Just Jump In

The month of July was all about stop thinking deeper and jumping into it.

When there is a beautiful, clear mountain lake in front of you, you need to stop thinking about the ice chunks that were on it just a few days ago, if you really want to enjoy that fresh, COLD water.  And the easiest way to get in is by jumping in as opposed to slowly walking in.  There is no baby steps when it comes to enjoying that, truly, freezing water.

I thought about that cold but beautiful water when we, as a family, made the decision of getting a puppy.  If I would have let my logic play a role in the decision then we would never even start thinking about the puppy idea.  However, just like I wanted to enjoy that freezing lake, I really wanted the kids to have a puppy in the house, knowing that I would be the main care giver.  And it happened… We submitted our application to the shelter and in seven days, we picked up an “almost-8-week-old” puppy and continued our 3 hour drive to Tahoe!  I never thought it would be easy and it is not - just like that super cold water.  However the satisfaction that comes with it, is HUGE.

There are many moments in life that if we think too deep we might miss some really big satisfactions - feelings that we might never experience unless we go for it.  So why not just jump into it?  After all, as human beings we have a great strength in adapting.  Over the millenniums we adapted to many changes so whatever we jump into, we have the ability to adapt, if we do not have the option to reverse.  Jumping into a cold water is definitely much easier to deal with then signing up for a life long commitment. There is one that I can reverse by simply walking out and the other that I can adapt…

Now think about contemplating on starting a new workout routine or a sport…. It is the same concept.  Don’t think about it too much and just jump into it.  Own it and make it yours.  It can me intimidating to start a new sport, especially when you are not in your teens anymore.  However, the satisfaction you gain from making it your sport and getting better at it is much bigger than the fear that holds you back from it - at least, that is what I believe.

With that being said, here is a throwback to 3 years ago when I had just started “Train and Smile”.  The below workout routine is from one of our Saturday sessions and it focuses a lot on JUMPING, therefore I thought it would be a great fit for this month’s blog.  If you have 30 minutes to spare and 10 pens/pencils at home, give it a try.  You really do not need to think too much because the moves and the counts are already prepared just for you.

Let’s give ourselves a big high five for ALL the “jumping in”s that we did in our lives! We ROCK!

Love Is In the Air

During the entire month of June, I truly felt the unconditional love in the air.  It was not only the kisses or gestures that brought out the love.  The love was hidden inside angry comments, in the frustration or in a tearful farewell.  It came from every direction, from family, from friends, from strangers or even from animals…. All I needed to do was to pause and breath the air in and open my eyes to the conversations in a very different way.  I was observing a mother and a daughter at a dinner table.  The mother was upset with the daughter and didn’t want to talk to her own daughter.  In the first glance, it was fun to watch but then I looked into the eyes of the mother.  There was sadness in the mom’s eyes for her choice but stubbornness was in her lips.  As conversations grew, the eyes soften and the lips lost the stubbornness.  It was hard to resist the love in the air - the love for a daughter, the love for a family. The night ended with the mom going into her daughter’s car to get home.  Lips were smiling and eyes were filled with happiness…

Basically, slowing my mind, letting the thoughts come individually as opposed to arriving like a jammed packed bus and opening my eyes wider really helped me feel the love in the air while I was in Turkey.

How many times, a loved one from your family has told you that you shouldn’t do something that you would really like to do?  And how many times have you gotten mad at that loved one? I can raise my hand and say “many”…. We all know that our loved ones had no bad intentions.  There is actually love in the air as they tell us not to do something.  However, the message comes ONLY with the negative side of it.  Often times, I forget to think through the “why” for my loved one’s reaction.  But if I stop and breathe, I can better see where they are coming from and react appropriately as opposed to being argumentative.  The goal should be to boost the love in the air not to put it down or shrink it, don’t you think?

It is very easy to focus on the negative and brew on it, especially for me.  However, taking one deep breath in (through my nose) and letting it slowly out (again, through my nose), really helps to clean the air and let’s me feel the positives all around me. This breathing helps me not only during my day to day thinking but also after my workouts.

And with that, here is my challenge for you - BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE and follow the below rhythm.

• Breathe in through your nose in 4 COUNTS

• Hold your breath for 4 COUNTS

• Breathe out through your nose in 6 COUNTS

• Hold your breath for 2 COUNTS

Keep it up for 5 minutes and let me know how you feel.

Love is always in the air, just know how to breathe it in!  Big high five to you all for using your nose for its true intention as you breathe through you nose!

Train and Smile

It was three years ago when I came up with the concept of Train and Smile - BIG thanks to the pandemic. :) Training or working-out is not always the funnest activity, especially if you train hard.  However, the feeling afterwards, even if you have DOMS (muscle soreness), gives you power of achievement.  After all, it is scientifically explained due to the release of endorphins, which reduces stress in addition to many other positive effects.  Given all the positive outcomes of a good training why not celebrate it with a big smile!  A group smile after a tough workout brings the positive impact of endorphins even faster.

Here is our Beautiful SMILE after a tough workout

The month of May is the Veteran’s month.  As I think about the veterans, I think about the trainings that they go through without any fun factor to it.  This month, I took on the challenge to do the Murph Challenge as fast as possible. (For those of you, who might not know what Murph Challenge is, here is a quick link.). It is certainly an intriguing workout and I would not recommend to those who do not train regularly.  I have been doing it for the last 3 years with no time challenge.  And this year, as I challenged myself with the time, I decided to end it with a big smile.  I was feeling a little under the weather and the idea of running 1 mile and then doing 100 pull ups, 200 pushups, 300 squats followed by another 1 mile run at 6200 feet elevation wasn’t fun AT ALL.  However, I thought that our veterans don’t have the option of skipping a training just because they are feeling a little tired.  So I started my run… For those of you who know me, running is my least favorite activity. Therefore the first few steps were very torturous but then the air became pleasant, the pine trees and the snow created wonderful views and I made the 1 mile in exactly 10 minutes. Once my run was done, my 10 sets of 10 pull-ups, 20 pushups and 30 squats started.  To be honest, those sets were the most fun part of the workout even though I wasn’t able to feel my arms by the 10th set.  The last 1 mile run ended up being a good cool down and I finished it again in 10 minutes!  My total workout ended up being 35 minutes and 36 seconds.  I placed 3rd in my company and based on the Murph Challenge official website, I placed 111th in the world ranking (men and women combined).  The best part of those 35 minutes was my smile at the very end as I rested my knees and my arms in the fresh snow.  All that feeling of under the weather disappeared.  I got extra energy with a very positive mood and was able to help Derek in the cabin rest of the day with that boost of energy.  I do believe that the smile is the key to feel better faster.

Knees in the snow and the smile is there!

How about we put the power of “smile” into action - especially if you don’t join me twice a week in Train and Smile.  My challenge for you is to complete the below strength training routine and once you are done, to find a mirror so that you can smile to yourself as big as possible.  Here is our workout, mimicking my challenge:

1. 5-minute warm-up activity options: running, walking, rowing, biking, etc.

2. Strength training: (repeat from 1 through 8 for 3 times)

   1. 25 second plank hold

   2. 10 squat pulses (knees behind toes)

   3. 10 squat jumps (knees behind toes)

   4. 25 second plank hold

   5. 10 right-foot-forward lunge pulses (front knee at 90degree angle, back leg bent, pulse up and down)

   6. 10 left-foot-forward lunge pulses

   7. 25 second plan hold

   8. 25 second rest (do NOT stretch or do any other moves)

3. 5-minute cool-down (repeat the warm-up activity)

4. SMILE to a mirror!

Once you smile to that mirror, my hand will be up high for you!

Fail with Style

I can’t believe that it has been 8.5 years since I talked about the power of failing!  This month was definitely a good reminder of not to fear failure.  After all, as I wrote in my very first blog post, failure is a step towards success.

I watched both of my kids learning how to walk - neither of them ever got tired of failing on their butts.  Each attempt got them closer to their first step and, as parents, we eagerly waited for them on the other end.  For them, falling or not being able to make it to the other side, was not a failed attempt on walking.  It was just a way to learn.  Now that they are not babies anymore, that mentality, luckily, hasn’t changed much.  As they both try to get better at their sport, they fail hard to succeed even better.  They do not hesitate to try the hardest, even if that means a hard fall.  To be honest, they are both a great role model to follow and that is exactly why I follow their footsteps.

On my birthday, we all participated in a ski race called “Banked Slalom” at Sugar Bowl.  It was my very first ski race, unlike rest of my family.  I put my fear of crashing or going too fast behind and faced the challenge with a style.  I put on my mom’s sweater from the 70s to bring on the Alpine fashion and went for it.  I didn’t get much of a ranking against 20-year olds but I did it! Same with Ela - she went for it and she was the youngest and the smallest.  She also didn’t have much of a chance against those under 15. Meanwhile, Kaya and Derek were able to make it to the podium.  Kaya came in second and Derek won in his category.  It was very rewarding to watch their successes, knowing all the failures they both went through to get to where they were.

Definitely the youngest on the podium

proud number one!

Kaya, Derek and I ended the month with another ski race called  “Pond Skim”.  This was definitely a first for both Kaya and I.  If you don’t know what pond skim is: It is a race where you come down a hill with as much speed as you can so that you can ski through a “pond” to make it to the other side without falling in.  Kaya was the youngest to participate and he definitely failed with the best style and attitude ever.  As far as my failure goes, there was no style but certainly the positive attitude.  Now, both Kaya and I are ready for next year to show our skills and to make it to the other side with as much style as Derek did this year.

he just needed a little bit more speed

i JUSt needed a better entry into the water…

So with all that said about failure, I will have a challenge for you.  Find yourself a pull-up bar and try to make one more pull-up than your usual count during the month of May. No momentum, just your arms and sturdy core. You can start with a weight-assisted bar, if you have access to a gym. You will see that the success is there if you let yourself fail first!

Each time when you come out of a failure, I am there for a high five!

Let's Jump Back to It

Distractions are every where.  Sometimes in the best way possible and sometimes not so great!  Sometimes we all need that distraction so that we can get out of the routine and sometimes the distraction doesn’t let us create a routine.

As I look back at March, we experienced both types of distractions. The key was, being able to jump right back into what we were working on once the distractions was removed.  It is easy to forget that some routines require a little bit more ramp-up time once you stop.  Can you think of an example?  How about “working out”?  How many of you had challenges to jump back into your “workout routine” after some break?  I can easily raise my hand for that.  It takes discipline to get the body out of “relaxation” and put it back to work. It also requires patience to get back to where you were prior to the distraction/break.

Now, for this month, I will keep it short so that you can “jump right back into” what you were working on. :) Let’s call this one a friendly distraction. :). And with that, I will share with you one of my older 15-minute routines.  This one always help me to jump back into my workout routines, when needed.

Warm-up: [find your selves set of stairs with at least 10 steps]

• Run up and down the stairs - 10 times

Move 1: [no break in between moves]

• 15 Squat Jumps

• 10 tricep dips (use the stairs)

• 20 Squat jumps

• 10 pushups (you can do it elevated on the stairs)

• Plank hold for 10 counts

[30 second rest before moving onto Move 2]

Move 2: [need resistance bands or dumbbells]

• 10 seated bicep curls (sit on the stairs)

• 10 seated forearm curls (palms facing down and the lower arms on your quads)

• 15 seated bicep curls

• 15 seated forearm curls

[REPEAT IT ALL FROM MOVE 1 THROUGH MOVE 2]

Move 3:

• 10 glute lifts (laying supine)

• 20 sec hold on the glute lift

• 8 single leg Glute lift (right leg up)

• 10 sec hold on the glute lift

• 8 single leg Glute lift (left leg up)

• 10 sect hold on the glute lift

• 35 sec Superman hold

[REPEAT MOVE 3]

Once you are done, do NOT forget to stretch!

Enjoy distractions but do not forget to jump right back into “it”, whatever that “it”is for you.  And High Five on your 15-minute workout! :)

thanks to our distraction, we were able to revive our “MOM & SON HIKE” routine back up!

After a two week break because of too much snow, we get right back into our skiing routine! :)

and now… here is one we are trying to figure out how to revive! pre-snow vs. last weekend!!!

Saying "I'm Sorry"

Yes, I am talking about apologizing…. Not an easy task, especially doing it correctly. It is in all of us trying to be “right” all the time. And admitting to be wrong isn’t that simple.  For me, being able to apologize without getting defensive is a big success because it is not easy.  I watch my kids EVERY DAY when they try to apologize.  Even at age 5, it is a tough task!  There are times when the embarrassment of the mistake turns into a blame or a melt down when all it is needed is a simple “I’m sorry” with no need for further explanation.

The biggest challenge is to show case to the kids the correct ways of apologizing.  It is not as simple and as frequent as showing them how to say “please”.  There are less examples all around them.  Of course, as parents we are the most effective examples.  But I do think that it is a tough task for grown ups too, to be able to say “I’m sorry” when a mistake is made.  For some reason, it is always easier to say “I’m sorry but…”. Over the last few years, I had plenty of practice to apologize to the kids.  I do try to bring my learnings from the “kids apologies” to the “grown-up apologies”.  I know that there is still a lot more to learn to apologize correctly.

The interesting thing about the phrase “I’m sorry” is that it can be used in a different context than apologizing for a mistake.  Where as in Turkish, the phrase for apologizing ONLY means a true apology for a mistake or a wrong doing.  This month, I received a lot of text messages and emails with the words “I’m sorry”.  However, they all meant that they were sad about the earthquakes in Turkey and that we lost a family friend.  It was not their mistake that the earthquakes happened.  Having multiple meanings for the same phrase definitely makes it even more challenging for me to use it appropriately. (excuses…)

The key thing about a good apology is being able to admit the wrong doing.  So why don’t we start practicing THAT!  Think about your body for this past month (or just the past day).  What did you do wrong with it?  Did you slouch while sitting on your office chair?  Did you feed it unhealthy food? Did you wear uncomfortable shoes? Think of just ONE wrong thing you did to your body. And APOLOGIZE!  Basically you are apologizing to yourself, but please, mean it! Now this month, try not to repeat that mistake/wrong doing. Can you do it? Just for one day or for one month, try not to repeat your mistake.  It will not be easy but it will definitely be rewarding.

I can’t wait to hear from you about your ways of apologizing.

High Five to all of us, for TRYING!

THANKS to my dad for being the best driver, despite all my CRITICISMS. (I am sorry, Baba)

congrats to kaya in getting 2nd place in his ski race. (I am sorry, oglum, for being surprised to the results)

Stretch It Out

Every January, at my work, we are encouraged to pick “one word” for the year and focus on that word both in our personal and professional lives.  This year, I had a hard time to come up with mine.  I had multiple to choose from and one of them was “stretch”….

For those of you, who know me well, my abstract mind can “stretch” out that word to many different meanings. For this month, I constantly thought about that word because I felt like I was “stretched” very thin with the time I had and things I had to do.  I felt like I was behind on everything, from the very first day of January to the very last day.  However, it was still a very happy month because I tried to “stretch” out the happy moments as far as possible, even if that meant trying to smile in the midst of stress. I probably could have done a better job but it sure felt good to “stretch” my mouth for an extra smile when my face wanted to do a frown.

here is a stretched out smile in the middle of shoveling 4 feet of snow!

Now, let’s think about the most common meaning of “stretch”, especially in the context of training.  We stretch out muscles after a work out so that the pressure that we put on our muscle fibers can be relaxed and lengthened.  Without a sufficient stretch, the muscles do not get the chance to grow efficiently.  Therefore, stretching plays a very important role in developing a healthy body.  It is basically the “fresh breath” for our muscles AFTER a workout.  The reason why we do it AFTER a workout, is so that we can give the muscles the relaxation after taking that deep, fresh breath.  So always keep in mind that any mid-workout stretch also puts the muscles in that relaxation phase, which immediately puts them at risk for any work that you will demand from them during the rest of your work-out.

As you work on stretching out your happy moments for less stressed days, here are couple key moves to stretch your muscles for a happier body:

Hamstrings (back of your leg):

• Keep legs together and straight.

• Bend from the hips towards the legs WITHOUT bending the knees.

• Once your head is as low as it can go, lift the right toes off the ground (keeping the heel on the ground) WITHOUT bending either of the knees.

• Slowly bring the toes back down and switch sides.

Quads (front of the leg):

• Keep legs together and straight.

• Bend the right knee, making sure that upper legs are still together and the right knee pointing straight to the ground, while holding the right foot with the right hand.

• As you are holding the position, switch the hand that is holding the right foot, making sure not to separate the legs.

Wrists/Forearms:

• Place your hands on a table with fingers points towards the body and the inside of the forearms facing away from the body.

• Without lifting the palms off the table lean back.  This is a very minimal movement.

High five to you all for making through the first month of 2023.  Don’t forget to stretch your face muscles with one big smile.

best stretch of the morning! :)

the happiness is in the air with my 8-year old!!!!

Hold Tight

What do you do when you are in a roller coaster? Well… I hold tight to whatever I can find. :) I feel like the month of December was exactly that!  Whenever we had certain plans, something came up to change them and we had to get comfortable with the new direction of the crazy ride.  It didn’t help that the kids and I got the flu during the week we were supposed to get our flu shots!

Whatever the new turns and changed directions were, we held on tight and enjoyed the ride.  As we are coming to the end of the year, the ride is still all over the place.  But we are keeping our fun.  Currently we are watching a snow storm out the window and feel very blessed to be here to watch it. Yes, this storm also made us hold tight as it changed our plans but the most fun of being in a roller coaster is to be able to scream with joy, so we just feel the joy as we hold tight.  We will see what is next!

As I look back at the year, it was yet another a crazy ride like the last couple of year. Luckily, this year, we were able to dictate the direction of our journey, most of the time. That being said, holding tight, definitely was part of our year too.  Along the way, we had our families and friends to laugh with, to talk about our frustrations and to look back at those frustrations and laugh some more…

As far as Train and Smile sessions went…. I taught 103 classes and finally took just 1 day off!  We had 41 unique participants and the largest class we had was 15 people.  I captured total of 94 “Smile Captures” (unfortunately wiped out the entire month of March). And we used 51 unique tools to workout with. I am certainly looking forward to another fun year with our Train and Smile community.  Who knows maybe I can throw a curve ball and teach it in-person one of these days. :) After all, I always like a crowd with me while I am teaching.

Talking about Train and Smile, this week we focused on three separate themes from the past year: 1. LIFE, 2. HANG TIGHT, 3. REST.  With those themes, we used a “filled water bottle”, “2 coat hangers” and a “couch pillow”. Because my wish to you all is: “Enjoy your LIFE in 2023 and HANG TIGHT for any surprises that might come up on your way.  And make sure to REST your body”…. And here is a quick workout by using those three tools.  We will be using the Pillow for our Warm-up, the Hangers for the Legs and the Filled Water Bottle for the Core/Arms.  I hope you will enjoy…

Happy New Year to you all!

I am Thankful!

I can’t believe that November is already over.  It feels as if it was just last weekend that we did all the Halloween craziness.

Despite how fast it went by, November was one emotion-filled month, especially the 6th.  That day, I started my morning at 5:50am, watching my brother getting engaged to his love.  I had plenty of “tears of joy”, especially seeing the happiness on my brother’s face (as much as I could see over an iPhone screen).Then on that same day, around 8pm, Derek and I found out that we lost a very dear friend, totally unexpectedly.  The “tears of sadness” didn’t hit until a few days later and didn’t stop for days…

as i say “goodbye” to our dear friend, who loved being in that water….

November tested the “fear” in me, the fear of life being too short and unexpected! Luckily, very quickly, I wanted to turn that fear into something positive, because, after all, who would want to live in fear!  I used that fear to calm (and slow) myself down a little: Life is too short and unexpected TO STRESS OVER MINOR THINGS OR TO DELAY MOMENTS OF HAPPINESS.  With that new mindset, all of a sudden, the November weekends became even more pleasant than before.  A task that was not finished in the cabin became “OK”… Moments that were spent with friends became even more precious… Four of us squeezed in a queen size bed became cozier…

The magic of November, bringing Thankfulness to top of mind, worked yet again…. It was one roller coaster ride of emotions but at the end of the day, it all came to the fact that I am thankful for A LOT of things.  First and foremost, I am thankful for LOVE: the love that surrounds me, the love that fills my heart and the love that I want to give back.  I am thankful for my FAMILY: the one that raised me and the one that I created.  I am thankful for our COMMUNITY: the one that surrounds us, near or far.  And of course, I am thankful for my BODY: the one that allows me to be who I am.

It is easy to say “thank you” to anyone but not to your own body.  So for this month, I will share with you a workout that we did to “thank” our bodies in the midst of November.  Remember, at the end of the day, what keeps us up and moving is our body.  If your body needs a rest, LISTEN TO IT and LET IT REST.

Thank YOU for being a part of my community and thank you for taking good care of your BODY!

Your Team is Everywhere...

Look around… You are never alone!  I can guarantee you that there is always someone in your team, helping you “play” the game.  We might not always “win” the game but having a strong team makes us even stronger and smarter.

This month, the main focus in our “family of four” was the “team work”.  All the way down to Ela, we all have our roles - not openly stated but that we all know deep inside.  Because nothing is openly stated, sometimes, it is easy to loose sight to the team work.  That’s when constant reminders come in handy.  It is easy to feel alone and as if all the load is on YOUR shoulders.  That’s when it is time to lift the head up to see who is in the team with you.  You might be surprised to see your best teammate right next to you, ready to help you out.

I remember the days when I first started to play basketball - in 6th grade.  Initially, the moment I received the ball, I felt like I had to score.  But then, I realized that there is a whole team behind to help with scoring.  You don’t just take the ball and run for the basket (ok, sometimes you do but not always).  You look around and see who is closer to the basket and in a safe spot.  That’s when you pass the ball and then you get to another position to either take the rebound or to help with the shot.  The game is, basically a, continuous cycle of support.  After all that’s what a good team does - continuous cycle of support.

Since we have the theme of “team” this month, I thought that a “teamed-up” workout would be the best way to go!  Here are couple moves to do with another friend, teammate.

Warm-up:

• Satellite runs - This might bring some fun memories of Embarcadero Street for those of you who used to join me on Thursday nights for an Urban BootCamp class.

Start jogging side by side with a “teammate”

Let the person on the left to satellite around the teammate by running in front then to the right side of the teammate, then behind and back to the left side.

Once the person on the left side completes a full round around the teammate, the right teammate does the same work but towards left

Do it around a block.

Leg:

• Single Legged Squats

Start facing the teammate

Bend the right knees and lift the left legs off the ground

Make sure to support your teammate with balance as you come down to a single leg squat on the right leg

Gently come back up again

Do 12 squats per leg

Arm/Core:

• Partner Plank - this is another one that we used to do both in Tuesday and Thursday BootCamp classes.

Get into a plank position, head to head to with your teammate

Give each other a “high five” with the right hand while holding the plank

Then give each other a “high five” with the left hand

Keep going for 20 “high five”s in total.

You can either integrate these moves into your workout routine or have a quick workout with your teammate by using all three moves. :) And if you need more, just message me so that I can give you more moves to enjoy.

Big High Five to those of you who keep the head up when “playing” the game Your teammate is eager to help you!.  Don’t forget a teammate can be anyone around you, even a 4 year old! :)

My little helper…

hidden but always there!

When a teammate wants to reach to the sky, we do everything to bring it down to his reach!

and here is one strong team!

Mind in Sports

Every sport requires some form of strategy, before you attack it.  For example, when it comes to running, you decide what path to take and you consider the hills, the stairs, the flats accordingly.  You generally have a “strategy” on how to run it.  That being said, you don’t need to think through your strategy too deeply, each and every time.  However, there are certain sports that you heavily rely on that strategy to succeed.  I, recently, got myself into one of those sports - rock climbing.

It is amazing to learn this new sport along side with my kids.  We are focusing predominantly on bouldering so that we can establish a strong technique.  For those of you who might not be familiar with climbing, bouldering means that you climb without a rope.  Once the rope is removed, it is all about you and the wall - nothing to rely on but your hands and feet (and of course your mind).  The path that is laid out for you looks like a maze with multiple solutions.  There is no right or wrong, but there is easy and VERY hard based on the path you pick.  Each challenge requires you to stop and think.  Initially it looks easy - just follow the same colors.  However, you, very quickly, realize that if you don’t strategize on your path before hands, you most likely fail.  Patience combined with your calm mind becomes your best friend and the ticket to the “finish”.

it takes courage but once you know your strategy, the path is easier

no one can tell that he has fear of heights!

As I am working on improving my skills every week, I realize how similar most of my sports are…. Both freestyle windsurfing and mountain biking require the same patience and the mind.  If I just go for a move, in windsurfing, without thinking it through, I end up in the freezing cold waters of the bay.  If I just go down on a hill with my bike without picking my line, I end up on the gravel and dust, with bleeding arms and legs (if I am lucky).  No wonder, most of my fellow windsurfers are also mountains bilker and/or rock climbers.  It is very clear what attracts me when I pick a sport - the strategy (and the adrenaline).

And this is exactly why, I absolutely love teaching my classes or training people.  The strategy is there, every single time.  And somehow the adrenaline is there too, even though what we do in class is far removed from being dangerous.  The adrenaline is there to anxiously see how you feel the results of my training.

One of our more recent classes, focused on the theme of “fall”.  Our tool was a “can of soup/legumes”.  Given the cylinder shape and the light weight, my strategy was working on the balance for the lower body and the obliques for the core.  I created moves that would work on our obliques even when we were working on the legs, which reinforced the balance factor of the lower body.   It was a fun Saturday, let’s see what you think:

https://youtu.be/MFxVkG0F7kI

As we enter the month of October, brace yourself because the time will continue to fly by.  Have the time to stop and think for what’s ahead, and create that strategy to bring you to the “finish” of the particular path.  Our paths and challenges are unlimited, and there is no “one correct” way of completing them.

A big high five to you for constantly bringing your patience and mind together!

he knows exactly where to touch before he even starts running…

Upside down fun - executed with strategy too! look how their hands are placed. :)

Big picture vs. Close up

Finding the balance between looking at the big picture and getting lost in the detail is a work of art AND it is not easy to master.

This month, Derek and I were able to stick to a Sunday morning routine of mountain biking, up in Tahoe.  Most of you already know what happens when I start biking regularly… I start to use A LOT of biking analogies in my blogs! So, this month’s inspiration was totally from my biking…

We have discovered a great “flow” trail in Sugar Bowl.  However, in order to get to it, you need to climb about 900 feet within 1.4 miles with 11% average grade.  Not to mention you are already about 7000 feet above water… Basically, it is not an easy climb.  You certainly have the BIG picture in front of you as you start climbing and then comes the CLOSE-UP view when you look right in front of your tire, with the gravel and the slippery surface. Which would motivate you better? The giant hill ahead? Or the slippery surface right in front? Here is what I have decided to use - the mid way between the two.  Looking just a little further ahead from my tire helped me mentally.  I didn’t need to stare at the upcoming hills, constantly or worry about the loose rocks right in front of me.  I looked far enough to know where I was going with less detail to worry about.

About half way up… you see the building that i point at? that’s the start!

And the hill ahead…. you can’t even see the top.

Both the big picture and the underlying details are key to know, to succeed but I do feel like there is a mid way point that creates the comfort and the direction: Knowing both, you can pick a better “line” to travel to the top of the mountain.  Of course, this is much easier to accomplish with my bike, but neither work nor life is any different.  Let’s think about life… On a daily basis we all deal with A LOT of “details”.  So much so that we might actually loose sight of the big picture.  In a time like that, how do YOU feel if you take a moment to breathe and think about the “week” as opposed to the “day”? Personally, I feel a little bit more relaxed.  Especially if I am having a hard day, it helps me to look beyond just the “day”.  For me, the big picture in life is a little too broad to relax me, so finding a closer target definitely helps me to level set with the craziness of the one day.

Let’s, now, take this same concept to fitness…. The big picture can easily be “being in better shape”.  The details can be “doing bicep curls with 40lbs for 4 sets of 20 each”…. Your arms are tired and your hands are hurting from holding the dumbbells…. It is important to look just far enough to see the better line.  Is how you are working out within the line of a healthy workout routine, which will eventually help you reach to the big picture? It is important that we don’t work out just to workout.  Rather, there is a plan to follow so that we can effectively reach our big picture goal.

This month I will not provide a workout.  Instead, I will give you the opportunity to reach out to me if you would like to talk about your workout routines.  If you create that “mid way point”, between the big picture and the close-up, you will get to your goal faster and easier.

High five to all of us as we try to find the “line to the top of the mountain”…

grow up but not too fast, PLEAse…

Our Kids, Our Mirrors

It is amazing to watch how much our kids absorb from us (the parents) and from their surrounding.  They then reflect it back just like a giant mirror.  Sometimes I am excited to look at that mirror, as if I’m watching myself in a new dress.  And other times, it is hard to look at it, as if I’m looking at my unwanted body parts. I am a firm believer of being who I am in front of my kids - my happiness, my anger, my sadness… all represent ME.  Even if I try I can’t change so why cover it for them.  By being my pure self in front of them, I am learning a lot about my “reflection” - some parts I like and some I don’t, just like my relationship with an ordinary mirror.

Couple days ago, my daughter found my old blackberry phone (I actually never knew how to use it and luckily few weeks into my job, my company decided to move to iPhones).  And as always, she immediately started to play her pretend games in her own world of imagination.  Few minutes later, she turned to me and said, in Turkish, that she has a “meeting”.  I acted as if I was not surprised and I asked her how long it would take.  She said that it would be a short call.  Once the “call” was over, I asked her how it went.  And she said that she would need to have that “meeting” again.  I was cracking up through out the conversation because that’s usually how I tell them that I have a “meeting”.  My work is all about “calls” and with the pandemic, that became a norm in our house.  Both of the kids understand that I have my meetings, whether they respect it or not.  At least, this one was one of those reflections in the mirror that wasn’t hard to look at.  It was the reflection of a working mom.

The reflection gets harder to look at when the kids get frustrated like I do.  When things don’t go the way I expect or I want, I do get frustrated and I show it.  Not the best example for the kids, especially since they spend a lot of time with me…  As I look into that reflection, I am coming up with ways, first, to calm them when they get frustrated and then using those tricks on myself.  One thing that I have realized that they also reflect on those calming moments.  The other day, I was frustrated on something very unimportant.  Kaya came up and asked me why I was frustrated and then explained to me why I didn’t need to get frustrated with such a small thing.  My mirror… worked well…

Mirrors reflect what is really there, regardless of our perception of how we look at it.  For example, I can look at the mirror and see all the whites (gray) in my hair.  The reality is that my whites are there.  However, how I perceive them might not be the same as someone else would perceive them.  Therefore, it is key for me to separate the fact from the perception so that I can use what I see correctly.  With that, let’s bring the “fact” into our workout.

Most of you know that I am very picky when it comes to the correct form.  Therefore, for this month’s workout, I will talk about only two moves and leave it to you to see the “fact”.  You will need a MIRROR!

Move 1: Slow Squat Pulses

• Turn your side to the mirror and come down to your best squat position

  • Where is butt relative to your body? It needs to be way out, away from your feet

  • Where are your knees? They need to be right over your ankles, meaning way behind your toes

  • How is your chest? It needs to be upright, looking ahead

• Once you get your butt, your knees and you chest in position, turn towards the mirror keeping your squat

  • Now, where are your knees? Again, they need to be inline with your ankles, which means they shouldn’t be leaning in.

  • How far apart your legs? They should be wider than hips width apart, narrower than shoulder width apart

  • Where are your toes? They should be facing straight ahead - not to the sides like a ballerina

• Now that you are in the perfect form:

  • Come straight up

  • Hold for 1 second

  • Come back down to that perfect squat, watching yourself in the mirror

  • Hold for 5 counts

  • Repeat for 10 times

Move 2: Forward Lunge Step

• Turn your side to the mirror

• Keep your feet under your hips

• Step your right leg all the way forward into a lunge

  • Where is your right knee? It needs to be on top of your right ankle, way behind your toes

  • Where is your body? It needs to be right in between both legs, NOT leaning forward or back

  • Where is your core (abs + chest)? Upright and facing forward

  • Where is your left knee? Behind you, bent almost 90% angle, knee NOT touching the floor

• Once you get the correct form, step the right leg back to the starting position WITHOUT any stutter steps

• Repeat on the right side 10 times and then switch to the left side to repeat 10 times

Repeat Move 1 and then Move 2, 3 times.

These two moves will help you to get moving as the first thing in the morning, as long as you do them correctly, by watching the “facts” on the mirror!

A big high five to you from me if you can look at your reflection without fear…

My perfect reflection - taking pictures with my phone

she is one the phone (comb) and busy…

Best reflection of all - the fact is the smile!!!

Diet or Lifestyle?

What does weight loss mean to you, look slimmer or be healthy? Have you ever dieted? Or have you changed your lifestyle to keep a healthy weight? Do you even need to loose weight?

For those of you who know me, you know that I am more of a promoter for a lifestyle change when it comes to weight loss as opposed to intermittent dieting.  However, I also understand that there is a convenience factor of following a program for a limited period of time until a goal is achieved.  In that case, the type of the program, how suitable it is for someone’s life and how accessible it is are also very important.

The challenge is that every day the definition of “healthy food” changes based on the trends, and, in a way, politics.  What was deemed to be very unhealthy back in the time, can be promoted as VERY healthy today.  And based on those trends, new diets emerge for weight loss.  Some rely too heavily on the trends and others focuses more on the science.  As I have been working on and off on my nutritionist certification for the last decade, I have gained more knowledge on the science part of things, which helps me understand which diets are actually healthy and which ones just end up in water weight loss.

Here are couple tips to consider while looking at any diet plans:

1. Understand the logic behind the program: Is the explanation of how the weight is lost makes sense?

2. Stay away from any diet that relies on a TOO QUICK of a fix

3. Consider what you are asked to eat: Is there a special emphasis on a certain type of food? Is there a limitation on a certain type of food? If so, WHY?

4. Listen to your body carefully when/if you start a diet: Are you feeling tired or energized? Is your body achy or strong? Is your sleep affected?

5. Think about what to do after the diet: Will you be able to sustain your weight? Does the diet provide you with long term tips?

And here are some key principles that we follow in our household for a healthy lifestyle:

1. Stay away from processed food: longer the ingredient list further away it stays from our house. :)

2. No Refined Sugars (like cane sugar): maple syrup and raw honey are our best friends.

3. Keep water close by at all times: the first sign of thirst feels like hunger so first drink water as opposed to snacking on whatever you find

4. Balance meals with protein and carbs: you need carbs to send the protein to the muscles so make sure to pair them at ALL times.

5. Eat frequently in small and balanced portions: food is your fuel so try to eat every 3-4 hours.

6. Listen to your body: every “body” is different so reconsider your carb to protein ratio if you feel unenergized. Rule of thumb: if you tend to forget to eat, carbs will satisfy you more than protein so consider to have more vegetables with your protein.

Big thanks to my brother for inspiring my blog this month.  He thought I didn’t approve the fact that he was dieting but once I realized that he followed all the tips I provided above, without even knowing about those tips, I was very impressed with his efforts.  I know that he will get to his goal in no time and that he will be able to sustain a healthier eating pattern after his diet is over. Big high five to him for taking the leap to an healthier weight management. :)

Our body is what we have to survive.  Just like you wouldn’t fill your car with bad gasoline, don’t fill your body with bad fuel!

full month of june with my family in turkey

long family hikes is a part of healthy living - grandpa and the grandkids

here is a healthy dinner - everything is made with pure ingredients, nothing processed, nothing with refined sugars

Stand Up Tall

Has anyone ever taken your picture while you are not aware? For me, it has happened many times but almost all of them were while I was turned to the camera.  Couple weeks ago, I saw a picture of me from the side as I was standing with the kids, looking into a pond.  What I saw was a moment of awakening… NO… it was NOT my belly.  I am well aware of THAT… It was my very poor stance.

Prior to the kids, I was known for my good stance.  After the kids, things changed a little - and I knew it.  I just never realized how bad it had gotten - at least for my standards. I relied on my Baby K-tan for almost 3 years with each kid- total of about 5.5 years… It is absolutely the most wonderful feeling to have your baby right on your chest at all times.  I would not change anything about that.  However, one thing that I should have paid attention to was my stance when I was NOT carrying them in front of me.  My shoulders stayed rolled forward and my back was hunched at the top, as if I was trying to hide my chest.  Over the years, that became the comfortable form and it felt right.  Until I saw my picture….

Since then I am standing tall - shoulders pulled back, chest opened up and my back is straight. I actually feel refreshed.  As soon as I find/feel myself hunched, I stand tall, tuck my butt and stomach in and feel good about myself.

So what do we need to stand up tall? Do you remember how your doctor measures your height? You put your heels against the wall, suck your stomach slightly in so that you can get an addition 1/8 of an inch, you bring your upper back against the wall and you look straight ahead, as if your head is a table top.  There you have it… you stand up tall!  Clearly, you can’t be in that position every single minute but what you can do is that you can start with your shoulders and see if you are hunching them forward or keeping them lifted up.  For those of you, who have been with me in my classes, you know that we carry our daily stress in our shoulders.  The moment we relax them we let go of some of that stress. So now it is the same first step with standing up tall.  Here is a quick routine to get them moving:

1. SHOULDER ROLLS BACK: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, arms right next to you body, dangling down. Squeeze your butt and tuck your belly button towards your spine. Roll your shoulders back. With each roll, open your chest and bring your shoulder blades together. (x10)

2. SHOULDER SHRUGS: Keep your stance from #1. Bring your shoulders up closer to your ears and then push them down as far away as possible from your years. (x10)

3. BACK PRESS w/ FRONTAL HOLD: Keep your stance from #1. Bring your arms parallel to the ground, and arms in front of the body. While keeping the arms parallel to the ground bring your shoulder blades together. [arms will move slightly to the sides as you push your shoulder blades together] (x10)

4. WALL SQUAT HOLD: Put your back against a wall and come down to a squat. Make sure that your shoulder blades and your lower back touch the wall. Put your arms next to your body with the palms touching the wall while the arms are straight. As you hold the squat, lift the arms forward to make them parallel to the ground and to your quads. Move the arms back to the starting position. (x10)

Repeat all for 3 full rounds

I would highly recommend to do these moves watching yourself on a mirror so you see what your shoulders are doing.  Don’t look stressed, looked relaxed! ;)

Let’s Stand Up Tall…

THANKS to this pond at Jones gulch, for the wake-up call!

kids already have that natural, good stance. (this picture was for the hair do) :)

I stood up Tall during my very first night time out with friends over the last 8 years. (thanks to 4-inch heels)

Daisies

Do you know how strong those beautiful, white and fragile looking flowers are?  Have you ever walked in a field full of daisies when there is no sun? I think, daisies can be a great symbol of resilience. Once the sun goes down, they all close up and if you are not paying attention they look just like grass.  Even if you step on them, they still find the strength to open back up once the sun comes out.

can you spot the Daisies?

How about now? It is the same field just a few hours later…

Thanks to daisies, it is a great reminder that a new day is a fresh new beginning.  No matter what happens the day before, it is important to find the strength to welcome the new day.  And, of course, if you can do it with the elegance and the beauty of daisies that is even a bigger plus.  

This month, I was able to enjoy the surprises of each day more than some of the other months.  I was able to deal with every day stresses and put them behind for the next day - at least, for more days than usual.  By doing so, I was able to embrace some of the unexpected surprises of each day much better.  For example, in the middle of a snow storm, when visibility was close to being non-existent, Kaya wanted to ski more with ME. The laughters we had, even after big crashes, were amazing.  I would have never thought that I would ever love to be out on the slopes in these conditions. But I did… thanks to Kaya… 

this is mid-april!

As I look back at April, I think we had a lot of fun… The kids finished their first season of Ski Team with big smiles and new friends.  We all closed up the Ski Season with a big Tiki party.  Derek was able to skim through a pond on his skis without getting wet! :) I managed to have my first business trip without any tears! Kids finally attended a birthday part during the ONE weekend that we are at home. In overall, we fully enjoyed the new day, like the daisies…

yet again, ending ski season in style!

Now… Let’s get back to being HEALTHY on that new day… Over the last two years, I have been focusing on resilience and building strength through the use of every-day household items.  And we do it with a SMILE. Since this month marks the 2nd year anniversary, I would like to share one of our class videos from this month. Few weeks ago, as we were focusing the theme of “Lounge”, we used sweatpants. I am pretty sure that everyone has some sort of sweatpants at home.  So for this workout, pick up YOUR sweatpants and be ready to have fun: 

https://youtu.be/v3QT0ssD1Oo

I hope you are waking up to the first day of May with a fresh outlook, just like a daisy. Big High Five for your every day resilience.

Four Balance Points

Wow, what a month?! Just flew by… Started on a sad note when we left my parents at SFO after a month and now the month is coming to an end on a high note as I get ready to drive from Joshua Tree to Tahoe with the kids.  After all, it is all about that balancing act of high and low notes.

Kids and I left Derek behind (balancing act of life) as we drove to Joshua Tree for Spring Break, to meet with friends.  If you don’t know, Joshua Tree is part of the high desert (NOT dessert) of California, which means it is at an elevation of ~4500 feet and it is a breath taking place - especially if you are with friends who know all the cool hikes. ;)

Our first day consisted of a 7.4 mile hike with 3 kids, ages 7,6 and 4.  And they all did a GREAT JOB.  Today, we did the Rattlesnake Canyon, which is rated as a “difficult” hike, with those 3 and they ROCKED again!  As I was trying to be calm watching my kids climbing over boulders to make it to the top, I thought about the importance of balance.  Balance is way beyond staying on one foot and not falling.  It is the independence…. When kids learn how to walk, they don’t need their parents’ hands anymore.  The key thing is to have all your balance points ready to catch if the floor beneath you slips. 

As we were doing some semi-difficult climbs, I kept telling the kids “four balance points”, meaning the hands and the feet.  I didn’t want them to be carrying anything on their hands or keeping asking for my hand.  Of course, my hand, arms and everything else were there to help them in the really tricky spots but otherwise, I wanted them to see that once they have their “four balance points” ready to catch, they were safer.  It worked (at least for the majority of the time)! I explained to them that if they are holding my hand, it takes away one balance point from each one of us.  As a result, we might easily put each other at risk.  

Once we came up with the “four balance points” rule, we ALL worked on our planks, most of the time. :) Ela certainly mastered the use of her all fours to go over rocks that were 10 times of her size (or bigger).

Given how much fun we had with this new rule, I decided that it would be good to come up with a fun, quick routine of “Four Balance Points”. I know that not everyone has access to giants boulders to practice the rule but we all have a flat ground to develop those balancing skills.  First of all, find yourself a somewhat open clear floor space - garden or park would also work.  Then try the following drills:

1. Plank side step: Start with a hand plank stand (hands under shoulder, butt down, lower back up, legs straight ). Lift right hand up slightly to move it one step to the right, then follow with right foot, then left hand and left foot. Move 3 steps to the right and then 3 steps to the left to get back to the starting point. Repeat for 3 times.

2. Crab side walk: Start with a table top position with stomach facing towards the ceiling/sky. Drop the butt lower down but don’t touch the ground. Lift right hand up slightly to move it one step to the right, then follow with the right foot, then left hand and left foot. Move 3 steps to the right and then 3 steps to the left to get back to the starting point. Repeat for 3 times.

3. Plank walks: Start with a hand plank stand. Move hands one step forward withOUT moving the butt up, then move the feet forward keeping the legs straight. Move 3 steps forward and then 3 steps back. During the step backs, initiate the movement with the feet and then follow with the hands. Through out the move, DO NOT move your butt up. Repeat for 3 times.

4. Crab walks: Start with a table top position with stomach facing towards the ceiling/sky. Drop the butt lower down but don’t touch the ground. Move hands one step forward, towards your feet withOUT moving the feet, then move the feet away from the hands. Move 3 steps forward and then 3 steps back. During the step backs, initiate the movement with the feet by moving the feet closer to the hands and then moving hands away from the feet. Through out the move, KEEP your butt down without touching the ground. Repeat for 3 times.

5. REPEAT moves 1-4 3 times.

Let’s get all our Balance Points activated all the time so we can be independent when going over BIG hurdles.  Since you have already done it at some point in your lives - BIG HIGH FIVE to you all!

can you spot the parking lot? this was already on the way down!

Even grown ups had to fit through there - using all fours

Can you spot Kaya using all fours?

Pressure of Expectations

How many of you started watching Olympics on 2/3? It was certainly addictive for our household, especially the Alpine Skiing.  We even managed to get my dad and my mom into it.  Now, they know all about the 4 main disciplines of Alpine Skiing and they are still having a hard time comprehending the speeds.  

Being such a big Alpine Skiing family, we, of course, had our favorites.  And we made sure not to listen to any news prior to watching the events (recorded).  Like most of you who were following Alpine Skiing events, we also had our surprises.  We watched our favorites missing gates, crashing and/or not finishing events.  We watched one of them sitting on the side of the hill, delaying the inevitable action of facing the media.  That’s when I started to think about this month’s title - Should it be about the disappointment? Or should it be about the failure? Or should it be about the pressure?

Well, disappointment is too harsh and failure is not necessarily true…. Who am I to be disappointed of someone’s performance that I don’t even know personally?  And is missing a gate a “FAILURE”? I think it is a mistake, a fluke or a slip but not a failure.  Finally, let’s think about the “pressure”… These elite athletes live and, most likely, thrive with the pressure of their own expectations from themselves.  For them, that pressure is most likely the fuel that powers them up.  However, I do think that there is a very fine line between the fuel that helps you move forward and the fuel that burns you down.  Most of these athletes are very good at finding the line and keeping themselves on the safer side.  As I read their social media posts, I can tell that their own expectations are already raised and they are aware of the pressure that those expectations put on them.  However, they also know how to deal with the pressure that comes from the audience - completely out of their control.  I want to believe that these athletes know, exactly how, to shut themselves off so the burning fuel will not enter their system FULLY.  

Now let’s take this pressure into our own lives… We also set certain thresholds for ourselves, at every age.  When we don’t achieve it we get upset but, hopefully, we don’t give up trying.  More we try, better we get. “Practice makes it better”…. The trick comes in when we need to separate those two types of “fuels”.  What is too much? When does my fuel become harmful?  Is there a reset button? To be honest, I am still trying to find out the answers.  Everyday, I have certain expectations for myself.  When I don’t meet those expectations, I feel like I am suffocating, but at the end of the day, “I” decide on those expectations.  I try to reset (by taking deep breath) and create a new path to my expectations.  The moment I forget to reset, that’s when things turn upside down.  This month was definitely a great one to exercise my reset button.  I was able to give myself a break with the “train and smile recaps” to be able to focus on my parents more.  Right now, I am 6 classes behind and I don’t have my game plan yet.  But I know that I will be able to catch up because I have a healthy pressure on me (solely created by me).

without that fuel, I wouldn’t have made it down this hill on my skis (I’ve been skiing for 1.5 seasons)

Thanks to that pressure, I am in front of my computer every last day of the month, typing these blogs so that I will meet my own expectations.  Tonight though, I will give myself a break on the workout routine.  Instead, I will give you a different assignment that you can do ANYWHERE/EVERYWHERE…. Think about some of those pressures that you can actually hit the reset button.  Don’t forget, the fuel is to move you forward, not to burn you.  If you are feeling as if you are burning, then take your deep breath and reassess your expectations.  Can you find that healthy balance between the two fuels?  I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Big High Five to those of you who can manage the fuel! 

Yes… Derek is up on the podium because he knows how to control his fuel (2nd place in Banked slalom)

This is my reason to take a deep breath and hit “reset”

don’t forget to reset!

Positively POSITIVE

After a peaceful start of the New Year, the first month went a little crazy… When we get so used to a routine, even a small derailing makes it feel like everything is upside down. The key is to have fun when we are upside down.  

On 1/11, both Derek and I tested POSITIVE with COVID.  I had NO symptoms or a reason to think that I had COVID.  But we had the luxury of couple in home tests handy.  Derek wanted to be able to tell his company that he is feeling a little under the weather (just tiredness) but he doesn’t have COVID (since he didn’t have fever or body aches or anything else).  Therefore he conveniently used one of our in-home tests.  We were shocked to see his “double” lines.  I immediately started to get ready to send him down to the basement for isolation.  Since we had another spare test, I decided to test first to make sure that I am negative.  Within first few seconds, my second line was already apparent!! I was POSITIVE too with NO symptoms.  I picked the kids off of their schools right away and they both tested negative.  It was great news for them but that would also meant that we would need to isolate from them at home.  For those of you who know me well, I am very close with my kids - kissing and hugging is an every minute task!!  Having double masks at home, not eating food with the kids, constantly sanitizing any surface we touched, not giving them a good night hug or a kiss… NO FUN!  On 1/13, both of the kids also tested POSITIVE.  And guess what?! They had the biggest smile on their faces when they tested positive because they realized that they would be able to kiss and hug us!!!  That I call, POSITIVELY POSITIVE!  We were lucky not to have, almost, any symptoms.  

Here is a positive outlook during isolation!

We still don’t know how and when we got it.  Given how isolated we have been living for the last 2 years, it is hard to blame it on anything we do routinely.  It took us 10 days to clear the kids and get a negative test.  And during that time, we certainly missed our trips up to Tahoe.  However, the silver lining was that we were able to enjoy home and staying put.  We cuddled as much as we wanted and we enjoyed some delivery food for a change. :)

And on Kaya’s 7th birthday, 1/24, we were officially in the clear with our NEGATIVE tests.  I am still in shock that our son is now 7!  It was like last month that I announced his birth.  That means this blog has been around for over 7 years - kind of crazy.

Birthday boy, on his birthday, after school!

To top it all of, my Train and Smile theme of the week for the week of 1/10 was a “Fresh Start” where we used “cloth masks” as our tool.  In the middle of an isolation from the kids, a cloth mask came in very handy.  The bummer is that the “fresh start” theme was supposed to focus on removing the masks sometime in 2022.  Now, instead of removing, we are doubling the masks to a point there is NOT fresh air (let alone a start). :)

Here are couple moves to get your lungs going:

• Put on your mask and do jumping jacks for 30 seconds

• Keep the mask on and do mountain climbers for 30 seconds

• Keep the mask on and do burpee’s for 30 seconds

• Take the mask off for 10 seconds

• Repeat the first 4 moves 5 times

• Cover your eyes with the mask and lift your right leg off the ground (keeping the leg in front but not touching the ground) for 30 seconds

• Keep the mask on and switch legs for 30 seconds.

• Take the mask off for 10 seconds

• Repeat the last three for 5 times.

We hope that if you ever end up meeting COVID, it will be as gentle to you as it has been to us.

Big high five for finishing the first month of 2022 on a higher note.

Here is our COVID POSITIVE family!

Take a Deep Breath

YOU have made it… another crazy year. And I hope you have made it with a big smile and a pat on your back.

The month of December was all about “go go go”… I realized that one thing I forgot to do most of the days was to take a deep breath and pause for a few seconds.  Now that it is sinking in that we are ending the year, I am sitting on a chair and taking my deep breath.  The house is quiet with kids being asleep and there is a sliver of comfort in that on going “need-to-finish-that” mentality.  It has been such a busy month that I managed to fall behind on everything that I try to stay on top! And now, it is almost 2022 and I am trying to catch up.  That’s why that one deep breath is VERY important to take. 

THis is when i needed to take a deep breath and let them go to town! (Cleaning can wait)

This month’s rush and hurry, actually, did a great job summing up the entire year for us.  We managed to keep our selves busy while isolating as much as possible.  We found comfort in our trusted circle of friends when we were able to hang out like normal people.  Derek and I were able to enjoy a date night for a change and two grown-ups-only dinners with friends. Kids continued to adapt to our constantly “going” lifestyle… They travelled to Turkey with me and did a great job in 13-hour flights - not to mention a paranoid mom double masking them the entire way!  

Last year’s theme of earning and adapting didn’t change much.  This year, we ended up settling into what we have learned from last year and then getting used to more changes.  For example, as remote kindergarten became hybrid for the last 6 weeks of the school year, I had to adapt to letting Kaya go! All that complaining about trying to teach him a language that is not even native to me, went out the door.  I missed him A LOT when he was at school but then got used to that too. We, humans, adapt very quickly!

As of today, I have taught 105 Train and Smile classes in 2021.  I was able to teach the classes from different parts of the US and also the world!  We manage to have 50 unique participants join and we used 51 different household items to work out with.  Most importantly, though, I have captured 105 “smile captures” at the end of each session.  From being a YMCA Boot Camp community, we have grown into a VERY BIG family (with sore muscles :)).  We even welcome two babies  to the group, where the moms were able to come back to the class 8 weeks after their deliveries (not the mention both of those moms took the classes all the way to their due dates)!!

I feel like, tough times will always be there to test us, what’s important is to take that deep breath and move forward, hopefully with a smile.  Looking at all those “smile captures”, I know that it is in all of us, to be able to smile after a tough day (or a workout).  So with that, I will give you the same challenge from last year’s blog:

* Find a pen/pencil

• Put it in your mouth where the pen/pencil is parallel to the ground and the ends are sticking out from the sides of your mouth

• Lean your back on the wall and come down to a wall squat where your knees are at a 90 degree angle

• Hold your squat for 30 seconds with the pen/pencil in your mouth

• Once you are down take the pen/pencil out of your mouth and check your face in the mirror.

• Are you smiling? ;)

I wish you all a wonderful 2022 filled with health, strength and happiness…I am ready to take my big breath for this new year and all it has stored for us. I hope you are too.

smiles of gratitude

You survived another crazy year and for that a big high five to you!

ending the year with in a torchlight parade - couldn’t have asked for more… (skiing at night with torches in hands down the slopes)