Words matter. Like the words “Princess Unicorn”. Let me explain.

You say a word like “deadlift” to a person who’s ever been told by a medical pro they should never do the exercise because they have a bad back or to someone who’s DONE deadlifts that have been followed up with pain: What’s a trainer to do? Call it something else, that’s what.

Here I am, a personal trainer in Evanston, IL. Claiming to be the picture of health and stuff... But the truth is I’m not a huge fan of drinking water.

I know it’s good for me, I know it would make EVERYTHING in my body happier but… it feels like just another chore and I’m over those ;)

The fact is, though, that most of us DO need more water so here’s how to make it less of a chore and more of a treat!

​So with that in mind, here is a quick recipe to glam up your water!

I don’t meditate. I think it’s “stupid” (quotes are there to indicate I KNOW it’s not stupid but I just can’t do it the traditional way and *feel* stupid when I try).

But at the gym the other night, as I was doing a modified Simple and Sinister (100 swings and 10 getups) and I decided to challenge myself with a kettlebell weight I hadn’t used consistently since, oh, 2018.

But. Like. They WERE.

I, like most of us, lived in a constant state of being reactive rather than proactive.

I, like many of us, indulged in lots of comfort food and beverages to deal with treading water with all of the demands of constant pivoting. Navigating the new normal has been like settling into a brand new country and getting the lay of the land.

But NOW: I feel like the land of the new normal is my new home and for the first time in three years, I can actually plan ahead.

Ah, the spectacular time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day: It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s six weeks that fly by so fast your head spins. It feels like weeks are shrunk into minutes. It feels like you’re being pulled in different directions every time you breathe. There are celebration plans with in-laws, parents, step-parents, step-grandparents, the pets, the office.

Ten years ago today, on June 23, 2011, my baby company was made an official LLC through the State of Washington.

IzzyFit is 10 years old now! It's a 5th grader! Time... If flies. Companies grow up so fast.

And I *hope* I've grown up with it. As I look back at the last ten years, I'd love to share with you some of the biggest lessons I've learned.

Ten years after my first side butt post, I figured it was time for an update with some other exercises.

I firmly believe the stronger your tush is, the longer your life can be. Here is why: The side butt (gluteus medius) is responsible for:

• Stabilizing your hips

• Bringing your leg out to the side, away from your body

• Rotating your hip internally and externally

We all hold on to numbers. How much we weighed in high school. The dress size we were at in March of 2020 and the dress size we are at now. The number WW points there are in a bag of popcorn. Our highest output on the Peloton.

We remember these numbers for different reasons. Maybe we’re competitive with ourselves or others. Maybe we have photographic memories. Maybe those numbers stand for something deeply emotional in the back (or front) of our psyche.

It still feels like “back to school season” (especially in Chicago where we’re wondering when the kids will actually go back to school) and I am reminded of my good ol' "what I did this summer" assignments of years' past.

Well, here's a 2012 adult version