Functional Fitness Guru

So excited to follow in my father’s footsteps and help children in need.
I am supporting Heart Gallery of Tampa because every child deserves a place to call home.
They are sponsoring a fundraising gala (Be Mine 2024) at Palma Ceia Country Club on Thursday, February 15th. Link below has tickets and sponsoring options.

https://heartgallerytampa.org/event/bemine2024/

💛🌻💛

love this!!!!

Fill yourself up. Cherish yourself. Love yourself. Go ahead. You deserve it.

1) 💧Stay hydrated💧- it is important to stay hydrated both before starting your workout and during! Taking a full bottle of water with you is crucial, and for sessions longer than 45 minutes, you may also want to consider sports drinks.🌊 ⛱
2) 👕Wear light clothing👚 - Choose moisture wicking material like synthetic blends. Also, check out bamboo. It is super soft, moisture wicking, light and breathable.. 🏖
3) ☀️🌞Don’t forget sunscreen☀️🌞- Opt for sunscreen with an SPF of at least 50 and one that is water-proof so that it doesn’t come off once you start sweating.✨
4) ⏰Timing is key⏱- 10am to 3pm is known for being the hottest time of the day. Try to workout either before or after this time slot.
5) 💦Knowing your limits💦- Remember to give yourself breaks if you start to feel nauseous, dizzy, or tired. If the summer heat is causing too much of a challenge, consider breaking up your workout routine into multiple smaller workouts.⛱

Walking to beautiful downtown Tampa for a date
night at Malio’s with a stop at the library. It may be a hot Florida day but heck, it’s a lot cooler than a lot of places in the country. Feeling blessed to live in such a beautiful place.

Love exercising outdoors like I do? That's great but just take a few precautions to make sure you don't get overheated and suffer from nasty things like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Here are a few tips to consider when exercising in the summer.

First LISTEN TO YOUR BODY...you will more than likely get fatigued faster than you do when you exercise in more moderate temperatures and your heart rate will rise more quickly. Don't ignore symptoms like muscle cramps, nausea, dizziness, headaches and extreme sweatiness.

Second, STAY HYDRATED...Drink even if you don't feel thirsty. Stay hydrated and remember that thirst isn't the only indicator that you need fluid. Don't wait until you get a headache or feel dizzy.

Third, When the heat index is high consider exercising before sunrise, after sundown or maybe indoors (possibly with a good view)
Second

Please come join me at the Florida Blue Center at 201 N. Westshore Blvd, Tampa for free fitness classes Saturday July 16 and July 23

9:30-10:00 Balanced Stretch 10:00-10:30 Low Impact Aerobics.

DM me if you have questions
I’d love to see you there💕😄.

Happy Fourth of July! I thought I would share some reminders to keep you, your family, and your friends safe on this holiday.
1) Never allow children to handle or go near fireworks.
2) For ground-based fireworks, spectating from at least 35 feet away is best. For aerial fireworks, you’ll want everyone to move back to a distance of around 150 feet.
3) While handling fireworks, make sure to keep your eyes protected.
4) Avoid being under the influence with fireworks- better to stay alert and sober for firework activities.
5) Don’t throw used fireworks directly in the trash. After your fireworks or sparklers successfully go out in a blaze of glory, soak the charred remains in a bucket of water. This prevents used fireworks from igniting other garbage and creating a safety issue.

Have a chocolate craving? Want a really healthy chocolate option?
Try this!

True love💕💕

These are so yummy!

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Routines can make a world of difference. Read this to see how simple changes made big differences in this college student's life.

Going into my first semester of college, I had various things to juggle such as work, school, and social life. I did not realize the importance of having a routine until I dealt with the feeling of being overwhelmed and stressed.
Investing in a planner was a must. I went to Office Depot and picked up a planner of my liking and started filling in my daily to-do list and important dates to remember. Writing out all these important things on paper automatically lifted this weight off my shoulders, as I now had a guide to get me through my day.
Having a mediation soundtrack to listen to de-stress and meditate with the little breaks I had in my day was a necessity. A soundtrack that has helped alleviate my mental stress while studying is the lofi hip hop music soundtrack on spotify. I would recommend lofi music to anyone whether it is to help you focus while you study or it is to help you meditate.
Having an automatic alarm set on my phone every morning to wake up at 8:30am was necessary for me to take time getting out of my bed and start getting ready for my day. Staying consistent with sleeping patterns prevent me from feeling groggy and instead, feel good about starting my day on the earlier side.
Incorporating a planner handy to write in daily, having a consistent alarm, and listening to meditation music on a daily basis are all things that changed my life as a college student.

We spend so much time in flexion. By that I mean sitting with our heads forward looking at a phone, tablet or computer . Balance is so important in every aspect of our lives. These exercises done daily can create balance in our bodies💕 Try them and let me know how you feel. DM me if you want me to do a quick video call to check your form (complimentary)

I had so much fun participating at the Florida Blue event last weekend. Starting in July I will be offering free low impact aerobics and stretch classes on Saturday mornings at their center at 201 N. Westshore Ave in Tampa. I’ll be back with details soon. DM me if you want more specific information.

Glorious day in Clearwater/Safety Harbor ! Started at Enterprise Dog Park. It’s 1/4 mile off leash heavenly loop with lots of fun and safe places for the pups to explore. Then we went to Anthony’s Coal fired Pizza and had a great outdoor meal with the pups. Pizza is my favorite so I enjoyed a salad (For those of you who know me and the way I order know I got dressing on the side LOL) And a yummy large piece of pizza It was worth every calorie. I always say it’s OK to eat fattening things as long as you eat them mindfully and make up for it with healthy eating the rest of the day and maybe the week depending on how bad you were lol.

This is delicious over a bed of organic greens or spinach! I throw in a few berries as well :) Let me know how you like it

👉COUNTERACT YOUR DAILY MOVEMENTS WITH SPECIFIC STRETCHING-
We all have certain movement and movement patterns that we repeat day in and day out. Maybe it is sitting with your head forward staring at a computer screen or maybe it is crossing one leg over the other for extended periods of time. These patterns, that we all have, cause certain muscles to get short and tight and others to become overly stretched and probably pretty weak. Then when we go the gym we often exacerbate the problem by favoring the stronger side. This can lead to severe muscle imbalances and back pain. Try “unwinding” your tight muscles by doing stretches that incorporate movements that are the opposite of your daily movements especially before going to the gym.
👉MOVE AROUND EVERY HOUR- When we sit for hours at a time our back can get tight. This is especially true because sitting causes our glutes to become weaker and our hip flexors to become tighter. This combination is notorious for causing back pain. You will be surprised at how helpful just getting up and walking around for one minute at a time can be when it comes to long term back health
👉PAY ATTENTION TO ACHES AND PAINS BEFORE THEY SCREAM AT YOU-When your body talks you need to listen! All too often we ignore minor aches and pains and then they become major aches and pain. No pain no gain may mean doing one more rep in good form, but it shouldn’t mean ignoring pain in your back as you perform the exercise. The first step in paying attention to pain is stretching and seeing which muscles are tight. Sometimes the tight muscles may be in a place other than where you feel the pain. And you may find that when you stretch those tight muscles that you didn’t even know were tight that your pain goes away.

🌞☀️Before I start working with a client I perform a back and a lifestyle assessment so I can be sure that they will get the most out of their workout program. First we need to unwind our bodies and bring them back into balance. Then we are set to hit it hard in the gym.

BEETS: Love them? Like them? What’s your favorite way to eat them?

🚀 They’re one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables on the planet – packing in a TON of benefits for the number of calories they contain.

They’re a great source of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), potassium, iron, manganese, and vitamin C.

Not only that but beets are loaded with inorganic nitrates, which can help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow.

💪 PLUS … when it comes to your workouts, they’re linked with better athletic performance, especially in endurance sports like running and cycling.

✅ TIP: most people toss the greens (leaves) … but they are DELICIOUS roasted, steamed, or stir-fried and sprinkled with a little apple cider vinegar.

Check out this recipe. It is one of my beet favs :)

REFERENCE
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/beetroot
www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/beetroot
www.justbeetit.com/beet-blog-index/10-incredible-health-benefits-of-beet-greens

These pictures were taken 30 years apart. Where the heck did the time go? Reminds me to appreciate every minute of every day. ♥️Thanks for the photos Barbara💕

These pictures are taken 30 years apart. Where the heck did the time go? It’s a great reminder for me to savor every minute💖💖💖 thanks for the photos Barbara💕