intensity

Heat can significantly impact your performance and increase the risk of heat-related illnesses. Lower your workout intensity and take frequent breaks to cool down. Listen to your body and avoid pushing yourself too hard. Consider splitting your workout into shorter sessions if necessary.

5. Seek Shady Routes

Plan your exercise routes with shade in mind. Parks, trails, and areas with plenty of trees provide natural cover from the sun. If you're running or biking, try to find routes that keep you out of direct sunlight as much as possible. This can help maintain a cooler body temperature and make your workout more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts

Exercising outdoors in the summer can be refreshing and invigorating, but it's essential to prioritize safety. By following these tips, you can enjoy your outdoor activities while minimizing the risks associated with high temperatures. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and keep moving!

Happy Exercising!

Can Older People Really BUILD Muscle?

As I watch my parents age into their 80’s, it’s a topic that continues to become more personal to me and more important to talk about. According to findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, muscles tend to grow from birth until they peak at around 30-35 years old. From there, our muscle mass tends to slowly decline. Once we hit 65 (for women) or 70 (for men), the decline becomes even more rapid. This loss of muscle can greatly impact our metabolic health and quality of life.

While, it’s an inevitable fact of life that as we age, we experience a gradual loss of muscle mass, elderly people are perfectly capable of maintaining and actually building more muscle through a targeted approach to diet and exercise. The result is improved vitality, reduced bone loss, prevention of osteoarthritis and decreased risks of falling and fractures. So how can we start the mission of building muscle either before the inevitable decline or even after the decline to build our bodies back up?

Embrace strength training.

Resistance training, hands down, is the best approach for building muscle,. When you do exercises under resistance, your muscles are subject to stress and damage. When paired with the right diet and recovery processes, your immune system can begin to repair your muscles so that they grow back even bigger and stronger than they were before.

So strength training is one of the most effective habits to incorporate into your daily routine if you want to build lean body mass as an older adult. Research recommends strength training 3 or 4 times weekly.

A caveat here: if you’re new to strength training (or have not done it in a long time), it’s a good idea to work with a fitness professional like a personal trainer. Schedule a free 15-minute phone consult with a BBH trainer who can help guide you through your workout routines, perfecting your form and developing an effective workout schedule to help you build muscle while protecting you from potential injury

Prioritize protein.

Your diet is the other big piece of the puzzle for muscle growth. While doing resistance training starts the process, you can’t grow muscle without eating enough of the right nutrients necessary to repair and rebuild.

Protein is often referred to as the nutritional “building block” of your muscle tissue since it actually makes up its structure, so you’re going to need plenty of it to help your muscles recover from your strength training workouts.

So how much protein should you be eating overall? The official recommendation is that you should be eating at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight to hold off muscle loss, while some studies have also indicated greater intakes of 1.0-1.6 g/kg of body weight may help promote muscle strength and size. However, the exact amount you should eat is highly individualized and we recommend that it might be helpful to schedule a nutrition consultation with one of our certified nutrition coaches if you want to dial in the right amount for you . Everyone’s nutritional needs will vary based on their current health status and activity level.

If you need more resources for high protein meal plans, you can find multiple meal plans in the Nutrition Corner of our on-demand membership studio, BBH Fit.

The bottom line is that it is never too late to start preventing muscle loss or build muscle in our latter years! If you want to maintain vitality in your life as you age, muscle is the currency with some of the highest value for helping you achieve a vibrantly healthy life.