What did you have to eat today? Why do you eat?
In theory, we eat to provide our bodies with nutrients and vitamins to carry out our normal days. However, we really eat for so many other reasons. We emotionally eat. We socially eat. We eat for pleasure and taste.
When you eat do you ever stop and think about it as fueling your body and also think about what you are putting into your body?
I  grew up eating food. Most of it came from a can or a restaurant and diet coke was my water. It wasn't until about 5 years ago that I started to really think about what I was eating and start to think of it as more of nutrition than food. And it has been a long gradual process over 5 years to get to where I am today. And some days I still just eat food and don't think much about the nutrition but those times have become less and less.
Time is precious and I work really hard to find the balance between working, being a mom, and training and working out. Working out and training take a lot of time. I have made a lot of sacrifices to find the time to fit my fitness routine in. Because it is hard to find that time, I have taken it much more seriously which also makes me take my diet more seriously. I don't want to cancel out all of my progress by eating food and not worrying about nutrition. I also find that what I eat determines how I feel I my runs and during my workouts.
Last night we went out to eat and I ate a little out of my norm but not bad and that tiny change made me suffer miserably on my run today.
When you start to think about the purpose of eating and the nutrition value and your needs, your diet changes. Eating for nutrition isn't horrible and I feel that I still get to indulge in good tasting foods. Your taste buds actually change and you really notice sweetness and salty that is naturally in foods.
I love to bake and love pastries. I have found a way to bake with all wholesome real foods and I don't feel like I am giving anything up.
This week while you are eating, take a minute to think about what you are eating and why. When thinking about it, nutrition is much more important to me than the food. I want to fuel my body and feel good!

Nina Pears

All School Movement- PiYo Live Warm Up

I am very fortunate to do what I love. I love teaching because it gives me an opportunity to inspire children and make a difference in their lives. This summer I took on the role of a Beachbody Coach as well. Although I don't think of it as a job. It pays like a job but again it is an amazing experience to help inspire people and make a difference in their lives. I have been very passionate about fitness-health and exercise. Beachbody has given me so many opportunities to feed this passion. It has also given me the confidence and courage to step out of my comfort zone and follow my passion further.
Last year, I became a movement trainer at our school. I learned  the science behind movement in education and saw the proof behind the research in my class. It was amazing to be able to move with the kids throughout the day and see a major improvement in achievement.
Last year we also implemented an all school movement once a month. This was a great community builder in our school and so much fun. I was always nervous to lead all school movement on the stage because as much as I liked working out, leading a group in a dance exercise wasn't my thing.
Over the summer, I fell in love with PiYo and stepped out of my comfort zone and got certified. At my certification class, I kept thinking how great this exercise would be for kids and how they would love it.
Today I got my opportunity to teach it to my school and do it with them. It was amazing! It was such an incredible feeling and a highlight of my teaching experience! I am very thankful for both of my jobs and am very fortunate! Days like today are the days you realize how rich you really are! And it has nothing to do with what's in your wallet!

Nina Pears

Fall recipes- Apples! Apple Picking!

I don't know if it is because I grew up in the Berkshires surrounded by apple orchards or what, but apple picking to me is one of my favorite activities to do. We are fortunate to have an apple tree in our front yard and with all of the moisture this year, it has been a great fruit year! If you don't have fruit trees in your yard, I highly recommend planting them or visiting a local orchard! The kids have a blast picking the fruit and baking with it afterwards is such a benefit! I must admit, our dogs love eating the fruit that falls or that is within their reach on the low branches too !
Our favorite healthy apple recipes:

Paleo Apple Crisp- so good and healthy, you can eat it for breakfast! 

Ingredients:
6 medium size apples, peeled and diced
2 cups almond flour/meal
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup raw honey
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Directions:
Preheat oven to 35o degrees and lightly grease a pie pan with cooking spray.
Whisk together the honey and vanilla extract in a bowl with the cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add the flour and whisk until smooth and combined.
Cut in the coconut oil and stir with a fork until it forms a crumbled mixture.  Spread the apples in the bottom of the pie pan and top with the crumbled mixture.
Cover with foil then bake for about 45 minutes until the apples are tender.  Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 Crock Pot Apple Sauce
What you’ll need:
8-10 apples – peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon – optional
What to do:
1. Place apples into crock pot, cover with water. Set on low. Cook covered for 6-8 hours until apples have softened. Stir occasionally to break up the apples.

Nina Pears

Weekly Fitness Challenge- 20 Minute Interval Circuit

This week's challenge is a full body interval workout. I like to do it outside especially this time of year but it can also be down at home on the treadmill. I use this workout when I feel like I need a little something extra or to do with the kids when they are riding their bikes or we are going for a walk after dinner.
This workout can really get your heart rate up and it is a great high intensity workout if you push yourself. It can be modified as well. Instead of running the first minute, you can jog. You can also do the exercises nice and slow over the minute. A minute can be very long!
Have Fun!

Nina Pears

Goals and Personal Growth Challenge

As an adult, professional, and parent it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and really just take it one day at a time. Many times we may have big picture ideas and plans but we let life get in the way and it can get us off track. I have just read two great books that have changed me personally. I read The Happiness Project and The Compound Effect. Both of these books made me think about my self and also being in control of my own destiny. In response to these two books, I have started to make personal short term goals which allign with my long term goals.
In the past, I have always had long term goals but have never really tracked what I am doing in this instant to get there. I have had professional goals and goals for my children and family but again not daily goals which lead to my personal growth. Achieving my personal goals also go hand and hand with my happiness which carries over into every aspect of my life.
One thing I have been guilty of is making goals but keeping them to myself. If I keep them to my self I can try to be accountable but if I am not nobody will really know. One thing that helps with accountability of setting and achieving goals and putting them out to the universe. Let the universe know what you intend to do to become a better person and work on it!
This week, I am setting three personal goals. I am sharing my goals and challenging you to do the same and call on others to share their goals as well. remember these are personal goals to help you grow as an individual. I will check in a week from now and let you know how I did on my goals. i hope to be successful but if I am not, I will know that more work is needed and I will reevaluate and keep working towards them. With only having a week to check in, these will be short term goals which will lead to my long term goals eventually.
I truly believe that goal setting is what will get you to your ideal destination on your journey! 

3 Personal Goals
1. Read 10 minutes of Personal Development each day. I am beginning 30 day Push. This will help me to continue to grow as a person. It may not sound like a big deal but this is one thing that is easy for me to skip here and there and I think necessary for me to keep growing and to achieve those bigger goals.
2. Spend 15 minutes a day with each of my 3 kids individually. I think one on one time with the kids can be difficult but also necessary. I need to be creative in this time and it may be sharing lunch or recess with them or giving each of them their own bed time story and snuggle time. This allows me to be a better mom in a busy world.
3. Shave 15 seconds off of my long run pace. While on my long run today, I realized that I am at a very comfortable pace. I think I can shave some time off if it but I would be pushing myself out of my comfort zone. I think I am capable of it but it would involve being uncomfortable. This will help me grow in so many ways because I am pushing myself to the limits and growing which really is transferred over into everything I do!

Please share and spread the goal setting! 

Nina Pears

Chocolate shakeology pancakes

We all know how important breakfast is. However, it is sometimes the meal that we skip or load with processed sugary junk because we usually don't have the time. This holds true with the kids too!

This morning I am making chocolate shakeology pancakes which are super easy, nutritious, and yummy! 

Chocolate shakeology pancakes recipe

1 smashed banana

Tsp vanilla extract 

Tsp baking powder

1 scoop chocolate shakeology 

1 tsp coconut oil

1 egg

2 cups almond flour

1.5 cup milk. I like coconut milk

Mix it all together and cook on the griddle. We don't use syrup! Sometimes the kids will spread almond butter on top.

Beachbody PiYo 60 Day Challenge

My PiYo 60 challenge is complete! I remember my conversation with my coach when I was first ordering PiYo and shakeology. I told her I didn't expect any results at all but I wanted to do the program because I wanted the stretch and strength that PiYo would provide me to go with my marathon training. I didn't even measure myself at first! This has been such a journey! Not only did I see results, but I have felt better than ever, am comfortable with my body image, have improved running, and am in the best health I have ever been. And yes the results were an added bonus. After lifting and working out for 3 years, I really thought I saw all the improvements I would see. I didn't think I could transform. After weighing 133 pounds for a year straight, I lost 4 pounds and ended at 129 pounds. I also lost an inch in my waist! What I notice most about my body transformation is the amount of definition I now have. My abs can clearly be seen. My arms and legs are much more defined. This has been an amazing experience. I felt like Chalene Johnson became my personal trainer. Most importantly it was super manageable. I did not invest a ton of time into this program. I spent less than an hour a day doing PiYo and saw amazing results!

Nina Pears

Healthy Fall Recipes

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be sharing my versions of traditional fall recipes. I love baking and I when I cut grains out of my diet, I really missed baked goods. I have tried a million recipes and found dome great alternatives to the traditional recipes. Fall is my favorite time to bake too!

In the summer, there is an abundance of berries. I love blueberry muffins. We found a great recipe with almond flour. We usually just use blueberries but I will add other berries of we have them. I always buy berries on sale and then put them in the freezer immediately. They are great to use frozen in yogurt, baking, smoothies, or to just snack on.

Almond Meal Blueberry Muffins

Prep time: 5 Minutes – Cook time: 25 Minutes – Total time: 30 Minutes
Yield: Makes 24 Mini Muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Almond Flour
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• Dash of Salt
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tbsp Coconut Oil
• 1 Cup Blueberries frozen or fresh

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Mix all ingredients except blueberries  until smooth.
3.  fold in blueberries.
4. Spray muffin tin or mini muffin tin with a healthy, non-stick cooking spray.
5. spoon batter into muffin tin.
6. Bake for 25 minutes less if using a mini muffin tin
7. Let cool.
8. Enjoy!

Nina Pears

Weekly Fitness Challenge- Plank on the Wall

This week's fitness challenge is a little bit different than the past ones. This one is a little bit more involved and may intimidate you. Don't let it. It really isn't difficult once you do. Chalene Johnson recently posted a video of her doing this. I thought it looked like fun so I gave it a try and I liked it and wanted to share it with you.
1. Find a clear wall space
2. Position yourself close to the wall and climb your feet up the wall and get in an inverted plank position.
2. Tuck one knee to chest then the other.
3. Lift 1 leg straight up then the other.
4. Cross one leg to touch the ground and the other.
Continue to do it as long as you can.
I started with one minute and will increase it by increments of 30 seconds every day. You can also do it for the duration of a song.

I challenge you to at least give it a try. It is empowering and makes you feel a bit like a kid. And this one is super kid friendly. They will jump at the idea of climbing up the wall!

Nina Pears

MM- Running is a part of me!

When I tell people I am running the NYC marathon, I am almost immediately asked which one I am going to run next. I am not thinking about any other marathon besides the one I am currently training for. I think you have to take training one day at a time and obviously big picture wise you have to concentrate on what you are training for.
What I can tell is that running has become a major part of my life and of me. I spend quite a bit of time training and when I am not actively training, I am conscious of what I am doing knowing that I am training. My diet goes with my training, my sleep goes with my training, my social life goes with my training, my working out goes with my training and my life pretty much revolves around my training. My family is very involved with my training too. We schedule things around it and they support me and are interested in what I am doing.
The day after my marathon, I don't think I am going to give up running altogether-I know I won't. But I can't tell you if I will be in a rush to train for another marathon right away. I don't know if I will be a marathon runner that continues to run marathons. Maybe I will but right now I don't have the answer to that.
Before training for this marathon I leisurely ran 1-2 miles 5 times  a week for a total of 5-10 miles  a week. My training has brought me up to 45 miles this week. A regular run for me is 4 miles. On occasion I will cut it back to 3.5 and extend it to 5 and then have a long run once a week. I used to run 20 minutes when I ran, now I invest 40 minutes on average and up to 3.5 hours for a long run. With it becoming such a  huge part of my life, I know I will not just drop it altogether but I don't know if I would regularly want to make this commitment. Maybe after I cross the finish line I will know.
Running has made me grow as an individual. It has become my time to work on myself and push myself through mental and physical walls. It has given me so much strength. I don't want to lose that.
Running is not my favorite form of working out. It never has been. Maybe it will be some day. I would rather go to the gym and lift any day of the week. Running doesn't produce instant results but it does produce strength.
I am a runner. Running is a part of my life. I have an intimate relationship with running. What does the future hold? Time will tell!

Nina Pears

Acceptance

Over the summer, I got to a really good place personally. I am the happiest that I have been in such a long time, maybe even ever. As I think about what has happened and changed, there really isn't anything significant except for the fact that I accept the person I am and the life that I have. I also realize I am in control of it.
I have always been the person to have so many wants and desires in life that sometimes I take for granted what I have and don't even realize what I have. This summer was different. My wants changed. It's funny to say that because I think I am at a point in my life where I am more driven than ever but I am driven by my goals and not just wants that are out there.
The acceptance that I have learned to have this summer covers all aspects of life.
I accept the person that I am on my fitness journey. No longer to I look at others and say I want that. Or if only I can do that or have this. I have accepted that my competition is myself and I am on my own journey. I have short term goals and long term goals and as long as I am driven my those goals and working on my personal fitness journey, I am doing what I need to be doing. Because of that acceptance, I am more comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been and negativity from others doesn't bother me.
I have accepted myself as a mom. There is no hand book that comes with this role. I believe it is a role based on trial and error. I know I am not perfect at this role but I try to hard to do the best that I can and try to get better everyday.
And most importantly, I have accepted myself as a person. I come with flaws but I am all about growth. As I make mistakes, i take the time to reflect upon them to make sure I learn from them.
Acceptance has given me happiness. I am not perfect. I am me. I am always growing and learning and I love that. Being able to accept that creates happiness and diminishes guilt and regret.
This may be my biggest life lesson learned so far and I hope I can pass it on to my kids. As a mom, I want them to be happy with who they are and to continue to grow as individuals but to never compare themselves to others or feel inadequate.
We all are individuals on our own journeys. Our paths may cross or even be parallel but we will all get to our destinations in a different way and at a different speed!

Nina Pears

School Lunches

I dread making school lunches! My kids hate buying school lunch and I don't encourage it. So every night and morning I am left packing 3 lunches for school. I try to pack the healthiest lunches I can and I try to mix them up so the kids don't get sick of eating the same things.
As a teacher, I get to visit the school lunch room on a daily basis. I am always alarmed at the short amount of time that the kids really have to eat, how they prioritize their eating, the amount of food that is thrown away, and the junk that is consumed. These visits have impacted the way I make lunches for my kids.
My first tip for you is to buy compartmentalized Tupperware. This will help you with portioning. Instead of sending 5 portions of chips in a over sized baggie and 2 carrots, you can balance it out. My second tip is eliminate the junk. The junk will be the first thing your kids eat and sometimes the only thing they will eat. I try to send a treat once a week to surprise the kids with. Always pack a  protein, fruit, and veggie. Stop sending juice boxes and chocolate milk. Water is what they really need. There is no better time to make these changes than the beginning of the school year.

Lunch Ideas- most can be packed the night before
whole grain pasta salad with veggies and cheese
quinoa salad
avocado/cucumber/mozzarella salad
hard boiled eggs
cold pita pizza
pita pockets- sandwich made in a pita
crackers/meat/cheese
cold chicken fingers- I make these homemade on the weekend and pack them for lunches. I bread them in almond flour and cook them in coconut oil
veggies with hummus
celery with peanut butter or cream cheese
apples with peanut butter
quesadillas
wraps
burittos-bean and cheese- kids will eat them cold
pickles
yogurt
granola
tuna/chicken salad
left over breakfast-pancakes or waffles are really good cold with peanut butter
fruit- apples, grapes, berries, bananaa, orange slices, pears, peach slices, apple sauce
Veggies- carrots, cherry tomatoes, celery, peppers, cucumber, broccoli, peas, edamame
home made muffins

Nina Pears

MM- Common Courtesies to the Runners

Over the last 3 months, I have put in a lot of miles running on the roads. There are basic rules to follow as a runner and courtesies that others should have for runners. I have run on rural dirt roads, highways, and neighborhood streets, and a few trails. No matter the place, there are rules and courtesies.

If you are a runner, run against traffic.

Try to run as far over in the shoulder as you can.

If you are on a trail, stay to the right.

If running in group, run single file while others are passing by.

If you are out and about with a dog, please control them. We don't appreciate being chased or licked while on our runs.  

If you are on a bike, please don't make it a game of chicken. We go against each other but it isn't about charging towards us and seeing if we will move off the shoulder for you. We try to give you your space and please do the same for us.

If you are on a bike, don't tell me to run on the other side of the road as you pass by. We are supposed to go against traffic sorry we are going against you too.

And for the cars...

Please push over as far as you can. Give us some space. If it's possible go to the other lane or push over a little bit so you don't brush by us. 

If you can't move over any, maybe slow down a little. 

Do not slow down to creep on us as you drive by.

Do not beep or give cat calls.

If you are a peer or a non-runner, have respect for what we are doing. Don't question us. Don't tell us we are crazy or how miserable it sounds. Don't question our pace or tell us how much you hate running. Have respect!

Nina Pears

Weekly Fitness Challenge- Jump Rope

Your challenge this week is to find your favorite songs and jump rope to a song a day. Music is a great fitness motivator. Put the music on and notice how your mood changes and you get energized and a little pep in your step. Most songs average between 3 and 5 minutes long. Jump roping is a great cardio workout that gets your heart rate up. Jumping to music can be a great interval workout. As the music picks up, jump faster to follow it. As the music slows down, slow your jumps down. If jumping for an entire song is difficult just slow down but don't stop.
Do this activity each day. Use it as a warm up before your normal workout or use it to get into a work out routine. Somedays it may get you going and while you still feel good, work off of that feeling and follow it up with a walk or a jog. If you are having a hard time finding time to fit this into your schedule, take a jump rope into the bathroom and jump to a song before getting into the shower!
My favorite part about this challenge...the kids can do it with you and probably teach you something! We like to mix it up and do criss cross, rocking horse, stair step, and ski jumps.

What Do You Wish For?

I love wishes- a penny on heads up, the first star at night, a shooting star, on birthdays, and money in a fountain. I take advantage of any opportunity. When I make wishes, I feel like a little kid. Wishes are magical. They give us hope. They are traditional.
While I was running yesterday, I saw a penny on heads up. I stopped and picked it up and made my wish. For the rest of my run, I thought about my wish and wishes I have made in the past.
I usually always wish for the same things and for as long as I can remember or at least through adulthood, the wishes have been the same. I wish for good health and happiness-occasionally, I will wish for financial freedom and success. I just told you my wishes! Does that mean they won't come true? What do all of these wishes have in common? They are all in my control for the most part. There  so many things that I can do to contribute to my good health. There may be things that arise that are out of my control but for the most part, if I take care of myself, I will be in good health.
I am also in control of my happiness. I can choose to be happy and to do things that will make me happy as well as surround myself by people that make me happy.
Same with financial freedom. Choices I make will contribute to my financial freedom. I have a job that limits my finances but I can work hard at and find other things and be responsible with my spending. There comes a point when needs are paid for and we recognize our wants within our range. Money really doesn't buy happiness. It buys things.
Lastly, is success. While watching a personal development clip this stuck with me. Successful people were defined as those that work hard, wait patiently, and don't give up. Success isn't working for something and getting it overnight but it is working for it and waiting for it and following through with it.
So are my wishes really wishes? Are yours? Can you work for those wishes and grant them yourself? Next time you make a wish, reflect upon that wish and make it come true yourself!

Weekly Success Story

Before I became a Beachbody coach, I would always see before and after pictures posted online. I was so skeptical of these pictures because I didn't know these people and I can easily push my stomach out and then suck it in and flex and have a total body transformation in 2 seconds. Beachbody has success stories on their website and they are amazing. Now that I am a product of the product, I can tell you that a lot of these transformations are real.
I wanted to start sharing the success stories of the people that I know and that personally have inspired me. Chances are if you are reading this you know the people I will be featuring or you know of them.
My first success story is my best friend from college, Allison Reveiz. I have a lot of respect for Allison. She was always a great friend and a support to me. She got me into teaching and Morgan and I even shared a 1 bedroom apartment with her at one point. Allison was always small and skinny. Ten years ago, we trained for our first half marathon together. I owe her for getting me into running after college. When we trained together we would have to go super early in the morning because the sun and heat would give her head aches. She always got really bad migraines. She even stopped exercising all together at one point because she would get such bad head aches.
A couple of months ago, I saw Allison posting all sorts of stuff about Shakeology and then saw these amazing transformation pictures. Remember how I said Allison was always skinny? Well she was but now she is super toned, in amazing health, headache free, and loving life! I had to reach out to her to see what in the world she was doing.

Shakeology allowed Allison to be headache free and feel fabulous and The 21 Day Fix got her super toned and in great shape. I was so inspired by her and her story that I jumped on board too.

Must Do Things on Your Final Week of Summer Break

As we head into the last week of summer break, the craziness begins, the anxiety starts, and it feels like life is coming to an end- in the minds of any child heading back to school. In your final week, there is a sense of urgency to get kids back into a routine, cram in all of the summer assignments that were meant to be completed over the last two months, and a desire to hold on to every single minute.
As a teacher and a mom, I encourage you to live it up this last week. Skip the sense of urgency to cram all of that school work in. Spend time playing and as a family. Go to the pool a few last times. Do a few more things that didn't get crossed off on the summer bucket list.
If your child didn't read every day this summer, or do 20 minutes of math on a daily basis, or keep that summer journal they intended to it's ok and trying to overload it in the last week of summer break is just going to make it more stressful. As school begins and teachers are establishing routines and procedures, start to get back into the routine then. Slowly start to add more reading time, bring out the math fact flash cards, and start a new journal. It will be easier to get into the routine when school starts and to slowly work your way up to the homework expectations. Don't hear me wrong, I strongly believe every child should have reading incorporated into every day of their life but I also know making them read everyday during the last week of summer can backfire.
Must Dos on Your Last Week of Summer Break
-spend an entire day at a pool or lake
-find a book to read as a family. Select your favorite book from your childhood and read it with your children. 
-go on a family bike ride
-allow your children to build or create something with their hands
-start a gratitude journal
-spend a day in PJs
-go on a hike
-complete one more item from the summer bucket list
-write goals for the upcoming school year
-have a family night or go on one on one dates with each child
-play outside!
As a teacher, I relate to my kids and students. I promise you life really isn't ending even though it feels like it. A week into the new school year, summer will seem like a distant memory so hold on to it this last week and make the best of it!
 

MM- Life is a Marathon!

It occurred to me today that my marathon training is such a good symbol of my life in general. My training started with an idea and continued with goals and milestones. A lot of growth has been made and there will be more to come. There have been many bad choices, failures, and lessons learned. I have sacrificed things to properly train. This makes sense when you are talking about training for a marathon. The long runs that I go on each week have allowed me to reflect on my life and realize the same holds true to my everyday life.
So is life a marathon or are marathons a symbol for life? I think the same could be said about any personal journey stepping out of your comfort zone. Life can be related to a football game, a hike, a personal achievement, or success in a career. It is important to make sure we have these journeys or events in our life to recognize. All of the things I apply to my training need to be carried over into my everyday life.
I plan for my runs. I set goals. I fail. I learn. I accept. I grow. I am dedicated. I move forward and on. I push myself. I don't make excuses but I don't beat myself up.
There are days or portions of days that I have counted the minutes and waited for time to pass. There are days that go by so fast and I wish I had a pause button. There are times I feel like I am stuck in a rut. Take these scenarios and apply it to running. Do they all happen? Sure? Can we control each one of them and change them? Yes. When thinking about this in my training, it is easy to change and control so this I need to carry over into my life as well. Just like in our training, we can control our life and destiny with the same principals.

Fitness Challenge 30/30/30

My fitness challenge this week is a 30/30/30 of 3 exercises. The exercises I have chosen will work the entire body. First, do 30 push-ups. Try to do as many push-ups in a row as you can on your hands and feet. If it gets too hard, drop down to 1 knee and continue as long as you can dropping down to both knees when you can't go any further. Push yourself. If you can only get 10 regular push-ups today go for 11 tomorrow. Continue to really push yourself. This only takes a minute so it will be over soon!

Next, do 30 wide legged sumo squats. Point your toes out and squat down. When you come back up, push up on to your calves to engage all of your leg muscles. Push yourself to do 30 in a row. If it gets too hard, skip the calf raise. 

The last exercise is plank to elbow plank. Star up on your hands and keep your body tight and in a perfect line. Really engage all your muscles. Count to 10 then drop down to your elbows and count to 10. Do this 3 times so you do each hold for 30 seconds. 

I encourage you to do this in addition to your regular workout everyday. If you don't have a regular fitness routine, do this everyday and start a routine.

What is a Beachbody Coach?

I have been a Beachbody couch for a short amount of time but it is beginning to play a bigger role in my life. I wanted to take the time to explain what a Beachbody Coach is and answer some questions that I have been asked.

What is Beachbody? We all have our own literal definitions but Beachbody is also a company. Beachbody provides many at home fitness products and has a nutritional component which is primarily Shaekology but includes other supplements as well.

Who is Beachbody's target market? Beachbody has a product for everyone. Beachbody has program that work well for people that are at the beginning stages of fitness and heath and they also have programs that benefit people that currently work out and are in great health.Shakeology benefits everyone and has significant benefits for overall health. The fitness programs are at home programs and are great for people that don't go to a gym or have limited time. Beachbody fitness programs and challenge groups are like having your own personal trainer in the comfort of your home whenever you need them.

What is a Beachbody Coach?  A beachbody coach is usually a customer of Beachbody that has had a great experience with the product. A coach supports their customer and helps with accountability. Coaches inspire and motivate others and are passionate about health.

Do you need to be super fit to be a coach? No. Coaches are products of the product and are at all different levels in their own fitness journey. We do the programs with you and have our own fitness goals we are still working on.

Do coaches get paid? Coaches are free to all Beachbody customers and we will even work with friends and people who are not customers. Our main role is to spread the passion of a healthy lifestyle by inspiring and motivating others. As a coach, we do receive commission on products our customers buy as well as bonuses as we grow our team. We also receive a discount on all Beachbody products.

Is being a coach a full time job? Being a Beachbody coach, can become a full time job. There are Coaches that have done extremely well financially and not only has it become their full time job but it has also allowed them to bring their spouses home from work. There are other coaches that work the business as a part time job and then with success, it becomes a full time job. Others coach to receive a discount and don't ever work it as a business. As with anything else, you get what you give to this business. There are great opportunities and the sky is the limit when it comes to how well you can do. I have seen many people become very successful with it. I have also seen others that enjoy it and are passionate about it but work it minimally.

Does it cost money to be a coach? There is a one time fee of $40 which is refunded if you buy a challenge pack. Then there is a monthly fee of $15 which covers websites, an online office, and marketing materials.

What is the training like to become a coach? There are no mandatory trainings and requirements. There are recommended trainings and conference calls. The more you work with your team and learn the business the better your opportunities for success are. I currently put in anywhere from an hour to 3 hours a day on average.

What is a discount coach and requirements? A coach may suggest you become a discount coach. You would pay all coaches fee but will receive a 25% discount on products. If you plan on drinking shakeology on a regular basis, being a discount coach makes sense. You don't need to do anthing else but reap the benefits of the 25% discount.

Are there quotas for coaches? Coaches do not need to have  minimum amount of sales per month. The only requirement is that they personally purchase a value of 90 points a month which is equivalent to a shakeology monthly order. You meet that by buying shakeology for yourself and you don't need to sell anything else.

Is Beachbody  a pyramid scheme? Beachbody is a multi-level marketing company but there are not any quotas to what your sales need to be. Beachbody builds accountability to help people get healthy and fit. There are structured teams like in any organization. Value is being exchanged through beachbody. The only time money is exchanged is when someone buys a product. There are no empty boxes.

Please contact me with any questions I may have not answered or with any interest in coaching.