Training for Life

Tanna's away this week, so Sarah and Alec take the mic for something a little different, an honest, unscripted look at the small daily habits that keep their marriage strong. From alternating dinner nights to daily dog walks, this is a real conversation about the little things that build something lasting.

The Little Things... How Sarah and Alec Keep Their Marriage Strong

This week, Tanna hands the mic to Sarah and her husband Alec for a rare, unscripted conversation. They're not relationship experts, and they say so up front ~ but eight years into marriage, they've learned that the same principle behind a healthy lifestyle applies to a healthy relationship: it's not the big grand gestures that matter most, it's the small habits, repeated daily, that stack into something extraordinary.

Alternating dinner nights
Sarah shares how splitting cooking duty night to night frees up mental load she didn't even realize she was carrying, no more wondering what's for dinner, no more tracking groceries, on the nights it's not her turn.

A deliberate practice of appreciation
Alec makes it a point to say "I love you" every single day, even on hard days, calling it an intentional gratitude practice rather than something that just happens on its own.

The daily dog walk
Whether it's 30 minutes or an hour, walking side by side (not face to face) turns out to be one of their best tools for having harder conversations without the confrontation that comes with sitting across a table.

Working out and doing hard things together
From gym sessions to a humbling, underprepared hike up a Colorado 14er, Sarah and Alec talk about how tackling difficult physical challenges together builds a different kind of closeness than doing them apart.

Supporting each other's separate pursuits
Not everything has to be shared. They talk honestly about learning to cheer each other on in individual goals, and how growth in one partner, instead of creating distance, can bring new energy into the relationship.

The takeaway
Sarah and Alec close with a simple challenge for listeners: pick one small, sustainable habit to start this week. A walk. A shared meal. A conversation you've been putting off. The little things, done consistently, are what you'll remember most.

Your Normal Isn't an Accident, It's a Choice

Sarah and Tanna open with an uncomfortable truth: exhaustion, poor sleep, sitting all day, and grabbing whatever's fast and convenient have all quietly become "normal." Not because they're good for us, but because they're everywhere. This episode is about what happens when you stop accepting that default and start choosing your own.

The Data Behind the Default

Sarah shares two stats that frame the conversation: 68% of Canadian adults now fall into the overweight or obesity category, and 45% of calories consumed by Canadian adults come from ultra-processed foods. Movement has quietly become optional too ~ grocery pickup, e-bikes, elevators, VR headsets standing in for the real thing.

Why Taking Care of Yourself Gets Called "Obsessive"

They talk through why simple things like eating vegetables, packing lunch, or strength training 30 minutes a day can start to feel extreme. The honest answer: because visible effort isn't common anymore, so it gets mistaken for obsession instead of recognized as basic upkeep.

Three Ways to Reclaim Your Normal

The Challenge

Notice what you've accepted as normal this week, then ask if it's actually serving your health. As Tanna puts it, the "why" always gets you to the root of it.

"She has good genetics." "She doesn't have kids." "She's always been that way." We've all said it ~ and it's a story, not a fact.

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna dig into the excuses we reach for when someone else's results look effortless, and why those excuses feel so good in the moment while quietly keeping us stuck.

The Self-Serving Bias
Judging someone else's "easy" is more comfortable than sitting with your own guilt. Sarah and Tanna break down why our brains default to comparison, and how it protects our self-esteem while giving us permission to not put in the work.

The Iceberg Effect
Social media shows the wheelie, not the hundred falls before it. Tanna shares a story about a dirt bike influencer whose reels make hard things look effortless ~ and what her captions reveal about the practice nobody sees.

Identity Over Goals
Grounded in self-determination theory, Sarah explains why "I am someone who prioritizes her health" builds consistency in a way that "I want to lose 20 pounds" never will. Dedication beats motivation, and identity beats intention.

Curiosity Over Comparison
Instead of "it's easy for her," Sarah and Tanna offer a swap: "What can I learn from her?" It's a small shift that turns envy into inspiration ~ and inspiration into action.

Catch It, Own It, Replace It
The episode closes with a practical three-step approach: catch yourself in the story, take responsibility instead of blaming someone else, and take one small action toward who you want to be ~ realistic minimums included.

Unplug It...Including You

We schedule everything for everyone. The appointments, the activities, the carpools, the calls. But somewhere in all of it, the one thing that would change everything keeps getting bumped. Solo time.

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna get real about what it actually looks and feels like when the bucket runs dry, and what it takes to fill it back up.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

Lonely vs. Alone...They're Not the Same There's a loneliness epidemic happening right now, and it's worth getting clear on the difference. Loneliness is the absence of meaningful connection. Intentional alone time is something else entirely ~ a nervous system reset, a creativity boost, and a chance to actually hear yourself think.

What Happens When You Skip It... Shutting down. Getting edgy. Craving sleep because at least in a dark room the noise stops. Sarah and Tanna share what skipping solo time actually does to them, and it's both honest and very relatable.

Why Your Nervous System Is Begging for This The science is real. Intentional alone time lowers stress, builds emotional resilience, restores your social battery, and is directly tied to mental clarity and creativity. When do the best ideas show up? Not at the desk. In the shower. On a hike. Walking with no AirPods in.

A Motorcycle, a Rainstorm, and a Full Bucket Tanna just got back from a solo motorcycle trip that got completely rained out, and she came back better than she left. Sometimes figuring it out entirely on your own is exactly the point.

It Doesn't Have to Be Extravagant... Five minutes. A walk across the street to the beach. Morning coffee outside before the house wakes up. Even sitting with a song that brings you joy if silence feels like too much right now. Solo time scales to your life.

Ideas to start this week:

Protect It Like You Mean It You protect every appointment for everyone else. This one is yours. Put it in the calendar. Put the phone away. Treat it the way you'd treat something you'd do for someone you love.

"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you."

They're Not Listening...They're Watching

Your kids aren't listening to what you say about health. They're watching what you do. In this conversation, Sarah and Tanna sit down to talk about the powerful ripple effect of a mom who prioritizes herself. Because "I would die for my kids" is easy. But would you live for them?

What Are Your Kids Learning From You?

We say "my kids come first", and we mean it. But somewhere in the carpool lanes, the mental load, and the guilt of doing anything for ourselves, moms quietly disappear from their own priority lists. And our kids notice.

In this episode, Trainer Tanna and Sarah, founder of Healthy Role Models, dig into one of the most important (and most overlooked) conversations in motherhood: the role you play as a living, breathing health model for your children. Not by lecturing them. Not by enrolling them in every sport. But by showing up for yourself, and letting them see it.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

The Gap Between What We Say and What We Do
Kids absorb everything ~ your habits, your attitude, your mindset. When a mom skips her health, her kids learn that health doesn't matter. When she carves out time for it, even imperfectly, they're building a foundation they'll carry into adulthood, relationships, and their own families.

Why "I'm Putting Myself First" Feels Wrong, and a Better Way to Think About It
You don't have to be at the top of the list. You just have to be on the list. Sarah and Tanna talk about the guilt, the overwhelm, and the shift in mindset that makes all the difference.

Practical Strategies for Busy Moms
No, it doesn't have to look like 20 hours of training a week. Sarah and Tanna break down what actually works:

The Ripple Effect Is Real
In the HRM community, they call them ripples. Those photos of toddlers doing burpees next to their moms, little kids flexing in the mirror. Tanna shares the "I'm teaching my girls to flex instead of suck it in" moment. Sarah shares the full-circle story of a son who now loves the gym. These are not accidents. They're the result of years of modeling.

Strong Over Skinny
Small habits. Consistent presence. A mom who shows her kids what it looks like to respect her own body and energy. That's the message, and it ripples into how they handle stress, school, relationships, and their own health for the rest of their lives.

The Line That Will Stop You Cold
"I would die for my kids. But would you live for them?"

Yeah. That one lands.

In this episode, Tanna and Sarah lay out their personal, no-fluff summer wellness game plan. These are  the exact strategies they use themselves to stay strong when schedules loosen, schedules blur, and the paddleboard is calling.

In this episode:

Key Takeaway:

Consistency doesn't mean intensity. It means showing up — even at 60%, even with a TheraBand in a tent, even with a lighter schedule and a drink in your hand. The goal isn't to survive summer. It's to arrive in September feeling proud of how you lived it.

Resources mentioned:

You're stronger than you think. You're never as alone as you feel. And sometimes — you're your own problem.

Show Notes:

Sarah and Tanna have worked with thousands and thousands of women. Patterns emerge. Some of it's encouraging; some of it's a straight-up wake-up call. This episode is both.

They call it the sh#& sandwich, and that's exactly what it is.

What you'll hear:

The real takeaway:

You are not special. Your struggles are not unique. And that is the most powerful thing we can tell you because it means you are never alone in them.

Get out of your own way. Watch what you can do.

Ever looked back at something you used to eat, or do in the name of "health", and thought, what on earth was I thinking? This week Tanna and Sarah open up the confessional booth and air out their most ridiculous past habits. No shame, no beating yourself up, just two women who've been in the wellness world for decades proving they did not always have it figured out.

In this episode:

Key takeaway: Healthy living was never about perfection. {erfection is rigid, joyless, and a setup for failure. Knowledge evolves, nutrition evolves, your choices evolve. The goal is consistency and moderation, the grace to laugh at your past self, and the honesty to admit you'll probably laugh at your current self in ten years too. When you know better, you do better.

Got a confessional of your own? A habit you swore was healthy until it wasn't? DM us ~ we want to hear it. And if this one made you laugh, share it with the friend who's still burning their own boxes.

Subscribe so you never miss a week. Until next time, stay awesome!

✨There is no wagon; so there's nothing to fall off of.✨

Episode Summary:

Forever telling yourself you'll "start Monday," "reset after the holidays," or that you've "fallen off the wagon" again? You're not alone, and that constant restarting might be the very thing keeping you stuck.

In this episode, Sarah and Tanna share their best tips for ditching the all-or-nothing, start-over mentality for good. Because the women who stay strong, fit, and healthy year-round aren't the ones who never slip; they're the ones who stop quitting on themselves. No wagon. No square one. Just your next best choice.

What You'll Learn:

Your Next Best Choice: The HRM JOURNEY!

This episode is the philosophy in action; sustainable, identity-based, built for real life, not a 12-week sprint to nowhere. If you're ready to stop starting over and start living it, the next Healthy Role Models Journey is exactly where to do it:

✔ Progressive plan that meets you where you are ✔ Full follow-along videos + demos ✔ Built-in recovery and grace ✔ A community that cheers you on through the hard seasons

This is the approach Sarah lives by, and she'd love for you to join her.

Get started here ➡️ www.healthyrolemodels.com

Links & Resources:

Are you jumping from trend to trend and still not getting the results you want? In this episode, we sit down to have a real, no-fluff conversation about why fitness trends, from Tae Bo to P90X to CrossFit to HYROX, keep pulling us in, and why chasing them before you've mastered the basics is costing you more than you think.

In this episode, we talk about:

The takeaway? Before you jump into the next shiny thing, ask yourself three questions: Am I already doing the fundamentals consistently? Am I looking for a shortcut? Do I need to recommit to the basics?

The trends will come and go. A strong body, a strong mind, and a healthy lifestyle? Never go out of style.