The UFFDA! Podcast

Episode 13 brings another Unity Fitness member into the fold to talk about gym-phobia, using your fitness to help live the life you want, and the ongoing value of learning/education.  This is a special episode that came highly recommended from the Unity faithful.  Enjoy!

Introducing our Special Guest, Judy Klevan - 1:44 --> Meet Dr. Judy Klevan, a pediatrician, who started as a member in August 2021 and being gym-phobic her entire life up until then!

How Joining a Gym Helped Prepare for Quarantine in Laos - 6:02 -->  Judy had a 3-month trip planned for Laos and joining a gym was to help with that process.  Find out how.

Judy Recalls the Moment She Started Liking Coming to the Gym - 12:00 -->  Going from having a gym phobia to becoming a "gym rat" is a major change.  Judy discusses what made her change her mind after she joined Unity Fitness, and it started right away.

What Makes Unity Fitness Different? - 17:32 -->  We believe every gym should be able to make you strong and help you lose weight.  According to Unity, what makes Unity truly different?

Why Has Judy been Going to Laos for the Last 6 Years? - 23:29 -->  Find out how Judy is truly helping change the world for the better!

The Correlations with a Fitness Journey and Intentions Towards Achieving Goals - 30:01 -->  People have great intentions to help the world, but they don't always follow through.  Judy and the hosts take a dive into this topic of how to improve lives and improve the world!

From Walking Better to Being more Aware of Your Movement - 36:00 -->  There's a lot of behind-the-scenes work that goes into a fitness program at Unity, and 99.9% of it isn't something shown on social media.  But that work is the stuff that gets us great results and Judy talks about that experience with her.

Emily Talks about the "Language" we Use at Unity Fitness - 38:10 -->  Unity Fitness has its own language.  There was a moment that Judy recognized that and mentioned it to Emily, helping her understand there was really a method to the madness.

Judy's Adventure Trips - 39:36 -->  Judy and her husband Mark are always going on interesting "adventure trips" without a guide or route.  Learn more about those trips by tuning in here!

What Were the Biggest Results Judy Gained from Exercise Plan - 42:00 -->  From the myth that females can't gain muscle after 60, to not needing a new bed, to being able to sit cross-legged for long periods of time, a great exercise plan goes beyond strength and weight loss.

"It got more enjoyable the more I did it.": From Dreading to Missing It - 48:40 -->  Judy discusses how her exercise got more enjoyable because of the successes she had and was looking forward to.

Judy's Surprisingly Fresh Take on Joining a Gym - 49:34 -->  "Don't assume that all gyms don't have anything to offer you, especially Unity."  Judy and the hosts also talk about challenging yourself and getting uncomfortable.

Season 2 got us thinking: we're getting to know our guests so well, but we've never taken in a true deep-dive into getting to know our hosts.  So, S2, Ep. 12 let's you get to know one of our hosts, Supercoach, Emily O'Connor!

In this episode we discuss Emily's values, a winner's mindset, what it means to be a coach and hold people's dreams in her hands, and how she stays on top of her game.  Enjoy!

Introducing, Your Co-Host, Emily O'Connor - 3:12 --> Let's get started with meeting one of the most genuine, hard-working people you will ever know on her journey from growing up in Buffalo to being here in La Crosse, WI as a one of the world's best fitness coaches.

Becoming a Lifestyle Transformation Coach - 12:00 -->  Emily talks about what drew her to Unity Fitness and how she has become a head coach.

"Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have." - 18:23 --> There's power to first impressions as well as dressing for success.  There are some life lessons that have stuck with Emily that has helped her get to where she wants to be while achieving her goals - learn about those life lessons by tuning in here.

Acting with Intention - 24:30 --> Acting with intention allows you to control what you can control and focus on the THINGS THAT MATTER.  Listen to hear Emily chat about what intention means to her.

There's a million ways to skin a cat, but there's power to do what's best for YOU - 25:37 --> There's no one fitness program that's exactly alike at Unity Fitness.  Sue talks about how the power of a customized fitness program has revolutionized her take on fitness.

Emily recalls her first day at Unity - 31:32 --> Emily started at Unity Fitness on a Thursday, and has coached every Thursday since!  

"How can you help your future self?" - 35:33 --> Organization and structure allows the person to focus on being your best self because everything is based on allowing you to focus on you in the future by taking care of the present.

Turn your "Can'ts" into "Won'ts" - 42:11 --> Ready for a huge paradigm shift?  Jump in here to change the way you think and do!

Does anything frustrate Emily?  Maybe... - 47:08 --> Find out if there's anything out there that can frustrate this Supercoach as she helps you understand more about YOU to help you reach your BEST self!

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 11 as you come off of Thanksgiving 1, 2, 3, aaaaand the rest of the leftovers.  This was a spur-of-the-moment episode that we pulled off with one of our in-person members at Unity Fitness and we're glad we did because this turned into a really special episode on mindset, continual growth, and positive psychology.  We are pleased to welcome Dr. Sue Tobert to the episode!

Introducing Dr. Sue Tobert - 2:05 --> Meet physician and recently empty-nester Dr. Sue Tobert, who's been a member at Unity Fitness for a little over a year!

"Phases of life when psychosocial transitions happen" - 6:23 --> Most people don't pay attention to how major life transitions play a role in their lives.  We dive into how these transitions matter, but also how to flip your mindset on these transitions and make them more experiences to help with the overall transitions.  

What's the concept of life balance - 10:52 --> The concept of life balance is different to everybody, but something we're always striving for whether it's work-life balance or just balance in general.  Sue talks about more about that "balance" being a physician, a wife, and a mother of three.

"Humans are built to do hard things" - 16:25 --> Sue discusses being confronted with challenges and getting uncomfortable by flipping your mindset, channeling your awareness to help you make progress, and the proper dosage of "self-help" as "safe medicine".  If you struggle with getting uncomfortable, this segment is for YOU.  Check out Dr. Kristin Neff's Ted Talk.

There's a million ways to skin a cat, but there's power to do what's best for YOU - 25:37 --> There's no one fitness program that's exactly alike at Unity Fitness.  Sue talks about how the power of a customized fitness program has revolutionized her take on fitness.

Do we make things harder than things have to be? - 31:48 --> Tune in to hear Jordan, Emily, and Sue talk about the wiring of human beings and how we unconsciously have to make things harder to stay in comfort rather than go-with-the-flow.

Have more "transformational conversations" - 34:14 --> We discuss how having deeper, transformational conversations help with better meaning and connection that we have with people and life to help with support and overall well-being.  Sue also brings up a challenge for you, the listener, from this episode!

Season 2, Episode 10 has been an episode in the works for several months.  Filled with story after story after story that became crossroads towards happiness and life lessons, this episode has A LOT to unpack, and that's all thanks to our special guest, Levi Tanner!  Levi has quite a packed schedule, so we are beyond grateful to snag some of his time and learn more about him.  You will not be disappointed after you listen to today's episode!

Meet today's guest: Levi Tanner - 1:25 --> The co-owner of Primitive Parlor, a boxing coach at Longevity and Driftless Academy, and drummer for Dead Amsterdam has it all going on.  Meet today's special guest!

How Levi got into boxing (and fitness) to change the trajectory of his life - 7:45 --> Learn how Levi channeled his mind to change the trajectory of his life forever by transforming himself and evolving into him becoming a coach to inspire and influence others.

Music, passion, and fun - 14:14 --> The story behind how Levi filling in for a band on a whim during a birthday party eventually leading him to playing in Dead Amsterdam, an up and coming rock band in our area that's gaining traction QUICKLY.

Massive moments and figures leading to life-changes - 17:20 --> Life is filled with massive moments and opportunities in your life, but you have to stay open to see him and jump in.  The same goes for health and fitness.  Dive in to learn more.

A word on building confidence - 22:20 --> Building confidence is HARD.  Sometimes you have to "fake it 'til you make it" to build it (and find it).  Tune in here to learn how to build your confidence and improve your health, fitness, and LIFE!

"All go no slow" - 25:02 --> You can be GREAT at what you do, but you can always be better, and in Levi's words, "It's all about progression."  That means you need to use that confidence to seek uncomfortable situations to help you continue growing, especially in the toughest circumstances because most people don't realize how close they are to making drastic change in their life.

Learn more about Levi's career as a coach and learning from his mentor's - 26:44 --> Learn more about "bobbleheads", how boxing is being used to treat Parkinson's, and Levi wearing the hat as a coach/mentor (and a phenomenal one at that).

"Growing up as a kid, making memories" - 29:04 --> Levi is all about making memories.  Searching for male guidance and mentorship as a kid has led him to "balance the scales" and help be that figure for others.  This has evolved into how he coaches and mentors his students (and clients at the barber shop) to help them grow and stay on track.

The common thread - 35:55 --> When it comes down to having a career as a barber, coach, and drummer, the common thread through all of those has been Levi being a positive influence around people.

Commonality with father figures and male guidance - 37:31 --> Jordan shares a bit of his life as a childhood relying on a father figure and using his male role models to learn about life.

We asked Levi what is the most underrated thing a person can do for their health and fitness - 40:27 --> Find out what his answer is!

How you can find Levi and ALL THE THINGS he does! - 44:26 --> Tune in to learn more on how to find Levi (or look below).

Find out more about Levi by following him on Instagram.

Find out more about Primitive Parlor.

Follow Longevity Boxing Club on Facebook and Driftless Academy.

Follow Levi's band, Dead Amsterdam on Facebook.

Season 2 Episode 8 covers a topic that is often overlooked and underrated in the world of health and fitness: Load Vs. Capacity.  If you're serious about wondering why you always seem to get hurt when training hard, can't recover from an injury, or why you can't break through a plateau in your training, this is the episode for you!

Emily's Superpower? - 1:10 --> Find out why Emily has the only body in the world that can do what she can.

Introducing Load Vs. Capacity - 3:10 --> Welcome to the idea of Load Vs. Capacity.  Learn more about how your lifestyle and EVERYTHING about it plays a major role in your overall health, fitness, and wellness life and how load is compared to your capacity.

What is Load?  What is Capacity? 6:03 --> The definitions of load and capacity is specific to the person and is applied as such.

How We Inform and Coach Load and Capacity - 13:17 --> At Unity Fitness, we cover this topic with clients and are doing it more and more.  Here's how Emily and Jordan and the rest of the coaches at the facility use the information about Load and Capacity to help improve the lives of their clients.

Using Volumes of Beer (or Water) to For Better Understanding of Load Vs. Capacity - 23:15 --> Tune in find out how an analogy of a pint glass may be used to better understand Load Vs. Capacity.

How You Can Improve Your Results and Avoid Injury by Understanding Load Vs. Capacity - 27:27 --> Knowledge isn't power unless action is taken.  It's time to dive into the information of Load Vs. Capacity and use it to your benefit!

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Today's episode features Dr. Phillip and Dr. Claire Mitchell of Mitchell Holistic Health in Onalaska, WI.  Phillips serves as a physical therapist while Claire serves as a functional medicine health coach.  Their practice shares the same goals of what Emily and Jordan and the team of Unity Fitness, so it only made sense to have them on the show to talk more about it!  (PS Emily was an all-star behind the scenes on this show and took care of an emergency while on air, but don't worry, she'll be back in full force next show!)

Meet Phillip and Claire - 1:55 --> Learn more about Phillip and Claire and how Mitchell Holistic Health began!

How did Mitchell Holistic Health began? - 5:31 --> Claire's incredible story opened up some new doors that led to the opening of MHH.  Backed by Phillip's brain power, the rest as they say, is history!

The power of empathy with people - 12:29 --> One of the biggest connectors to human relationships (especially in tough situations) is empathy.  The story of MHH comes full circle with this core value.

The small steps ARE the GREAT steps - 15:08 --> Everyone wants to make the leap, but it's the small steps and getting out of the all-or-none mindset that is key for sustainable results.

Using consult and asking great questions to get results - 24:00 --> If the correct questions isn't asked, then the correct information may not be shared.  Learn about the power of great questions and how they play a role in your journey.

What happens when you reach out to MHH - 31:20 --> Claire and Phillip treat the person as a whole, which starts with a consult to figure out what you want to achieve and what your concerns are, and how they can help!  Jump in here to find out how that process goes!

Common myths/misunderstandings of functional medicine/holistic health - 39:55 --> Functional medicine and holistic health is not well known which makes it misunderstood in today's society.  Often times, a misunderstanding is just because of information you didn't know.  Let's change that :).

Unique technology offered at MHH - 45:37 --> Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FMS) is one of the unique pieces of technology MHH uses for their clients.  It's an amazing tool and we believe they're the ONLY practice in the area using this tool.  Check it out!

Learn about the new technology MHH is aiming to incorporate in their practice - 47:44 --> The entire crew gets to talk about different pieces of technology available for us to improve our health.  Learn about all the other tools out there to help!

Find out more about Mitchell Holistic Health by clicking here!

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Karen Lyga joins Emily and Jordan on today's episode to hear about Karen's INCREDIBLE story from spine surgery to becoming a badass woman!  Learn more about her journey in dealing with setback, pain, triumph, and inspiration!

Find Out More About Karen and Why We Wanted Her on the Show - 1:35 --> Not only is Karen a huge fan of the show, but she wanted to help other listeners become inspired on what they can do even after a major surgery and improve their life!  You'll also find out more how she first connected with Unity Fitness and she used that as motivation to start her new journey!

Knowing What You DON'T WANT For Your Life and Using That as Motivation - 15:44 --> Listen to Karen describe how "growing old with canes, walkers, medicines, and needing people to help me" was NOT how she wanted to grow old, rather she wanted to "grow old gracefully".

Going From Not Doing Anything Overhead or Bending Over to... - 22:20 --> Emily and Karen recollect one of their first shared memories together when Karen mentioned that she didn't want to do anything overhead or any heavy exercises that require bending over to...her first pull-up, a world record, and soooo much more?!?!

How to Build Trust with a Coach and Becoming the "CEO of My Own Body" - 33:30 --> Trust is a "two-way street" with a coach and client.  Karen describes how using knowledge and learning more about her body over the years major for her to learn how to be more in-tune with her body and help it keep getting results over time as well as the power of a coach's belief.

Keep the Main Things the Main Things, Then the Little Things Matter More - 41:46 --> Regardless of your goals, your "BIG ROCKS" will always matter and need to be established.  Establishing habits and routines around these big rocks will only increase the effect of all the "little things" out there, which have more impact for sustainable results.

What Else Would Karen Want You, the Listener to Know - 43:40 --> Final words from Karen on pain, consistency, satisfaction, accomplishment, and mental health.

How Does Fitness Help Karen Live her Life with Confidence, Control, & Clarity  - 51:31 --> Karen shares her final words on what fitness has done for her life over the last five years, but what she looks forward to the next 5 years and beyond!

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Catch up with Coach Emily and Coach Jordan as they get back to their conversations on delivering a fresh take on specific topics to help you live your life with more confidence, control, and clarity.  This week covers a deep, dense topic that Emily and Jordan aren't afraid to go down, going behind the mindset and science behind motivation.

Sleep Talk - 1:15 --> Emily and Jordan discuss waking up in the middle of the night and how you can use your sleep patterns to better help your decisions on how to not become stressed in these situations.  They'll also cover some of the science as well as their personal beliefs on the topic.

The Importance of Knowing Your Body to Help with Progress - 6:28 --> It's important you take note on how your body responds and reacts to certain practices.  Learn more about how your individual body and lifestyle can help you make progress and avoid traps and mistakes in our society!

Introducing Your Mindset to Understand Motivation - 9:15 --> When it comes to motivation, what you tell yourself and what your mindset it matters most.  Find out how by learning about a growth mindset vs a fixed mindset and applying it to motivation with definitions and understanding.

The Foundational Step in the Step-by-Step Guide to Building Motivation When You Do Not Have it - 31:00 --> Once you understand how the mind can work, it's time to dive into how to take action with the first step to building motivation when you do not have it.  Can you guess what it the first step is?  

The Sneaky Way to Increase Your Motivation - 36:03 --> Words, language, thoughts, and feedback is crucial towards your mindset and motivation.  Find out an extremely useful way to easily boost motivation once it starts to build and keep you in the right frame of mind. 

Examples on How to Build (and Avoid Losing) Motivation - 46:02 --> Learn a couple different examples of motivation in action.

A Word on Destressing and How it Affects Your Motivation - 46:44 --> Being aware of and managing your stress is one of the most important pieces to staying motivated.  Learn more on how it impacts your journey with a quick (and energetic) word from Jordan.

Examples Continued - 48:04 --> Back on track with examples.

Anything Counts: Just Showing Up is Enough - 55:45 --> You and those important to you don't NEED you to be at 100% all the time, but they do need YOU.  Just showing up is enough.  Learn why!

Internal vs External Motivation - 59:36 --> Different motivations can each have their part in your journey, and both play important roles at different times and in different situations.  Knowing how to use both is key for continued improvement.  You'll also learn how to avoid certain "traps" that mask the motivation you need most!

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Today we're joined by a special guest: Colin Pugh. Colin is a member at Unity Fitness and joined us earlier this year.  He has an awesome story that you have to hear!

Intro - 1:28 --> Meet Colin Pugh, a guy that came from the other side of the pond several years ago and to where he's at today, including the BIG REASON on why he came to Unity.

Colin's Last 6 Months - 6:40 --> Colin talks about what it was like joining Unity and how that has changed today with clarity and using his newfound strength and movement to improve his overall life.

Colin Shares an Incredible and CRAZY Story - 14:53 --> Tune in here to find out how this crazy story has helped Colin for future endeavors.

Off-Season Work for Runners and Other Sports - 24:45  --> We live in an area that allows us a true off-season for sports like running (all types) and golf.  We go over some of how that works at our facility and how you can benefit from that.

Beer-Fueled Personal Records (PRs) - 26:26 --> No way around this conversation, we talk about beer!

How has Fitness Allowed Colin to Live His Life with Confidence, Control, and Clarity - 29:40 -->  From not worrying about how he looks in his clothes, to being able to schedule an appointment for himself to get his workout in, find out more about how fitness improves Colin's life.

How Unity Tries to Make Fitness Easy - 31:31 --> At Unity Fitness, we know the fitness journey is HARD.  Find out how we try to make it easier for you!  (If you want to see how easy it can be, click here.)  And find out what it's like for a member's first 30 days!

Final Words From the Crew - 42:40 --> Wrapping up the episode with what we've learned about Colin and what's ahead! 

This episode of The UFFDA! Podcast features special guest Dr. Andy Bakken. Dr. Bakken (Dr. B) is a physical medicine and rehab expert practicing as a licensed chiropractor in La Crosse, WI who specializes in spine health as well as soft tissue work, joint manipulation, and rehabilitation, serving both men and women across the nation with the mission to help them move better, feel better, and heal better. 

Check out the episode for more on Dr. B and his amazing ability to help improve the quality of lives of human beings. You'll NEVER think of chiropractors the same again after listening to this episode!

For more information about Dr. B, check out her website: https://backinactionchiropractic.org/