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This past week, we enjoyed another beautiful ski week in Lake Tahoe. We started with a weekend at a friend’s house on the south end of Lake Tahoe and ended up on the northside at Palisades at Tahoe, formerly known as Squaw Valley.

kirkwood signJeff and I, along with two other friends skied a very fun mountain resort called Kirkwood on Saturday. The resort was selling minimal tickets to give pass holders a less busy day on the mountain. It was awesome. Out of the four of us, I was the least experienced skier. It seems they all started when they were four years old, and I didn’t get started until 41! Our friend led us around the mountain and for some reason I was feeling really comfortable and confident. I even went through some shoots and was going up and down the sides of the mountain. It was so much fun! I was keeping up with the group and it felt so good.

jeff and i at kirkwood

The next day we took a 45-minute drive and headed to Palisades. We passed Emerald Bay on our way and had to stop for pictures. We got to Palisades in the early afternoon so we decided to ski for about an hour.  It was a beautiful mountain. From several peaks, you can see Lake Tahoe which is absolutely breathtaking. The mountain is huge and there are many ski runs and chair lifts which makes the mountain less busy. My first experience at Palisades was terrible, to say the least. The snow was slushy and hard to get through. As a newer skier, it made such a difference in my confidence and skiing. I felt like I had no idea what I was doing, and my legs were burning. I felt so defeated after my great day at Kirkwood.

jeff and i at emerald bay

The rest of the week was a mix of ice, slush, amazing snow, sunshine, and rain, however, my initial reaction changed. Overall, it was an amazing experience and Palisades became one of my favorite mountains. I skied several black diamond runs! I couldn’t believe it. I was going down the steepest peaks I had ever skied and went the fastest I had ever gone. I ended up loving Tahoe and the experience.

stacy doing advanced runs

It seems that after about 40 days of skiing in my life something started to click. I believe any sport takes practice and maybe my practice is paying off. Something seems to be working. I am gaining confidence in my ability to stop and turn. I am learning that the more I lean forward the easier it is to control my skies. I am learning that the faster I go sometimes the more control I have as well. I also learned that this may be the one sport where you can semi-blame the equipment and the snow conditions. My skies are used skies, and I think if I get better skies and bindings I may even become a better skier!!

If you are planning a ski trip, I highly recommend Palisades at Tahoe. We stayed at the Resort at Squaw Creek. Even if you don’t ski, there was plenty to do. There was an ice skating rink, a spa, a few shops, and restaurants. There was also a free shuttle over to the village where there were more restaurants, bars, and shops. So get out there and go see the majestic mountain views!

palisades resort at squaw creek

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

Equipment Needed

  • one dumbbell (optional)

Weekly Wednesday Workout

Here is the third set of our 7 Rounds series. In today’s workout, you will do seven rounds of 7 reps of four ab movements. Rest as needed in between each round.

Movements for each round:

  • 7 Russian twists
  • 7 crunches
  • 7 legs to the left
  • 7 legs to the right

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Andre Taissin on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

Equipment Needed

  • a light set of dumbbells (optional)

Weekly Wednesday Workout

Here is the second set of our 7 Rounds series. In today’s workout, you will do seven rounds of 7 reps of four leg movements. Rest as needed in between each round.

Movements for each round:

  • 7 squats
  • 7 lunges (each leg)
  • 7 calf raises
  • 7 straight leg deadlift

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Lucrezia Carnelos on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

Equipment Needed

  • a light set of dumbbells (optional)

Weekly Wednesday Workout

We are starting a new series that will run for seven weeks. We will do arms, legs, abs, shoulders, back, cardio, and chest. In today’s workout, you will do seven rounds of 7 reps of four arm movements. Rest as needed in between each round.

Movements for each round:

  • 7 bicep curls (each arm)
  • 7 concentration curls (each arm)
  • 7 tricep kickbacks (each arm)
  • 7 overhead extensions (arms together)

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Jernej Graj on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

Equipment Needed

  • yoga mat
  • timer

Weekly Wednesday Workout

In today’s workout, you will see how many burpees you can do in two minutes.

Movements for each round:

  • burpees or up/downs or abs of your choice

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Fortune Vieyra on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

Therapy “is the treatment of a physical, cognitive, or behavioral disorder or illness.” People go to physical therapy all of the time to help with functional mobility. Many people participate in some form of physical fitness to keep their bodies healthy. Yet, people are afraid or feel there is a stigma around going to a psychologist, social worker, or counselor to get help with their mental health.

I am so blessed that I grew up in a generation and had friends who are open to therapy. Many people I know want to be the best person they can be both physically and mentally. And sometimes therapy is needed to become that person.

Seeing a professional isn’t the only way to stay healthy mentally. If you do decide to seek extra help you don’t have to stay forever. You can join a church group or participate in an online forum. You can have ladies’ night once a month, you can meditate, or write in a journal. There are many ways to keep your mind healthy. And these things may work for you most of the time, but there may be a time or two when you need a little extra support.

journal for therapy

Photo by Jess Bailey on Unsplash

Although I have many wonderful friends that I can talk to and who help me work through things I struggle with, there is nothing like a good therapist. That person is there to listen only to you. She or he may give advice and help you work through the issues by asking leading questions, but they are there for YOU and to support YOU. Therapy for me is my time to be me. To cry if I want to. To laugh. To be mad at someone. It gives me the opportunity to evaluate my feelings by actually saying them aloud. Then I can determine if my feelings are really fair or if I need to change my perspective.

It is hard sometimes to go to therapy, and it may be scary. Sometimes you realize you are projecting your feelings and insecurities onto others. Sometimes you over-evaluate a situation that another person hasn’t thought about since it happened. Sometimes in your head, it may sound rationale but as soon as you say it aloud to someone else, it sounds completely different. Personally, I love having someone to talk through situations with and evaluate how I should be reacting to them. Because honestly although it hurts your heart sometimes you just gotta shake it off!

Whether you believe in therapy or not, I hope you take a little time each day, week, or month to give yourself a little grace and to take a moment to work on yourself and your mental health. Read a motivating passage, write in a journal, or take a walk and feel some sunshine on your face. Do something for yourself and just be.

Photo by Marcel Strauß on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

Equipment Needed

  • dumbbell (optional)

Weekly Wednesday Workout

In today’s workout, you will do three rounds of 12 reps of three different movements on each leg. Rest as needed in between each round.

Movements for each round:

  • 12 lunges right leg
  • 12 lunges left leg
  • 12 reverse lunges right leg
  • 12 reverse lunges left leg
  • 12 curtsy lunges right leg
  • 12 curtsy lunges left leg

How to Do the Moves

For the video of movements click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. Don’t forget the warm-up. Make this workout work for you!

Photo by Sergio Pedemonte on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

My husband sent me an article called “3 Signs You Are Growing Old Instead of Growing Up” from one of the subscriptions he gets from All Pro Dad. All Pro Dad is a great website for inspiration on how to deal with different situations with your children. Although the website focuses more on men (and dads in particular), I think it can be read by all. We are all growing older, every day. So what do we want to do with our lives going forward? What are our goals for the remainder of our lives? And once we achieve them do we just stop or chase another dream or goal? Or are we satisfied and become complacent? How can we grow up instead of just growing old?

“A good way to grow up instead of growing old is to get out of your comfort zone.”

The quote above says it all. No matter how old or young you are, get out of your comfort zone. Try something new or scary. Be willing to take the leap of faith. Do what you are passionate about. Show your children, your family, or your friends that you are willing to try something that may make you uncomfortable. Grow your soul.

grow up on a boatI have a friend who cannot swim. She is afraid of the water but she has put herself out of her comfort zone several times. She enjoys being on the water on a boat and even has a trip planned to spend six days on a catamaran sailing the British Virgin Islands. I am so proud and excited for her. If she wasn’t willing to put herself out there (with a lifejacket of course), she would miss out on the most beautiful waters and sites of the islands. How fun is that?

Jeff and I try to keep our relationship alive and young by complementing each other, staying active, and eating healthy. We want to stay sexy for each other, stay active and athletic so we can leap out of our comfort zone as we get older. We want to be able to try new things like skiing (for me), scuba diving (for us both), or hiking no matter how old we are in years. The more active we stay, the more active we can be as we age. If we become complacent in our lifestyle, those things may not be as easy, and we may not be as motivated to try new things. And anyone who knows me knows I have FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), so I definitely don’t want to grow old!

grow up skiing

Wherever you are in your life, don’t be afraid to try new things. Pray on it. Make a list of pros and cons. Get out there and live. Life is too short. Be an inspiration for your partner. Be an inspiration for your children and grandchildren. Get out there and grow up, not old!

Photo by Razvan Chisu on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

Today’s post is a link to another post called “100 Ways to Live to 100: A Definitive Guide to Longevity Fitness.” The article goes over a variety of things to do and not do to improve your physical and mental well-being to live longer.

Because some of the concepts contradict one another you can’t do them all. But this article provides an inspiring way to try to live longer and healthier. Just making one change can have a huge impact. Work on getting 1% better.

My favorite item from this list is number 24:

Know it’s never too late

“One month of healthy eating will confer immediate results in the realms of cell regeneration, decreased inflammation, and improved digestion. Starting young is great, but it doesn’t matter how old you are. Meet with your doctor beforehand to get your bloodwork done. Then come back after and note the changes, specifically in vascular health.”

Instead of changing your whole lifestyle in one day to try to live longer, start with baby steps. Try replacing red meat with grass-fed or local red meat. Try adding one cup of veggies to one of your meals a day. Try to cook with olive oil instead of butter. Whatever you do, just take one step at a time!

Bookmark this article and find something you can do to improve your daily life to live longer and better. Enjoy!

Photo by Luis Morera on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

“The American Psychological Association reports that insecurity is multifaceted. It pertains to an overall sense of uncertainty or anxiety about your worth, abilities, skills, and value as a person, conveying the message that you’re at risk or in danger of something or someone. That negative impact of insecurity could be physical, mental, or emotional. Without security, you can’t accomplish full trust or function to your fullest potential.”

Why do we have insecurity? Are we influenced by outside factors? Is there a way to feel more confident about relationships, our looks, our bodies, our talents, our jobs, and our material goods? Why are we so negative to ourselves? And how do we overcome it? Check out this website.

I try to be a positive person, and I try to count my blessings for all that I have in life and for all the amazing people I have met. But sometimes insecurity creeps in, and I feel anxious, sad, hopeless, or depressed. And that’s when I need to check myself and find ways to overcome it. I feel if you don’t deal with the insecurity it can really pull you into a deep dark place. Because I don’t want to stay in that place of insecurity, I take action to cope with it by talking to my husband, my therapist, or reading some self-help books. One of my favorite authors is SARK. Just picking up one of her books makes me smile. Her website is filled with positive thoughts and reinforcements as well. Two of my favorite books are Succulent Wild Woman and Transformation Soup.

 

It’s so hard when you see insecurity in others whether it be friends or family members. You want to tell them they have no reason to be insecure because you see all of their amazing qualities even when they don’t see it in themselves. They are smart or beautiful or talented. But when you feel it yourself you understand why others feel that way, too. Sometimes it’s so hard to believe that the most beautiful, famous, successful woman is insecure. We think how can she be insecure when she has it all (or what we think is “all”). But guess what? Insecurities are there for everyone. We just need to figure out how to deal with them in a healthy way.

Insecurity is a universal experience, but not all people experience insecurity so intensely that it disrupts their life and ability to function. If insecurity is creating unwanted impacts in your mental, social, or physical health, it could be time to take action and address the issue with professional support and assistance” (written by Eric Patterson, LPC).

Somehow we need to figure out how to be more confident and count our blessings. No matter who we are, we have so much. We have our lives, our health, our families, and our friends. We have roofs over our heads, food to eat, and freedom to explore. We need to remember that every situation is just that, a situation. We need to form our response to that situation and that can be in a positive or a negative way. We create our own happiness and security. Positive self-talk, pushing away negative feelings, looking forward to the future, and focusing on the good in this world can make a huge difference.

Photo by Melanie Wasser on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy