If you’ve been curious about giving yoga a try, or if you’ve been a little intimidated by the “sport”, you should definitely join me for this one!

As many of you may know, my mother was a yoga instructor for years and years. While it is a big part of my history, I hate to admit I don’t do it as often as I feel I should. Because of that, I thought it’d be great to have an expert on, giving us the ins and outs of yoga and how to get started!

The expert I’m referring to is Nancy Martch, owner of Jai Yoga in Houston. She’s not only an instructor, but also a yoga therapist who dedicates her time to helping clients strive to stay strong, resilient, and flexible for the rest of their lives.

Nancy Martch has been practicing yoga for over 25 years! She is the owner of Jai Yoga, and she is now a yoga therapist.

Her yoga journey began when she, as a passionate distance runner, was told by a doctor that she should not be running distance anymore. Instead of settling for that answer, Nancy sought out another doctor who instructed her to try yoga.

After several months of practicing, Nancy was a new and improved person. She was running without pain for the first time in a long time. This spark drove her to not only continue her personal practice, but to create a life around helping others transform their own lives through yoga.

Nancy Martch on Facebook

Nancy Martch on Instagram

Yoga therapy is a therapeutic approach that looks at the client as a whole. It takes into account any chronic or acute injuries, diet, sleep, and more. It is a variety of practices in your yoga tool box that aims to bring out the best in others, whether that is more awareness, injury prevention, working through various struggles, and more.

When a yoga therapist is helping you become the best possible you, Nancy shares the approach is similar to a yoga tool box. You pull out various tools that each specific client needs to help them on their journey. Here are the main items in that tool box…

• Day structure
• Sleep
• Exercise/Movement
• Supplement
• Yoga Practice

1. Yoga is for Everyone

Nancy shared that she has clients of all ages, even some in their eighties and nineties! No matter where you are and what your “skill level”, there is a yoga class for anyone!

2. It’s a Practice

There’s a reason it’s called a yoga practice and not a yoga perfect. Take your time and understand that the journey is what’s most important.

3. Start Today

If you want to grow old, vibrant and strong, start today!

This summer, we are getting super fit! We’re changing things up, trying new things, and kick starting our health and fitness!

If you’ve been around for a while, you know that I am all about making slow changes over time. I’m all about starting small and starting slow, creating consistency, and building a strong foundation to a fitter and healthier life!

But sometimes, you just need to mix it up!

I’ve had a lot of my listeners asking for more information about my new Superfit for Summer program, and this Episode of the Fit is Freedom does just that! I’ll walk you through why I’m flipping the script and spicing things up this summer!

SuperFIT for Summer is a program I’m hosting in which we will try a different aspect of fitness each week. We’ll take what you like and ignore the rest, finding things that really move the needle for you and your fitness journey!

In addition to challenging ourselves and trying new types of fitness, we’ll be throwing in a lighter version of our sugar freedom program, exploring fat loss versus muscle loss, and so much more!

SuperFIT for Summer is right for you if you’ve found yourself in one (or all) of the following situations…

• Growing bored of your routine
• Noticing the needle isn’t moving for you anymore
• Wanting something different
• Need a challenge (and some structure) for the summer months
• Want to join a fun group of go-getters!

1. Get Excited

Trying new things and shaking out all of the cobwebs is exciting! Take some time to really think about how fun it will be to join a group of people who are looking forward to the same things.

2. Register at https://fitisfreedom.com/superfit-for-summer/

Once you’ve let the excitement kick in, take the time to follow through and register!

3. Envision the Future You

Think about what end-of-summer you will be like. Will you be more confident? More fit? More connected with a community?

As the Fitness Summit interview wrapped up, the Host tossed out one more question my way; “Kelly, what do you think is the most important fitness habit someone can have?”

I’m sure she was expecting me to answer something like; fitness consistency, doing things you love, moving every day.

The stuff that I always talk about.

I wasn't expecting this question so I paused for a second and thought “what is the number one action that leads to a healthier life everyday”?

A good night's sleep.

When we sleep, we heal.

Sleep elevates our mood.

Gives us a healthier heart.

Lowers our cortisol.

Increases our immune system.

Clears our brain.

Allows our bodies to rebuild.

When you sleep, you renew. You create a day filled with cascading good options!

Here are a few of the things I do to get a great night’s sleep:

• A good sleep environment is dark, cool and quiet.
• Bringing work to bed ensures your brain will stay active long after the day is done. This includes your laptop and your unfinished worries of the day. If you wrap up your day with a clear view of what is in store tomorrow, it will help alleviate stressful thoughts during the night.
• Stay away from caffeine and alcohol. Stop drinking caffeine by the early afternoon and alcohol a few hours before bed.
• Sugar can contribute to poor sleep as well.
• Stop the scroll. Social media and TV is designed to keep us looking, and thus keep us awake!
• Sleep Gear:
  • White noise machine
  • Mouth Guard if you grind your teeth
  • Blue light glasses
  • Use a red light for reading
  • Journal if you are having trouble with your thoughts
  • Instead of melatonin use a product called deep sleep.
  • If you use screens, like a kindle, turn down the brightness (or use the Easy Eyes app) and read something that isn’t too engaging.
  • Use one of the many sleep trackers to verify your sleep quality as your sleep improves; Oura Ring, WHOOP, FitBit, Apple Watch etc!

Insert button here → Grab this FREE TIP SHEET and you’ll get thirteen more sleep tips!

https://kellyhoward.lpages.co/atf-dl-sleep-tips-podcast/

Remember, when we sleep we heal. Sleep is a non-negotiable in life. By making a few small tweaks, you’ll get a more restful night and a healthier body!