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Barre with Justine

Fitness and Wellness

December 3, 2022

Healthy Holiday Tips

We are now officially into December and the Season of Advent! It can be a beautiful time of year, with fairy lights and candles adding a glow to darker evenings, and an opportunity to revisit holiday traditions such as Christmas baking and cosying up for movies like White Christmas (one of my favourites!). It can also be a very difficult time of year, and I’m probably not alone in feeling like the longer nights and darker days can intensify feelings of sadness at this time of year.

I’d love to share some of the things that help to boost my mood in December, with the hope that you may find 1-2 tips to try out this month. I believe it’s so important to spend time savouring the yummy treats and traditions of the holidays so this is not a list of foods to reduce or recommendations to work out every day – it’s simply not possible to do everything in this busy month!

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November 27, 2022

Eating healthy for less

Before I had three kids and before inflation made food cost nearly triple what it did a few years ago(!), my grocery shops were typically filled with all kinds of lovely extras like magazines, new coffees (to test out), and organic everything. As much as I’d love to still shop that way, it’s completely unrealistic at this point with trying to feed three little people as well as ourselves.

It’s difficult to make healthy choices at the grocery store when, for example, romaine lettuce now costs nearly $6 each and a pint of strawberries can be nearly $8 at this time of year. Filling your cart with lots of fruits, vegetables, and lean protein can end up costing so much no matter which store you visit.

Let me share some of the tips that help me buy healthy food for our family, without spending a crazy amount each week:

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November 11, 2022

Times when it’s just hard to love your body…

“Sometimes the body is a weight pulling you all the way down.
And it’s hard to love the stone that drowns you.”

~Kate Bowler

I just love this quote from Kate Bowler because – as always – she speaks the truth. No matter how hard we work to love our bodies, they are notoriously and infuriatingly disappointing.

A few weeks ago, one of my favourite fitness mentors, Mariah, posted a thoughtful video encouraging fellow fitness instructors to reframe the feelings we have when our bodies “betray us” through injury, limitations, etc. Since then, I’ve been thinking about the times when I felt frustrated by and even disliked my body. It’s a difficult thing to admit because being grateful for and loving your body is something I encourage others to do all the time in fitness classes.

Read more: Times when it’s just hard to love your body…

It isn’t that I don’t believe in the importance of loving ourselves, but the reality is there are difficult seasons when our bodies refuse to cooperate despite our best efforts. I hope that by sharing my own experiences, you can give yourself some grace when it comes to your own feelings about your body. There are times when positive affirmations feel hollow and simply don’t make you feel any better about yourself.

The first time I felt super frustrated with my body was during the difficult time of trying to have a baby. It’s a sensitive topic and hard for me to write about even a decade later.

At the time, I was convinced that I needed to ease up on my fitness routine which, at that time, included teaching lots of high-impact aerobics. So I stopped teaching fitness, cut out intense aerobics and turned to yoga for ‘calm’. It would be lovely to say that this change did the trick but there were so many other things going on that it’s impossible to say for sure (in comparison, my littlest was a surprise during a busy time when I was teaching TONS of fitness classes, including BodyStep)

Giving up intense exercise DID make me upset and more stressed. I began to loathe yoga because it felt boring and I didn’t enjoy spending time in silence, overthinking everything. Doing yoga while pregnant was equally unsatisfying because, again, it was time spent ruminating and worrying about the baby. The only time I truly enjoyed my body was when I swam laps at lunch – the one form of cardio exercise (other than walking) I permitted myself to do.

When I had each of my lovely babies, it was another period of discomfort and frustration as I couldn’t go straight back to the gym or get back quickly to where I wished to be. The lack of sleep, time, and energy made it difficult to feel good about my body, despite the amazing things it had done to create the sweet little ones I loved so dearly.

The postpartum period is a difficult time for many women as they relate to a body that has changed so much over 10 months. Many friends I’ve talked to share that it feels like you hardly know your own body any longer.

Eventually, I was able to feel better about my body and better able to accept the amazing things that it did. As time passes, maybe it’s easier to move past the difficulties your body gives you…I’ve certainly forgotten a lot of the stress and have even fallen in love with yoga again!

There was one other time that I felt betrayed by my body and that was when I developed sacroiliac joint pain during COVID. I had never had back problems before and it was horrible. Trying to do a forward fold was impossible, sleeping was so difficult and I could barely exercise, let alone teach a class. I visited a chiropractor, massage therapist and looked up lots of foam rolling videos to help (shout out again to Mariah, who sent me some very helpful suggestions!).

The pain finally resolved after a few weeks but I remember the feeling of anger at my body, feeling like it was rebelling against my desire to move and stay healthy. There are times when I feel that same twinge and right away start working on flexibility and posture to avoid that same pain again.

One silver lining? I now understand the struggle of back pain! It’s one of the most common issues that I hear about from friends and exercise participants and now I can relate to what they experience. I’m better at providing modifications during class and aware of how back pain can affect how we move.

So please know it’s not great but it is completely normal to have feelings of anger and frustration towards your body. I think we all have things we wish we could change about our selves and we have all probably felt weighed down by our bodies as Kate Bowler writes.

My hope for you is that those feelings pass and are balanced by a sense of appreciation for the things that your body can do and has done to make your life more beautiful. Close your eyes and think of the thrill from your first kiss or the pride of finishing a 5k run. Remember that our bodies can surprise us in amazing ways too. 💗

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Justine

justine

Hi friends! Welcome to my little space online! Here you can discover dance-inspired fitness and beauty tips, plus learn a bit more about my library work.

About me

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https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoFD8gtPiqh/ #mondaymotivation Tight hips can be the worst and can happen for various reasons - running/cycling/sitting too much or even just stress can tighten up the muscles around the hips. Thich Nhat Hanh recommends the 3-breath hug, which is such a lovely way to connect with someone you love 💗 even your tween! 😄 Breathing can be so much more than just what we do naturally - we can use the breath to relieve stress, create focus, and build deeper connections with those around us (more on that at my blog!) It’s fun to add balance into upper body work by lifting one knee up… Food prep tip!  If you are turning on the oven to bake cookies (😅), throw in some healthy things too!  Once the cookies are finished baking, dial the heat up to 375 or 400 and roast some veggies (I did sweet potatoes and beets) and egg bites with grated cheese. 🥕🥦🥚🍪 ✨Excited to announce I am Yoga Face Method certified!  Thank you @annelise_hagen for the amazing training and for being such a kind and generous mentor. Did you remember to breathe today?  Of course you don’t need to REMEMBER to breathe - but it’s the one involuntary thing we do that we can also control. Slowing down our breathing is a way to lower our heart rate, activate our rest/digest (parasympathetic) state and just feel really good.

Follow @barrewithjustine

barrewithjustine

Instagram post 17963619989194591 Instagram post 17963619989194591
#mondaymotivation I would also add perfume as a #mondaymotivation 

I would also add perfume as a great mood booster too!
Tight hips can be the worst and can happen for var Tight hips can be the worst and can happen for various reasons - running/cycling/sitting too much or even just stress can tighten up the muscles around the hips. 

Try this flow or just a few of these stretches 🧘‍♀️💗✨

• downward dog to 3-legged dog with open hip 
• low lunge with rotation
• seated twist (hug knee to feel the stretch in the glutes)
• cow’s face pose
* repeat on the other side and finish in child’s pose

Did you like this? Send it to a friend who needs a good stretch or save for the next time your hips are sore! 💕

#relax #yogastrength #yogainstructor #yoga #graceful #beautifulstretches #buildflexibility #flexibility #mobility #stretchingfeelsgood #feelgoodstretches #stretching #stretch #stretches #stretchwithme #feelgoodmovement #movewithgrace #barreabovebw #barreworkout #balletone #balletoneinstructor #barreinstructor #fitnessinspiration #groupfitness #livehealthy #stretching #balletfitness #dancefitness #fitnessinstructor #barreabove #barre
Thich Nhat Hanh recommends the 3-breath hug, which Thich Nhat Hanh recommends the 3-breath hug, which is such a lovely way to connect with someone you love 💗 even your tween! 😄

#breathwork #thichnhathanh #breathe #3breathhug #breathetofeel
Breathing can be so much more than just what we do Breathing can be so much more than just what we do naturally - we can use the breath to relieve stress, create focus, and build deeper connections with those around us (more on that at my blog!)

#thursdaythought #breathwork #yoga #yogainstructor #barreinstructor #infographic #breathing #breathingbenefits #calmdown #calm #slowyourbreath
It’s fun to add balance into upper body work by It’s fun to add balance into upper body work by lifting one knee up…

✨ slow L lift (shoulders)
✨ alternating shoulder press
✨ row to kickback (upper back & triceps)

This is a clip from my online barre…you can join me bright and early Sundays for barre express! 8:30am on Zoom. 

#feelgoodmovement #movewithgrace #barreabovebw #barreworkout #balletone #balletoneinstructor #barreinstructor #fitnessinspiration #groupfitness #livehealthy #stretching #balletfitness #dancefitness #fitnessinstructor #barreabove #barre #workoutwednesday
Food prep tip! If you are turning on the oven to Food prep tip!  If you are turning on the oven to bake cookies (😅), throw in some healthy things too!  Once the cookies are finished baking, dial the heat up to 375 or 400 and roast some veggies (I did sweet potatoes and beets) and egg bites with grated cheese. 🥕🥦🥚🍪

Another tip!  I used to always roast veggies on parchment until a chef told me they are better roasted right on the pan with space between them to better caramelize. Gawd I miss those PC cooking schools!! 😢

#foodprep #tiptuesday #foodprepping #roastedveggies #eggbites #theovenisalreadyon #healthyfood #balance
✨Excited to announce I am Yoga Face Method certi ✨Excited to announce I am Yoga Face Method certified!  Thank you @annelise_hagen for the amazing training and for being such a kind and generous mentor. 

I LOVE learning the postures, exercises, techniques and care that can really bring out our beauty from within and cannot wait to share this lovely practice with others. 

My first event is a relaxing workshop this coming Sunday…we will explore poses, breathwork & facial exercises designed to: 

-boost circulation
-release tension in the face (and in the body)
-lift and tone facial muscles
-encourage self-love and self-care

If you are local and would like to come, you can find the sign up in my bio under events! 💗 

#ourhomestc #faceyoga #yogaforbeauty #feelgoodmovement #movewithgrace #barreabovebw #barreworkout #balletone #balletoneinstructor #barreinstructor #fitnessinspiration #groupfitness #livehealthy #stretching #balletfitness #dancefitness #fitnessinstructor #barreabove #barre #yogainstructor
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