Author / susanmcrae75

Unknown's avatar

Posts by susanmcrae75

Former collegiate swimmer, current physical therapist and online health coach (wanting to help everyone return to their full potential!)
by susanmcrae75

Loneliness and Boredom

Man, working out can be boring.  You start all gung ho about it…I can do this on my own!  And….then you get bored.  And lonely.  For me, that is about 2 weeks in.  I’m not saying you have to join a team.  I’m not saying you can’t work out on your own.  But the support that someone else can give you can be priceless, and mean the difference between continuing on your path and giving it up (again and again for some…may or may not be referring to myself….)

How do you get this?

  1.  Yes, join that team!  If that is what you thrive on, what you enjoy-the group-then realize that you draw energy that and find a group to join!  This can be a class as well-you get the point
  2.  Schedule to workout with a buddy.  This keeps you accountable, it keeps you talking, it is fun!  One key word here is schedule-make it, keep it.
  3.   If you are a solo goal seeker-find support online!  My online accountability is awesome.  It is what keeps me going.  I support and allow myself to be supported!
  4.   Get a coach!  One that is present physically, or one who will support you remotely!

Another thing to prevent boredom is to switch it up.  And, if you read my post about injury, this can help prevent that as well!!  But, you have to have a plan!  When you are coached, the coach has a workout planned out.  Sometimes a week’s worth.  Whether it be running/walking/jogging, throwing in 10 jumping jacks every 5 min, 10 squats at every corner, whatever-come up with a plan before you start.  Otherwise-boooooring.  So that is for each workout, but also for each week.  That way, nothing is left to chance-like the chance you will talk yourself out of doing it, lol!

Not that creative?  There are programs out there that take the thinking out of it-you just press play.  There is accountability online.  You just have to reach out and then lean in.

Now go!  This is a perfect time in this crazy time.  Stay healthy!

 

 

by susanmcrae75

Resilience

Resilience
[rəˈzilyəns]

NOUN
resiliency (noun)
the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
“the often remarkable resilience of so many British institutions”
the ability of a substance or object to spring back into shape; elasticity.
“nylon is excellent in wearability and resilience”

 

I went to a seminar recently about being resilient.  I had an idea of what this meant, but admit I looked it up to make sure!

I think this is a huge word in dealing with all the pressures of today.  So many of us feel we have to be, go, do 100% all the time in every aspect of our lives.  It is not only exhausting, it is impossible.  What there has to be is balance.  Unfortunately, as person after person spoke up in this seminar, I realized not one person in the room felt they had a good balance in their lives.  Something the would love to do more of is replaced by something else that they feel they “have” to do or it is “expected” of them to do.  Have a look at this wheel by Anthony Robbins:

 

See the source image

As you can see, there is much more to the work/life balance idea.  During the seminar, we identified satisfaction (1-10 scale) in each section, and then identified the top three we feel we would most like to improve.  I realized I had very little balance-and several areas I wanted to improve…but with so many hours in the day, how do you do that?

This is where exercise comes into play.  See how many boxes can be checked?

-exercise with kids, spouse, a friend, family member (social, health, family, recreation)      -join us in a challenge group (social, health, spirituality and growth, and even work/income if you decide to become a coach!)                                                                            –join a team or league—old or new sport! (social, recreation, health)

You do not need a lot of time to improve this balance as well.  Reach out and connect to others for support.  Be PRESENT (spouse, children, friends).  Commit to 30 min of exercise a day (come on, 2 percent of your day!!).  Learn to make better food decisions based on what your body needs.  Make a lunch date with an old or new friend. Read a personal development book!

So, as continue on your journey of health, reviving your inner athlete, make sure you are trying to keep that balance and enjoying what you are doing along the way.

 

 

Looking for something new and fun, that is proven to work?  Try this!  Join our team and get the support (community, health, recreation, development!) and guidance you need!  This is one of over 40 programs.  There may also be special discounts, so PM me with any questions!  Otherwise, y’all keep moving!

Barre Blend™ Annual BOD & Shakeology® Challenge Pack: https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/d/BRBChallengePackAA?referringRepID=1977090

ssmcrae75@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

by susanmcrae75

Sidelined

It sucks to be sidelined-in sports, life, whatever!  I have recently recovered from surgery that occurred just as I was getting on a real roll with progress in my beloved fitness and health program.  How humbling.  But it taught me a few things…

  1.  I am not going to heal any quicker than anyone else (ok, in general) so I better just suck it up and be good.
  2. It is easy to slip back into bad habits.  And darn it if my surgery didn’t occur right before Halloween, the little candy bars flooding my house…
  3. I must keep my eye on the bigger picture, the future goals…but the short term goals must change.  But they are just that-short term goals.  I tell my patients this all the time…this is just a short period of your life when you are recovering or trying to get out of pain or whatever the problem may be.  Your short term goal right “now” is to get back to that path, so let yourself heal!
  4. It is easy to be jealous of or even angry at those who are not injured, who are going about their activity with ease.  I was also angry at my own body, for not acting like it should and needing surgery.  Now what good does that do?  Absolutely nothing but make me eat little candy bars in self pity.

Another big hit that I wasn’t prepared for was the feeling of not being a part of the “team” anymore.  The team that was practicing, working out, encouraging each other.  Yeah, my friends encouraged me to “hang in there,” but I wasn’t doing what they were doing anymore.  I was an outsider.  Enter in feelings of the past…more little candy bars…

When I was in middle school, I had to have major surgery on my shoulder.  Looking back on my surgical report as a now physical therapist, I do not know how that thing was still attached (and I have a huge, huge amount of love for my surgeon who fixed it!).  There was absolutely no choice-major surgery.  So out of the pool I went.  I did my therapy and was good.  Return to swimming was slow, there was little support from my coach (I don’t think he even believed I had HAD surgery, despite the scars), and often resentment from those who were having to train more than I could.  That surgery enabled me to swim in high school and college, but I always knew even through those years many did not understand why there were some things I couldn’t do.  That is an awful feeling.  A feeling of being not good enough, and not healthy enough to ever be.  A little later add in a knee overuse injury and my entire path I had set since I was young changed.

At this point in my life I have to say WHAT THE HELL?!  What I wouldn’t give to be doing what everyone else was doing!  Why did they care so much about what I was or was not doing, when it was their own goals they should be focused on?  And recently, what I would have given to be attacking my workouts and having fun doing it….

So the commercial with the line “stay in your lane, bro” comes to mind.  Do not worry about everyone else’s journey.  That is theirs to worry about.  Do not let their thoughts, words, etc about your journey cause you to drift from your own path.  Easy?  Not at all.

Surround yourself with those who truly cheer you during both the ups and downs.  I learned a lot about who was this type of supporter during these past 2 months, and who reminded me more of past teammates (and coaches) who made me feel like crap.  Do not be one of those people to others…you don’t know what they’ve got going on and how much they would give to be “able”

And finally, revel in what your body can do.  It is an immaculate machine.   Be present in your workouts and be amazed at what your body can do.  You never know when that can change.

(And I need to throw the rest of these mini candy bars out!  Maybe just keep a few….)

 

by susanmcrae75

The Love (Hate) of Water

Ah, the benefits of water.  We all know we are mostly made up of water…make that about 60%.  As a former swimmer, I should love it, but it has always been a love hate relationship with me for sure.

Love:  got me into college with a scholarship, I loved racing and playing in it, love floating around relaxing in a pool or lake, love catching fish from it, and will probably retire somewhere where I can see it daily.

The hate runs a little deeper.  When I was very young, I would watch my older sisters dive into our pool.  So of course as soon as I could toddle around?  Yep, right into the pool-the deep end specifically, and my father had to perform rescue breathing on his one year old.  So not sure if it is due to this subconscious memory or not, but my whole life, I’ve been afraid of water and drowning (vehicle, ocean, lake, pool, whatever!).  Several teenage boys likely have permanent scars from my fingernails and knees when they thought it would be fun to hold teenage girls like me underwater-yep, they learned.  And, to this day, I really do not enjoy getting wet-pool or water gun-doesn’t matter!  Crazy for a swimmer I know.  I also never quite understood the importance of it with exercising and my sport.  Knew I needed it, knew I was thirsty, knew it possibly provided a nice 4 lap break during a workout, but no one really ever explained it.

So, fortunately now that I have learned a lot more about health and nutrition through my current fitness/health program, I have another mark on the love side.  I admit sometimes it is much easier with a little natural flavoring from fruit, etc.  However, I have been told once you get accustomed to drinking water, you crave it, and now I’m a believer.

Why drink it?  And why have the goal of half your body weight in ounces per day?

Reduces fatigue, decreases some headaches (one of my migraine triggers is dehydration…of course), aids in digestion/regularity, curbs appetite/assists with weight loss, decreases frequency of muscle cramps, improves hydration/appearance of skin, and more!!  Who out there could not benefit from improving one, more or all of these areas, simply by drinking more water?  It has definitely helped me lose 23 pounds recently, and helped me recover from the workouts I am doing!

I challenge you to start by adding one more 16 ounce serving to your day.  Gradually increase towards your goal of half your body weight and see how you feel.  Set goals and keep track.  It will help you on your fitness journey, doesn’t cost a thing (unless bottled of course!!) and improve your overall health in the process.

And as usual, if you are searching for an awesome program with and awesome group with awesome results, let me know!  There is always room for more people trying to get back out there, reach fitness goals, cross train to prevent injury, whatever!

Now go fill up!

-S

 

Our challenge group: https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/d/annual-all-access-bod-shakeology-challenge-pack-BODChallengePack?referringRepID=1977090

by susanmcrae75

Tunes

When I swam in college, we had an underwater speaker system.  It was awesome, especially for back then, and it was amazing how many yards you could plow through when you had a beat and/or were distracted.  Also, depending on the tempo, it could really have an effect on how fast you went as well!  Mental?  Maybe, but who cares!  It also was great for those 5:30 practices.  There is nothing cool in my mind about having to get out of bed only to listen to myself struggle, grunt, huff, etc while trying to complete my morning workout.  Add some tunes…and you get into a rhythm and it actually “gasp” becomes somewhat fun!

Now, pick your tunes wisely.  The Train lyric “She listens to Mozart while she does Tae Bo” does not apply to me…I will fall back into bed.  Our college coach was stuck on playing “What’s Going On?” every morning.  Every.  Morning.  He was in charge of the tunes initially, but we did get that privilege away from him thank goodness.  Talk about not wanting to warm up to that playing-again!  My friend replaced it with the Pulp Fiction soundtrack (much better!)  Yep just aged myself there but that is ok.  Pulp Fiction soundtrack is always cool.

For me, it has to be fun, something with a beat, something that makes me feel kick ass.  My playlist is quite a blend, but all those songs make me feel good.  Songs by those who inspire me to have abs like them (J Lo, Pink, Sheryl Crow) don’t hurt either.  Or, a few that make you feel like you are the sexy love interest in an 80s hairband (or country crop top short shorts) video.  Maybe that’s just me, lol, but like I said-fun!

Music definitely makes you feel a certain way.  So I challenge you to make a play list.  When you turn it on, you and your mind are ready to go!  Otherwise, enjoy your various noises 😉

by susanmcrae75

Whack a Mole

I bet this one confuses many and that makes me chuckle.  So let me explain!  I see many, many athletic injuries from overuse.  People do the same thing over, and over and you get the picture.  An even bigger problem?  Overuse of a bad technique.  A colleague of mine would tell his patients “practice doesn’t make perfect…perfect practice makes perfect.”  I love that.  So, a few ideas about this…

  1.  Get someone who IS an expert to watch you and advise you.  Therapist, coach, a really good player/swimmer/runner etc-and have them film you in slow motion if possible.  I’ve even advised some of my patients to film themselves, then go on that fabulous thing called Google and search the best in the sport.  Compare.  Practice perfectly.
  2.   The body gets used to things pretty quickly and likes to coast.  Weaker muscles may get lazy, weaker.  Hence my whack a mole reference.  Keep it guessing.  Many runners’ injuries I see are because they do not train side to side, up and down, inside out….they are just very linear.  Cross training does not take you away from your sport/activity-it may prolong the time you are able to do it as well as improve your form and power while doing it.  And, of course, it can reduce your possibility of injury.  The program I am doing right now for example is different everyday:  core, upper body, lower body, total body, cardio, stretching/yoga-results are less strain on all these parts that are getting older (and we all are) and better overall fitness (which is my own personal goal).
  3. Don’t be afraid to try new things.  Yes, I know you may “love” that one activity, but are you doing more harm than good?  Are you going to get bored and stop doing it, losing your progress towards your goals?  Would it be less boring if you had different options?

Keep the balance.  This is with all things: life, work, exercise, sport.  And have fun-like playing whack a mole!  😉

by susanmcrae75

26.2

I have always wanted that sticker.  26.2.  Actually, I was shooting for the 13.6, and had it all planned out.  Going to do the Disney Half, all smiling, waving to characters……Problem is, I am not a runner.  My husband, when I asked him to watch me run to figure out why my right knee and hip were hurting told me “you’re just not a land animal babe!”  This did not help, and made me want to run more just to prove him wrong!

Problem is/was, I don’t enjoy running.  I envy those gazelle like people who can run, and I wanted to be like them!  I heard of the runner’s high-I am not sure what that would feel like but I am sure my hands on knees feeling of nausea was not it.  I have tried to return to running over the years, and finally my hamstring said “nope!”  And there you have it.

The same occurred with yoga.  Again, I envy these people and friends who look so peaceful, so flexible,so toned!  Problem is, I am a mover.  When people ask me what I think about yoga, (and I get this at least several times a week from my patients),  I say “what do YOU think about yoga?”  They look at me confused and I clarify-you have to enjoy what you are doing or you 1) are not going to stick with it 2) resent the time you are spending doing it 3) not see results because of 1&2.  So I say-“try it and see!”

Wait, is exercise supposed to be enjoyable?!  YES!  I really look forward to getting up in the mornings (gasp) because the program I am doing makes me feel good, proud and sets up my day in a positive way.  This exercise, and the feeling I get from it, overflows into everything else I do that day.  When you find something that brings you that feeling, then you’ll stick with it and reach those goals!

You are always welcome to join me (I admit not EVERYONE does the program in the mornings 😉  if you are struggling with what you are doing now (or NOT doing!)  Have fun!

ssmcrae75@gmail.com

by susanmcrae75

Sabotage

I used to make my bed everyday.  It was ingrained in me by my mom, and I was trying to get around my kids saying “well YOU don’t make YOURS!”  The problem is, I have two dogs that when I am gone (picture “Secret Life of Pets” scene) pull/dig the comforter up to reveal the coolness of the sheets and….nap time!  Pillows on floor, sheets and comforter are mess when I get home.  So, why even bother?  If you have someone sabotaging your work, then it can get quite frustrating!

I’m not changing these dogs.  So you have to look at if this sabotage is really going to interfere with your goals.  My bed making goal?  Not that important, so I let it go and marvel at their efforts each day.  But your health and fitness goals?  Those are different, and we’ve all been there!  It is very hard eating carrots over my beloved fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies, slightly underbaked (sigh…..).  So 1) I can NOT have cookie dough in the house 2) everyone in this house has to support me on this.  For my husband, it is sugary cereal-he could, and would, eat a whole box of Fruity Pebbles at one sitting.  So sorry kids, can’t do that to him.

What if you do not have this support?  Then you have to find it.  You have to have people/a person to lean on when those temptations are high!  Find your tribe and lean in-but also give support back as well.  You also have to weigh the pros and cons.  Is this moment of weakness worth all your hard work for the day?  Will it cause a setback?  Lead to other bad decisions?  Suddenly those cookies don’t look worth an additional run or workout!  If you can just have one, and that is worth it so be it, but you are WAY stronger than I am apparently!

Make sure your “why” is also specific and strong enough to resist those temptations to falter on your path of health, fitness, whatever the goal may be.  Resist those people and things that may sabotage your goals!

by susanmcrae75

Where is the Fun in That?

My sister was a college swimmer as I was, and we are often asked-“why don’t you do Master’s swimming?”  (Well, I could list my physical aggravations and injuries here, but I will spare you!)  She responds by telling them “because I remember my times and where I was then (she was an Olympic Trial qualifier) and I also know I’ll never get back to that point.  Where is the fun in that?”  I completely understand this.  Some former swimmers differ, and I believe continuing to swim is just in their blood-they have reset those goals for this period in their lives.  That is great!  But for my sister and me?  Yeah, we have to be moving forward, setting new goals, blazing new territory!  So for that type of person, I challenge you to not just go back to your sport or your “go to” activity that you have always deemed your exercise program.  Here is your chance to change things up.  Go outside your comfort zone.  Make new goals!  Find your new team (even if it is one other person!).  Train for an event, to do a new yoga pose with ease, to make it to that next mailbox on your run today!  I’ve gotten out of my comfort zone and have to admit I am loving it, and setting new goals for myself.  Have you?

by susanmcrae75

Disappointment

Tomorrow would have been my father’s birthday.  He was such a pillar in my life and was always at my meets.  Our relationship was a great one, and I miss him daily.  There was nothing worse than swimming badly and feeling that he was disappointed.  He never said it, (well maybe that one time in college when he said “well Sus, it looked like you were dying out there!”  I could have melted into a shamed ball of putty right there) but I created this disappointment in my mind.  I never asked him either-I created it.

Why is it so hard for some of us to focus on the positive in ourselves?  Maybe he enjoyed watching me swim.  Maybe he enjoyed watching me interact with my teammates.  Maybe he was proud that I showed up everyday doing something I loved.  Instead, I was always focused on NOT disappointing him.  Fear of failing.

It took me years to develop a strong since of confidence in my own self, and realize the importance of self appreciation-not putting others’ thoughts and expectations above my own.  In fact, I’m still working on it-a work in progress.  Did you show up?  Good!  Were you a good supportive teammate/friend?  Good!  Are you working towards those measurable goals?  Good!  Where does perfection come in there?  It doesn’t.  Just show up, try hard, and be proud of your own self and this path you are on to improving that self!