by Candice Scott | Mar 23, 2020 | Health, Lifestyle, Motivation
I am currently sitting on my couch writing this and thinking how insane life is currently. TV shows are being broadcasted via Zoom or Facetime, I am training clients via Facetime daily now, my husband job is 100% stress right now, and most of the world is in quarantine. What is happening??
Well we all know what is happening and it is called COVID-19, something a few weeks ago we thought was just something that was in Asia and some of Europe. But we were wrong.
I know I am probably one of the rare ones in saying this but I have hope right now. I seriously do. Amongst the craziness I know we will come through stronger. I am not saying I do not worry, because of course I do, income is down, stock market is down, I mean we were about to buy a house now we do not know if we will even be making half of what we did last year…. and we intended to do better this year! There are a lot of unknowns… but I do have faith that we will prevail. I mean maybe God wanted to get our attention, maybe He wanted to tell us to slow down and stop putting our hopes and dreams in money and technology and other people…. religious or not you cannot help but think that something God or the universe is trying to tell us all something. I think this can be used for our good, and that is part of the reason I do have faith. Bad things happen all the time (although this may be one of the worst for us all) most of the time we learn from the bad and become better humans, I mean am I not right?
So back to what this article is really about – how to destress when everything is falling apart. Below I have 10 things I believe can truly help. I would love for you to try them for yourself.
Start your day with thankfulness– 
This is something that has helped me tremendously. That is gratitude. We all I am sure have gratitude for something, however doing a gratitude journal is something you should try during this time. In the morning first thing before you do ANYTHING else, think of 5 things you have and are thankful for that very day. Write them down and take it a step further. This can literally be a game changer.
Move – Another thing to do first thing in the morning, if you can start your day with thankfulness THEN simple movement you might see a 180 in your mindset. Look up some studies I am serious. Simple stretching like these are a great way to get going in the morning. It gets your blood flowing and some endorphins going too. Nothing too crazy but just gentle movement.
Call someone you haven’t talked to in a while – Think of someone who may be lonely right now, someone who may just want to talk or going through a tough time. Maybe you know someone who is or has been affected personally by COVID-19. Reach out. Doing this can make not only them feel better but also you. And if they can do it via facetime then do it that way. There is something about just seeing someones face that can make a difference.
Deep Breathe – Get those stress and cortisol levels down. SERIOUSLY.It helps our immune system too. Do this 5x – Inhale DEEEPLY for 5-6 counts, hold your breath for 2 counts then exhale 4 counts. Focus on your breath when you do. Find out more about this one here.
Read a book – Not a reader? Listen to one. Or read a magazine. So many of us NEVER have time to do these things so now is the time to relax and take advantage of it. 
Check out my list of some of my favorites if you need some inspiration! FAVORITES
Workout – No doubt that working out helps our attitudes and our immune systems. There are plenty of things you can do at home even without any equipment. Check out my two workout plans that can be done entirely at home with minimal equipment (use code CHANGEUP to save $10!). 
Virtual Training
Do NOT watch the news when you first get up in the am or right before bed. – I think this should go without saying. We want to meditate on the good not the bad. I am not saying that we should not watch the news at all, I am simply saying that we need to take a break from it for about an hour before we try to sleep (atleast).
Keep a schedule even when working at home or when doing things that aren’t the “norm” – Schedule is key to normalcy. Even if you are someone who normally hates them. Try to keep a routine as best you can. It could go something like wake up at x time – thankfulness/morning pages at x time- stretch at x time – emails at x time – calls at x time- workout at x time – dinner at x time- read at x time. Whatever you do day to day try to keep it that way even while at home.
Find someone to help or an animal (virtually) – If you are in a place where you can help someone right now, do it. It will literally make you feel so much better. Even if it is not financially. Maybe you can go grocery shopping for someone. Maybe you can buy some home made items from someone or support a local business. Tip someone more than normal. If you are able to foster an animal you can still do that in a lot of places right now too. And what better a time than now with you working from home!
Reread or rethink about your 5 thankful things right before you go to bed. – Get that mindset right.
The little things right now are what matter most. Lets try not to forget that!
Have anything you want to hear about right now? Let me know!
Message me – candicecfitness@gmail.com
by Candice Scott | Mar 16, 2020 | Health, Workouts
This time in our world is just crazy. Never in my life did I think something like this could happen. I am sure you somewhat agree….
With “social distancing” and trying to really stay healthy we are going to not be in gyms and more than likely aiming to get creative at home. Going virtual possibly or working with trainers or friends remotely. This is exactly why I created this program. For those of us who may not have much equipment at home or maybe no fancy bike…. This program is for you if you are at a loss of what to do, are at ANY fitness level (there is a beginner, intermediate, advanced program). You need minimal equipment and if you do not have something you can omit it, OR if you DO have something you can add it. It is simple but will help us stay on track.
There is a schedule to follow each week (this is four weeks long just in case!).
There are descriptions of each workout and exercise along with photos and some videos (link in the photo of the exercise bank).
You get 4-5 workouts a week broken into cardio and strength along with stretching.
So again no matter the fitness level, one of these can work for you! And for only $30 this is a STEAL…… a month of workouts for less than you would pay for most gyms (and no plan mind you). You can totally lose weight with this- but if you want a little extra help I am also offering a consult via skype or Google hangouts to help you with that and if you are interested in cycle syncing as well. If you are interested in adding that on you can do so when purchasing or simply reach out to me and let me know and we can set it up! Again I hope this gives you a little hope and can help you stay focused. We will ALL get through this! Stay healthy guys! C
Get it below! (and ps use code CHANGEUP to save $10 at checkout!)
by Candice Scott | Mar 4, 2020 | Health, Womens Health, Workouts
I may have found a new obsession, and that is involving researching and learning more about how cycle syncing for women can truly help us lose more weight, regulate hormones which can help with decreasing inflammation, and help us feel better, decrease period symptoms and increase our metabolism AND improve workouts!
You may be wondering what the heck is cycle syncing?
I had no idea until I discovered Alissi Vitti’s book “In the Flo”.
Essentially you are working to support your cycle. Your cycle meaning the 28 day or so period we are supposed to rotate through. (here’s your biology talk) It is made up of four phases; Follicular, Ovulatory, Luteal and Menstrual. Each phase consists of a few days where our sex hormones should fall and rise (hormones meaning estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone mainly among others). The first half is composed of the follicular and ovulatory cycles which are aimed more at increasing estrogen and testosterone to help prepare for ovulation when they are at their peak and to make us ladies fertile. The second half consists of the luteal and menstrual phases where progesterone starts to rise and the other two start to drop before menstruation where the lining sheds if no egg is fertilized. With our hormones fluctuating our bodies are going to need different nutrients and things to support them at different times. We should also have highs and lows of energy at different times depending on this. For example it is better to rest during the last part of your cycle (Menstrual) vs. the beginning when you have more energy (Follicular phase).
Cycle syncing works to support these changes we should go through each month.
But what if you are irregular, have been diagnosed with any sort of disease like PCOS, amenorrhea or endometriosis to name a few. That is even more of a reason to try this method. By supporting your cycle when these hormones should rise and fall with foods, the right workouts and movement and self care we can optimize getting these things regulated. We want to get regular, we want to reduce PMS symptoms, by doing so we will increase our ability to optimize our metabolism function among other things.
So now to the good stuff, how does it work with our metabolism and how can our workouts help us???
When our hormones are regulated and working efficiently we are able to absorb the right nutrients, burn more fat, and feel better with less stress on our bodies. We know that less stress leads to less inflammation like I have talked about many times before. If we can get our workouts to aide us in this by timing them correctly within our cycle (or when we should be at x part of our cycle) then we should be able to recover better and get more out of them when timing is right. Here is the low down on that- each phase should rotate between different focuses/energy output for the most part to help alleviate excess stress on us at the wrong times or when we are lacking certain nutrients to recover. Follicular Phase : During this beginning part of your cycle estrogen and testosterone should be on the rise so should you have more energy, meaning you can do more HIIT and intense heavy lifting. This is a time to work harder and push yourself more because you will be able to recover better. Ovulatory Phase : This is when everything is at its peak so you can really work harder here. Luteal Phase: The first half of this cycle (it is longer almost 10 days) can be harder workouts but when hormones start to drop towards the end that is when you want to start doing more yoga, active recovery like long walks, stretching, non intense cardio to preserve your energy. Menstrual Phase – There is a reason sometimes you are fatigued during this part of your cycle.. You have lower levels of everything as your lining may shed (bleed) and if you push yourself too hard then in turn you will feel even worse during this time. Really try to use this time to lay lower doing low intensity stuff and really resting your body. When you preserve your body during this time it will allow you to have even more energy next phase (follicular) where you can go harder again. Try things like stretching, infrared sauna, gentle yoga, easy walks, massage etc. So how can you start implementing this? Easy if you are regular, just pay attention to where you are in it and start adding in these types of workouts accordingly. But what if you don’t know?? If you are like me and are irregular or have been or on birth control and have recently stopped and have no cycle then go with the moon…. yup I said moon… no this is not crazy stuff there is research behind it oddly enough. You can sync with the moon phases (follicular – first quarter , ovulation – full moon, luteal- third quarter , menstrual – new moon) and do week to week and follow those guidelines. I am working with this as a guide, and I am going to be sharing my experiences so stay tuned! Next up will be how foods affect your cycle and what can help 🙂 So if you are going to try this lets aim to have patience, start slow and work on adding in things versus restricting. Keep stress low!
If you want a free guide to help you know the right workouts for the right time of your cycle – get it below!
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