I turn 26 in December. I’ve met people who call me an old soul. I’ve heard friends tell me, ” you’re one in a million.” I believe that I’m succumbing to the refining process that life requires of me.

Over the past year I’ve dealt with my share of personal issues. I’ve had good days and I’ve had bad days- I bet a few readers can relate? There have been days where my diet was good and days when my diet was not so good. The same goes for my exercise habits.

When you go through hard times- life doesn’t stop to allow you to deal with your issues. Life presses on and I guess we as humans learn to press on too.

I wanted to write this post to inform my readers of how I incorporate exercise into life- when I am going through hard times:

Whenever I am having hard times, I always try to get as much sun as I can each day. This is especially good heading into the “flu season,” to keep your immune system strong and your body’s supply of vitamin D levels high.

I’ve had hard times before when it was hard for me to eat, sleep, etc. I have found that moving, exercising, meditating, etc. daily helps to “get things moving,” and is enough stimulus to allow the body to operate in a manageable way. Exercising during these times is critical for stress management. Like I said above; life doesn’t stop just because you are having hard times. So to manage the stress of your life, work, etc. – use exercise as your “release.” You don’t want to take out your stress on someone in your life, because you have pent of energy that needs somewhere to go.

Some routines that I have been doing:

#1:

couch stretch

jump stretch band shoulder mobilization

row 500m

work up to a heavy back squat: 4-5 sets x 5-3 reps

work up to a heavy press: 4-5 sets x 5-3 reps

foam roll cool down

#2:

75 minute Bikram Yoga Session

#3:

foam roll warm up

row 500m

every minute on the minute, alternating:

16 kg kb swing (only on first set) x 25 swings

max set pull ups

20 kg kb swing x 25 swings

max set dips

24 kg kb swing x 25 swings

cool down

#4:

foam rolling

lacrosse ball rolling

jump stretch band stretching

mobility

#5:

calisthenics warm up

purmotion renegade workout

cool down

#6:

couch stretch warm up

work up to heavy overhead squat: 4-5 sets x 5-3 reps

bear crawls

crab walks

foam roll cool down

#7:

foam roll warm up

mini band matrix

swiss ball matrix

dynamic warm up

mobility drills

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”    – Hippocrates

Once I have primed my body for an ample re-feed through exercise, I am ready for quality nutrition. I will quote my good friend Cris Mills & “Surf Strength Coach.” Cris always says, “healthy nutrition begins with eating real food.”

Lately I have been enjoying the slow cooker or crock pot.

I will throw in some pre-marinated, all natural pork & top it off with chopped organic garlic and apple sauce. I let that cook for 5 hours on low.

While that is going…..

I throw sliced sweet potatoes into the slow cooker with cinnamon & pasture butter. I also let that cook 3-5 hours on low. Occasionally I will throw some onions into the sweet potatoes.

For my grass fed beef, I will throw bacon into the cast iron skillet and brown the bacon. This will give me a greased pan so that I can cook the beef in the bacon grease. I will throw in organic shallots to get started cooking in the bacon grease. Then I will throw in the grass fed beef in with the shallots. Usually I will throw the grass fed beef in with potatoes and avocado.

With the theme of putting as much solid nutrition into your body that you can daily; I have been trying to get 2-3 kombucha drinks in me per week, as well as 1-2 fresh pressed, raw juices. Here is a “Sun Salutation” juice: 

I have been enjoying: BULLETPROOF COFFEE’S RECIPE

This recipe is the first addition to coffee that I have found- that actually makes coffee taste better!