Kelley Rakow

Work isn't work when it's what you've been called to do. I absolutely love teaching, guiding, and supporting my clients to healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Thank you for supporting my work as a Life Coach with a nomination in this year's Coastal Style Magazine Best Of.

I'd appreciate your vote of as would all your favorite business, professionals, and providers.

My category "Life Coach" is located under "Healthcare".

Click the the link to cast your vote:

https://coastalstylemag.com/best-of-2022-worcester/ #/gallery?group=408288

HOW YOU DEFINE SUCCESS MUST LINE UP WITH "WHY".

For example, if you say to yourself,

"I am exercising 5 days a week for 30 minutes, 2 of them with a high intensity as a means to move the pent up anxiety out of my body, reduce stress, and sleep better," then get mad because you don't lose 5 pounds after upping your exercise game for a few weeks, your mind is confused.

You said "anxiety, stress, and sleep" & now you're frustrated about the scale not budging.

Huh??

The signals are crossed.

There is a disconnect.

Your mind is confused.

The weight won't fall off until all the systems of the body are working in harmony with one another - including your mind.
Whether reducing stress, adopting a new habit, losing midlife bodyfat, learning a new skill, or achieving a professional goal, CLARITY IS KEY.

To reduce frustration when seeking success, it's imperative to get clear from the onset.

The upfront work will be soooo worth it.

Your job is to dig deep and ask and ask until you figure out EXACTLY WHY you want something to be different.

Then, take steps in alignment with what you say you want.

Obstacles, challenges and struggle are part of life.

When they pop up, it is hard - really hard.

Sometimes, unbearably hard.

But what if all of the hard times, heart ache, and how-will-I-ever-make-it-through moments were FOR you?

What if hard was really your very own, well timed, perfectly placed growth opportunity?

Not lessons to be learned but growth expansion to be experienced.
Perhaps the difficult is there to guide you.

Perhaps unsettled feelings of discontent followed by disaster are really potent seeds of growth.

Perhaps the hard needs to happen so you CAN experience expansion now in preparation for what is ahead in the future.

So, if you are in it - whether it is related to health, money, work, a relationship, a big decision, a loss, wacky hormones, anxiety,... remember it is not here to pull you down but to lift you up!

Be encouraged.

Embrace the seed of hard.

Invite in the opportunity to grow.

Ask repeatedly, "How is this current experience expanding me?"

The world around you wants more of you more often and faster.

No amount of output will ever be enough.

At some point in most people's lives there comes a moment of declaration: "I am done."

Not in a give up, surrender kind of way but in the I-choose-not-to-participate-anymore-in-this-craziness kind of way.

From realization to actualization is a process.

Unlearning and relearning takes time, patience, and practice.

How about practicing a new way of thinking about Winter and restoration for the remainder of the season?

Lesson #1

You are part of nature.

Nature rests in winter.

Take a cue from nature.

Rest.

Stare at the ceiling in the middle of the night?

Wake up tired?

Not enough energy?

Yep. I've been there.

I spent the better part of my 40's waiting for daylight.

I found sleep exhausting!!

My experience was like soooo many others.

Shifting hormones in midlife and beyond challenge the beautiful balance your body longs to maintain.

You see, sleeplessness is a byproduct of unstable hormones amplified by midlife stress, anxiety, and health issues.

Lack of sleep night after night, month after month, year after year can lead to fatigue, anxiety, brain fog, sluggishness, joint pain, sudden weight gain, belly fat, tension headaches, ...

What to do?

One part of a multi-part strategy may seem counter-intuitive especially if you are walking around in a fatigue induced fog.

However, when you expend energy, you gain energy.

Pumping blood through your body, moving oxygen to each cell, circulating water, challenging the very foundation – your bones, moving in all directions, igniting your metabolism, and firing up your brain activates ALL systems in your body.

This process requires energy but once ignited, the body gives you back more than it takes.

Movement is key to sleep.

Exercise is instrumental in:
· Reducing stress
· Calming nerves
· Firing up metabolism
· Balancing hormones
· Increasing deep sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 10 minutes of exercise can boost sleep by 30%.

If you are currently getting 6 hours of sleep and improve it by 30%, that’s almost 2 more hours of sleep!!

That is HUGE!

Greater sleep quality and duration improves energy, fat loss, mood, brain function, and happiness.

Everyone deserves to experience all of these and more every, single, day!

Now is the perfect time become a regular exerciser.

If for no other reason, do it so you can get some sleep!

If you are woman in midlife and would like to start or resume regular exercise, I would love to chat with you about Wise Workouts for Midlife Woman, a virtual workout program that begins next week.

If you are a man and would like support around sleep, stress, or exercise, I can coach you too.

Send me a message or post in comments if you would like to explore how to establish an exercise program that works.

Truth: You were created for sooooo much more. Stress and dis-ease were not part of the plan.

Truth: You were created for a purpose for this exact moment in time - YOUR purpose; not someone else's.

Truth: When you let go of what is not yours to control, the life you were called to live is able to find you.

What do you need more of?

What do you need less of?

Now that you know, what's the next best step?

Do that.

Stress + Cortisol = Fat Storage

Read on for tips to reduce stress and shed the unwanted pounds.

What to do when Stress Shows Itself on the Scale | Creative Wealth Management What to do when Stress Shows Itself on the Scale Many of us gained some extra weight this year, and […]

If you are feeling the weight of the world closing in, then your stress meter is on red.

Stress is a silent killer.

It robs you of sleep, a healthy body weight, peace, and joy.
It wreaks havoc on your entire being.

One of THE BEST ways to manage stress is to exercise.

One of THE BEST ways to make sure you exercise is to be accountable.

One of THE BEST ways to be accountable is to have a workout buddy, hire a coach, or participate in a program.

As a Master Lifestyle Coach, I fully support the integration of regular movement into every program I create for my clients.

Exercise is essential for physical, emotional, and mental health.

If you are a man and would like to work with me as your coach, please send me a message.

If you are women and would like to work with me, check out the details below for an exciting new program just for midlife women!!

Recently, I created Wise Workouts for Midlife Women - a virtual exercise program for women who want to be fit and strong, healthy and less stressed out and NOT have to spend hours and hours working out.

Women in the prime of their lives don't need to be overrun by stress, exhaustion, and frustration.

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO:
☀️Get into a routine that works
☀️Gain lean muscle & improve bone density
☀️Lose unwanted fat & feel good in your clothes
☀️Reduce stress & sleep soundly
☀️Spend less time exercising and more time enjoying your favorite fall activities.
☀️Be coached, supported, and encouraged so you can learn how to honor where you are right now.

THEN, CHECK THIS OUT:
- 3 Live workouts per week for 13 weeks with instant access to replays so you can workout when its convenient for you!
- Plus 2 Bonus Weeks for a total of 15 weeks of personalized workouts just for midlife women!
- On top of that, I'll teach the appropriate exercise for RESULTS for the 40s, 50s,60s,or 70s,
- Interactive Private Facebook Group
- 100% Support from Me!

WHEN?
SEPTEMBER 21 - DECEMBER 30, 2020

INVESTMENT:
This is a premium coaching program with an INCREDIBLE price point.

For the entire 15 weeks of workouts and coaching, you'll pay a small fraction of what it costs to work with me privately.

Ready to go?

Cost: Less than $30 per week!

Click the link: https://bit.ly/3ifj7D7

The end of 2020 will come whether you pay attention or not.

You can choose to be fully engaged in these next 15 wees and change your life or let them just happen.

You were made to feel amazing, be amazing, and do amazing! Say "yes" to you!

Kelley Rakow Coaching & Events Wise Workouts for Midlife Women

Exercise Less, Move More | Creative Wealth Management Exercise Less, Move More We are all over-worked, stressed out, and encouraged to physically distance from others. However, now more […]

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We get underway next week!

Make this summer THE summer you get fit and feel fabulous.

Unlearn your fitness program that is not providing results. Instead learn what you need to know to work with your body; not against it.

Blessed & Beautiful is an 8 week program of Wise Workouts for Raving Results.

In addition to 3 just-for-women workouts per week, you'll receive coaching, nutrition tips, support, and encouragement.

And the best part is you can do it from anywhere without a gym or special equipment.

We'll meet inside a private facebook group. I'll be with you every step of the way.

Want in or need more info? Post in comments or message me directly!

Get out of a slump by stepping away from.your computer.

Join me at 2pm EST today on the Creative Wealth Management, LLC page for a 15 min stretch break.

Finding yourself slouching over constantly or suffering from back pain due to poor posture? You're not the only one.

Constantly sitting can take its toll, but there are stretches that may help reverse some of the damage or relieve pain. Tune in at 2:00 today for a Facebook Live with Health and Lifestyle Coach Kelley Rakow!

Recent world events and swift changes to how we work and live created new stressors, new problems to solve, and seemingly endless new decisions to make.

Each person responds to stress differently and chooses various coping mechanisms.

Interestingly enough, I've noticed a common theme with my 1:1 clients. In separate conversations over the past few months, each one has shared their struggle with increased stress and emotional eating during the past 12 weeks.

Can you relate? Have you experienced a rise in your stress level and urge to eat more comfort foods?

If any of the following has shown up for you in recent weeks, you are not alone:

💥You eat even though you're not hungry.
💥You take a break from thinking when overwhelmed and get a snack.
💥You crave comfort foods more than normal
💥Sweets call your name and they are hard to resist
💥You eat mindlessly, hand to bag to mouth, repeat.
💥You reach for food when tired, bored, or sad.

Emotional Eating is a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions like anger, sadness, anxiousness, boredom, or loneliness.

Challenging life events are huge triggers for emotional eating and its consequences like:

💥Moodiness
💥Weight Gain
💥Negative Self Image
💥Brain Fog
💥Highs and Lows
💥Inability to stick with healthy eating habits for more than a day or two.

If you are in a vicious cycle and would like to Tackle Stress & Emotional Eating AND discover how to get out of the loop so you can feel better, then I would love to talk with you.

I feel so strongly about giving people the tools and support they need to remain healthy during this challenging time that I am offering complimentary coaching sessions next week.

To chat with me next week, send me a private message or put "Me" in comments and I'll be in touch.

Decision fatigue is a real thing; especially when every good habit you ever created gets thrown out the window.

If you are tired even though you are sleeping more than every, it may because your brain is working overtime.

Habits and Routines: Fight Fatigue | Creative Wealth Management Daily habits and routines have evaporated. Changes to work status, work location, schooling, and the ability to travel freely has turned life upside down.

Working from home has its benefits but many people don't have their normal ergonomic set up like they do at the office - no adjustable chair or stand up desk or big monitor.

Instead of sitting upright in a supportive chair, many find themselves sitting on the couch or the floor slumped over a laptop for hours on end. This set up takes its toll on the spine and hips.

The good news is, breaking up work bouts by standing and stretching can counterbalance the effect of poor posture.

Join Health and Lifestyle Coach, Kelley Sweeney Rakow today, Thursday, 2pm for a 15 minute standing doorway stretch series.

Creative Wealth Management, LLC The Team at CWM works diligently to help you plan for a sound financial future.

Need a little mid-day pick-me-up?

Join me at 2pm EST for a quick shoulder/back/chest/hip opening stretch session.

I'll be LIVE on the Creative Wealth Management, LLC page.

PS: if you get there before the feed has me live, refresh the page until you see me. 👍

No time like the present to dig in the dirt and grow some nutrient dense food.

Dig, Plant, Grow, Eat, Repeat | Creative Wealth Management   Dig, Plant, Grow, Eat, Repeat April is National Gardening Month and the perfect time to get outside and start …

Stay Connected, Stay Healthy, Stay Positive

The coronavirus outbreak is challenging our communities like no other virus in recent memory. Due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, we’ve been advised to practice ‘social distancing’ to protect our most vulnerable populations and to prevent strain on our healthcare system that a rapid increase in cases would provoke.

One thing is for certain, our lives have been turned upside down.

In shared anxiety, we instinctively are guided to do what we were born to do – comfort and connect.

However, at least for now, our opportunities to connect have been dramatically reduced. We’ve been instructed to not congregate in groups or hang out in public places. Oddly enough, the one thing we can do for our communities is maintain distance.

In the absence of weekly calendar events, working daily with our coworkers, joining friends for coffee or our favorite restaurant, it is imperative to maintain our ability to comfort one another and remain connected.

What to do?

Stay Connected

Humans are social creatures, and we will continue to seek connectedness. Here are a few ways to remain connected while practicing social distancing:

Use the video chat or face time feature of your phone or the camera on your computer to speak face to face to people you cannot physically be with. If you do not know how to access this feature on your smart phone, ask someone to verbally walk you through “how to”. Now is not the time to be shy about stating your needs. People want to help.
Think about how you can remain connected with family, friends, and neighbors without compromising your health or theirs. Can you speak to nearby neighbors from the mailbox or over the fence or across the street?
If you are healthy and capable, seek out people in your community who are alone or vulnerable. Reach out and ask if you can do their grocery shopping, pick up supplies, or walk their dog.
If you live alone, are sick, or are quarantined for whatever reason, now is the time to create your “team” – the team of people you can rely on to ensure your needs are met. Again, put pride aside and tell people what you need.
Create a daily schedule and check in with friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors regularly.
Spend quality time with those in your midst. Use this time to nurture and improve existing relationships.

Stay Healthy

Certainly, eating well and exercising are necessary for healthy living, but even more so, they help keep and support a strong immune system.

Staying healthy keeps you well and helps to prevent you from getting sick. Your stronger immune system can more successfully fight foreign invaders off or help you recover quickly.

As we age, immune senescence begins. Immune senescence is a term to describe the tendency for an aging immune system to allow more infections, cancers and diseases to take hold.

As the co-founder Michael Stanwyck recently wrote in a Whole Life Challenge newsletter:

“Basically, something you do multiple times a day—eat—is your first defense and one of the most potent things you can do to “medicate” yourself for health and, for good measure, prevent sickness."

What to eat?
Lean protein
Lots of vegetables
Some fruit
Essential fats
Little starch
Nuts and seeds

Choosing to eat the best possible food available will provide an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and much needed energy thereby boosting the immune system.

What to Limit?
Sugary treats
Hydrogenated oils commonly found in snack and fried foods
Alcohol
Flour based products

Stay Positive

During this time of uncertainty, you may feel overwhelmed and disconnected. Focus on the here and now. Stay positive.

Keep things in perspective. Recent data indicates most people who contract COVID-19 will experience mild symptoms. Even though media coverage is increasing, it does not necessarily mean the threat to you or your family is any more severe.

Stay analytical when viewing or reviewing information. Instead of allowing the steady stream of news to consume all your time, choose to check in with trusted news sources only 2 or 3 times per day. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a webpage dedicated to information on the coronavirus outbreak. Also, check in with local or state public health agencies or even your family physician.

Keep stress in check. A few times a day, simply stop. Take a moment and just breathe. Close your eyes and focus on inhaling deeply and slowly exhaling. Repeat 10x.

Leave your phone on the charger. Get outside. Go for a walk. Breathe in fresh air. If you live close enough to a park or a trail, go for a long walk or bike ride. Being in nature is one of the best ways to reduce the stress hormone cortisol, improve mood, and remind you that all is not doom and gloom.

We are living in unprecedented times. We get to decide how we will live through it.

Stay connected, stay healthy, and stay positive.

I wrote the above for Creative Wealth Management as part of W(h)ealth. Information presented by W(h)ealth should not be relied upon to determine diet, make a medical diagnosis, or determine treatment for a medical condition. The information is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. Consult a doctor and/or medical professional before making any health changes, especially any changes related to a specific diagnosis or condition.

You are exposed to toxins every day, all day long. There are 80,000 registered chemicals in the US. Only 1% has been tested for safety.

Over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used in the United State (US) each year.

Toxins are in the air, in your food, in the water you drink, in the cosmetics you use, and in all kinds of everyday products.

No matter where you are in the female life cycle, a good internal system with an efficient detoxification process is ESSENTIAL to process and eliminate waste, poisons, and toxic substances.

More and more research supports the negative impact exposure to toxins has on human's health.

If your body is unable to release the toxins through the intestines, then a back up occurs making it difficult to eliminate normally,

When the elimination system can't do its job, the fat cells become the back-up plan. Toxins happily park themselves in fat cells.

So, if you are eating real food, working out regularly, keeping stress in check, sleeping well, and are emotionally stable and STILL can't lose the weight, you may be suffering from a toxic buildup.

Vitamin D is necessary for vital cell function yet most adults are Vitamin D deficient and don't even know it.

Vitamin D along with the mineral Calcium play a key role in bone health.

Without adequate Vitamin D levels, adults may experience obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon.

Without adequate calcium bone health and longevity are compromised.

Check out the 5 Steps you can take today to preserve your bone health.

The Effects of Bone Leaching: 5 Steps to Avoid Brittle Bones, Fractures, and Falls | Creative Wealth Management The Effects of Bone Leaching: 5 Steps to Avoid Brittle Bones, Fractures, and Falls It is estimated that 55% of …

Functional Fitness is essential for a long, healthy, enjoyable life free of limitations.

It's never too late to start to move or move better.

Learn how excellent coaching and a supportive community can help you uncover or reclaim.your health and fitness at Beach House CrossFit's Open House on Feb. 17. Located in Bishopvillle, MD

EVERY 3RD MONDAY!
Open House in All Classes!
Come join us!
12040 Industrial Park Rd E-3/4 Bishopville
443-637-2246
6 AM
8:30 AM
5:30 PM
ALL are Welcome!
DM with ANY Questions!

“We become what we repeatedly do.”
- Sean Covey

Invite in small changes over time.

It is too much to "do it all".

Chose one area.

Not sure which area?

Consider this:

What do you need more of? What do you need less of?

What is most important to you right now?

Which action will give you the most bang for your time and effort?

Choose that.

What ONE daily habit are you willing to do?

Here is where it gets good.

Habit change & Word of the Year are perfect partners.

A well selected Word of the Year will support your desire to do things differently - to change, grow, and evolve.

When I first started a brand new business years ago, my goals included growth and financial health.

In order for my business to grow, I had to grow.

I had to change. I had to do better & become better.

The unknown was scary.

But,. I was ready and I was in.

I KNEW I had to do hard things.

I set my goals.

I chose my word - COURAGE.

I embarked on the daily grind of making a note every day (habit) of one thing that scared me.

Then, I'd figure out ONE thing I would do to take on that scary monster (that in the end was never as scary as I made it out to be.)

When I was faced with difficult tasks or had to ask for help or had to speak to people I did not know,... COURAGE was right there to guide me forward.

COURAGE was a great word for me that year. Together, we did great things.

Is there a habit you're ready to incorporate in your life?

What Word can support you?

Like any journey, it only takes one step to get started.

If you want to explore the Word of the Year with me in person, join me Saturday, Feb 8, 2pm for an amazing afternoon of coaching and connection.

Word of the Year & Inspiration Workshop
-When: Saturday, February 8, 2pm
-Where: Beach House CrossFit,
​​​12040 Industrial Park Rd unit e3-4, Bishopville, MD 21813
-Who: Any Women, 18+

Workshop Includes: Coaching, Instruction, & Supplies

You'll Receive:

- Clarity for 2020

- A Beautiful Inspiration Board

- Direction for Your Next best Step

Cost: $50 (Beach House CF Members $25 + snack to share)

***Reservation Needed to ensure adequate supplies***

Type "Me" in comments OR send me a personal message to reserve your spot!

21 Days to create a new habit is an urban legend.

If it weren't everybody would achieve goals, establish new behaviors quickly, and be a whole lot less frustrated.

The notion of 21-Days came about after the 1960 book Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, noted his patients seemed to take about 21 days to get used to their new faces.

While his observation may be true, applying this same duration to habit change is completely out of context.

I'm surprised it took until 2009 for a researcher to study what conditions are necessary for true habit change.

The results are incredibly useful.

"Researchers from University College London examined the new habits of 96 people over the space of 12 weeks, and found that the average time it takes for a new habit to stick is actually 66 days; furthermore, individual times varied from 18 to a whopping 254 days."

On average, 66 days! That's more than 2 months!!

The take-a-way is patience, practice, and time.

Here is what I know to be true when it comes to habit change:

1. You have to really, really, really want it.
2. Get specific about what you want and why.
(It is necessary to be emotionally attached to the desired outcome and the outcome must be way better than what your experiencing now.)
3. Outline a plan to do what needs to be done or not do what will sabotage your efforts.
4. Accountability is a must
5. Celebrate the mini-wins along the way.

Habit change and improvement is best sought and achieved with support, encouragement, and guidance.

If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and crummy and would like to shift gears so you feel alive, energized, and back in the driver's seat of your life, making a decision to shift your habits is probably your next best step.

If you desire positive improvements in your health and life and would like to explore coaching, I welcome your message.

Let's chat.

You have permission to
ask for what you need.

Better Health = Better Living.

Good health maximizes capacity of the body it inhabits providing greater opportunity to produce, learn and earn.

This leads to higher wages and a higher standard of living.

Over a lifetime, this is huge!

Live healthy.

Be healthy.

Live well.