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So I’m going to share the story typically untold. All around us there are stories of weight loss and body transformations, backed by endless before and afters, workout tips, inspirational messages, training and resource offerings, etc. Less often do I come across the stores of how the weight came about, which I feel is equally important and should be discussed. I think its an important reflection to share because there are others likely going through similar life hardships whether it be emotional, physical, financial, etc…all of which can lead into unhealthy habits and decisions that can impact your weight, health and wellness. What I want to point out (that I lost sight of during my struggles) is that although there may be times in life where we may feel like things are out of our control, and sometimes things really are beyond our control, that even with those things which we cannot control, there are still plenty of things that we can control. i.e., our food choices/intake, exercise and even our attitudes. And those are the very things that we MUST maintain control over.

“ I said it before and I’ll say it again, EVERYTHING in life comes and goes: boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, family, houses, jobs, cars, clothes, money, etc. BUT your body, YOUR BODY is the ONE and ONLY thing that stays with you the entire duration of your life. So please do all that you can do to take good care of it! “

That being said, For some, being heavy, overweight, full figured..however you chose to define it was always a way of life, but for others it was something that sort of just happened. Maybe it had a distinct cause, maybe it just gradually came about. Regardless, I think it’s important to talk about the before aspect of the weight loss journey and not just the after/now. So here we go, a tale of two me’s…

I wasn’t always overweight. In fact, if I had my high school body back I’d be DOPE as fuck! And although statuesque and padded in all the right places, compared to my peers, I was a relatively fit teenager and young adult. I gained the typically Freshman 15 in college but it just made me #fitthick and possibly even more popular with the guys. I was active in college, jogging when I could, playing intermural soccer, teaching gymnastics and anything else I could do around studying and working to keep me active.

My body started to fall downhill in 2008 (post graduation) and after/as a result of my first foot break. If you haven’t heard the story it basically goes something like this: I was trying to workout at home and I was doing a variation of high knees, came down wrong and hard and….SNAP…there goes my foot. What makes the story hilarious (looking back) was that I was home alone with no phone and downstairs. Ironically I had internet and a computer that was upstairs, which meant I had to drag myself up the stairs, Yahoo messenger (does the still exist?!?!) And for the record a totally platonic male friend to call my then fiance at work (awkward) to explain what happened and send for help. Now my panic led to his panic which lead to an at-work incident that further held him up. I spent six hours crying, laying in a puddle of sweat and tears for him to finally come home and rush me to the ER.

I spent the next three years continuing my foot break saga. 2009 foot break running up TWO steps to the front door of my condo (although in my defense my foot doctor said my foot likely was already fractured at the time and running was checkmate). 2010 Foot break in pole class, attempted a twisted grip kickup, rolled my ankle and the pressure on the side of my foot went POP! 2011 foot break on the in-door soccer field. A teammate kicked me in the foot during warmup and SNAP! Four years, four consecutive foot breaks – three on the left foot, one on the right foot. It might be a good time to add that I have a calcium and vitamin D defiance and also that I supinate when I walk, so clearly those things didn’t help. Finally in 2012 I had surgery to have a titanium screw inserted into my foot to prevent further breaks. Four foot breaks and a surgery later, I was left overweight and severely out of shape…only to follow that up with a broken rib (I’ll talk about that and show the video another time). I must say though, that without these setbacks, I probably wouldn’t be where I am and who I am today. My love for fitness and flexibility (which gave birth to #flexyfit) was born through having to recreate myself.

At the time, I’m sure I blamed my foot breaks as the reason why I gained so much weight. But looking back now, I see that it was really a culmination of things and by things I mostly mean bad choices. Broken feet prevented me from working out the way I would have liked to, however they alone were not the cause of my weight loss. The actual causes of my weight loss were:

Poor food choices – I engorged myself in all sorts of comfort foods. Partly because food was the only happy thing I felt I could still control and also because I had a fiancé that didn’t cook and all he knew how to do was pick something (fast food) up on the way home. And possibly he felt that feeding me good stuff was helping to make me happy and cope. So he showered me in wine, cupcakes and all of my other comfort food faves.

All the alcohol – again, wallowing in my agony and using alcohol as an escape. Verdi wine being the drink of choice at the time.

Lack of exercise – the first few foot breaks I worked out NADA. Not realizing that there were things I still could have done had I reached out to a fitness professional or just tried.

Depression – I don’t know that I realized this at the time but I was severely depressed and that comes along with side effects of its own.

Four years of foot breaks and poor decisions caught up to me in the worst way. At only 24 I was pushing 260 and had became a neck up girl… you know what I mean that girl that has mastered the art of taking selfies from the neck up in a way that you’d never know what she looks like down below because she’s got a pretty face and a rack that’ll knock your socks off. She’s excellent when it comes to angles! I was down to wearing the same 2 pairs of pants to work because that’s all that fit. If I went out I was sporting jersey dresses, because despite my weight gain my legs were still seemingly #thickfit and the extra material in the midsection hid my belly. I feared being tagged in photos on IG (that was back before they had all of the fancy content control tools we have now). When I deleted almost 90-95%% of the pics that I took in attempt to get the perfect angle and deny the reality of my life, or rather the rest of my body. I was throwing money around to gain friends and disguise my body flaws.

I never really looked at myself in the mirror. I would look in the mirror only enough to brush my teeth, wash my face, do my makeup, but I was never really looking at ME, looking at myself, looking into my life. I was looking past me and beyond me. Looking only enough to get the job done. walked around consistently sucking my belly in and lived in total denial about the reality of my body. I was doing everything to draw attention away from my body and to every other aspect of my life. That’s no way for a 24 year old to live. Not when you’re so full of live. Hell, that’s not a way for anyone to live, especially when you don’t have to. So foot breaks sucked! Yea, but my choices about how I lived my life, what I ate, what I did to my body, what I didn’t do, I didn’t take advantage of the things that I could still do – that was all on me. Maybe I didn’t know that I could, but I didn’t try. I didn’t reach out for help. I just…sat back depressed and unhappy and accepted what I thought my life had to be. Not realizing that it could still be anything that I wanted it to be. And so, that’s how I ended up FAT, OVERWEIGHT,TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY POUNDS…5’8″ 1/2 busing out my jeans with a muffin top. Closet full of clothes that I couldn’t fit. Until one day I made a choice – I’m not buying anymore “fat clothes” hell, I’m not buying anymore clothes period. This isn’t what I want or who I was meant to be. I want better for me. I want to look better, I want to feel better, I want to do better. I made that choice and to be honest, I had a lot of ups and downs between then and now. Between that decision and finally getting to a point where it was not a diet, or a 21 day challenge or just the need to get ready for one specific event. Instead it became a LIFESTYLE CHANGE where I said: I’m going to live my life differently. I’m going to do different, I’m going to be different, I’m going to be better to create a better body and be the best me that I can be. So yea, I gained the weight, but I lost the weight. And you can do it too The choice is simple. The work is hard but the choice is simple. But it’s probably the most rewarding thing that I’ve ever done in my life. And you can do it too!  

Yoga wheels are one of my favorite tools to use for flexibility and strength training. If you’re considering adding one to your Flexyfit toolkit, here’s some things you should know to help you with your purchase decision.

First, yoga wheels are a fantastic and versatile tool that can help you:
* Stretch
* Strengthen
* Deepen poses
* Relax and relieve muscle tension
* Challenge
* Improve balance and coordination

Second, not all yoga wheels are made equal. Here’s the key things to consider before you purchase:

Size:
Yoga wheels come in sizes ranging from 6 to 15 inches in diameter and about 5 (standard) to 7 inches in width.
* Micro: 5-6” Great for balance/flexibility, use as a foam roller replacement. It’s also easily transportable.
* Mini: 10” perfect for kids, those under 5ft, and the super tight/inflexible. People under 5’3″ might also find this size more comfortable to work with.
* Basic: 12” – 13” standard sizes made for those around above 5ft, but especially 5’4”-5’10”
* Plus: 15” Ideal for those 6ft or taller and the super duper flexy. These wheels position the body higher up in poses, giving you more intensit.

Cost:
* Cheap $15-$40
* Costly $40+

Cheaper wheels are perfectly acceptable and still highly useful. More expensive wheels tend to be heavier and more durable in quality. So if you plan to do any full-weight balances (standing, crow, etc..) on the wheel then a Dharma, Plexus or other elite brand is highly recommended. Cheaper wheels are typically advertised to hold approximately 250lbs, whereas the more elite brands are advertised to hold approximately 500lbs.

There’s also a super duper fancy (and costly) Yoga Pro Wheel which comes with a wedges (a base) that helps stabilize the wheel to keep it from rolling and also a Release Bar (handle bars) to help with alignment and getting deeper into poses. Personally, I don’t think it’s necessary, but if the price doesn’t bother you then go all in! For those that prefer to save a buck or two, I have plenty of hacks using ab wheels, walls/corners, yoga blocks, yoga mats and yoga straps to help you achieve the same results 😉

Material:
The outside of yoga wheels are lined. Typically with Yoga mat material or Cork, both which are designed to be waterproof and non-slip/skid resistant, so you can safely grip as you move in and out of poses. Cork specifically, is eco-friendly, sweat resistant/wicking, doesn’t retain odors.

Safety:
Regardless of the size, yoga wheels should be used with care as they can be dangerous. Take it slow and be safe. It is easy to fall off the wheel, the wheel roll away or lose control of and it move further than the body is ready for. Working on a yoga mat or using grippy yoga socks can be a huge help!

Need Yoga Wheel Training? Join me for an upcoming Yoga Wheel workshop!

Curious to know what this yoga wheel thing is all about? Do you have a Yoga Wheel, but don’t know what to do with it? If you’ve been wanting to try one and are interested in learning how to use it and incorporate it into your personal flexibility practice then this workshop is for you! Yoga wheels are great for stretching, strengthening, massaging and toning your muscles. This workshop will introduce you to yoga wheel use and show you how to safely and effectively incorporate it into your personal FlexyFit practice. I’ll be covering techniques and flows for opening up your back, shoulders, hips; while developing balance and strengthening your core.

Open to all levels, no experience necessary.

Bring: Your yoga wheel and water. Optional – yoga blocks and a yoga mat.
Wear: leggings and a comfy shirt. If you have long hair bring a hair tie/clip.

You must have a yoga wheel to participate in this workshop.
We will have 3 yoga wheels to rent for $5: first come, first served. Please email: flexyandfit[at]outlook.com to inquire about availability PRIOR to registration.

If you have your own wheel to bring — $20
If you’d like to use one of mine — $25

Space is limited to 10 participants. Pre-Registration Required. Send payment via PayPal to secure your spot.
If using the PayPal App: entertainmentgoddess[at]gmail.com
If using web browser: PayPal.Me/entertainmentgoddess

FlexyFit is teaming up with PediPleasers to bring you the ultimate Floor Fuckery class. We’ll explore and embrace sensual movement that will take you from bumping and grinding on the wall to melting across the floor. So let your hair down and leave your inhibitions at the door because this 60 minutes of super sexy floor play will have you feeling yourself in every way! AND!!!! One lucky attendee will win a free gift from PediPleasers!

Open to all levels, no experience necessaryand no Pole Dancing involved.

Bring: Water and an open mind 😉
Wear: Leggings and a comfy shirt. Leg warmers/knee pads are highly recommended and platform heels are optional.

Space is limited. Pre-Registration Required. $20 per person. Send payment via PayPal to secure your spot.
If using the PayPal App: entertainmentgoddess[at]gmail.com
If using web browser: PayPal.Me/entertainmentgoddess

Flex Friday just got a whole lot more flexure! Join me Friday nights for an hour of feel-good stretching, that will leave you feeling longer, stronger and bendier! Whether you can’t touch your toes (yet) or you’re hoping for deeper splits and backbends, this all-levels, adult flexibility training class is for YOU! We’ll be using a combination of active, static and partner work to get your muscles limber and ready to bend. Got questions or want to discuss specific goals? Give me a shout!

When: Fridays 7-8pm
Location: Clique Studios 2385 Midway Rd. Carrollton, TX 75007
Cost: $10 if you RSVP in advance via PayPal or $15 at the door
Dress code: I recommend dressing in layers to keep you warm during class. Pants/leggings are required (no shorts). Leg warmers, back warmers and socks encouraged.
 

🚨DEDICATED STUDENT ALERT 🚨

 
One of my new students totally made my day when she danced into the studio with a BIG smile 😁and a box 📦full of #FlexyFit gear. Just a few days before, she attended her first class with me and afterwards shared with me a little about her struggles and goals. She asked what items I recommended she get to help her dive into her new pole journey. I shared my must-haves and she went right out and got them! That’s what I call dedication from the start!! Looking forward to seeking her progress on this beautiful journey!

You may be wondering: Why do I need it? Having a personal collection of FlexyFit equipment (Hopefully) means that you’re practicing at home on your own and that you’re looking to make some serious gains. Whether your goal(s) are to improve your flexibility, have better lines and toe point, build strength and endurance, minimize aches and pains, or see quicker recovery, you’ll find having your own fitness accessories all the more helpful. I call my fitness accessories my FlexyFit Toolkit. Mine is full of bands, rings, blocks, and other gadgets; some that are used religiously and others that rarely see the light of day or any sort of human touch lol. I want to help you build your own personal FlexyFit Toolkit that will include accessories that will be most beneficial to your practice and goals.

Click HERE if you’re curious to know what toys I use in my flexibility, conditioning and pole practice and what must-haves you should add to your collection!!!

Following up part one’s introduction to building strength and endurance with my poolside workout, which includes a great line up of off the pole exercises. Hopefully by now you have a better understanding of how your strength and endurance play a role in your performance, and you’re ready for more exercises you can do to improve your conditioning. If you’re just joining us and missed part one go ahead and soak up that information before diving into part two.

So amping up your conditioning will help you perform better, without ending up feeling like you need an oxygen tank. Once you’ve gotten a feel for your breathing and playing with your dance endurance, the next thing you should do is build a personal off-the-pole conditioning routine (or follow mine below!). This can be done before class, after class, during open studio or as a personal home workout. Now, there are all sorts of bodyweight exercises you can do, as well as workout gidgets and gadgets galore, but I am going to share with you a few of my favorite conditioning exercises using Rubberbanditz resistance bands. I like using bands because they have so many uses and they are super easy to tote around in my pole bag. Plus these key moves can be done just about anywhere as they don’t require much space. My pool made the perfect outdoor gym!

The Workout:
1. Hip Abduction
2. Straight Leg Kickbacks
3. Quad Pulses
4. Hamstring Press down
5. Hip Bridge
6. Hamstring Curls
7. Duck Walk
8. Squat
9. Shoulder Press

Perform three rounds of each exercise before moving onto the next!

If you’re able to do more than 10-15 reps then you’ll want to advance to a heavier band. Keep it challenging! If you’re getting less than 8 reps then switch to a lighter band. Remember: heavy weight, low reps builds muscle; low weight, high reps helps build endurance. We want to be in that sweet spot!

When listening to your favorite song, those 3-4 minutes always seem to fly by! However, when it comes to endurance for routines, that same 3-4 minutes can seem like an eternity, leaving you exhausted, weak and out of breath. If you often feel like you’re lacking the endurance for routines, you are not alone! Building up the necessary strength and endurance to get through a 3-4 minute routine is often more challenging than choreographing the routine itself. I mean, there’s tricks, transitions, flexibility, dance, emotion…so much that needs to packed into such a short amount of time and with precision at that. I know what you’re thinking: WHY is it so hard?!?! The answer is your level of strength and endurance, or for simplicity: your conditioning.

Since your first day in class, you’ve learned a collection of moves, that individually look and feel great. The trouble tends to arise when it’s time to combine them into combos, a freestyle or a fully-choreographed routine that requires stamina. Why is that? Well, if you were to watch a video recording of an entire class, you’d likely discover quite a bit of downtime where you’re listening to and watching your instructor, waiting for a spot, socializing, drinking water, posing for a photo, or just trying to steal a moments rest. In a routine, there is no downtime.

One solution I often hear thrown around to improve endurance is: do more cardio. Sorry to say, but this is NOT the solution. While cardiovascular endurance does play a role in your pole endurance, it is only part of the solution. Cardio endurance differs from pole endurance. Although stepping up your cardio game won’t hurt, and will have some appreciated benefits in the waistline and in your cardiovascular health, spending countless hours on the treadmill or track won’t build the necessary endurance needed on the pole.

So why is strength and endurance training (conditioning) important anyway? Strength and endurance are key for efficiency. If we are struggling to get up the pole (lyra, trapeze, silks, rope, etc) then we won’t have the energy required to execute the move efficiently or to add personalized flare. The lack of efficiency also makes it hard to work on the uber important things including straight lines, fine tuning, accents, holding moves longer, and being able to play and explore new transitions into/out out of the move or new variations of the move. All key things that judges look for at competition – wink wink!

Right now your probably wondering: do I really need super hulk strength to put on a great performance? Well no, but you do want strong and conditioned muscles that support your performance movement. Fatigued muscles often lead to broken lines, especially when it comes to straight legs and pointed toes. Having the necessary strength and endurance (let’s also highlight core strength and active flexibility) can make a huge difference in your performance ability. This allows for less struggle into and out of moves, proper muscle engagement, stability and much more. Learning to build muscle endurance will help supercharge your muscles to activate and stay active throughout your dance.

So how do you build up endurance needed for performances? The answer is conditioning through strength and endurance building. These are best done as drills that target the muscles usage required for pole/aerials and the specific moves you’re planning to include in your routine – although things like HIIT, TRX, Crossfit and cardio-core workouts can also be beneficial. As an instructor, endurance and strength building are a standard practice in ALL of my classes. Our warmups include intense core work and conditioning combos. I design these at various levels, with progressions to help strategically build strength and endurance. Okay, I know what you’re thinking: I’ve got the why…now tell me HOW! (Please) I got you boo! I’m going to share some of my fav and most used tips and drills to help you. I’m going to share this with you in three parts, so it’s easier to digest and work on without body and memory overload. Part one (which you’re reading now) will touch on breathing and dance endurance. In part two I’ll share some key off the pole strength and endurance exercises using my Rubberbandtiz resistance bands. Part three will cover drills you can do using your pole at home or at the studio. Leggo!

1. Breathing
Be aware of your breathing. This may sound silly, but it can actually be a challenging task because our bodies have always done this automatically, meaning that we have likely given little to no thought to the process of breathing. When we dance, we require additional oxygen to support the increased muscle movement we are putting our bodies through. Breathing supports our movement and without proper oxygen intake our body will tire more quickly, leaving us fatigued and without the necessary stamina to perform efficiently. We must learn to be aware of and control breathing patterns while in motion. Connect your breathing to your movements. Practice inhaling when you grow your movements (moving away from the body or moving upward) and exhaling when shrinking your movements (bringing them into the body or down towards the floor). Likewise, do not hold your breath. This is a common occurrence I see when people are trying to hold a move and one that is extremely counterintuitive.

2. Just Dance
One of the best ways to get better at having the energy to perform is to just dance. Scratch that, get yo boogie on! Yes just by dancing you can build up your endurance. Nothing fancy, simply work through a freestyle freestyle. Can you dance continuously and comfortably for 4-6 or even 5-7 minutes? Step it up a notch by challenging yourself to work on just floor work, or around the pole work (nothing higher than your head), and then aerial work up the pole. Then combine all three. This will help with your cardio pole needs. Be sure to pay attention to your breathing throughout your dance. Don’t leave yourself waiting to exhale.

Ready for more? Check out part two for my resistance band workout with Rubberbandtiz!

Over the last few years, I’ve been on a journey of physical transformation or in muggle talk: getting in shape.  When I started FlexyFit.co, my focus was to share my love of flexibility and fitness…more specifically sharing my method of enhancing your level of fitness through the practice of flexibility.  And yes, that’s how the hashtag FlexyFit was born!  Over the last year, however, I have come to realize that the transformation goes far beyond the body.  To have a truly successful transformation, you have to also transform the mind and spirit. In reality, this transformation actually starts from within. Yes, that means that I had it backwards. What I failed to realize, was that the aesthetic changes and successes I’ve accomplished actually began on the inside. I made a choice about what I wanted, decided to take action to make the necessary changes. So I guess now what I’m really doing is looking back and starting to connect the dots. They say hindesight is 20/20, right?  With the personal changes I’ve gone through, I’ve found that I can apply the idea and practice of being #flexyfit to more than just my fitness level and flex-ability.  Being FlexyFit is now a way of life that applies always, in all ways; and I’ve found a new purpose through this idea.  Moving forward, I want to share what I’ve discovered about living a #flexyfit life and I want to help others achieve growth beyond fitness and flexibility of the body.
Stay tuned for more articles and videos (Yes, FlexyFit.TV is coming!) about living a healthier, happier and more productive life.

It’s official! I’m a UNICORN!!! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be an ambassador for Pole Sport Organization and do my part to support and promote pole athletes entering the competition arena. Making the decision to compete, and then prepping for said competition, is a challenging, yet rewarding journey. Like I tell my students: you have nothing to lose, and EVERYTHING to gain. However, the road to competition can be scary, confusing and, at times, stressful. So having someone that knows the road ahead can help immensely. If you’ve got questions, I’ve got answers! And if you need competition training, I can help do that too.

So: If you’re considering competing and don’t know where to start or would you like to train with others at your studio or in your area, but aren’t sure where to go then don’t fret. As a PSO Unicorn, I am a studio ambassadors for a few of the local DFW studios and I know the ins and outs of PSO. (And if I don’t know it, I WILL find out for you!) As an ambassador, I have previously competed AND coached other pole athletes for PSO competitions. Rest assured, you’re in good hands.