I wake this morning feeling full with hope. To get on my mat for 23 days straight and show my authentic self in exercise seemed like such a daunting task but I'm so glad I took the leap. The idea to showcase myself each evening at 7:30 pm ET LIVE on Instagram (IG) has been cathartic to say the least. This came to mind on Thursday evening, 4/2/2020 and before I talked myself out of it I jumped in and started the FIT 23 Experience LIVE on IG that very next evening! No time to plan ahead  and no time to think of the major commitment of time and energy I'd need to expend on a daily basis. What felt quite comfortable, however, is my connection to my mat. Over the years, I've developed a practice of getting on my mat everyday and during a worldwide pandemic requiring millions to shelter in place, I found it to be a grand opportunity to help bridge the gap between communities that are offered my type of niche wellness services in abundance while so many others have yet to experience the value of specialized mind-body exercise.
The first important thing to establish in the FIT 23 experience is to ponder the simple question, "What is fitness?" After many years of professional fitness training and community health education, I define fitness as the consistent use of physical, mental and personal growth experiences toward improved health status. In short, fitness is being in the state of living whole, mind, body and spirit. 
The FIT 23 Experience wasn't easy but is was effortless. What does this mean? Each day, I showed up on my mat (on-time) with an authentic desire to use my gifts to help others- that was the effortless part. You see, I know my calling is to help others live fit and that flows freely in everything I do. The challenge was putting together a self-made production equipped with sound, a customized Spotify playlist and exercise theme updated daily, lights, props and a loosely aligned reality TV vibe that would translate well on camera. Would others get my flow? Would they watch? What will I wear? Daily hair and makeup? (ugh!)
One special serendipity was my girl, Faith, surprising me by dropping by a bag of "fitness goodies" on my doorstep just when I needed it most. Faith-ful friends are the BEST!!! In fact, this spirit carried over to all who participated. Friends for life like Angel, Nan and JB who participated each day and would replay the video temporarily saved when needed. My mom, who I've been thinking of heavily each day as she shelters in place in Chicago, was also significant in me living the FIT 23 Experience. We had so many consistent peeps part of our FIT 23 crew! And our FIT Pros! Wow!! I could go on and on about how much I appreciate them. They, too, took time to give and serve. I understand that when a professional who has invested both time and money in providing a service gives it away for FREE it comes with such an unselfish mindset. I know that through the law of sowing they will reap more than double in return. 
Where we grow from here is an exciting opportunity. I no longer feel stuck in my lens of overthinking if my authentic self is relatable enough to help and inspire others in exercise. You see, I know I'm different. I know that how I define fitness may not be the norm; mindfulness in exercise. I used to evaluate metrics based solely on numbers and wondered why others seemed to attract larger numbers than me. As of today, I release that metric as a primary source for growth. My services are not for everyone and I will not sacrifice my authentic self to build numbers. I release any self-centeredness knowing that during this pandemic, people are hurting and are in need. Those that I'm meant to serve will come and grow with me on this journey. As I look forward in this day, I stand grateful with a humble spirit and a SUPER-star mindset knowing that together we can grow a multi-million dollar mindset as we serve others with our unique gifts. Excited about moving forward in continued, authentic service. Erika's LIVE journey is evolving and I invite you to experience your best life in exercise TODAY!
See you soon. 

A pose that involves linking the hands (or sometimes a hand to a wrist) in a process that rotates both the shoulders and the torso is called a bind. This link causes the body to be "bound" and held as a container, and therefore constricted in some ways by the arms and hands. Binds require flexibility both in the physical body -- in order to come into and maintain the pose -- and in the mind, in order to stay present and sustain the pose.
If you’re looking to go physically deeper into a pose and increase the effects of rotation, binds can be an excellent way to do this. They also offer a different way to explore and experience alignment by forcing you to make adjustments to make the pose work. Binds allow you to be curious, to play, and to be your own teacher -- in other words, they’re fun!

References: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/qa-binding-beneficial-yoga

My childhood memories of Thanksgiving and Christmas are happy and warm. I loved the special food, the time off from school and just being with my friends and family laughing and playing games. My sister and I got the biggest kick out of playing dress up and dancing to our favorite tunes. We laughed until we cried! 
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Now faced with the season screaming, "bring down the busy!" among all the holiday cheer, I'm still in the practice of staying centered somehow with the juggling that the holidays bring. Some of the family members I loved have passed on. Because of divorce and blended families, a lot of juggling is required to bring everyone together in love to honor the wonderful birth of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Is it possible to stay calm and balanced during the holiday season? The answer is yes, if you apply three simple keys to creating a season filled with love, good memories and great experiences. First, determine how you want to feel when the holidays are over. Second, redefine your traditions and holiday habits to match your current values. And third, plan and shop ahead to reduce the stress level. 

Key #1: Determine How You Want to Feel
Key #2: Match Your Traditions to Your Values 
Key #3: Plan and Shop Ahead

Reviewing your beliefs and values before the season starts lets you live by your own rules versus trying to meet the hyped-up expectations touted on TV. Staying centered and at peace during the holiday season can be very challenging. However, once you uncover what you and your family consider most meaningful and eliminate what’s not important, you will discover the simplicity and peace the season was intended to celebrate.

References : Kay Cross, MEd, St. James, E. 1998. Simplify Your Christmas. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing.

How do you know which approach is best for you? Do you have have difficulty exercising on your own or does your behavior patterns continually interfere with the successful attainment of your goals—in the gym and elsewhere? Have you expressed an interest in using physical activity for personal development or to achieve life balance? For these and others, personal fitness training may not be enough. A fitness subspecialty—lifestyle fitness coaching—needs to be considered. 
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Lifestyle fitness coaches (LFCs) encourage clients to use training and sports to build behavioral skills for use at work, at home or in their social lives. This specialty is particularly relevant to fitness professionals because it is founded on expertise in sports and exercise science. People trained as LFCs develop communication competencies parallel to those of professionals trained as more generic life coaches, but LFCs choose to specialize in issues that arise from, or can be related to, the world of sports, fitness and health. 

The fitness industry workscape—once dominated by part-time employees and occasional instructors—is increasingly staffed by long-term, full-time, dedicated professionals whose credentials likely include degrees in the sport and health sciences. In the late 20th century, personal fitness trainers (PFTs) frequently relied on a one-dimensional approach to fitness, believing that biomechanical knowledge and technical expertise were sufficient for helping clients adopt more active lifestyles. But over time, as PFTs regularly encountered diverse client agendas, they realized that clients often required far more than instruction and technical support for maintaining exercise commitments. Investigating exercise issues led to exploring emotional needs and/or nutrition concerns and sometimes revealed unsupportive lifestyle patterns, addictive behaviors, and family and personal challenges that needed to be addressed before clients could experience success. Yet before the development of life coaching models, PFTs may have lacked the necessary communication skills and models for intervening in these domains.

The advent of life coaching provided PFTs with access to methods for working with clients on these other agendas. Then the question became: Which works better for which clients—personal training, life coaching or a blend of the two? Making the right decision requires an understanding of how each model works and what each can do for clients. 

Distinguishing Coaching and Training ModelsClients who hire LFCs rather than PFTs are likely to encounter different work methods and communication techniques. For one thing, LFCs tend to identify relationship building and communication as their principal domains of expertise. They may attempt to elicit client stories, strategize, and provide motivational and supportive messaging. Though some coaching schools recommend giving advice (Coach U 2005), LFCs generally prefer to encourage clients to come up with their own answers by using powerful questions that challenge and confront client self- perceptions and self-limiting beliefs (Strachan 2001; Whitworth, Kimsey-House & Sandahl 1998). Texts on life coaching typically indicate that it is based on the following elements (Cantwell & Rothenberg 2000; Coach U 2005; Martin 2001; Neenan & Dryden 2002; Whitworth, Kimsey-House & Sandahl 1998): 

• a process of inquiry and personal discovery to help clients develop awareness and a sense of responsibility
• identification of realistic goals
• a strong focus on action
• strategies, structures, feedback and support to “forward the action”
  
  

Personal training may have some similar elements, but the scope of work is likely to be narrower (Roberts 1996). PFTs typically rely on instructions and technical information and have a more hands-on approach, guiding clients through exercises and training processes. They are also more likely to provide directives, information and advice (Gavin 2005). Though communication methods that build rapport and trust are important, trainers are more likely to define their roles in relation to expertise in biomechanical knowledge and physical training techniques.

For a more complete view of the two different models, reach out to us for a FREE Lifestyle Fitness Assessment. 

Resources, Websites:

International Coach Federation, www .coachfederation.org/abouticf/index.asp
Lifestyle Coaching Institute, 
​www.lifestyle coaching.ca/home.html

Books
Gavin, J. 2005. Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, H., & Sandahl, P. 1998. Co-active Coaching. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black.

TopicsCareer IssuesPersonal TrainingPersonal Training: Ethics/Scope of Practice
ReferencesBandura, A. 1997. Self-Efficacy: The Exercise of Control. New York: W.H. Freeman and Company. 
Bohm, D., & Nichol, L. 1996. On Dialogue. New York: Routledge.
Cantwell, S., & Rothenberg, B. 2000. The benefits of lifestyle coaching. IDEA Personal Trainer, 11 (7), 24–35. 
Coach U. 2005. Coach U’s Essential Coaching Tools. Hoboken, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Gavin, J. 2005. Lifestyle Fitness Coaching. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Gavin, J., & Mcbrearty, M. 2003. Lifestyle Fitness Coaching Training Guide. Montreal: private printing.
Martin, C. 2001. The Life Coaching Handbook. Carmarthen, Wales: Crown House.
Neenan, M., & Dryden, W. 2002. Life Coaching: A Cognitive-Behavioural Approach. East Sussex, England: Brunner-Routledge.
Roberts, S.O. (Ed.) 1996. The Business of Personal Training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. 
Strachan, D. 2001. Questions That Work. Ottawa: ST Press.
Whitworth, L., Kimsey-House, H., & Sandahl, P. 1998. Co-active Coaching. Palo Alto, CA: Davies-Black.
Yankelovich, D. 1999. The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict Into Cooperation. New York: Simon & Schuster.
IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 2, Issue 9