Jason Davis joins Morgan for a conversation centered around how to establish small daily habits that lead to big changes in your health or in leading you towards your goals. Our coaches also touch on the importance of finding your why, both personally and professionally, so that you can build a truly happy life. The habit loop video that Jason referenced in the podcast is linked below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5PXTxIiWYM

Coach Darryl joins Morgan to share his insights on how mindfulness, physical well-being, and overall attitude impact one's mental health. Darryl shares some of his story about re-learning how to deal with stress and anxiety after serving 8 years in the US Marine Corps. 

Coach Danielle joins Morgan for a powerful conversation about mental health, wellness, and the positive impact of physical movement and community support when dealing with these issues. Danielle openly shares her experiences, past struggles, and how she’s been able to move through difficult times. The coaches also share some practical advice for dealing with mental health issues, especially during this uncertain time.

In today's episode of Coaches Corner, Morgan and Darryl further discuss Darryl's article on The Pain Teacher. We all have faced injuries at some point in our life, and let's face it, they suck. Taking time off is hard when you've been working your butt off trying to pursue your version of excellence, and now it feels like you've taken two steps in the wrong direction. 

Sometimes an injury is inevitable, but sometimes our body (The Pain Teacher) is telling us to slow down and we ignore the signs and make things worse.

"I called it the great Pain Teacher for a reason, because it teaches you about yourself. So, as long as you don't run from it and you approach pain with a curious mindset and wanting to understand more about your body, I think you'll learn something about yourself."

If you haven't read the article yet, I highly suggest you give it a read before you jump into the podcast. But without further ado, we hope you enjoy the episode, and if you have any questions about pain, mindfulness or meditation talk to Darryl at Blended Athletics. He doesn't have social media, but you can find him most days in The Loft. 

The Pain Teacher Article:

https://www.blendedathletics.com/journal-1/2021/3/5/the-great-pain-teacher-injuries-setbacks-and-new-opportunities-for-growth

*** New Episode ***

In this episode of Coaches Corner, Morgan sits down with Dave and talks about habits. The objective of creating habits is to be able to make small changes to your day-to-day life, that will end up creating a lasting impact over a long period of time.

Individuals often think that habits develop overnight, and I’m sure in some cases they do, but statically they take between 18 - 254 days to develop. On average, it takes 66 days! The next question individuals face is, “when should you start a habit?” - and that depends based on the person! For example, Christmas is normally a difficult time to start a habit, whereas now would be a great time to start, as March break is ending - but again, it's entirely up to the individual.

Here are some key points from the episode:

• If you want to start your journey towards health and wellness start with water.

• If your attempt to create a habit fails, try again

• If you are going to start a new habit, start now! It is the perfect time.

There are two books that Dave recommends if you want to learn more about habits: Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. If you really want to make some changes in your life, pick up one of these books!

Thank you for tuning in for another episode of Coaches Corner!

In this special Blended TV episode, Dave Rafuse sits down with Dr. Nikole MacLellan (a.k.a Dr. Kokes) who is a naturopathic doctor at PROactive Health & Performance.⁠  ⁠

Dr. Kokes is also the host of The Offseason Podcast which is an exploration of athletic health, recovery, and performance told through the stories of the athletes and their medical & training teams. ⁠ ⁠ 

On top of that she has another passion project called The Glass Lion Project which is targeted towards helping young female athletes learn about their bodies, grow self value and get the best performance tips. ⁠ ⁠ 

Naturopathic doctor by day, virtual educator by night. A big shoutout to Dr. Kokes for taking the time to record this episode of Blended TV with us!⁠⁠

In this episode Morgan sits down and chats with Jason Ward about his newest project, Gaming & Gains.

Jason created Gaming & Gains to combine his two passions, gaming and fitness. The idea is to prescribe movements throughout the different events that happen when you are gaming. The programming can be completed during your gaming session or separate - it’s entirely up to the individual. Exercising has many benefits for gamers! Exercising can improve reaction time, mental clarity, quicker communication and posture!

If you are interested in learning more about Gaming & Gains you can reach out to Jason on instagram @wardswaytofitness and while you’re at it you can follow his twitch account @wardswaytofitness

We hope you enjoy the episode!

In this episode of Coaches Corner, Morgan and Darryl sit down and talk about The Loft and how the lights and music play a part in your Loft experience. You might not realize, but our coaches take the time to strategically develop music playlists prior to coming into work for the day. 

In Darryl's case he plans his playlist based on the members that are in his class and changes them throughout the day. The lights play a huge role in the experience. For instance, Darryl turns down the light (when safe to do so) in order to draw the attention away from you and help you become more focused in your workout. The lights on the mirrors also play their role. The Loft coaches normally have a blue or green light during rest periods as it gives a relaxing vibe to the space whereas, red and yellow symbolizes high intensity work. 

A lot of thought and preparation goes into every class. We don't simply show up and run a class, we keep YOU, our members in mind prior to you arrival. This isn't only limited to The Loft either, we take the same amount of time to create that experience in Ground Zero also minus the fancy lights.

If you want to experience The Loft for yourself click the link below to sign up for a free consultation and tour around our facility. We hope you enjoy the episode!

*** New Episode of The Pursuit of Excellence ***

In this episode, Dave talks about happy moments and what he believes is the answer to achieving moments of happiness more frequently. Dave has a system that he follows as the foundation to achieve this. Ultimately it comes down to,

1. Sleep - We could spend an entire episode on sleep alone, but sleep is extremely important for your health and well-being. Make it a priority to get 7-8 hours a sleep - No exceptions!

2. Nutrition - For the vast majority of listeners you all know what you should and shouldn't be putting in your mouth. Eat more vegetables, consume more protein and more fruit, you know the drill.

3. Exercise - You need to find a way to elevate your heart rate for 150 minutes a week MINIMUM. This doesn't have to be in a gym, you just need to find a way to elevate your heart rate.

4. Vulnerability - Be vulnerable, try new things! Meet new people! We know this is hard to do during covid, but there are ways to do it safely. 

"Look after yourself, put yourself in vulnerable positions, try new things and you will find new moments of happiness and that is the pursuit of excellence. The pursuit of excellence is finding as many moments of happiness as you can." - Dave 

In this episode, Morgan and Chelsea talk about fad diets. A fad diet is something that is usually promoted and popular in social media, and is typically a way to have quick weight loss over a certain amount of time. For example, “Try this diet for 30 days and you will lose 15 pounds” They are quick fixes that are probably not sustainable in the long run. 

The most popular fad diets right now are keto and the carnivore diet. Chelsea dives into why these are hard to sustain in the long run and how it’s extremely important to get the calories you need to fuel your body. 

If you are ever wondering what your meals should consist of, try the plate method. A quarter of your plate should be some sort of protein source. The other quarter should be carbohydrates, or starchy vegetables, and then the remaining half would be vegetables. It is an easier way to create a meal rather than navigating Canada’s food guide.

If you are struggling with nutrition, work with someone who can support you and help you through that. At the same time, do your research, don’t settle for the first nutritionist that you find - find someone who is empathic and knowledgable that can help you along this journey to pursuing your excellence in nutrition. 

If you have questions about nutrition get in touch with Chelsea on Instagram @chelsweinkauf Also, big shoutout to Morgan for hosting her first podcast at Blended Athletics, looking forward to more great content.