The Power of The Mind-Body Connection

April 1, 2023

A mind-body connection infographic with mindfulness words flowing in a circular clockwise pattern.

How Your Mind-Body Connection Affects Your Fitness Results

Who likes wasted effort?

I know my clients and I certainly don’t!

So when you’re trying to get the most out of your workouts, it’s essential to remember…

Keep your focus on your form and your mind in the movement.

If your mind is wandering, you’re missing out on the most important part of the exercise – the muscle contraction. The more you contract and feel the muscles you’re working, the more effective the exercise will be.

We all want the best results possible in the shortest amount of time so that’s why you need to focus and make every rep count.

Staying Mindful In The Movement

If you’re suffering through a workout on pure grit, you’ll likely be ignoring pain or objections from the body. There’s a difference between feeling the burn of an exercise vs. the sharp pain of your body letting you know something’s wrong. And this disconnection from your body sets the stage for potential injuries.

Exercise should not be an out-of-body experience.

Focus by putting your full attention on the muscles you are strengthening as you contract and relax with each repetition.

Staying mindful in the movement not only exercises your muscles more efficiently, but it’s also a great mindfulness exercise for your brain to help strengthen your mental focus too. The repetitive nature of exercising provides a perfect training ground for practicing mindfulness.

So try to remember to let go of distractions and unrelated thoughts and focus your attention on the muscles contracting and your form throughout the exercise. When you give your full awareness to your workout, you’re able to do it more effectively (and safely).

Stress Less

We all know that too much stress can infect every area of our lives and there are times when our workouts can be compromised because of it. Like when you’re exercising only to be rushing through your reps, clock-watching and/or thinking about all the other things you could or should be doing.

There’s a flow that happens when you pay attention to what you’re doing in the current moment. It makes whatever you’re focused on, that much more effective. You’re missing out on that flow when you’re being distracted by your thoughts.

Remember Why You’re Exercising

If you find yourself rushing through a workout or thinking about other things, remember WHY it’s so important to you. Reflect on WHY you have made exercise a priority and how this workout will help you right now.

Motivation is fueled by the emotional juice that comes from your WHY.

Remember that you’re setting this time aside specifically for your workout so give yourself the luxury of getting the most out of it! Take your time with each rep, especially during strength training exercises. Perform slow and controlled movements while focusing on your form. Think about your posture, holding your core engaged, and the muscles you are targeting.

The more consistent you are, the easier and more natural it will become.

And the real benefits of regular exercise goes way beyond aesthetics. The following are my top 10 (non-aesthetic) workout WHYS that can be helpful reminders for you too!

My Top 10 Reasons Why I Exercise...

✔️ This workout will help me have more energy for my day.

✔️ I’ll feel a satisfying sense of accomplishment when I finish my workout.

✔️ I’ll sleep better tonight after this workout.

✔️ I deserve to take care of myself with self-care, and exercise is a part of that.

✔️ Working out helps me feel stronger and more confident.

✔️ Exercise helps me feel happier by increasing serotonin and dopamine levels.

✔️ I’ll feel alleviated from stress when I exercise due to elevated levels of endorphins.

✔️ I really love delicious food and exercise helps to offset indulgences.

✔️ Exercise balances my mind and my emotions.

✔️ Exercise helps keep my immune system stay strong.

Body, Mind

50 Best Self-Care Ideas For Physical And Mental Wellness

February 1, 2023

A woman sitting on the beach at the water's edge with both arms reaching up to the sky and facing a beautiful sunset. A self-care quote reads, 'Fall in Love With Taking Care Of Yourself. Mind. Body. Spirit.

What Is Self-Care?

Self-care and self-love simply means honoring your body, mind and spirit. It’s about making it a priority to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. And it’s not feeling guilty or selfish for taking time to recharge and take care of your personal needs.

You are the creator and caretaker of your body and life. Self-care helps us maintain a healthy relationship with ourselves and others by boosting self-confidence and positive feelings. And who doesn’t need more positive vibes in their life?

When you start taking positive steps to create self-care rituals, everything in your life will benefit. You have to love yourself first if you want to live a truly fulfilling life. Loving yourself means caring for yourself by making sleep, exercise, nutrition and well-being a priority. You can’t pour from an empty cup which is why you must take care of yourself first.

The most important project you will ever work on is YOU.

Self-Care Is The Secret To Your Goal Success!

One of the most overlooked pillars of goal achievement is the need for self-care. Goal setting and success requires commitment and energy. Taking care of yourself enables you to be consistently refilling your well with energy, enthusiasm and motivation. And this positive practice creates momentum for optimal performance.

If you want to create the body and life you desire, you have to take responsibility. You must do what’s necessary to get you from where you are, to where you want to be.

No one else can do this for you.

Self-care ensures you are taking care of your physical and mental wellbeing in order to successfully stay on track to achieve your goals. So don’t just make it your goal to be fit, make it your goal to be consistent and being fit will follow.

It feels amazing to start saying yes to yourself and setting up self-care rituals. By keeping up this practice you’ll notice a multitude of benefits that will enhance all areas of your life!

The Benefits Of Self-Care

✔︎ More productivity
✔︎ More happiness
✔︎ More energy
✔︎ More respect from others
✔︎ Better relationships
✔︎ Less fear
✔︎ Less stress and anxiety
✔︎ Less resentment
✔︎ Less depressed feelings

Self-Care Vs. Selfish: Shift Your Perspective

People often misunderstand what it means to put yourself first. It doesn’t mean doing whatever you want to do all the time or ignoring the needs of others. It does mean however, at the very least, putting yourself on a level playing field as everyone else in your life. It’s about establishing healthy boundaries and understanding the balance between taking care of yourself and others. And that can sometimes involve doing things that are difficult, but will benefit your health and well-being long term.

There’s a stigma attached to putting yourself first as being selfish or self-absorbed. But the fact you have concerns about being selfish means that you’re not. Selfish people don’t even realize or take the time to question if they’re being selfish.

Shift your perspective to see self-care as selfless vs. selfish. Being skilled at taking care of yourself will improve your capacity to care of others as well. If you’re not fulfilled, you’re only able to see other people through the filter of your own needs. By keeping your cup full you’ll have an overflow to give willingly without expectations. This is why studies show that not taking care of ourselves can be unhealthy for those who depend on us as well.

Establishing Healthy Boundaries

So why is it so hard for us to do things for ourselves before we do for others?

Many of us have the preconditioned belief that a “good woman” sacrifices herself for her family, relationships and work. Women often feel responsible for everything and somehow the world won’t work if we don’t help it along. For example, taking on responsibilities that could be better handled by others is one of the ways we begin to lose our balance.

Women are likely to be the primary caretakers for children, spouses, aging parents, grandparents, etc. Consequently, this leads to falling into the pattern of serving the people we love before we serve ourselves. And the bitter irony is, if you’re always putting other people’s needs first, there’s a tendency for others to take you for granted. So make a conscious effort to at least have equal concerns for yourself as you do for your loved ones.

This means scheduling ‘me time’ for yourself and doing things that energize your body and mind. Like a car, how can you expect to keep going if you’re running on an empty tank?

Make the time to do something healthy for yourself every day.

It can be anything from getting more sleep each night to making your workout time nonnegotiable.

Exercise gives you more energy, helps to stabilize your mood, enables you to sleep better and will ultimately prolong your life.

This is why you shouldn’t feel any shame in putting a high priority on taking the time to exercise.

It’s about having the energy to be engaged and present with the people in your life. It’s about listening to your body and giving it what it needs to feel its best.

Empower yourself with simple daily rituals to be the best version of you. Customize a self-care action plan that can be coordinated into your busy babe lifestyle. Think of at least 3 self-care activities that make you happy and start adding them into your regular routine.

My Top 50 Favorite Self-care Ideas

1) Read a book or listen to an audiobook

2) Snuggle and spend QT with your pets

3) Meditate

4) Take a relaxing salt bath or hot shower

5) Journal

6) Do a home workout or Yoga video

7) Go to your favorite workout or Yoga class

8) Give yourself, or get a mani/pedi

9) Give yourself, or get a facial

10) Practice a daily skincare ritual

11) Get a massage

12) Go for a walk or hike in nature

13) Turn your phone on silent for a little while

14) Have a Spa night at home and pamper yourself

15) Light candles & play spa music (Dean Evenson is my fav)

16) Centering, deep breathing or breathwork

17) Trade a foot rub or shoulder massage with your partner or kiddo

18) Make a gratitude list

19) Do some light stretching

20) Eat your favorite comfort food slowly and enjoy every bite

21) Curl up with a blanket and watch your favorite guilty pleasure

22) Buy yourself flowers or a new plant

23) Watch something inspirational or educational on YouTube

24) Do a closet purge and donate what doesn’t fit or bring joy anymore

25) Cook dinner to music you love

26) Take a 10-minute work break to go outside for fresh air & Vitamin D

27) Enjoy some coffee or tea in silence

28) Eat healthy whole foods

29) Do something creative you love to do

30) Make yourself a healthy smoothie or green juice

31) Try cooking a delicious new recipe

32) Read a magazine

33) Repeat mantras or affirmations

34) Splurge on a skincare product

35) Organize and declutter a space in your home

36) Write a goals list

37) Create a vision board or something artistic

38) Listen to a motivational podcast

39) Sweat it out in a sauna or steam room

40) Go for a swim

41) Find a local class or online course for something you’ve been wanting to try (cooking, art, meditation, Scuba, etc.)

42) Go to bed 30 minutes earlier

43) Stay IN on a Friday or Saturday night for self-love

44) Make a playlist of favorite songs that motivate and uplift you

45) Make a Pinterest board of something you love

46) Watch standup comedy or a funny movie

47) Dance around to your favorite music

48) Watch the sunset or sunrise

49) Take a nap

50) Innercises: Mental exercises to strengthen your mind for enhanced inspiration towards accomplishing your goals. To learn more about the power of the mind-body connection, check out my other post to help you reach your fitness goals faster!

Body, Mind

The FemmePhysiques Mission

January 1, 2023

Welcome to FemmePhysiques!

I’m Christina Kathleen and I’ve created this Blog in hopes of sharing and connecting with others who are also on a path to a happier, healthier, and more balanced, body and mind.

After decades of research and experience as a fitness professional, I’ve realized the minefield of misinformation there is about women’s fitness and wellness.

FemmePhysiques is dedicated to sharing all of the secrets I’ve learned for helping your fitness and wellness lifestyle, become more realistic, attainable, and sustainable!

Body & Mind Aligned

So much of your results depends on your mindset, beliefs, and the thoughts you think. Because it’s what you’ve been THINKING that’s creating your body and your reality. This is the secret to success in ALL areas of your life.

Since the mind-body connection is so powerful, my goal is to help you gain clarity and understanding of the mental blocks and preconditioned patterns of thought that may be holding you back from achieving your greatest potential.

Your mindset is just as vital to your fitness goals as exercising properly for your desired results.

The FemmePhysiques Technique

Throughout my life I’ve tried almost every form of fitness training imaginable! After extensively testing these methods on myself and my clients, I’ve discovered the real secret recipe for success.

When it comes to women’s strength training, there’s a technique and a balance to sculpting and toning – while maintaining a feminine physique. Training specifically for the results you want is vital to your outcome.

My life’s work has been dedicated to researching, experimenting, modifying, and designing some of the most effective exercises that will shape and sculpt feminine physiques. Over the years I’ve perfected the best of what I’ve learned into my own unique women’s workout method that can be performed anywhere and with little to no equipment. Since I’ve always been limited to training women locally, I’m excited to be able to share this method worldwide with my FemmePhysiques fitness app!

I’ve cultivated and designed a collection of seriously effective, yet low-impact exercises with modifications for all fitness levels. A method that provides ultimate body shaping without the potential damage to your knees and joints from high-impact exercises. With the surge in popularity of high-impact workouts, it’s important to be aware of the risks associated with these forms of exercise. Repetitive, high-impact movements may lead to long-term damage on your knee’s, hips, and joints. I cringe when I see some of the high-impact exercises recommended to the average de-conditioned woman. There’s too much potential for injury that far outweighs any benefit.

Why risk the long-term damage when there are so many more effective, low-impact exercises you could be doing instead? I’ve worked with so many women over the years who’ve had prior injuries and/or surgeries due to them training improperly with some of the popular, high-impact, fitness methods.

FemmePhysiques enables you to workout smarter, not harder for ultimate body shaping results. Proven exercise techniques that will sculpt, tone and enhance feminine physiques of all shapes and sizes!

The Time Is Now ⏱️

After working with countless women I’ve realized that getting started can often be a harder challenge than the actual workout itself! We often feel resistance when we’re about to start anything new that will help us reach our greater potential. Understanding this will help to empower you to overcome the self-defeating, procrastination that can prevent you from moving towards your highest good.

Although change can be uncomfortable, it’s the one thing that’s constant in life so why not harness that power to make changes for the better?

It’s better to feel uncomfortable for 30-45 minutes of exercise, than feeling uncomfortable for the rest of your life!

Fitness is a lifestyle and consistency is key no matter which fitness method you choose.

The only thing stopping you from your dream body is You! Nobody can do it for you so only you can make it happen for yourself.

I know we’re all busy babes and our time is precious so I’ll be sharing all of the tips and hacks you need to get your best results faster! I’m here to inspire and motivate you to take care of your body and mind while learning how to realistically maintain your results for a lifetime!

Feel free to contact me with ideas or suggestions about anything you would like to know more about!

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The FemmePhysiques Mission is to help inspire all women to feel more confident, happy and sexy in their own skin - regardless of their shape, size, or age!

FemmePhysiques

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