As the weather warms up and the days last longer, I have felt the call to get back to more consistent exercise and healthier eating. For me, this also means diving a little deeper into some of my favourite podcasts, blogs, and social media accounts for inspiration + motivation.

One of my favourite health + wellness podcasts is from Balance 365 – Balance 365 Life Radio. This podcast was first introduced to me by a friend last summer and I have learned SO much from it. Last week, while out for a walk + pod (a walk while listening to a podcast), Jen from Balance 365 started talking about how we need to know who we want to be. We need to take on the habits of the person we want to become.

Ana from @bluebirdkisses on Instagram is another huge source of health + fitness inspiration for me and she talks about something similar. We need to choose the habits of the person we want to become.

I’ve been giving this some thought and journalling about it over the last week and feel like I have hit on a really big reason WHY exercise + nutrition are so important to me.

I started to think about my values and the kind of person I want to be. I realized the kind of person I want to be is athletic. I want to be strong (physically + mentally). I want to be muscular and fit and health. Upon deeper reflection, I started to think about how I feel when I do things that align with this person. I feel proud, strong, excited, and my true self when I do something athletic – whether it’s lifting weights, going for a long walk, doing a HIIT workout, or even playing a sport/game.

I realized most of the women I admire are strong, fit, and athletic. I don’t admire them because of their thinness but because of their strength, their commitment, and their athleticism. Whether they are runners, lifters, figure skaters, or professional athletes, I feel a sense of deep admiration and wanting to be like that.

Several summers ago, my son participated in a hockey camp at a sports training facility for athletes. I vividly remember feeling so inspired inside that building, watching all these athletes train for their sport. It made me want to do it too. They had a purpose and a reason to train. They were committed, working hard, and building strength. I was so inspired by their athleticism.

I realized I admire the training process behind the development of athletes. I’m always interested in the behind the scenes of athletic performances. Whether it’s my favourite baseball players, figure skaters, or long-distance runners, I wonder what do their workouts look like? What is their training program? More than that, I deeply admire and respect their commitment, their dedication, and their work ethic.

Training for a sport (or other similar goal) gives a purpose to the workout. You’re building a stronger body and mind so you can perform better.

That’s when I realized… I want to train my body and my mind, so I can perform better at LIFE!

By training (staying consistent with exercise, nourishing my body with balanced nutrition, ensuring proper sleep, and developing healthy habits), I gift myself better outcomes in life. I don’t want to be the kind of person who lays around feeling unmotivated, unenergetic, heavy, drained, and uncomfortable. I don’t like the tightness of my clothes or having difficulty getting up and down off the floor.

I want my long-term outcomes to be strength, flexibility, energy, endurance, and mental clarity. I want to develop habits and skills that will serve me as I age, rather than stop me from living. I want to at least feel like an athlete.

I feel so motivated by this personal value that I have just recently discovered. Athleticism, strength, and training is admirable and inspirational in others, so it’s time for me to develop the habits and skills that will allow me to see those things in myself.

Now I want to know…

What do YOU value?

What kind of person do YOU want to be?

What skills + habits will YOU need to get you there?

Let’s cheer each other on!

Guys, summer is finally here and I am so, so excited!  Where I live in Northern Ontario, Canada summers don’t last very long so we have to soak up every minute that we can.  Plus, being a teacher means I’m on holidays all summer long and I am definitely not mad about that!

Today, was our first extremely hot day of the summer and while I’m not usually a fan of the extreme heat, I am not going to complain (yet!) In fact, the heat and humidity has been a really good reminder to slow down and enjoy the lazy days that summer offers.

That got me to thinking about some of the ways, I feel more relaxed and easygoing in the summer.  For example, my house has needed cleaning all week and right now, I just don’t care – haha! Don’t get me wrong, it’s actually really not that bad, there’s just a lot of things lying around and I’m usually the type that likes everything in it’s spot.  But I find it so much easier in the summer to look at a pile of dishes and think “Nah, those can be done later” or to ignore the pile of laundry gathering on the laundry room floor.  Having no schedule in the summer is a luxury I’m so grateful to have because it takes off the pressure to do those household chores that normally have to get done in a limited amount of time during busy work weeks.

Another thing I have noticed is that my style is a lot more casual in the summer.  This summer, for instance, I’m totally loving the athleisure look – lots of leggings, sporty capris, tanks, and sports bras.  Not only is this comfy and easy to wear but since I’m a lot more active in the summer, it’s pretty convenient too!  And again, not having to go to work means my summer wardrobe can be as relaxed as I want it to be! You’ll also see me in a baseball cap a lot more in the summer than during the winter months.

Another luxury I’ve been loving lately is that I’ve basically hung up my blow dryer and flat iron for the summer!  With all the humidity, my hair gets a nice enough wave in it that it looks suitable enough to go out into public. Sure, it doesn’t look as great as when I spend twenty minutes straightening it, but “messy hair, don’t care” is definitely my motto for summer! Plus, when things get bad enough, there’s always that ball cap I mentionned above!

For me though, the best part about summer has got to be the wide-open schedules.  Normally my life, like many others, is super busy and over-scheduled.  Between my job as a teacher, being a wife and a stepmom, extracurricular activities, and so on, life gets so, so busy during the school year.  Sometimes I even get anxiety on the weekends because I feel like the time frame I have to get everything “done” that I didn’t do during the week is so tight.  I wake up with a running to-do list in my mind and the next thing I know it’s Sunday night and the whole thing is starting over again!

But I am so blessed to work in a profession where I have the summer off and that, for the most part, means absolutely no schedule!  Now that my kids are older, even less so.  I don’t have to wake up to an alarm which is the most amazing feel ever. Plus, when I do wake up I have the entire day to accomplish anything I want to get done, whether it be errands, a workout, or a little project around the house. I can watch daytime television, read as long as I want, or enjoy a wonderful afternoon nap. If a friend calls and wants to get together, it’s easy to step out and meet up for a drink or go for a walk.

With all the free time, I also notice that I tend to get more reflective during the summer.  I have more time to delve a bit deeper into things that have piqued my interest but I wouldn’t normally have time for.  I have fun searching for inspiration on Pinterest and of course, writing on my blog!  (Something that easily gets pushed to the side during the school year).

Of course, most of all though, I love spending time with my family and getting out of town during the summer!  My hometown (where my parents and much of my extended family still live) is just a couple hours away, and there’s nothing like a trip home during the summer to bring back wonderful memories of summers spent at the local pool and playing outdoors.  We’ll be headed there in a couple of weeks to celebrate my Mom’s birthday and I already can’t wait!

Stay tuned for more of our summer adventures!