Whether it’s from a workout or doing housework, our muscles can experience soreness and fatigue. Even with a corrective exercise journey, muscles take a toll as your body works to build better form and overall balance. Because of this, it’s important to allow muscles to recover and rebuild strength. This includes planning and executing a diet that supports your fitness goals and overall well-being. Here are some tips for supporting muscle repair and recovery through good nutrition according to the National Academy for Sports Medicine (NASM).

After injury or heavy work on the body, it’s important to rest and recover. While it is crucial to take appropriate time without movement where necessary, motion can actually aid the recovery process. Whether it’s stretching, activating muscles, or gentle movement, motion of the body can greatly support recovery.

Throughout any fitness journey, dedication can look different over time. One way to give yourself support through your corrective exercise journey is to build a strong support system. Here are some ways to build a strong network of people who will show up for you and support you.

Eating around the holidays can carry a multitude of thoughts with it. We often carry shame and guilt with us into holiday eating. What would happen this year if instead you allowed yourself to savor and enjoy the food around the holidays? At Coastal Fitness and Correction, we are committed to your whole corrective exercise experience which includes your nutrition.

Here are 5 ways we recommend practicing healthy eating habits throughout the holiday season.

1. Eat with Mindfulness:

Be attentive to each food that you place on your plate or in your mouth. Choose the foods that you know you can savor and enjoy in the moment. Be present as you fully enjoy the foods that you love. Notice how you take in the food visually, how it smells, the texture, and the taste.

2. Limit Peer Pressure and Set Boundaries:

If you know you will be pressured by family or friends to eat more or eat foods you would rather not eat, plan to politely say “no” and enjoy the presence of your friends and family. Remember you can still commit to yourself and your fitness goals, even when others are asking you to go beyond healthy boundaries you’ve set in place for yourself.

3. Cook with Care and Ask for Help:

When you cook your meal, choose whole food ingredients that are from reliable, organic, and/or local sources. Be mindful of snacking as you cook. Ask a friend or family member to help taste test. Employ them to help cook if you feel overwhelmed and unable to join the table. Find accountability in someone who will check on you in the kitchen to make sure you are being cared for as well.

4. Break Unwanted Cycles:

Recall how you have eaten at holiday events and meals in the past. How have you felt after the meals? Are there any habits you wish you would change? If so, choose one habit or cycle you don’t wish to continue and celebrate the holiday by making a small change. Take joy in a small step for yourself that you know will lead to you feeling good about your choices and not leaving your body feeling negatively.

5. Enjoy, Savor, and Smile:

Allow yourself to enjoy the moment. Recognize that this holiday season and how you eat over this time can be a joyful time for you. Replace shame and guilt with savoring and presence. Enjoy the foods you do love. Identify what you do want to enjoy and be fully present in that moment. Be with your friends and family to wholeheartedly enjoy this short, but bright, season.

We at Coastal Fitness and Correction are committed to your whole corrective exercise journey which includes commitment to your nutrition. Find ways to enjoy healthy eating over the holiday. We wish you all the very best!

We often exercise with different goals in mind. Many people want to lose body fat, build muscle strength, or maintain a healthy body. Another important goal to keep in mind is balance and stability. As we age and go through life changes, often balance and stability can suffer. People may fall or be unaware of their surroundings and accidentally injure themselves. Incorporating regular stability work in your exercise is a great way to build body and spatial awareness.

Here are some ways we incorporate balance into your corrective exercise programs to help you build your stability:

Throughout our day-to-day life, many of us experience ups and downs in our mood and level of motivation. It’s easy to experience days where you don’t feel like doing the items on your task list that you know will help you reach your fitness goals. Motivation can waver widely from one day to the next, and feelings can change quickly.

What is so important to do is to remember why you began your fitness journey and build a roadmap of dedication to achieving your goals. At Coastal Fitness and Correction, we design programs that step you towards your goals. Whether you’re in treatment for cancer or just out of rehabilitation for a knee replacement, the programs we design help you take dedicated steps to where you want to be. And your dedication, regardless of your motivation that day, is the key element to walking your fitness journey.

Think about the differences between motivation and dedication:

Motivation:

• Tied to your emotions and feelings
• Related to your “why” or reason for doing an activity
• Can be influenced by both internal and external factors
• Tends to focus on the end goal: the “finish line”

Dedication:

• A decided action, regardless of feeling
• Related to your “what” and “how” and focuses on doing the action
• A personal choice, fulfilled by personally completing a task
• Flows step by step, action by action

While motivation plays a vital role in setting a goal and understanding your purpose for your fitness journey, dedication is what carries you through each step of the journey itself. Once you set your goal, make a promise to yourself to take one step each day for yourself. And celebrate taking action for the betterment of your health and well-being!