Winter Routine

When I set out to adjust my schedule for the seasonal change I like to start by thinking about my why and then set some goals that address this why. This helps me to connect with my intuition and stay on track.

My Why: To feel grounded, more balanced, and strong

What this means to me is spending more time in meditation and other forms of self-care. The latter half of 2021 was pretty stressful and I gained more weight than I had since being pregnant. I was also feeling lots of joint pain and bloating. I knew these were red flags that my body needed something different. In order to start listening to my body and getting back in tune the first step was to get more grounded, which meant making sure I meditated daily and upping that from a 5-10 minute session to 15-30 minutes. I found some really great meditations on my Peloton app, I especially liked the seasonal meditation which helped me to accept where my body is right now and that things will change just like the seasons.

I started working with a holistic practitioner to figure out what was going on as a root cause. We did blood work to look for vitamin deficiencies, hormonal changes, and food allergies. She discovered I had pelvic floor issues and abdominal separation (from childbirth 9 years ago) and recommended a pelvic floor physical therapist. She also recommended an intuitive chiropractor, bi-weekly deep tissue massage or myofascial release, and some additional testing for gut and hormones (DUTCH test), which I will be completing over the next several months.

I started to build out my team from there.

Next, I set My goals:

• Incorporate a balance of cardio, strength, and yoga with a focus on core strength throughout my weekly workouts.

• Incorporate daily flexibility or mobility after each workout.

• Maintain a mostly plant-based diet and focus on incorporating 30+ grams of fiber, 80+ grams of protein. Think Mediterranean diet with a focus on low-inflammatory foods like salmon, nuts and seeds, fresh berries, lots of greens, and dairy-free yogurts.

• As part of my nightly routine incorporate restorative yoga most nights and neck traction to restore the C-curve in my cervical spine

• Drink plenty of water (half my body weight + extra for exercise) I set my goal at 64-oz minimum.

It's hard for me to not just jump into things full steam ahead, but I knew I needed to build a foundation and needed to start slow. I started by seeing the chiropractor weekly, getting my massages every other week, and working with the pelvic floor physical therapist. The physical therapist set me up on a schedule of daily breathing exercises. At first, this seemed excruciatingly slow, but I couldn't believe how quickly I started to see progress. Within about 2-week, my belly which normally looked like I was 9-months pregnant, started to shrink. The bloating went down, just from properly breathing. After a few weeks, she started to add a few core exercises and I started to incorporate a daily Pilates flow (a beginner 20-minutes flow that was on my Peloton app). Basically just worked on building the deep core muscles.

In January I was struggling to do much strength training, because of my shoulder pain and a weak core. By the end of February, things were getting better and I was able to start a strength training program (I used the 6:40 Strength program on the Tone It Up app) at first just using bodyweight, and slowly progressing to some light weights. Now (in March), I am ready to start adding heavier weights and my physical therapist and I are going to work on a program during our next visit. I definitely want to review the proper form with her so that I don't injure myself and start all over.

As we sit, can you just notice the feelings that arise in those colder months? Resisting the urge to judge and just feeling into the possibilities of this time is time to rest to restore and to refuel. -Kirra Michel (Peloton meditation)

The other thing I started incorporating were almost daily evening walks. I do cardio 2-3 times per week, but what I added were slower walks after work. I was fortunate to be able to purchase a treadmill as a holiday present, and this was the best gift ever. Now that it is nicer out and the sun is out longer, I am taking these walks outside, after dinner. But basically, it is just a way to get the blood flowing again after a day of sitting at a desk, a way to incorporate more steps (my current goal is 8,000 per day), and a way to disperse any stress from the workday. This has really helped to lift my mood and is something I really enjoy. My whole family can be together, get some fresh air and spend some quality time together outside the house (so there are no chores, emails, or other distractions to worry about).

This winter didn't seem as bad, being focused on healing, taking it slow, and building a foundation that I could use in the next season, really helped me. Normally, I am just waiting for spring and it feels so long, but this year having the focus on using this time to go inward and heal was transformative. Now that spring is here I am able to take it to the next level. I feel so much better and my body thanks me.