This drill will help whether you want to get your 1st, 5th or 10th pull up. In all movements, the strengthening phase is when muscles lengthen. This is the ECCENTRIC phase. So use a chair to stand on to bring yourself to the bar. Slowly lower yourself from the bar to a count of 4 … Continued

Want a sure fire way to target your abs? Put a small ball behind your lower back. Press your belly button into your spine as you press into the ball. Extend arms overhead, without lifting through the ribs. Be prepared for an ‘earthquake’ as arms extend. If you can’t keep your tummy tucked in, lower … Continued

Want to rock your push ups, even in menopause? Do an EMOM workout. EMOM stands for ‘every minute on the minute’. Set a timer for one minute intervals for 10 minutes. Do 3 push ups, then rest the remainder of every minute. In 10 minutes, you’ll get 30 perfect push ups when previously you may … Continued

What’s an AMRAP? It stands for ‘as many rounds as possible’. Here’s a fun workout geared for beginner through advanced, depending on your fitness level and access to equipment: 10 calorie row OR 5 burpees 5 pull ups OR 5 DB rows 5 HSPUs OR 5 push ups 5 Barbell squats OR 5 squats (any … Continued

Back pain or knee pain when you squat? Use the tips in this video to improve your form and alleviate pain. Just DON’T STOP SQUATTING! It’s one of the MOST functional movements that will help you avoid bathroom assistance as you age. Want to age well? Let me help! I work with menopausal women to … Continued

Ladies, even in menopause you need to keep challenging yourself. Want to make an exercise harder without adding more weight? Slow it down! Especially when the muscle is lengthening, for example: Lowering your body in the squat Lowering yourself on the pull up Lowering your legs on a knee raise Lowering the weight on a … Continued

Do MORE instead of eating less to lose weight. And that doesn’t mean grueling workouts either. Simply walk more. Here are just a few benefits of walking: -Tames your sweet tooth -Lowers blood sugar -Improves weight management -Improves cognition & memory -Boosts immune function -Eases joint pain -Improves heart health -Increases creativity -Promotes stronger neural … Continued

Want to train smarter instead of harder? If you’re looking for exercise instruction, I’ve got just the thing for you. Let me send you 35+ instructional tutorials plus a ‘how to’ on creating your own workouts whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gym rat. As a bonus, I have my top 5 nutrition secrets … Continued

It’s FREQUENCY of exercise that’s more important than duration. You can always fit fitness in – if you lower the bar! You don’t always need an hour long session, sometimes just a few minutes will do. Here’s a 10 minute bodyweight workout that you can literally do beside your desk. Set your timer for 10 … Continued

What should you be doing to flatten your tummy or get rid of your muffin top? You can do ANY ab move and as long as your diet isn’t dialed in, your muffin top will remain firmly in place. Spot reduction isn’t possible. However, these two exercises will help STRENGTHEN your core to reduce back … Continued

Wondering what the best move for a bikini belly is? It’s NOT the sit up… In fact, it’s NOT an exercise at all – your nutrition is the number one thing that will help reduce belly fat… BUT tightening the muscles in your core will HELP. In this video I explain how to ENGAGE the … Continued

Here’s a sobering thought… Do you want assistance on the toilet? Over time, you may need it if you stop squatting. If you have sore knees, you can still do some form of squatting to build and maintain the necessary leg strength to age gracefully. Here are two options: Simply modify the depth that you … Continued

If calorie counting has got you down, forget about it! In this video I suggest a more effective food tracking solution, especially if you’re a menopausal woman. Make sure to check out some of the shorts on my channel! You’ll find all sorts of solutions to managing the challenges of menopause. And if you’d like … Continued

Mid-afternoon crash? It’s tempting to go for coffee, but don’t do it! Afternoon coffee will mess with your sleep and perpetuate the afternoon drowsiness. The average half-life of caffeine is 4-6 hours which means that half the caffeine in your 3 pm coffee is still in your system at 9pm. Study: 10.1016/B978-0-12-375083-9.00033-7 Instead of a … Continued

If you’re starving, it may be because of: 1. Low protein intake – Protein is the most satiating food. 2. Low fiber intake – Fiber keeps you fuller longer. 3. Lack of sleep – Poor sleep triggers the ‘I’m hungry’ hormone ghrelin. 4. Liquid calories – Fluids pass through your digestion more quickly so while … Continued

Don’t panic when the scale bounces around…That’s just what it does… There are PLENTY of reasons the number changes daily. Daily weighing provides MORE data points so you can understand your body better. Daily weighing also helps neutralize the number on the scale to JUST A DATA POINT. It’s not the weight each day that … Continued

What do a sponge and broom have to do with a healthy gut? They are like fiber in your diet. The sponge is similar to soluble fiber: it absorbs water in the gut it slows down digestion it makes you feel fuller longer Soluble fiber is found in fruit and vegetable pulp, oats, barley, legumes, … Continued

Drink juice if you want, but it can make weight loss more difficult. That’s because there is NO fiber in juice. In this example there’s equivalent calories in both. The sugar in the apple is wrapped up in 6g of fiber and takes longer to digest so you stay fuller longer, Especially if you’re a … Continued

NO single food can balance your hormones. But especially if you’re a woman experiencing symptoms of menopause, including 25g of fiber a day can certainly help with many things: increased insulin sensitivity feeling fuller longer promotes healthy digestion improves gut health (possible) reduction in depression reduced hot flashes reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes & … Continued

What gets measured improves. Paying attention to what you put in your mouth can lead to more awareness and intentional eating. You don’t have to food track for the rest of your life, but it’s a great educational tool to help you change behaviour and improve your eating habits. If you need some support and … Continued

Rushed or hate to cook? Grab a rotisserie chicken! Here are 5 dinner options: Pair it with a bagged salad. Add microwave rice & cut up veggies. Make a sandwich. Shred it in tacos. Add to stir fried veggies. You don’t need to spend tons of time in the kitchen to eat healthily. Need more … Continued

Hungry? Why not fill up on ‘nearly’ zero calorie foods? There are LOTS of foods that are full of fiber & vitamins and you can pretty much eat an unlimited amount of them… This is what I call ‘volume eating’. When you add a few cups of these sorts of foods to each meal, you … Continued

NOTHING! Even in menopause, NO foods are off limits. (Unless you have an allergy to them). To be honest, you can’t eat low quality foods with reckless abandon & still get results. But you can eat ALL things in MODERATION. Make sure you’re also eating ‘good investment’ foods including plenty of protein & a minimum … Continued

Even healthy foods, like olive oil, can be the road block to your fat loss. What’s a great alternative to olive oil then? Olive oil – just less of it if it’s putting you in a calorie surplus. What gets measured improves – that’s why tracking your food – especially at the beginning of your … Continued

Here’s a case for daily weighing in menopause… As an analogy, imagine if you wanted to improve your finances, you’d have to look at the amount of money going in and out of your account. The same with body weight… You need to see the trends, not get too hyper focused on daily weight. What … Continued

Don’t wait to ‘feel’ motivated. Feelings come and go. You must take action first. Action, no matter how small, leads to motivation. As soon as you THINK of doing something that will bring you closer to your goals: Going for a walk Drinking more water Food prepping Getting to bed early Whatever! Do it within … Continued

Want to avoid disappointment when you get on the bathroom scale? BEFORE getting on it, make a mental note of a few of the NON-SCALE VICTORIES you’re seeing from your healthy lifestyle. Maybe you’re feeling stronger or your clothes are fitting better, maybe you’re sleeping more soundly. When if you get on the scale and … Continued

Have a weight loss goal? Why not choose a goal that you have more control over the outcome? How about setting a goal related to: -strength -a skill -an adventure A performance goal provides: -a measurable outcome -motivation to achieve the goal –*the happy coincidence is weight loss can often occur in it’s pursuit* Happy … Continued

A fit body can’t be bought. It has to be earned. No matter how much money you’ve got, you can’t go to Ebay or the internet to buy a healthy body. You have to earn it. You have to do the work. Are you doing the work? Don’t know where to start? I can help, … Continued

Trying to incorporate an uncomfortable habit? Here’s a strategy: Don’t break the streak! Set a small goal & attainable expectation for yourself. Keep a physical calendar & add a check mark each time you do your ‘uncomfortable’ task. Set the bar LOW but be consistent. Things get less uncomfortable over time! Happy to help with … Continued

Happy New Year 🥳🥂… Grateful for a year of adventures & good memories. Wishing you all the best in 2023!

You don’t have to wait to the New Year to make a change… But it does feel like a clean slate. Here are 4 tips to achieving your goals: 1️Take action 2️Start SMALL 3️Focus on wins, no matter how small 4️Surround yourself with supportive people I’m excited to kick off 2023 with my FREE mini … Continued

Failure is part of the process… If you’re not failing, you’re not trying hard enough If you’re learning something new, remember that we all start somewhere. There’s a lesson in every ‘fail’. Failure is the only way to real success. Happy to help you ‘fail forward’ in your fitness journey… I’m just a message away, … Continued

Want to lose weight more easily? Change your mindset about weight loss. Think of what you can ADD vs takeaway. ADDING these things will make a huge difference in how you look & feel. -25g fiber per day (that’s a LOT of food!) -Resistance training -More sunshine More steps More sleep I cover all this … Continued

When you move your body you’re not worried about things like… taxes making dinner work who’s driving whom to where Or any number of life’s mundane decisions you need to make… Physical activity gives your mind a break so you can think more clearly when it’s time to make decisions. What are YOU doing to … Continued

Hate parts of your body? Don’t worry, we all have parts of our body we hate. Instead of focusing on aesthetic- how you look – goals. Consider focusing on performance- what you can do – goals. You’ll likely see measurable progress more easily & have more fun! Let me help! Let’s talk: https://tinyurl.com/talktoshawna

It’s not all bad! I mean not worrying about a period or unwanted pregnancy is a bonus of menopause, right? Here are the things you can do to offset the negatives you may be experiencing as estrogen declines: Eat a high protein, fiber rich diet. Resistance train 2-3 times a week. Keep a consistent sleep … Continued

Starting something new for fitness? It can be scary (even for seasoned fitness veterans). Here are 3 tips to make it easier: 1. Check out the facility, find when it’s not busy & try to go during those times. 2. Go with a plan! 3. Do it scared, after the first few times, it will … Continued

Calorie trackers are inaccurate. They don’t account for EPOCH – or energy burned AFTER exercise – which is the big benefit of resistance training. Your workout should be FUN anyways, not just a source of calorie burning. Your workout should be focused on fun and/or skill or strength development. It’s only a small part of … Continued

Weight loss only occurs in a calorie deficit, but instead of eating less, why not do more? Enter NEAT: non-exercise activity thermogenesis. This includes walking (& all the other active things you do in your day). Simply adding more daily steps can create a calorie deficit while eating more. It’s win-win: -you get to eat … Continued

“Participating in Shawna’s program was a life changing experience. “ @stephanieliner From my perspective, it was a great pleasure to work with Stephanie. She consistently showed up & was ready to learn. She threw away old ideas, for example, she (reluctantly) increased her calorie & carb intake & watched her weight go down. She slowly increased … Continued

Set the bar low. I know this sounds like ridiculous advice from a coach. But, if you make a small promise to yourself & keep it, you’re more likely to continue to make & keep promises to yourself. Starting small & working up to bigger promises is how you build integrity with yourself. It’s how … Continued

Food tracking can be inaccurate. But that’s not the REAL point! The big benefits of food tracking include increasing self accountability & intentionality around eating. Food labels can be up to 20% off – like in this example: the label assumes that the scoop holds 42g of product when in fact, it only holds 30g … Continued

Did you blow your nutrition this weekend? Look, it happens, especially when you don’t have a plan. To lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit. This can be achieved thru out the week versus just in one day. You can cycle your calories a little so you could have a few less calories … Continued

If you want visible abs, be aware of the sacrifices you may need to make. Be realistic & manage expectations where weight loss goals are concerned… ⭐️20-22% body fat⭐️ ✔️fit appearance & good overall health ✔️livable lifestyle ✔️few cravings due to balanced diet ✔️plans & time needed for meal prep ✔️coaching is sometimes needed to … Continued

Are you choosing clothes from the fat side of the closet? Do you dress in the dark? If you’re not comfortable in your own skin, it’s not too late to do something about it. I had the good fortune to try on all kinds of sweet lil dresses at a local boutique and it reminded … Continued

Food tracking increases awareness & intentionality but can be cumbersome. So here’s an easy option to food track. Use the free app ‘See How You Eat’. You take pics of meals & snacks & it’s organized daily. It’s this easy accountability that creates awareness & intention to your eating. And any habit that you can … Continued

Impatient with weight loss? Just like spring eventually follows winter. Trust science that weight loss will happen when you do the right things. There are things happening below the surface metabolically that aren’t visible right away. Consistency & persistence are important. Hang in there! You got this! Happy to help! Let’s talk here: http://lifestyle.shawna247.com/