The word longevity gets thrown around a lot lately. That's because it's really important how you live out your years. I don't mean to sound like you're old already, but we get older every day, every second. How you live now, affects your long term. Your mental health is important, but I'm a physical trainer so I'll share what I know: The 8 Basic Functions of Movement. These are basic because we do them daily without even thinking about it. They are push, pull, squat, lunge, rotation, hinge, balance and walk.

1 - Push - We push our body up and out of bed. Pushing doors, a grocery cart, a stroller.

2 - Pull - Opening a door or drawer, pulling wet laundry out of the washing machine.

3 - Squat - Using the toilet. Sitting down for dinner. Literally any type of sitting.

4 - Lunge - Walking up stairs. Getting in and out of a car.

5 - Rotation - Turning off the alarm clock. Reaching for the toilet paper. Grabbing the coffee cup from the drive thru.

6 - Hinge - (un)Loading the dishwasher. Dressing in the morning.

7 - Balance - Every step we make we are balance on one foot.

8 - Walk - Do I need an example?

We do most, if not all, the first ten minutes of waking up. If you experience pain, throbbing and/or numbness doing any of these functional moves, then you aren't exercising enough or the right way. Strength training 4x a week, focusing on these 8 movements, are proven to help you live longer independently, reduce muscle aches and pains, increase your balance and stability, and decrease the chance of diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in women.

I have added two collection workouts that focus on arms and legs sculpting. Each group consists of four workouts, all less than 30 minutes. The basic moves given above are embedded in the workouts so that you can strengthen the areas of the body that you need day in and day out. I did not include walking, hoping you will take it upon yourself to get outside and walk. Now is the time to call that friend to catch up and get in exercise. Get the Arm and Leg Sculpt Collections here!

Have you upped your protein intake yet? Refer to the previous post about how much you should have daily. I do want to share an easy one-pot dinner recipe that has protein, carbs, healthy fat, fiber and vitamins. This recipe serves four and makes a great next day lunch.

Welcome to spring and enjoy this season of new beginnings, new growth and healthy living!

Andrea✌️