Fitness, Motivation, Movement Science, Restoration
Mercedes Mclaughlin
Pelvic Core Neuromuscular System (PCNS) ...

At Gymnazo, we treat and handle a lot of movement dysfunctions that fly under the radar. As a pioneer in the emerging Movement Industry (bridging the gap between Physical Therapy and Fitness), we don’t just want our members to improve their fitness, we want them to live pain free lives while enjoying a socially active lifestyle! So we try to continually raise the bar on our education and understanding of every musculo-skeletal dysfunction that our members could possibly have. We are motivated to stay on the cutting edge of movement science so that we can better treat anyone who walks through our doors.

Pelvic Core Neuromuscular System (PCNS) Dysfunction
Fitness, Movement Science, Restoration
Mercedes Mclaughlin
Road to Recovery: Healing from Childbirth

2017 was an incredible year of growth for me. Most notably, our family grew from two to three, and Michael and I got upgraded to Dad and Mom. In all of the positive and sweet moments that created a memorable year, there certainly were some surprising changes as well.

Last year, I penned a blog series about working out throughout my pregnancy and the benefits that I experienced through that practice. All year, I’ve been intending to reprise the series with a blog post that was supposed to detail how I worked myself back into G3 workouts. In my head, I had envisioned a triumphant return to fitness. Instead, on my one year birth-anniversary, I’m writing a less triumphant, but hopefully more relatable blog post, admitting that I’m still recovering from birth.

Road to Recovery: Healing from Childbirth
Motivation, Fitness, Performance
Paden Hughes
10 Things to Give Up to be Successful in 2017 ...

One of my all time favorite movies is It’s a Wonderful Life. In this movie the question of what makes someone a success is at the heart of the story. George Bailey is beloved by all, saved many families during the depression from being turned out of their homes and dignified his fellow man through a long line of personal sacrifices. It’s a beautiful, heart warming story suggesting that success takes on many forms and may not look the way we initially envisioned it.

So as we have just started out a new year with 2017, what does success in your life mean to you? It’s a great thing to consider.

10 Things to Give Up to be Successful in 2017 (Part 2)
Nutrition, Motivation
Mercedes Mclaughlin
Whole30 Week 4: The Grand Finale (Part 5)

WE DID IT! We completed our 30 day health and fitness challenge. Through the ups and downs, the cravings, the mood swings, the avoidance of alcohol like the plague, the seemingly endless hours of meal prep, and the careful reading of nutrition labels, to the restful nights of sleep, to synching belt buckles tighter, to seeing muscle definition, clearer skin, jaw lines and smaller boobs; we did it. By no means was it easy, but it has been so worth it. Indeed, the view from the top of the mountain was worth the climb. As someone who has never done a committed diet or nutrition plan, I am pretty darn proud of myself. I didn’t have beer for 30 days….I’m pretty sure I deserve a medal of some sort. This journey has been challenging, eye opening, and satisfying all in one. I’ve learned more in the last month about how food affects my body than I learned in the last 2 years, and that has been the most rewarding of all.

Whole30 Week 4: The Grand Finale (Part 5)
Fitness, Motivation
Mercedes Mclaughlin
Whole30 Week 3: I refuse to lose. (Part 4)

That.was.fast. I’m seriously amazed at how quickly this is going by. Day 1 felt like the death of all things tasty and delicious. I was mourning the loss of carbs, cheese, and beer and it felt like 30 days was just so far away. But, here we are, 21 days down and only 9 left. Week 3 was what I like to call The Grind. It’s that last 100 feet of hiking up a mountain. You’re having cravings, but can’t give in, so you just have to put your head down and do the work. Once you get to the top of that mountain, you can enjoy the view and then coast back down to the bottom. Although, I’m sure Week 4 will feel more like running down a mountain made of marbles with my arms flailing trying not to slip and fall directly into a taco truck. 

Whole30 Week 3: I refuse to lose. (Part 4)
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Pelvic Core Neuromuscular System (PCNS) Dysfunction

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Pelvic Core Neuromuscular System (PCNS) Dysfunction

At Gymnazo, we treat and handle a lot of movement dysfunctions that fly under the radar. As a pioneer in the emerging Movement Industry (bridging the gap between Physical Therapy and Fitness), we don’t just want our members to improve their fitness, we want them to live pain free lives while enjoying a socially active lifestyle! So we try to continually raise the bar on our education and understanding of every musculo-skeletal dysfunction that our members could possibly have. We are motivated to stay on the cutting edge of movement science so that we can better treat anyone who walks through our doors.

, ,

Road to Recovery: Healing from Childbirth

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Road to Recovery: Healing from Childbirth

2017 was an incredible year of growth for me. Most notably, our family grew from two to three, and Michael and I got upgraded to Dad and Mom. In all of the positive and sweet moments that created a memorable year, there certainly were some surprising changes as well.

Last year, I penned a blog series about working out throughout my pregnancy and the benefits that I experienced through that practice. All year, I’ve been intending to reprise the series with a blog post that was supposed to detail how I worked myself back into G3 workouts. In my head, I had envisioned a triumphant return to fitness. Instead, on my one year birth-anniversary, I’m writing a less triumphant, but hopefully more relatable blog post, admitting that I’m still recovering from birth.

, ,

10 Things to Give Up to be Successful in 2017 (Part 2)

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10 Things to Give Up to be Successful in 2017 (Part 2)

One of my all time favorite movies is It’s a Wonderful Life. In this movie the question of what makes someone a success is at the heart of the story. George Bailey is beloved by all, saved many families during the depression from being turned out of their homes and dignified his fellow man through a long line of personal sacrifices. It’s a beautiful, heart warming story suggesting that success takes on many forms and may not look the way we initially envisioned it.

So as we have just started out a new year with 2017, what does success in your life mean to you? It’s a great thing to consider.

,

Whole30 Week 4: The Grand Finale (Part 5)

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Whole30 Week 4: The Grand Finale (Part 5)

WE DID IT! We completed our 30 day health and fitness challenge. Through the ups and downs, the cravings, the mood swings, the avoidance of alcohol like the plague, the seemingly endless hours of meal prep, and the careful reading of nutrition labels, to the restful nights of sleep, to synching belt buckles tighter, to seeing muscle definition, clearer skin, jaw lines and smaller boobs; we did it. By no means was it easy, but it has been so worth it. Indeed, the view from the top of the mountain was worth the climb. As someone who has never done a committed diet or nutrition plan, I am pretty darn proud of myself. I didn’t have beer for 30 days….I’m pretty sure I deserve a medal of some sort. This journey has been challenging, eye opening, and satisfying all in one. I’ve learned more in the last month about how food affects my body than I learned in the last 2 years, and that has been the most rewarding of all.

,

Whole30 Week 3: I refuse to lose. (Part 4)

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Whole30 Week 3: I refuse to lose. (Part 4)

That.was.fast. I’m seriously amazed at how quickly this is going by. Day 1 felt like the death of all things tasty and delicious. I was mourning the loss of carbs, cheese, and beer and it felt like 30 days was just so far away. But, here we are, 21 days down and only 9 left. Week 3 was what I like to call The Grind. It’s that last 100 feet of hiking up a mountain. You’re having cravings, but can’t give in, so you just have to put your head down and do the work. Once you get to the top of that mountain, you can enjoy the view and then coast back down to the bottom. Although, I’m sure Week 4 will feel more like running down a mountain made of marbles with my arms flailing trying not to slip and fall directly into a taco truck. 

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Whole30 Week 2: Dear Alcohol, I miss you. (Part 3)

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Whole30 Week 2: Dear Alcohol, I miss you. (Part 3)

Holy Toledo! Day 14?! Already?! I can’t really believe that we are already at the halfway point. Week 1 was a real doozey, while I felt like Week 2 was more like finding a good groove. No mood swings, no food rage, and not really complaining that I couldn’t have cheese! The weekdays are so busy that I don’t really have time to stop and ponder over sandwiches and French fries. I’m really just happy that I have a packed lunch and something to eat. Not saying that it’s been easy, but it has certainly gotten easier as the days go on. I’ve found a rhythm to dance to, so to speak.  However, when Friday afternoon starts to roll around…I start into a panic. Alcohol. How am I supposed to avoid alcohol?!

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Part 4: How I Stayed Fit In My Third Trimester

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Part 4: How I Stayed Fit In My Third Trimester

You know you’re in the third trimester when you can’t get into your sedan without groaning, you think twice about whether to walk downtown for brunch or drive, you’re rolling yourself off of the bed like a slug hoping your feet hit the floor before your face does, you can’t zip your winter jacket over your belly so you layer.... and the list goes on.

 

What I can say about the third trimester is that so far of all my trimesters, this was the only one that seemed less intense. To be more specific, there were less surprises for me. I still related all too well to 90% of the list of symptoms common to this trimester, but these were ones I expected all along. 

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Whole30 Week 1: Am I Skinny, Yet? (Part 2)

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Whole30 Week 1: Am I Skinny, Yet? (Part 2)

We did it! Seven days down, and only twenty-three more to go (good grief that’s so far away). I won’t lie, Week 1 was freaking hard with a lot of ups and downs. The concept of “that’s not an approved item” inspired moments of total food rage in Days 1-2. Days 3-4 were my “Kill-All-Things” days, and my poor boyfriend, Phil, had to put up with my f(m)ood swings during those 48 hours. Good thing I’m cute!

Those first 4 days were definitely my most challenging and frustrating. Moments of frustration included:

Whole30 Challenge: Eating Clean & Staying Active (Part 1)

Whole30 Challenge: Eating Clean & Staying Active (Part 1)

As someone who is not a dieter or “cleanser” I’m pretty anxious to see how these next 30 days go. While the idea of getting super ripped and skinny is always appealing, I’ve never been one to tell myself “No, you can’t have that.” I LOVE all things cheese, bread, burritos, rice, pizza, cake, and beer. Mostly beer.

But, in the spirit of Gymnazo and my über competitive nature, I’m challenging myself to 30 days and 30 nights of eliminating the things that I love to consume most. I’m super excited to blog and share this journey with my fellow Challengers. Hopefully you’ll find some good laughs, inspiration, and solace in knowing that you are not the only one grieving the death of carbs.

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10 Things to Give Up to be Successful in 2017

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10 Things to Give Up to be Successful in 2017

Today is the last day of 2016, and a perfect opportunity to sit back and reflect. In doing so, I read a wonderful blog that compelled me to put together this new blog series about what to give up to be successful and healthy.

Taking my collected thoughts from this article, I wanted to re-package the message a little to reflect how giving up the top 10 things from that original list can benefit everyone in our Gymnazo community and anyone looking to improve themselves and their fitness in 2017.

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Part 3: How I Stayed Fit in My Second Trimester

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Part 3: How I Stayed Fit in My Second Trimester

The single best thing about the second trimester was that we were finally able to announce our pregnancy to our family, friends and ultimately the social media world. It was no longer our best kept secret, which meant I no longer had to suffer in silence. 

I also was able to find out the gender of the baby in the 1st trimester so that was exciting for us, especially as my husband prior to learning the baby’s gender, claimed it was impossible for him to father a daughter because of the long lineage of men producing males in his family. Karma of course comes full circle, and I’ll never forget how surprised we both were to learn we were having a little girl. 

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Part 2: How I Stayed Fit in My 1st Trimester

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Part 2: How I Stayed Fit in My 1st Trimester

As a little girl I dreamed of being a mom one day. I even practiced how to sleep on my side so that one day when I was pregnant I wouldn’t struggle with falling asleep. I laugh at that now, as sleeping on my side has caused me much neck and shoulder pain, but that’s a different story. Perhaps to my Grandmother’s chagrin, who joked she may never live to see me married, I chose to cultivate my inner career woman and remained childless through my 20’s. A classic millennial, I was in no hurry to rush into motherhood.

However, upon turning 30, motherhood seemed like the natural next role or milestone to embrace in my life journey.

It’s Simple And It’s Powerful: Eat Your Veggies!

It’s Simple And It’s Powerful: Eat Your Veggies!

Most of us grew up hearing, “Eat your vegetables!” And when we asked why? All we got was, “Because they’re good for you!” I don’t know about you, but that wasn’t good enough for me. If you couldn’t give me a better why, then I wanted to stick with what tasted the best. And I had the come back of, “ Well if vegetables are so good for me, then why don’t they have them at McDonalds?” Boy have I come a long way! Come to find out, the power of vegetables is greater then Mom ever knew. We should have listened to her more. 

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Introduction: How I Stayed Fit in My Pregnancy

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Introduction: How I Stayed Fit in My Pregnancy

What type of exercises are allowed during pregnancy? What is unsafe at which stage of your pregnancy? 

In a recent study most women tend to stop exercising during pregnancy. This seems crazy to me, but after tuning into some of the blog topics that pregnancy apps have alerted me to, it was alarming to me how discouraging pregnancy bloggers were of exercise. The same study goes on to report that, “pregnant women tend to not receive exercise guidance from care providers.” So it would seem most women aren’t getting counseled by their care providers about how often and what type of exercise to do during pregnancy. I guess it’s no surprise then when most of the pregnant women I know turned to personal role models, family members and pregnancy apps/blogs for guidance.