Hey MOVERs and shakers! This Memorial Day MOVE is excited to be part of an event called Carry the Load that will honor and remember our fallen soldiers, first responders and the families involved. Katy and I are lucky to be best friends with a soldier, Eric Burnett, who has been in the military over 10 years and served in Iraq. He is now in the reserves as the General’s Aid and spends many weekends right here at Camp Mabry! We are constantly reminded of his service and cannot be more thankful to have him with us. This will be a special event for us as we “carry the load” in Eric’s honor, along with the many men he served with and lost in battle.

If you do not already have plans, come join us on May 25th for a Memorial Day celebration, demonstrations, and a mental and physical fortitude challenge. There will also be lots of fun things going on to keep the kids engaged, as well as a pavilion to rest under and relax. They have even set up a mock town and are going to reenact troops, SWAT, and first responders storming it from land, air and water with fake explosives! It should be really stinking cool!

If you would like to participate, MOVE has put together a team to “carry the load.” It is a 20 mile walk around a one mile loop, so you only have to commit to one mile at a time. Feel free to only walk one mile! Kids will love just being a part of it! You can carry a pack, sandbag, weight vest or simply the memory of a soldier. Katy and I will be wearing our weight vests and walking each mile together with Eric. This is not a race or a competition. It is an effort to remember the fallen and to raise awareness of what Memorial Day is all about. Learn more about the event on the Carry the Load Facebook Event Page or go ahead and join our team!

MOVE will also be raising money for the families of the fallen soldiers in Central Austin. Our goal is $3,000 in the next 30 days! We have already raised $150! If you cannot attend, we would love for you to donate and help us reach our goal. Thank you for being part of what makes MOVE so amazing, our generous community. And a HUGE thank you to all who have served and continue to serve!

What gets you excited to come to MOVE? Is it the people? The music? The workout? Awesome coaches? The hour to yourself outside of a crazy, busy day?

I cannot tell you enough how important it is to take an hour out of your day to turn inward and focus on yourself. Sometimes I think I workout more to feed my soul than for the physical nature or even the strength and health it brings. Am I allowed to say that as a coach? Who knows! I do know, working out is my release. The time I get to truly be myself. It’s almost ritualistic for me. I take off my watch, I take out my earrings, I take off my wedding ring, I throw on my headband and I start getting mentally prepared. I stop thinking about the outside world or myself as skin deep, but turn inward. How am I feeling today? Am I tried? Sore? Have I eaten? Am I hydrated? Am I focused on the here and now? What do I need to let go of now, so that I can tackle this workout?

It is unreal what I discover about myself in that short span of time.  It brings stillness, understanding, and then a stream of energy back into my body. I start to get pumped up and ready to tackle what lies ahead. From that moment on, I make certain the only things flooding my head are technique cues and the positive encouragement I’m telling myself. I can’t approach a lift or even a workout already defeated. I tell myself I am prepared to push past my limitations. Sometimes I’ll surprise myself, and sometimes I’ll fail, but I never finish the workout wondering what if.

We all come to workout for different reasons. For some, it’s social hour. Others just want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and live longer. Some have big goals to lose weight, get stronger, or achieve a certain physique. As your coach, I challenge you to look beyond the surface.  Turn your focus inward and start there. Start by staying positive in your thoughts throughout the workout. Tell yourself you’ve got it, you are awesome, you can lift this weight, you enjoy being here, you are getting better every day, you are strong, you are going to finish, you are ready for the rush of endorphins! Focus on building mental fortitude as well as physical strength. Then be aware of what you’re saying out loud to others around you. Are you positive and encouraging? Or are you focused on how hard it is? Be a leader! Cut out the negativity and spread encouragement to yourself and others.

All of this comes down to knowing your body and knowing yourself. This hour at MOVE can be the best time in your day to stop and focus on yourself. Go ahead; leave the outside world behind. Be on time. (Or even early!) Listen. Focus. Focus on your coach’s words and cues. Focus on how your body is feeling. Focus on positive affirmations inside your head. Focus on form and the specific muscle groups you are trying to target. Focus on listening to how you feel. Are you pushing yourself slightly past the limitation you have set for yourself? Are you doing it in a safe way? If you have a mobility barrier that is stopping you from doing it right, are you working on it or pushing past it and adding more weight?

I want everyone to think about why you come to MOVE. What pushes you to keep going in those last few minutes when you’re ready to quit? Does that feeling translate into your life? What keeps us moving forward when we are more comfortable standing still? What are your goals? What is your big, hairy, audacious goal and what steps are you making to achieve it? Do you have a purpose for yourself when you walk through these doors? Who holds you accountable? Do you do it for yourself? Someone else? Society? What MOVES you to keep moving?

I want to hear it! Post your comments below and let your coaches and MOVE family know why you come to MOVE, what your goals are, and what you hope to achieve in the gym and/or outside the gym. Or better yet, write your own blog about what MOVES you and be featured on the MOVE blog! Send it to katy@moveaustinfitness.com. Let’s hold each other accountable and MOVE forward together!

If you are having a hard time incorporating healthy choices into your diet and want a personalized weekly meal plan email me at Katy@moveaustinfitness.com. Abby, our nutrition guru, is helping us with body measurements/assessments, goal setting and meal plans. She will devise a plan to get you where you want to be and help you keep a healthy lifestyle for the future. Changing our relationship to food is life changing. You would be surprised how much food can trigger lack of sleep, low energy, lack of concentration, illness, weight gain, and a slew of other problems. Better to nip it in the rear now and create healthy habits for the future. It’s all about balance and knowing what works best for your body. I still get weekly meal plans to keep me on track and take the guess work out of it.

“We’re right in the middle of National Nutrition Month—the perfect time for a pantry raid! We asked Allison Enke, R.D., a dietitian with Whole Foods Market, to help us examine our kitchen shelves and shopping lists to see if we’re picking the proper fueling foods. Keep reading for her picks for the 10 essential items active women need in their pantries, refrigerators and freezers. “These foods that are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients,” says Enke.

1. Oatmeal. Soluble fiber from oatmeal, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Click here for 11 fun ways our readers jazz up a usual bowl of oats! *I make sure it’s Bob Red Mill’s Gluten Free Oats either the rolled oats or quick cooking oats.

2. Berries. A handful of frozen berries adds antioxidants and fiber to your morning smoothie or oatmeal. Blueberries are only 80 calories per cup, Enke notes, and they pack a powerful nutrition punch by supporting brain, eye and heart health.

3. Fish.  Fatty fish are one of the best foods sources of essential omega-3 fatty acids and also provide vitamin D, a critical nutrient that many women lack (it works with calcium to preserve bone strength). Enke keeps cans of ready-to-serve 365 Everyday Value Wild Alaskan Red Sockeye Salmon in her pantry to add to salads or to make salmon patties for a quick, healthy dinner.

4. Flaxseed.  Not a seafood fan? Flaxseeds are also rich in omega-3 fats, and they’re also filled with fiber. Mix a spoonful into oatmeal, Greek yogurt or smoothies to add flavor, texture and nutrition.

5. Quinoa. It contains all 9 essential amino acids as well as bone-boosting minerals like copper, phosphorous, iron and magnesium.

6. Greek yogurt.  With twice as much protein as regular yogurt, the Greek version helps fight hunger. The beneficial probiotic bacteria in yogurt supports both digestive and immune health. “Plain, fat-free Greek yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream in dips, dressings and sauces,” Enke says.

7. Nuts. Stock single-serving bags of almonds in your desk, car or purse for protein, fiber and vitamin E (which is great for heart health) on-the-go. You can also create Enke’s go-to DIY trail mix by combining almonds, dried unsweetened cranberries, dried unsweetened coconut flakes and sunflower seeds.

8. Legumes. The fiber and protein in legumes, like beans and lentils, help you feel full and add satisfying texture to recipes. Enke especially likes tossing black beans into a dish for a nice source of vegetarian protein (plus iron, folate, magnesium and zinc).

9. Dark, leafy greens. They are packed with calcium, fiber, folic acid and antioxidants, like vitamin C, which supports a healthy complexion. Bonus: the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are boost eye health. “Kale, which can be bought ready-to-cook and kept in the freezer, increases the nutrient density in soups and stir fries while adding little time and extra effort to meal prep,” Enke says.

10. Eggs. The protein in eggs helps repair muscles that are damaged during tough workouts. Try a scramble with spinach to get two of the ten picks in one meal.”

Comment below with your favorite from the list. Anything they left out?

MOVE has teamed up with SLADESWAKE this week to offer one free month of unlimited classes right here at MOVE! This is sure to get you ready for lake season! Can we say bikini bod and surfer strong?! Just scan the QR code to get started! Founder of SLADESWAKE, Courtney Slade, is one of our own MOVErs and we are excited she chose us to be featured as one of the twelve local businesses! If you want access to everything going on with the lakes in Austin, her website is worth checking out. Way to go, Court! We are so proud of your new venture!

Want a chance to win some sweet swag from Austin businesses? Tell us your favorite places on or near the water. Where do you love to grab a bite to eat, shop, rent and buy gear, ride or just hang out? Help us grow our map on www.sladeswake.com and. Submit one location per entry, but you can enter as many times you’d like. Increase your odds of winning when your friends enter. So share away! For this week’s prize visit Slades Wake on Facebook.

Please limit lake spots to Lake Austin, Lady Bird Lake, and Lake Travis. See official rules.

General Info

• One featured business a week
• Sweepstakes runs for a total of 12 weeks
• MOVE Austin Fitness is Slades Wake second featured business
• Can enter as many of your favorite places as you’d like
• Can be shared for increased odds of winning
• Prizes will change every week
  

These are the kinds of questions I am constantly asking myself. I am a seeker, a learner and a dreamer. I am fascinated by self-discovery and understanding why people do what they do and what stops them from acting, achieving, and succeeding. I love learning about different cultures, religions and history. I constantly seek to explore my own spirituality and my place in this world. What am I meant to accomplish? What am I meant to achieve? How should I spend my time? With whom should I spend my time? Who am I meant to love? What is my purpose? What will make me happy? What is happiness?

I think we all struggle with identity or purpose as we try to figure out who and what we are in this world. Eckert Tolle says it isn’t until we let go of our need to create identity that we truly become who we are meant to be. The more I have searched to find myself, the more I have attached myself to people or things. Our culture thrives on this idea of what you do in order to define who we are. We buy things and join clubs and wear logos to form our identity.

After spending a year of soul searching in Dallas after college, I moved back to Austin. I wasn’t happy. I was searching for it, but had no idea how to get it. I moved back to Austin because I thought that would make me happy. I worked in our family business and enjoyed it, but something was missing. I wanted to be passionate about my life. I wanted to get up every single day and feel like I was making a difference. I told myself I wanted something that I could eat, sleep, breathe and still not get sick of doing. Something I could write a blog about every single day and still get excited about. I wanted to travel the world and write about it, but unfortunately no one is hiring a freelance travel writer with no experience.

I decided it was time to stop dreaming and get after what it was I wanted so badly; happiness, fulfillment, and purpose.  So what did I do? I worked out. Sports and fitness have always made me feel the happiest and most accomplished. I know I am on the right path when I am working out and taking care of my body. I started focusing on bettering myself first. I learned I needed to break down walls and blow past my own set limitations. Olympic weightlifting taught me that it would take a lifetime of practice to achieve a few seconds of work. I had to be confident to lift that bar. I had to approach it with tenacity and all out effort. It brought emotion back to my life and a passion to achieve and succeed. Some days it broke me down and I left in tears, and some days my practice paid off and I surprised myself with my strength.

Crossfit taught me to push every day even when I didn’t think I could finish. It taught me to lift a bar I thought was too heavy. It taught me not only to take action but to take it aggressively without fear. It taught me what failure was and the importance of getting back up, brushing myself off and trying again. Sometimes you have to reach deep inside yourself to understand what is keeping you from taking it to the next level. Why adding two and a half pounds could be crippling. It was teaching me more than how to lift a barbell or finish a hard workout, it was teaching me about life.

I now truly believe once you get your mind right and your body right, you can get your life right. You start to see yourself differently and you start loving who you are and what you can achieve. You don’t wait for life to give you a sign, you create your own opportunities. Once you realize you are the only thing stopping you, you don’t let it stop you anymore. You go, you do, you achieve and you get what you want. Most people just don’t know what they want. I don’t think you have to know in order to start creating your happy. You just start doing things that make you happy and happiness follows. It’s such a simple concept, but it requires letting go of fear and negativity and choosing to be happy. Choosing to be satisfied and choosing to accept yourself and your life.

I know sometimes I sound like more of a life coach, but really, I’m just saying what I tell myself. What gets me through tough times, and what opened up my door towards a positive mindset and a happy life. I went from not being happy, and not feeling like I fit in anywhere, to happier than I’ve ever been. It started when I decided to turn my focus inward and stop sabotaging myself. I got healthy. I stopped doing things that took away from what I wanted. I got up early, really early, like 5am workout early. I ate healthy. I stopped comparing myself to what everyone else was doing. I said yes to making new friends from my CrossFit class and started surrounding myself with positive, healthy people. I stopped having excuses. I fell in love with the right guy. The guy that pushed me to be better, think better, act better. My life became centered on the right things and I was uncontrollably happy!

My best friends, my husband and my profession are all built upon the day I walked into Westlake Crossfit and decided to focus on bettering myself.  I actually made a New Year’s resolution to take everything toxic out of my life; from people, to staying up late, to being hungover, to eating bad food, to being lazy, to not achieving anything and just going through the motions. Instead, I lost myself in my dreams and what I wanted until they became my reality.

I started MOVE with my husband, Jarrod, because I don’t ever want to stand still again. I want to proudly move forward each day, knowing I am in control of my life. It’s not a circumstance, it’s a feeling I choose and it starts each day entirely with me. The best part? It’s always evolving and changing. Happy is ongoing and it takes learning and growing to continually achieve it. I can’t stay still. So I continue to ask myself these tough questions and move forward. What’s next for me? For us? The answer? Anything we want, and that’s the most awesome part of it all!

This video debunks the myth that all barbell and resistance training will automatically result in a bulking outcome.  We compare a basic bodybuilding routine to MOVE programming to highlight the amount of volume of weights that is actually required to “bulk-up”.  Even though it’s not covered in this video, diet is another HUGE component that can help you bulk, lean, or simply feel better, so keep that in mind…

We are so lucky to have such an awesome power couple at MOVE. They are supportive of one another and a great addition to any class they attend. They are hard working and still find time to motivate the others around them. They are living proof that a healthy diet and a positive mindset yield amazing results! Keep going, Haselwoods! You two inspire us to live a long, happy, healthy life, full of MOVEment as a couple!

“I joined MOVE in August of 2012. It was 9 months after having my fourth baby. I was working out and active, but I still had a few baby pounds left to shed. I was thin, but I had lost a lot of my definition and strength. The combination of strength training and the high intensity workouts helped me get my definition back along with my strength.

Jarrod and Katy are very motivating and keep the pace of the class moving quickly.  They also live the life they recommend for their clients. Jarrod and Katy spoke a lot about the Paleo Diet lifestyle and clean eating in general.   My husband, David, and I began following the Paleo lifestyle and we really saw the benefits of the diet combined with the MOVE workouts.

Six months later I am still keeping up with my MOVE workouts and eating Paleo. I have lost all of my baby weight and I am at my pre-pregnancy weight before ever having children. I feel stronger than ever!

MOVE’s schedule offers so many options for workouts, which helps when having four small children and working full-time. The schedule allows my husband and I to have an hour for ourselves. I never have an excuse to miss – and I really never want to! I look forward to seeing my friends, my MOVE family and my coaches every time.”

The reason I recommend flat is because it is a better surface to lift from and there is less manipulation  from the shoe itself. It is my opinion, the more you manipulate your natural gait, or your walk, the more problems your body will have adjusting to the manipulation and thus lead to injury.
Above are the pairs of shoes Katy and I wear the most. As you can see, the Adidas are not flat but very flexible, light weight and adjust to my gait while running. I would not typically lift in these shoe’s and they are not great for lateral movements. Katy’s Asics are pretty good all around shoes. As you can see they are relatively flatter than a lot of the shoes out there. She lifts in these and runs in these. For longer runs she wears her Newton’s. The Reebok Nano 2.0′s are basically my everyday, almost every workout kind of shoe. They are comfy, relatively light, flat, and flexible. They are a great functional fitness shoe and good for short distance runs within a workout. I have tried to run sprints in them and I would not recommend it because they’re a bit too heavy and clunky. Both Katy and I have clients who have bought them and like them for MOVE workouts. Katy is actually charming her way to buy her own pair thanks to her client Jan for showing her the new style in pink! (she has a ton of shoes already!)

You may be thinking, what about other shoe brands? What about the mega brand Nike?

Personally, I do not like Nike for myself or in general for shoes. They are typically very narrow and their Trainers and Free shoes attract rocks like a magnet. (Not fun when you have to clean a gym regularly haha.) I have also have had a couple members complain of arch pain. However, they seem to be decent shoes to wear at MOVE. I have also had clients who have worn Merrell’s and Altras and really liked them. A good rule of thumb is if the heel is thicker than an inch it is not best suited for functional fitness, cross-training or weight-lifting (that basically rules out most running shoes.) If I have ever asked you to take your shoes off while we are performing our strength portion of a MOVE class that is why. Another great option solely for weight-lifting are the old school Converse All-Stars either the high tops or low tops. Just make sure to bring another pair for the MOVE workout since they can be a pain to run in.

Where is the best place to get these shoes? We love Luke’s Locker. They know us and if you tell them you workout at MOVE they will already know to bring out several shoes similar to these for you to choose. Again, it’s important to find one that works best for you and one you feel best in. Make sure to run in it, do some squats and lateral movement as well.

Hope this helps!

Whether you are 15 or 75, strength and mobility are the life blood to a fun and bountiful life. They are, in my opinion, the two pieces of fitness that if lost can leave us dependent and lacking the ability to live fully! Essentially, if we quit moving we stop living. That is a sad statement, but it has some truth.

Let me outline some of the benefits of strength training: 1) Builds lean muscle mass, which allows you the strength to do more and burn more calories. What does that mean? It means the best way to get rid of excess fat (other than nutrition) is to build lean muscle. Warning!! You will NOT become “bulky.” Women who are “bulky” train for that look, and take many supplements to get that way! So start lifting for a leaner, toned body 2) Builds stronger bones and ligaments. Numerous studies have shown that strength training can help prevent osteopenia/osteoporosis and increase the amount of collagen around the joints. 3) Decreases the incidence of injury. This one I think is very important, but not really thought about. Who has time to be injured? Not me!

This list alone should be enough to get you going! If anything, it should help you better understand the importance of implementing strength into your daily life!

The journal of The Physician and Sports Medicine states between the ages of 40 and 50 years, we can lose >8% of our muscle mass and declines faster as we age and choose to stop moving.

Muscle=ability. We lose muscle by not using it. Not using it means functional decline. It’s not a secret that our generation is becoming more and more sedentary but we as individuals need to become more proactive with our health and wellness and choose to MOVE!

So why do people get injured lifting weights? Here are a couple of reasons off the top of my head; they are lifting heavier than they should, they go into a deeper range of motion with a load (weight) they are not accustomed or trained to do, and lastly (but most often), it is based upon ego and improper instruction/guidance. So, take your time, progress your range of motion over a period of time if it is not already there, check your ego at the door, no one cares what you used to be able to do 15 years ago, and last but not least communicate with your coach/trainer. The more we know what you are feeling or not feeling the better we can assess your movement.

One thing I want to say before we finish; lifting “heavy,”  is VERY relative. Relative to age, training experience, and mindset, i.e… I pick up/deadlift 450 pounds, but a 65 year old woman may just be able to lift a 35 pound Kettlebell from an elevated surface and that is “heavy” to her.  It is not about how much you lift just that you are putting your body through a stimulus that mimics everyday tasks. Just practicing these movements will prevent injury and make you self sufficient so you do not have to rely on someone else. Independence!!!!!

Unfortunately, having little muscle mass and subsequently little strength as one ages not only results in a loss of functional ability, but it also increases the risk for injury. Strength training has just as many benefits for the aging community as it does for the younger and more active population. Simply put: Do not stop MOVING!! Your risk for injury is greatly decreased by the ability to maintain or improve functionality through strength training. If you have a limitation or injury, don’t let it stop you from moving or strengthening the rest of your body. We welcome you exactly where you are and we can program your workouts based on your current abilities.

That is why strength training is such a key component here at MOVE! If you do not know how to lift, we will progress you slowly and make sure you understand the movement you are about to perform. So relax and let us walk you through it. It is what we love to do! It is our belief and passion to get you strong and keep you strong so you can live a long, healthy life outside the gym!