Every few months we like to dedicate a week to answering some of our most frequently asked questions. We received a number of amazing questions from our community in our recent fall survey so we thought we’d share a few of them this week. Read below to learn more!

“People don’t think much about breathing. Of all the things we take for granted, breathing must be number one. It’s our main source of life and energy. When I started focusing on my breathing, I became a stronger athlete and was better able to control my levels of effort and pain.”
— LAIRD HAMILTON

Physical activity is one of the most effective ways to stay mentally healthy. Exercise has been shown to increase circulating levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), stimulating the growth of new neurons and facilitating learning and memory. Walking has been shown to improve creativity and a single bout of exercise can boost mood. Even a small amount of physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of developing depression. When we exercise we just feel better.

In today’s world, the increased pace of life, high workload (both at work and at home), and pressure to succeed has led to a society in which we’re in a constant state of stress. The stress response is an evolutionary adaptation in response to an immediate threat, however, these days we are often stuck in a state of chronic stress.

You also might have noticed that when you exercise regularly you have improved quality of sleep and are able to make better food choices. Basically - when you prioritize exercise, all other aspects of your health and performance improve!

There are ways we can manipulate our internal and external environment to help us enter into a Theta brainwave state more often, such as seeking solitude, changing scenery, and releasing tension from the body. This week we’re going to dive into one of the most powerful hacks to enter into a state of creativity: moving meditation

One of the most common pieces of feedback we get is that people love Q&A sessions. So this week we thought we’d compile all of the FAQs that we’ve received from our community over the past year - through emails, live events, and coaching sessions. Hopefully you find this information helpful and that there are some key takeaways that you can apply to your daily routine. Of course if you have any questions that we missed don't hesitate to reach out!

As mindfulness has been shown to improve focus, decrease physiological and psychological measures of stress, and reduce rumination, it’s no wonder that athletes are starting to incorporate mindfulness practices into their training!

Having a good pre-exercise meal or snack will make a huge difference to your exercise performance and will help avoid gastrointestinal discomfort during exercise. But what about fuel during your workout?

This week, we’re going to dive into the fourth and final “F” of Fitness: Fit, or cardiovascular endurance. Endurance training is any sort of exercise in which you’re moving your body for an extended period of time. Typical endurance activities include jogging, cycling, hiking, swimming, rowing, etc. However, endurance activities also include household chores, cooking, walking a pet, or low-impact sports such as golf.

A question that comes up a lot is ‘what and when should I eat before my workout?’ The timing and composition of your nutrition can make huge differences to your athletic performance. Understanding how to fuel your body is important for everyone - whether you are an elite athlete or if you just want to be healthy enough to run around with your kids.

We’ve given you a lot of new information this year and it can sometimes be a lot to digest. We know many of you don’t get around to reading the emails every week so every few months, we like to do a recap of what we’ve learned to help solidify ideas and let you catch up if you've fallen a bit behind!

Strength training, or resistance training, is any form of exercise in which your muscles are working against a resistance to produce force. While there are many different variations of resistance training, people tend to love it or hate it. For those of you who are nervous about strength training, here is a basic overview of why you should do it, how to start a strength training program, and why it's not as daunting as you might think!

If you’ve been with us for a while or participated in any of our programs, you’ll know that one of our main principles is how connected the body is. Sleeping well leads to better eating habits. Proper nutrition allows you to exercise more efficiently. Better physical health leads to better mental health. All of these lifestyle factors are interconnected and by improving one aspect of your health, you can improve the others and amplify your performance. This is what we call the ripple effect.

I’m sure you’ve heard countless times that you should be stretching on a regular basis. If you’ve participated in any of our programs, you might remember the 4 “F”s of Fitness: Fit (aerobic training), Force (strength training), Fast (interval training), and Flex (flexibility training), which should all be incorporated into your regular fitness routine. You’ve also probably noticed a difference between those times you’ve stretched after a workout and the times you didn’t. When you stretch, you feel good!