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GROWTH IS THE ULTIMATE GLOW UP✨

GROWTH IS THE ULTIMATE GLOW UP✨

Survival Tips for Night-Shift Nurses 👩🏻‍⚕️

I am constantly receiving messages on my tips for working night shift. I was lucky enough to only work a few months in ICU on nights.

Even though I only spent 6 months on nights, those 6 months definitely took a toll on me physically and mentally. When I finally had a better routine down, it was time to move to days!

Anyways I put together some tips and tricks for my fellow night shift nurses and nursing students to help lessen the weight of working night shift! ✨

1. Develop a routine for your days and nights, including sleep, workouts, family time, grocery shopping, etc.

2. Meal prep before your overnight shift. Taking healthy homemade meals to work with you is a game changer!

3. If you have a family or roommates, make sure they are on board with your unusual schedule. Set expectations up front.

4. Make self care a priority. Otherwise, exhaustion and overwhelm hits quickly. Speaking from experience, here!

5. Don’t drive drowsy! If you’re too exhausted after your shift, be honest with yourself. Take a quick nap in the break room or have someone come pick you up. Driving drowsy is not worth risking your life or someone else’s.

6. Drink plenty of water throughout the shift to keep you hydrated. Tiredness and brain fog are the first symptoms to hit when dehydration sets in.

7. Eat breakfast before you go to bed. On a normal day, you wouldn’t skip dinner, would you? Exactly! So, make it a priority to fill your body with nourishing foods before hitting the hay to regulate your blood sugar and encourage restful sleep.

8. Take breaks. Trust me, I get it. Nurse shifts are hectic, busy, and stressful. However, skipping mental breaks or meals will only make you feel WORSE. Take your breaks, if only for 10- 15 minutes.

Are you a nurse on night shift? How do you thrive during your long shifts? 🤍

EQUIPMENT FREE HIIT WORKOUT 💪🏻 Happy Wednes

EQUIPMENT FREE HIIT WORKOUT 💪🏻

Happy Wednesday! With my schedule being packed these days I have a limited amount of time to workout. Full body HIIT workouts, like this one, have been the perfect way for me to get in some movement before my busy day begins! When I have more time, usually on my non- hospital days, then I dedicate those to muscle group specific workouts.

I know a lot of you guys are still working out at home ➡️ this one can be done at home or at the gym because it doesn’t require any equipment 🙌🏻

Let me know what type of workouts you want to see more of- equipment free, dumbbell only, full body, muscle group specific, core/cardio, etc! Remember to like and save! 💛

Repeat circuit 4x through:

▫️Windmill to full body crunch - 10/10
▫️OH sky punches - 15
▫️Shoulder tap to elbow up downs - 10/10
▫️Pushup to wave -10/ 10
▫️Pulsing squats to jump squat- 10
▫️Floor bucks - 15
▫️Power lunges - 10

#becksliveshealthy #athomeworkouts #movewithstrength
🎥: @inhaussocialmedia

It’s ok if you’re not where you want to be. Re

It’s ok if you’re not where you want to be. Remember you don’t always notice the sun rising in the sky, until, one day, you feel the warmth touching your face and you realize how much you have grown - @loveaprilgreen ✨

Is it necessary to warm-up before working out? YE

Is it necessary to warm-up before working out?

YESSS x10000! While it’s usually tempting to skip a warm-up and jump right into the workout, warm-ups are definitely necessary!

Why? Because performing an effective warm-up before your workout has proven to benefit and protect the mind and body in the following ways:

1. Mentally prepare the body for a workout 🤸🏻‍♀️
2. Increase circulation and heart rate ❤️
3. Increase body temp and blood flow to muscles 💪🏻
4. Improve overall performance
5. Protect against injury (this one is huge 🙌🏻)

In case you’re still not convinced warm-ups are necessary, I wrote a full blog post with all the details. Head to my blog to read more about why warm-ups are important and how to effectively incorporate warm-ups before your workouts!

Check out my stories for my go- to lower body warmup ✨

Can I be real honest with you? After a 12 hour sh

Can I be real honest with you?

After a 12 hour shift at the hospital, I am BEAT! Not just tired, but straight up exhausted. By the time I get home, I’m ready for some R&R. Raise your hand if you can relate! 🙋🏻‍♀️

To help relax and decompress after a long shift, I opt for some “me” time, like:

▫️Taking a long, hot shower.
▫️Reading a new book in bed.
▫️Applying a face mask (charcoal face mask by @beautycounter is my fav!)
▫️Using a jade roller on my face.
▫️Listening to calm music and journaling.
▫️Doing a short yoga routine (very short, haha!)
▫️Cooking a healthy, homemade meal.
▫️ Eating ice cream🍦
▫️Unplugging from social media.

If you’re a nurse or long-shift worker, I would love to hear how you relax and unwind. Share your favorite kind of R&R below! ✨

How to move on after leaving a toxic relationship

How to move on after leaving a toxic relationship 🖤

If you’ve been around here for while you know my main focus is to encourage overall health- both mental and physical. Because mental and physical health go hand-in-hand, they impact each other more than we might realize!

In the past, I’ve been very open and honest about the toxic relationship I left last year. Since then, I’ve received countless questions about how to finally move on. While moving on wasn’t easy, it was necessary for my health. And if my experience can help just one more woman heal, it’s worth sharing! 🙌🏻

I stayed in a toxic relationship for 2 years too long. But through my heartbreaking experience, I finally learned my self worth. After 2 years, I realized I deserved better. If you have a similar story, moving on is just what you need to live a healthy, vibrant life. So, where can you start? ✨

1. Remind yourself of the gains instead of the losses. While it might be challenging to recognize, I guarantee you walked away stronger and wiser. Focus on the positives.

2. Focus on yourself and your new future. What are your personal and professional goals? How can you bring these things into fruition?

3. Don’t get caught in self blame. You are NOT at fault and the quicker you accept that, the quicker you can heal.

4. Learn to be content and happy no matter your relationship status. Because your worth has nothing to do with your relationship. You are enough.

5. Give yourself grace. Time heals all wounds. Eventually, it will get easier.

6. Practice self love. Make it a priority every day! 🤍

By letting go and moving on, you’ll be in a much healthier mental space. Just take my word for it! 💫

DUMBBELL ONLY LOWER BODY WORKOUT 💥 Grab a pair

DUMBBELL ONLY LOWER BODY WORKOUT 💥

Grab a pair of medium dumbbells for this lower body strength circuit!! 👊🏻 I was sore for days after this one! I love that this workout can be done at home or at the gym. I’ve been mixing things up lately and working out both at home and at the gym - it’s been a nice change and keeps things from getting boring! 🙌🏻

REPEAT CIRCUIT 5x THROUGH:
▫️Goblet squats - 10
▫️ Lateral shifting lunges - 10
▫️ RDL to alternating SL pickups - 10
▫️ Reverse lunge with flex - 10
▫️ Jump squats with hold- 10

What are you guys working out today?! 💪🏻
🎥: @inhaussocialmedia

#becksliveshealthy #movewithstrength #lowerbodyworkout

Is it me or did Valentine’s Day seem a little ex

Is it me or did Valentine’s Day seem a little excessive this year?! Valentine’s Day isn’t only for couples so i thought it would be fun to put together a list of ways to show yourself a little extra love this week ❤️:

▫️Grab a stick of lipstick and write on your bathroom mirror: “You look beautiful!” Everytime you look in the mirror, accept the compliment!

▫️Buy a bouquet of your favorite flowers to brighten up your space 💐

▫️Take a leisurely walk without a destination. Enjoy the peace and quiet!

▫️Enjoy a hot bath. With bubbles. Or epsom salt. Light your favorite candle and simply rest.

▫️Spend time writing in your journal, like the things that you’re grateful for or your favorite things about yourself. It’s easy to list the things that we don’t like, so turn it around and think about your many positive qualities.

▫️Treat yourself. Buy your favorite ice cream or chocolates. Get your nails done. Indulge in a massage ✨

BALANCING RUNNING AND STRENGTH TRAINING 💪🏻🏃🏻‍♀️

If you love running AND strength training (like me), this one's for you!

Without a doubt, both running and strength training serve important purposes. But, is it possible to balance the two?!

Definitely. It might be challenging, but it CAN be done! In fact, there are tons of benefits associated with running AND strength training, like:

▫️Reduced risk of injury
▫️Stronger muscles
▫️Better endurance
▫️Toned physique

So, how can you balance both?
▫️Work on mobility 1-2 times a week to prepare your muscles, joints, and tendons for your workouts 🧘🏻‍♀️
▫️If training for a race, schedule your run before strength training.
▫️Do not lift heavy before a scheduled run or race.
▫️Keep easy running days easy and hard running days hard. What do I mean by this? Separate your hard and easy days- so that you can better recover from your toughest workouts.
▫️If you only have time for one workout, take your pick and don’t stress about it.

✨And at the end of the day it’s important to remember that strength training is supposed to help, not take you away from your running.

Runner friends- how do you balance the two?! Let me know your best tips below! ⬇️

#becksliveshealthy

ALMOND BLUEBERRY BANANA PROTEIN OATS ✨

Today I’m finally sharing a new recipe!! Almond Blueberry Banana Protein Oats. This is one of my favorite post- workout meals 💪🏻 It’s high in protein and packed with carbs to help with recovery after a workout 🙌🏻 But before we get into the recipe, one of my most frequently asked questions lately has been about gaining muscle so I wanted to share some important tips.

▫️REST AND RECOVERY- Do NOT skip recovery days! Regular strength training tears down the muscles, which means it’s necessary to provide time for them to fully recover and rebuild. Without recovery days, the muscles are continuously being broken down. At that rate, you’ll never gain more muscle

▫️PROTEIN INTAKE- Increase your protein! Aim to eat 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. It’s important to include protein at every meal. But more so, it’s essential to consume protein immediately after you workout. Food high in protein, like eggs, chicken, salmon, shrimp, turkey, and @bobstedmill Almond Protein Powder. @bobsredmill Almond Protein Powder is packed with 20 grams of plant based protein per serving. I love adding it to oatmeal because it mixes so easily! It’s also non- GMO, vegan, and gluten free and available online and in stores now!

▫️CARBS ARE NOT THE ENEMY- Do NOT skimp on the carbs! They are the bodies’ primary source of fuel. Without adequate carbs we lack energy and definitely won’t build new muscle or increase in strength. Make it a goal to eat a carb with every meal, like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, quinoa, or rice!

Now onto the recipe!⬇️

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Almond Protein Powder
- 1/2 mashed banana
- 1/3 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
TOPPINGS SUGGESTIONS:
- slivered almonds
- Vanilla yogurt
- Almond butter
- Banana slices
- Blueberries
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small saucepan, cook oatmeal according to package directions with mashed banana and blueberries. Make sure to use 1 1/4 cup liquid (almond milk, water) to help absorb the protein.
2. When oatmeal is done cooking, stir in protein powder. Pour into bowl- add desired toppings 😍#bobsredmill #sponsored

Thursday morning thoughts 🤍

Thursday morning thoughts 🤍

Happy Wednesday! Another 5am workout in the books

Happy Wednesday! Another 5am workout in the books before work ☑️ Even though it’s hard getting out of bed so early (especially this time of year), I definitely look forward to my morning workouts because it’s my ME time before the crazy day in the icu begins 🙌🏻

Today’s workout focuses on chest, shoulders, and triceps. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and you’re good to go!💥

REPEAT CIRCUIT 5X THROUGH:
▫️DB Push-ups- 15
▫️DB Floor Bench- 10
▫️DB kneeling anterior/ lateral raises- 10
▫️DB kneeling single arm upright row- 10
▫️DB seated neutral press- 10
▫️DB unilateral - full tricep kickbacks- 10

#becksliveshealthy #upperbodyworkout
🎥: @inhaussocialmedia

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A 12 HOUR NURSING SHIFT 👩🏻‍⚕️

You know what they say: fail to prepare and prepare to fail. After years of trial and error, I’ve finally learned how to effectively prep for a long nursing shift. There a few things I am sure to do before every shift, including:

▫️Meal prep and pack a homemade breakfast and lunch to properly fuel and energize my body.

▫️Pack a work bag with everything I need: make-up, deodorant, feminine products, phone charger, more snacks, etc.

▫️Prepare my mind with exercise, yoga, or meditation.

▫️Get to be early (AKA before 10pm.)

▫️Learn to say “no” to prevent over-committing (professionally and personally).

If you’re a nurse too, I hope these tips help you to prepare ahead of time so that you can be the best nurse possible 🤍🤍

Tag a nurse to share these helpful tips! ✨

HOW TO GET BACK INTO A FITNESS ROUTINE💪🏻: I

HOW TO GET BACK INTO A FITNESS ROUTINE💪🏻:

It’s no secret that I had to start a completely new workout routine this year. Starting over is never easy. It takes time to build a new routine and feel comfortable in it.

If you’re struggling to get back into your fitness routine this year or starting a completely new one (like me), here are some tips to get you started:

▫️Start slow. Baby steps are still steps. And eventually, they add up to big ones! 🙌🏻

▫️Start your morning with water 💦 Hydration is key to flushing toxins, losing weight, fighting fatigue, and more!

▫️Set a S.M.A.R.T. goal- specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. S.M.A.R.T. goals will keep you accountable and on track ☑️

▫️Find what works for you. Fitness should be fun, so look for something you enjoy, like an at-home workout app (you can find me teaching on the new @fitrevolution app), online dance program, or yoga routine ✨

▫️Make it convenient. If your workout isn’t convenient, you’re less likely to do it. So, set out your clothes the night before, make time on your calendar, and find a gym close-by. Or, workout at-home for the ultimate convenience!🙌🏻

▫️Know your why to keep you going. Without your “why,” motivation will quickly dwindle. 💥

Truth be told, getting started is the hardest step. Once you’re back into the swing of things, I’m confident you’ll find a consistent groove!

Here’s to claiming our health back in 2021!

✨ Check out my stories for my FREE WEEKLY WORKOUT PLANNER 🗓

#becksliveshealthy

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