Explore Your Fitness

Today's interview is with Jeremy Nelson, Founder of Roll Recovery in Boulder, CO.

Jeremy talks about his first sport as a kid and how as a cross-country runner, he spent a lot of time in the weight room.

One of his biggest passions is running.

I'm not a runner. Probably because I don't do it often enough to get good and enjoy it.

But I want to be. At least, I feel like I should run.

So I asked Jeremy for some tips:

Don't go into it grinding from the start.

Really try to enjoy it.

Find a routine or have someone make you one that's fun.

Find someone to run with or join a fun run at a local shoe store.

Running can be really hard on the body. Aside from Roll Recovery's products, what are some good recovery tips?

Replenish yourself after your run. Drink or eat something that's soft and easy on your stomach. Jeremy recommends Generation UCAN.

Take the time to stretch and roll out immediately after your run. 

Eat real, hearty meals.

Take naps.

Take rest days.

In the Final Round, Jeremy mentions that he's made a goal to run for 30 minutes every day this year.

Let's help him keep that goal!  You can connect with Jeremy at Roll Recovery and follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

Reach out, thank him for sharing his story and advice and ask him how he's doing with his goal!

The book he recommends:

Recommended Resource:

Strava. The Social Network for Athletes.

Takeaways:

Get out and enjoy Colorado! It's beautiful here. Take advantage of it.

If you're interested in any of Roll Recovery's products, use the code DIGDEEPER on their site to get a discount.

Keep an eye out for Roll Recovery at local fun runs in the Denver and Boulder area.

And if you're going to the Boston Marathon on April 18th, look for Roll Recovery there. They'll have a booth and be doing demos.

Thanks for checking out this interview with Jeremy Nelson.

I hope you came away with some great tips and inspiration you can apply to your fitness goals!

Here are some upcoming events in Colorado:

Tuesday, April 19th, Project Move in Littleton will be having a seminar on Type 2 Diabetes-Movement as Medicine. How to best manage Type 2 Diabetes through a plan, a coach, and a community.

Kleen City is back for the third time, Denver! Don't miss their sunrise Yoga, Dance, and Wellness celebration on Thursday, April 21st at 6:00 am at Aveda Institute Denver.

 The Greenland Trail Race is April 30th in Larkspur.

The Spartan Race is back at Fort Carson on May 14th and 15th.

And the first ever Live For This Fitness Throwdown is Saturday, April 30th in Littleton.

If you have any upcoming events you'd like me to mention, let me know.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon!

Cheers,

Jason

Music Credit: Foxes - Youth (M3H Trap Remix)

This episode is a little different than the others.

Our guest today is Alaina Newell, and she's a Physical Therapist for Oncology Rehab here in Denver.

So we're not only talking about fitness in this episode, we're talking about cancer.

This hits home for me as I'm sure it will many of you.

If you read the about page, you know that my wife had ovarian cancer.

The sad truth is, for now, that many of us will get cancer or have someone close to us get cancer.

Cancer is scary and an awful experience to say the least.

But it's people like Alaina who are helping people survive cancer, maintain some sort of normalcy, and thrive long after the treatments are behind them.

Alaina is involved from the very beginning of diagnosis to recovery years down the road.

As she says, it's never too early to start rehab in Oncology.

Alaina shares how her experiences have shaped the way she approaches rehab with her clients.

"When I look at the timeframes for recovering from surgeries, I have a much bigger perspective. Slow it down, step by step, day by day."

"We're going to have life-obstacles, but that doesn't mean that we can't go back to the things we love. We may just have to do it in a different way than we did before."

Some suggestions for anyone going through cancer:

Stay active. It's a very emotional time when a lot of people want to close in. You need to move around.

For an average patient going through treatment, Alaina recommends cardiovascular exercise two to three times per week.

This should be at a low level where you're able to have a conversation while walking or on a scale of zero to ten, it should be about a three.

 This needs to be consistent through treatment. Even on the days when you think you can't get out of bed, get up and walk around the house for ten minutes.

A lot of people going through chemotherapy experience chemo induced peripheral neuropathy.

This is a numbness and tingling in the hands and feet which can affect balance.

Movement, even moving your hands and feet during treatment, helps with this a lot.

Alaina sees that women who knit tend to see benefits from that.

During this process it's hard to eat and it's hard to eat the foods that provide you the most nourishment.

But keeping up with your nutrition will help you recover more quickly.

So how do we avoid cancer?

Alaina says to reduce inflammation and stress as much as possible.

Avoid processed foods and give your body and mind a chance to recover.

Oncology Rehab is now partnering with Akasha Mind-Body Wellness to offer monthly meditation classes. Classes include instruction on various meditation techniques, followed by time to meditate using the technique learned that night.

Studies show the effectiveness of meditation in reducing stress, blood pressure, anxiety and depression, while increasing immune function, feelings of well-being, and pain relief. It is also effective in improving clinical conditions of cancer treatment symptoms, chronic pain, PTSD, and insomnia.

Takeaways and Resources mentioned:

Rehab in Oncology is never too early or too late to start. If you're noticing any impairments during your treatments or following, reach out to Alaina, [email protected]  and Oncology rehab and on Facebook.

American Cancer Society, First Descents, Dr. William Li and eattobeat.org

Upcoming events and giveaways:

Crossfit Roots in Boulder will be doing a Challenge Chalk Talk Presentation with Inside Tracker covering background, challenge structure and tracking biomarkers on Wednesday, April 13th at 6:30 am, 12:30 pm or 6:00pm.

Kleen City is back!

KLEEN 3 Sunrise Yoga, Dance & Wellness Celebration at Aveda Institute Denver, Thursday April 21st at 6:00 am.

The Feed out of Boulder has partnered with Backpa...

Marie Borquez was born and raised in Colorado. Today she runs Elevated Fitness in Lakewood.

Marie knows life can be tough, but she's here to help you succeed.

At a young age, Marie was diagnosed with scoliosis.

To avoid surgery, she had to stay active, exercise and watch what she ate.

Her Mom decided to put her in dance, and as she got older, her brothers and dad inspired her to play sports.

Marie knew that she could use her experience to educate people and show them that fitness could be fun.

"I really encourage people to talk to themselves like they would talk to their best friend. Because if anyone's going to tell their best friend, "You look fat today", they're not going to have any friends."

At Elevated Fitness, Marie wants you to feel welcomed, to be yourself and come as you are. It opens up the communication, and this is when you'll see the most progress.

You can get one on one training, partner training, and online training here.

Recommended Resource:

Hungry Girl (eat what you like but create a healthier version)

Takeaways:

Connect with Marie at Elevated Fitness in Lakewood, CO, on Yelp, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. She's currently running a 4 for $179 promotion!

"Don't limit yourself. You're stronger than any excuse."

Thank you for checking out this episode with Marie Borquez!

Let me know what you think about the show, and what you'd like to hear in the future.

Cheers,

Jason

Music Credit: Foxes - Youth (M3H Trap Remix)

Levi didn't find his appreciation for movement until college when he got into martial arts.

But it was actually over a  summer that he noticed the effects of being active when he dropped from 220 lbs to 190 just from skateboarding!

I've never been a skateboarder, but that seems impressive for anyone in just one summer.

That really shows that it's about finding something that you enjoy doing.

Because if you don't enjoy it, you won't be consistent, and if you're not consistent, you won't succeed!

Now, if you've listened to any of my previous episodes, you know that I always ask about the challenges my guests have faced.

That's because I want you to know that these guys have been in your shoes.

Often, those challenges have shaped the way they approach fitness today, and in Levi's case, it's a big part of why he does what does today.

Most of us have been to see our general practitioner, only to leave with general advice like, take it easy for a while and rest.

I'm not saying that GP's are always wrong or that you don't need them. You do.  Actually, I'm looking if you have any recommendations.

What I'm saying is that hopefully yours is referring you to a good specialist when needed.

Fitness and Health is a science, and as we learn more, the standards change.

Rest used to be the best prescription for your pain.

Sometimes it still is, but sometimes movement is what the body needs.

Either way, you have to find the source of your pain first.

It's hard to know which direction to go if you don't know where you're at.

Levi loved training in Mixed Martial Arts and going to the gym, until one day he couldn't.

He wasn't satisfied with his doctor's advice of just take it easy.

And he wasn't going to keep walking around with a pinched nerve and a "gangsta limp".

He was determined to find a way to feel better and move better.

Levi not only got the help he needed but also decided to learn everything he could so that he could help you do the things that you love to do, pain-free.

Levi's best tip for finding a good therapist:

Give them a call. Any therapist should be passionate about what they do and willing to share their advice with you no matter how far away they are.

Nutrition advice:

Abs start in the kitchen. Levi doesn't get too specific on nutrition. For that he refers clients to his friend, Holistic Health Coach

Heather Braaten.

"A living body is not a fixed thing but a flowing event, like a flame or a whirlpool."~Alan Watts

Motivational speaker who inspires Levi: 

Nick Vujicic

Levi's book recommendations:

Movement: Functional Movement Systems: Screening, Assessment, Corrective Strategies by Gray Cook

For more information on movement, check out Kelly Starrett's Mobility Wod.

Connect with Levi on Facebook, Twitter, and at denvermovementcenter.com.

Takeaways:

Pay attention to your body. Do some Yoga. Find that weak link and figure out how you can treat that by yourself.

Levi's also throwing in a special discount just for you.  Take a picture of yourself doing something active and post it to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter with #DenverMovesMore and receive five dollars off your next massage.

Thank you for taking the time to be here.  Show Levi some love and share this episode out, leave a comment, and iTunes review.

Check out Levi's video with FitLo Denver founder Tricia Olson!

Music Credit: Foxes - Youth (M3H Trap Remix)

This was some new music for the intro. Let me know what you think.

Cheers,

Jason

I see recovery come up a lot in these episodes.

Recovery's important whether it's spiritual, mental, or physical.

It's rest, rebuilding, reflecting and growing stronger in any and every area of your life.

I'm thinking about putting together a recovery resource page for you based on the advice from our guests and a few other reliable resources. Leave a comment below and let me know what you need help recovering from or what's helped you in the past.

Today's episode is a great lesson on facing a devastating injury in the best way possible: with the support of your loved ones and an undefeatable attitude.

Ann Lantz has never been a stranger to fitness. Her family's always been active from skiing to swimming and playing tennis and golf.

Ann was an equestrian at the age of five.

And now she's an accomplished cyclist with several championships under her belt.

RAAM Sizzle Reel for 2014 from Silver Halide Pictures on Vimeo.

But just last year, on her third Race Across America, Ann's race was stopped short just outside of Durango, Colorado.

She crashed, landing on her head, breaking her neck at the first and second vertebrae and then also vertebrae in her back.

(Jump directly to this part of the podcast at minute 13:05)

"Literally to be at the peak of my fitness physically and have my legs cut out from underneath me. Done. You're done and you may never ride again. Wow. Ok...I'm going to ride again!"

I can only imagine what Ann has gone through and what she's still going through with the recovery process. But as she says, you learn to be a good patient and be patient.

If Ann's story touches you or inspires you in some way, reach out to her and let her know or share this episode with someone who could use the encouragement.   You can reach her at [email protected] or leave a comment below and I'll let her know.

Some questions I ask:

What was it like the first time you stepped foot in a gym?

What motivated you to compete?

What are your top tips for someone who wants to start riding?

Final Round

Morning Routine: Get up, make a cup of coffee, lie down on a yoga mat and do fifteen minutes of PT exercises specifically targeted to my spine and back.

Favorite quote or mantra: Advice from a tree: Stand tall and proud. Go out on a limb. Remember your roots. Drink plenty of water. Be content with your natural beauty and enjoy the view.

Who inspires you: My husband and my girls.

Best advice you've ever received: Rest aggressively.

What books would you recommend:

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook will help you make the right choices in cafes, convenience stores, drive-throughs, and your own kitchen. Boost your energy, manage stress, build muscle, lose fat, and improve your performance.

In the rush of modern life, we tend to lose touch with the peace that is available in each moment. World-renowned Zen master, spiritual leader, and author Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations that usually pressure and antagonize us.

*These are affiliate links. Purchasing through these links will help support the show.

What do your days off look like: I listen to my body.

Fitness Resources: American College of Sports Medicine.

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be: Listen to your heart and do what your heart wants to do. Try not to let the noise of the outside world get in there.

What does fitness mean to you: Balance, take care of my family and friends and get back to the job that I love.

What are you grateful for: My life, the love of my family and friends.

Takeaways:

Good things do come out of bad times. If you can make a plan and decide what you want, write it down,

"I believe in experiencing life to the fullest. In my work every day, I strive toward a world in which excellence, not mediocrity, is the status quo. I believe that when people take responsibility for their health, they can begin the journey of reclaiming their personal vitality—a journey of small, powerful choices that gradually bring their lives back into balance."

You can tell a lot about a person based on their vision, how they see the world and how they want the world to see them.

If you like being comfortable all the time, you're ok with being ok, and you just want to go with the flow, you may not connect with today's guest, but then again, maybe you'll be inspired.  Alex Gil resides in Boulder, Colorado but her journey started in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Nobody ever had to push Alex to exercise.  She feels like she was born with the desire to move.

Volleyball, Swimming, and Cycling all found their way into Alex's life.

But it was a torn ACL that made her slow down and realize that she didn't love the competition. What she loved was the training and the friendships that she made in the process, and she could have all that without competing.

"We have the power and control to determine how we feel and how happy and healthy we want to show up in the world."

I think it's this attitude and passion that draws people to Alex and makes her so successful.

I hope you find the time to listen to her story and apply some of that power and control to your life if you're not already.

Can't make it to Boulder to meet Alex in person? No worries. Alex shares a ton of her expertise for free through her newsletters and videos.

 

Some of the questions I ask Alex:

How did your knee injury change your approach to fitness over the years?

What is Holistic Lifestyle Coaching?

Do you have clients you enjoy working with more than others?

Where's a good place to start with Holistic Lifestyle?

What's the focus of your personal diet and what do you recommend?

Final Round

Favorite Quote: All is well.

Who inspires you: Paul Chek, my clients, friends, and several others.

What's the best advice you've ever received: Become what you want to be.

What do your days off look like: I don't plan anything. It's my day to be spontaneous and creative.

What book would you recommend: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

If you could give your younger self advice, what would it be: Be authentic.

What does fitness mean to you: Being strong both physically and mentally, being pain free and having the energy to do the things you want to do in life.

What are you grateful for:  My clients, friends, family, and my business

Takeaways:

Pay attention to how you feel. Ask yourself every day, how am I? One of my goals at my studio is to bring the community together and provide education on health and life strategies. We have a couple of workshops each month at the studio.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. You can connect with Alex Gil at Vitale Studio in Boulder, CO, on Twitter and Facebook.  If you listen to this interview, I would really appreciate an iTunes review!  Give Alex or me a shout out in the comments.  Let me know what you think about the show.  

Cheers,

Jason

Arzelle Lewis has traveled around the world playing basketball.

Introduced to the sport by his grandfather, Arzelle says it helped him get a college education, and now he's paying it forward through BAC.

BAC or Become A Champion helps kids do just that, Become A Champion, not only in Basketball but also in life.

"For me, Basketball's a perfect model for success. We can help kids reach their dreams through sports."

What's Arzelle's vision with BAC?

Allow kids to be showcased for their abilities and talents on a national level

Make Colorado a recruiting hub for Division one schools

Help raise the level of competition in Colorado

Some other questions I ask:

What's your biggest challenge with BAC?

What has you most fired up?

How can we support BAC?

What book would you recommend?

In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Carnegie says you can make someone want to do what you want them to by seeing the situation from the other person's point of view and "arousing in the other person an eager want." You learn how to make people like you, win people over to your way of thinking, and change people without causing offense or arousing resentment. For instance, "let the other person feel that the idea is his or hers," and "talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person."

*This is an affiliate link. Purchasing thought this link will help support the show.

"I treat life like a possession in a game. There's going to be a lot of possessions. You're going to miss some shots, and you're going to make some great shots.  I anticipate the days where I'm making shots."

Support BAC at the release of their March issue at Tazikis Cafe off of I-25 and Hampden in Denver on Monday the 14th and meet former heavyweight boxer Davarryl Williamson!

BAC has partnered with Westerra Credit Union to help students and families learn about saving money and make smart financial choices.

BAC receives $52.80 for every account opened.

Connect with Arzelle and BAC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

I know many of you will relate to today's guest.

You're go, go, go all the time.

You're constantly pushing your limits and reaching for that new personal record.

And nothing's going to stand in your way, right?

It doesn't matter if you only got three hours of sleep last night.

You're training today!

But it does matter.

Your progress won't be the same if you don't rest and recover like you should.

You might even regress and burnout.

If you have that Type A mentality of do more, always, and struggle to take time off, you need to listen to today's episode with Dwight Upshaw.

Dwight Upshaw is head coach at Crossfit Sanitas in Boulder, CO, and has nearly 10 years as a multi-sport endurance coach, leading multiple athletes to Boston qualifying times as well as top 10 Triathlon finishes (from sprints to Iron Man).

"I know what drives performance. I know you feel like there are so many things to get done at all times. But take a step back and think about what really drives progress. It's quality training with correct recovery, volume at the right time, not all the time."

Dwight comes from a family of athletes.

He was swimming, playing baseball, soccer, and track all before the age of ten.

Some questions I ask:

How has burnout changed your approach to fitness?

Is there anything that people ignore when it comes to Crossfit or that they should focus on more?

How do you get people to follow your advice?

What's your take on nutrition?

Final Round

Morning Routine: Up at 5:30 Am, feed and walk the dogs, make my coffee and go to the gym

Favorite Quote: From my grandfather, "live with enthusiasm and don't do anything half ass."

Who Inspires You: My grandfather

What's The Best Advice You've Ever Received: Always do the right thing

What Do Your Days Off Look Like: I have to force myself to be lazy, take naps and watch football.

What Book Would You Recommend: In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan

What Advice Would You Give Your Younger Self: Save more money, travel more and start Crossfit sooner

Do You Have a Favorite Fitness Resource: My journal, Jack Daniel's Running Formula, and the Crossfit Journal.

What Does Fitness Mean to You: It's how I define myself. It should be a balance with your fitness regime, your home life and career.

What Are You Grateful For: My health, parents, fiancé, my dogs, and really great friends.

Takeaways

"Make yourself better on a day to day basis."

You can find Dwight at Crossfit Sanitas in Boulder, CO and email him at [email protected].

Thank you for stopping by!  Take a moment and say hi in the comments below.

Cheers,

Jason

You've probably heard the saying, what gets measured gets managed.

If you don't pay attention to the path you're on and what you're doing, how will you get to where you want to go?

With all the technology that we're blessed with today, it's easier now more than ever to keep track.

But for personal trainers, it can be hard to keep track of what your clients are doing for the 164 hours that you don't see them.

Today's guest wanted to make a bigger difference.  He wanted to remove geographic barriers and work with people all over the world.

Meet Matt Lowe, Founder of Matt Lowe Fitness and LifeStyle Social.

Matt started in fitness at the young age of thirteen to "keep out of trouble".

By the age of fourteen, he had won his first bodybuilding competition, Mr. High School Colorado.

Through life and business, Matt has followed the motto of "Fail Forward Fast".

He has what he calls his trinity of wellness: Mindset, Nutrition, and Exercise.

"Realize that every failure is an opportunity for success. We all have things in life that are going to make us fall off our goal-oriented roadmap and that's ok."

Matt has over 19 years in the fitness industry.

In this episode you're going to learn a lot about Matt Lowe:

What it was like being the middle of five children

How he lost everything and who stuck with him through it all

How he helped someone overcome incredible odds

Why Matt says that you have to know your "Why"

The "Why" behind Matt and LifeStyle Social

LifeStyle Social is integrated with over 200 wearables like Healbe Gobe.

Matt wants this to be automated and PROACTIVE instead of reactive.

Instead of falling off, eating pizza, and logging that you ate the pizza, you would go on and say, I'm craving pizza and see some healthy alternatives to pizza that would satisfy your craving.

One resource he mentions for recipes is BigOven.

Matt goes on to say that it's ok to have pizza, cheeseburgers, and ice cream in MODERATION.

The book Matt recommends is Create Your Own Future by Brian Tracy

Takeaways:

Fitness is a way of living.  I'm here as a resource for young listeners thinking about getting into personal training, and I mentor a lot of college students that are in school for Exercise Science. We're doing some networking events at Thrive Workplace off of Park and Market in Denver.  You can connect with me at LifeStyle Social and Matt Lowe Fitness and on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  Please let me know what you think in the comments below and leave a review on iTunes or just tell Matt what a great job he did with the interview!

Cheers,

Jason Blevins

Have you ever found yourself on a path in life that you didn't want to be on?

You can stop and change direction.

Yes, it can be scary, and you might be afraid of failing.

It's hard to confront your insecurities and doubts.

But you don't have to do it alone.

In fact, you shouldn't go at it alone.

You need someone to believe in you when you don't believe in yourself.

You need someone to tell you that "If we get a little creative, anything's possible!"

Meet Jason McQueen

 

"I love to connect with people on a personal level. I wear many hats as a personal trainer: drill sergeant, cheerleader, psychologist."

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

What put Jason in a body cast for six months with a dislocated hip, fractured skull, and several stitches in his head

Why Jason feels challenged to try things that he doesn't think he can do

Why Jason switched from Business and Philosophy to Fitness, and who helped him discover his true passion

That none of us live in a perfect world. It's ok to have that food that you love but that's not so good for you once in a while.

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."

Recommended book: The 3-season diet by John Douillard

Takeaways: I hope you're inspired and that you learned something that you didn't already know.

Connect with Jason at McFit Personal Training, Mountain's Edge Fitness, Facebook, Instagram, and Guided Fitness.

Please feel free to leave me or Jason a comment below and leave a review on iTunes.  Thank you so much for your support!