Forward Motion

2020 changed our way of living life, our jobs, routines, the way we interact with other humans and unfortunately, many of us lost those whom we love due to this pandemic. My life as I knew it changed dramatically. I sold my house, left a long term relationship, saw my business morph into something entirely different, watched as gyms closed and classes disappeared. It was chaotic, crazy and somewhat unbelievable. During the chaos I took time to refocus and live for myself, by myself, during a pandemic, protests and global unrest. It wasn’t an easy year, for anyone. With 2020 almost over I step into this next one humbled.

2020 can be summed up simply by two words, “Letting Go”.

Nothing about 2020 was normal.

Major change is overwhelming and freeing. Sometimes I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to share, or how, or with whom. I wasn’t sure how to proceed and I felt lots of self-doubt. I was doubtful if gym’s would reopen again and wondered how the future would be for all of us fitness folks. I worked with the clients via Zoom rooms and in person if they were up to it. Nothing was the same and I knew everything was changing.  I knew I wanted to travel but I couldn’t. I wanted to get back to making art, get back into the gym for myself, I wanted to write, I wanted to be back teaching to groups in person, I wanted to just go to store and not have it be a three hour ordeal. I wanted to do a lot of things but life was on pause. Over the months I came to realize that fitness is NOT all that I am and that I had to take care of myself the same way I tell my clients. I give good advice and I take good care of people. I realized in 2020 its in my best interest to follow my own good advice.

Time away from the gym and clients gave me a renewed perspective. It’s given me insight into how I want to move forward. I don’t know what the future holds for me, this country or the world. Living with uncertainty is  human experience and change is the only thing we can count on. I’m looking forward to another year to begin again and I’m GRATEFUL for my health. I’m proud of myself for overcoming a difficult time of challenges and for landing myself in a new place with new people and new beginnings. I’ve had the happiest holiday season in six years even though Covid made it weird. I’ve found new friends, renewed passions, and peace. You can’t put a price on peace of mind and ANYTHING that interferes with peace is worth examining. Life is short, there’s no reason to settle. Be honest with yourself and others and work toward finding peace and joy in your life.

I know from experience that everything can and will work itself in time. I started my business Fit Body Integration (Body By Dani) on the premise that living a good life isn’t just about being in the gym and looking good; it’s about feeling good IN your body and IN your life. It’s about mental health, physical health, spiritual health and how all of those things need to be in balance in order to feel and look your best. I’ve had some intense periods of unbalance in my life and I can say that as I step across the threshold into 2021 I’m feeling momentum, change and hope for the future. I feel like I have come full circle and that the best is yet to come! Change doesn’t happen overnight and sometimes you don’t know exactly where to start. However, if there’s one thing this pandemic has given me is the opportunity to move forward.

I hope a balanced life finds you well into the New Year and beyond!
Peace and Love to all the lovers out there 🙂

When is the time right

Today I wanted to address the idea of accountability. I’m known for teaching motivational classes where you are going to work hard and sweat but when it comes to a session I want to leave people with something to think about and take away more than just perspiration.

My thoughts today center around our will (ideas) vs. our work (actions). This mantra or simple statement is a call to question “Am I putting in the work for what I will (my ideas) in my mind. We all have thoughts about what we will do. I will go to the gym… I will quit smoking/drinking, I will be kinder to myself and others, I will take better care of myself, etc. The question is what are you doing to work towards what you will… What steps are you taking today?

How are you holding yourself accountable? With this post I want to bring attention to the fact that we can’t just pay lip service to our goals. We can say we want change, but change takes effort, it takes energy, it takes WORK. Anything worth having is worth WORKING for. Don’t forget that!

— Dani

Today I Begin.

Here were are, more than halfway through the month of January and 2018 is on fire! Your goals are set, you’re committed and confidently moving forward. That’s a beautiful thing! However, with the hype around resolutions, change, goals and an incessant desire to better ourselves, theres something more subtle I want to focus on.

The word is TRANSITION

Hats off to anyone fully committed to their goal. That said, life loves to throw us challenges,those lovely things things we don’t expect and that can at first seem insurmountable, but can provide us an opportunity to expand and grow. Salute to those of you who don’t know what your goals are,  thats all good too.

Look around. If your eyes are open you see natural disasters, illness, injury, loss; challenges that don’t just occur in the gym.  These challenges often create stress, anxiety, frustration and fear. Sure we all want to focus on our greatest moments and triumphs, especially at the beginning of a new year. Underneath that though, we are all human, and not everything is going according to plan 100% of the time.

No one’s life is perfect. Health and wellness isn’t about being perfect. Sure we set goals and do our best to meet them but lets not lose sight of what it means to be human. In the midst of our lives transitions and changes will occur that will influence our decisions and sometimes seem to thwart our ambitions to move forward. The key is to keep it moving.  I think talking about this now, in January is super important because we still have an entire year ahead. Its easy to start something at the beginning. But what about starting in the middle or just plain starting over?

I remember something my Father said once. He told me, “wake up each morning and tell your yourself- ‘today I begin’”. It’s something that has never left me and that I use as a mantra and often share with my clients and students. Three simple words filled with possibility. When you begin something you don’t really know where you will end up. And keeping a sense of adventure as you move through your life is important. We watch reality television and tune into other people’s lives but I wonder why more people don’t have a sense of intrigue when it comes to their own life? I WANT to feel excited about what I am doing and hope that even at stressful times I can move through life with grace. I won’t always get it right, but that’s okay. There’s a lot to learn in the unevenness of walking through this journey.

Losing weight, getting to the gym, eating well, changing our lives, coping with with things we can’t control. Don’t we ALL want to attack each goal with an outcome of success? Sure. But in reality, we all don’t get a trophy. Pause. Think about how hard it is to lose weight AND keep it off. I know how hard it is because I help people do it. How hard it is to get the job you love or be promoted? Or find the right partner and be in a relationship? How hard is it to raise a child? ALL OF THESE are goals, and each one can provide a potential setback. How you find your way through the setbacks throughout this year is where the real GOLD is at. Its in the unexpected where we learn the art of SHIFTING and going with the flow.

What your goal is on January 1 can be completely different by months end. Where you find yourself July 1 can be a world away from where you are today.

So yes, set goals. Make them bold, realistic, attainable but also make ROOM for the unexpected because I can tell you from experience, one thing you can ALWAYS count on is change.

 

Peace,

Dani

Working with an Injury

I’ve been a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, dancer and athlete for over ten years. I’ve suffered my fair share of injuries. Its never easy to lose mobility or to stop moving. When you love to move, the idea is that you will always be able to.  Injury and immobility are frustrating.

Two weeks ago while teaching my indoor cycling class I felt a pop in my left hip. Immediately I knew something bad happened but I had a full room of 40 people so I kept on teaching. I went home and applied ice, laid back and took an Aleve. I stretched, foam rolled, and then kept teaching as normal until about five days later I was in pain just from walking. My body was sending me the signal, “hey you, slow down and pay attention!” 

Intuitively I knew that something serious going on. I went to my chiropractor, started PT shortly after and I’m still going for treatment. I’ve had to modify the way I teach my classes for the time being. During training sessions there are some exercises that I can’t demonstrate without pain. My clients have been so supportive. I’m the one who is frustrated, and ready to be back to normal!

Working through injury is what I want to address because at some point ALL OF US will suffer from one, or another health issue that may keep us from doing what we love at the capacity we are used to doing it.

What I have learned over my time in the fitness industry is that we MUST MAKE TIME FOR OURSELVES. Giving back to yourself is the ONLY way you can continue to give to others. For those of us who make a living helping others, balance is key. If you can’t create balance for yourself, the UNIVERSE will create that balance for you. Your body will create balance for you. Injury, illness, fatigue, stress are not things we can avoid forever. If we push and grind ALL the time and create NO SPACE for mental health, relaxation, rest, meditation or inner work (or if we get away from these practices), eventually our body will talk to us.

Pull back and slow down when you encounter an injury. Pushing through pain will never help the healing process. Modification, rest, therapy and patience is where your mindset needs to be. Learn to work WITH your injury rather than fight it. Use the set back to learn about your body, and yourself. Learn to breathe, create space and find new options to train your body back to optimum health. The reality is that nothing is permanent. Injury doesn’t last forever, good health doesn’t either. How you work through the flux makes all the difference. Some injuries are permanent and they require a lot more focus and determination to get through- I’ll be addressing that in a later post. For now, stay positive out there and listen to your body!

 

Peace,

Dani

A Cycling Class that Delivers- Prime Cycle Hoboken

This past weekend Prime Cycle hosted an outdoor block party on the Hoboken waterfront. It was an awesome day of music, exercise, inspiration and plenty of good vibes!  If you haven’t been into class with me yet, and need an inspiring, fun and motivational boost to your cardio routine I HIGHLY recommend trying a class out!  Prime Cycle studio is located in Hoboken next to Path at 70 Hudson Street. This makes it convenient to reach from New York City, Newark and Jersey City. I teach Mon 6:30 &7:30p Wed 5:30& 6:30p  First time riders are complementary on Wednesday 5:30P Visit http://www.primecycle.com to schedule a ride in one of my classes!

Hey guys ! The push -up is an exercise you can do anywhere, any time. There are literally, no excuses. You can do these moves in a small space, gym, outdoors or at the beach! Check out the video below for variations on the basic push-up and take your workout to the next level ! Any questions, ask!

Watch Celeste ?try to mess me up ? Here's more #pushupchallenge #variations that focus a bit more on #balance and #flexibility ???????? Remember to watch your form, modify when you need to and don't hurt yourself???? Break it down into sets, complete 100 reps. You have 24 hours to #makeithappen… #GO +Downdog pushup +Side leg sweep pushup +Squat hold pushup +4 point pushup +One arm pushup • • • • • #fitnessmotivation #fitnessanywhere #coredeforce #catsofinsta #trainertips #personaltrainer #inhometraining #dothework #healthyhabits #strength #persistence #gains #summerbodyready #inspiration #motivation #thecat #bodyweighttraining #fierce45 #goodvibes #bonuscat ? Fitness fashion by @onzie ??

A post shared by Daniela (DANI) (@body_bydani) on May 15, 2017 at 9:55pm PDT

Five Tips to Keep You Present and Positive

Be PROACTIVE not REACTIVE.
Proper planning prevents poor performance. That was my Mother’s favorite saying.
Prioritize.

We’ve all heard the above advice countless times, but do we always listen to the clichés and sayings we’ve grown up hearing our whole lives?

Waiting until the last minute to make a move, or a decision rarely works out well. If you want to maximize your results in the gym, or in life, it pays off to be proactive and have a plan. Believe me, I’m all for spontaneity and improvisation. I often have to think fast when I am with my clients and make adjustments to workouts on the spur of the moment. However, I always come with a plan. Many of my classes have improvisational elements to them, I constantly have to adjust to the energy and level of fitness of the group I am working with on any given day, but I always have a plan of what my workout will be like ahead of time.

Here are my five tips for maximizing your time and staying ahead of the game, in life an in the gym.

1) Look around.
Take notice of what is going on around you. What do you want? Ask yourself questions, and take time to wait for answers to come to you. From there, develop your mindset to match your goal. You need to align you mind with you body. Your actions are like your posture, the more neutral and less tense you remain, the easier things flow.

2)Vibe.
Look on the bright side. Gaze up at the sky. Step forward and keep your eyes open. Get your head out of your phone, computer, social media and EXPERIENCE the world around you in real time. Don’t wait for vacation to take a picture of the sunset, or for a funeral to be grateful for someones presence. Don’t wait for a diagnosis to be happy with your health. NOTHING IS PROMISED. Wake up and be present in the moment you have.

3)Prepare.
As a fitness instructor in the industry over 10 years I’ve learned and seen a lot. In order to be on top of your game you have to come prepared. Prepare for what you are going to do. I don’t care if you are a yoga instructor or a fashion designer, if you have a project due or a class to teach- PREPARE FOR IT. Know what you want your message to be, what you want to impart to others and how you want to come across.

4)Listen.
If someone with experience, knowledge and competence offers you advice. LISTEN to it. If you start your relationships in life with trust and respect there should never be a reason to not listen. Listening is the key to success, in my humble option.

5) Pause.
Think before you act. We’ve ALL been there; speaking or acting before we’ve clearly thought something through. When coupled with frustration, fear, or anger, impulsive decisions fail on a grand scale. Many of us are not even in touch with our emotions so we tend to react before thinking. Road rage anyone? It happens to the best of us! In the heat of a moment take a step back and before you make the impulsive move, take a breath. Ask yourself: Is this really worth it? Will this matter in five years? How will this effect me in the long run?  A moment of pause can make a huge difference in the course of your life.

 

We can’t be perfect but we can be better. Take a breath, a few seconds, regroup, re-process and then make you’re moves and decisions. Stay in the moment and hell, if you’re super frustrated: Stop drop and do some burpees! 

 

 

????

Dani

 

Logging Off.

Taking time to relax is underrated. In fact, I’m not sure that I ever really “relax” until I unplug from all of my digital devices and take time to experience life without all the “noise” and information coming at what seems like light speed. Like you, I have a social media account, an email, text messaging, instant messaging, the ability to watch TV on my phone, and to let everyone know where I am, what I’m doing and who I’m doing it with. Like you, when I’m not working, everyone can still reach me to “be in touch”. I can scroll Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, get all my news delivered in a feed to my phone curated and neatly packaged, easy to read. I can be on my device from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep at night. I can get messages even when I’m sick and be expected to answer them. Does having all of this “information” and “access” make me any more productive?

Not really.

Truthfully,  I was productive and able to remember things on my own before the days of smart phones, Facebook and the Internet. I wrote things down, I read books, took my time, remembered phone numbers and birthday’s…all in my head. I used my big badass brain. Amazing right? Eh, not really..  Just imagine a day without Facebook reminding you what is going on in the world..

What is REALLY going on in YOUR world?

I have many people come to me stressed out, unable to sleep, not able to lose weight, eating shitty food and they say; “put me on a plan”, “help me!” They’re looking for advice, a coach, or guide and I can help, but the reality is that you need to set things in motion for yourself.. and sometimes my best advice requires clients to sit still..

I spend time on vacation every year in Mexico. While I’m away I don’t set up cell service and rely only on wifi. That means if I want to get in touch with someone, send an email or text I need to purposefully get a wifi connection. I have to walk to a cafe and sit down, order a coffee and then connect. The horror! I can’t just open my eyes, grab my phone and connect to the world. Okay, I’m being slightly sarcastic but this is to illustrate a point. The point is that I LOG OFF.. and I do it because I’ve learned the lesson of having peace of mind. When I’m working, my clients get my full attention, but when I’m not working, I’ve learned to breathe. It’s a process and it involves being in the moment and focusing on what is NOW rather than being distracted by notifications on my cell phone and future what-if’s.

On vacation , I’m reminded of how important it is to sit still and to really SEE what is in front of me.  There’s an art to being present and like most art, if you want to master your craft, you must practice. Most of the time, in daily life, I get distracted,  pulled in ten different directions and can easily lose focus if I’m not mindful. When I’m on vacation, and not constantly checking my phone or email I get to pause.  Im able to allow for the opportunity to observe and appreciate whats around me to guide me. I trust my instincts rather than a device.  Now, I know it’s called vacation for a reason and we can’t abandon responsibilities altogether; however, what if we could take the peacefulness that we experience when we LOG OFF with us into our daily lives?

I don’t see why that would be a problem.

Below are some simple tips that I use to decompress and destress my life; I’m a work in progress and there’s no hard or fast rule to what works but I consider these a good start.

1) Designate a day, once a week to be offline. No posting, no scrolling. Observe how you feel at the end of the day. Are you nervous that you missed something or did you find yourself more engaged in your day? What you are mindful of matters.

2) Pick up a book or newspaper. Instead of burying your face in your iPhone or tablet, go old school and pick up a newspaper, magazine, or a book. I personally like the tactile experience of turning a page and looking at pictures in real time. Not everything has to be in high-def and seen through a filter. Look out the window on a sunny day, go for a walk in the park, get out from behind the computer screen and experience the world as it actually IS.

3) No news is GOOD news. Seriously, I’m all for being informed and aware of what’s happening in the world but do I really need to know everything in real time on a feed, everyday 24/7? Is all that information helping me to CHANGE anything or is it just adding to my stress level and worry? Get your news, discuss it, then get over it and move on. We could spend hours reading a news story and then talking it up for another hour or two. Meanwhile, our children, family, lover, pets, ourselves… are all waiting in the wings. Priorities people.

4) Get outside. On vacation, we all spend time outdoors exploring and experiencing the world. You can do this on a regular basis at home if you are mindful enough to make the choice to step outside. I’ll be the first to say, that’s not always easy for those of us in the Northeast, especially during winter. However, getting outdoors (simple change of scenery), taking a different way to work, simply breaking up your routine can be a spark for inspiration and drastically change your mood.

5) Move… or meditate. As a personal trainer/ fitness professional I advocate for moving your body. However, what about moving your mind? Can you imagine the possibility to shift your frequency/energy by just sitting still? As a person who is highly energetic and distracted by things I find refuge in coming back to home base. Lets talk meditation for a second. Sitting still and focusing on your breath or an intention can change your world. Sound too new-age’y? It’s not. People have been meditating for thousands of years. Fact is, you don’t have to “sit” down to do it.  You can move while you meditate. The important thing is to relax, become aware of what’s happening with you and just breathe. Some many us take shallow breaths and sit with poor posture all day that focusing on just sitting up straight and taking a few deep breaths can be life changing! Being truly present is not just a gift to yourself, it also helps those around you. The more relaxed and at ease YOU are , the more productive and positive you are to the humans around you. Its a win-win!

 

 

FIND YOUR FIERCE

MY 6 tips for Finding your FIERCE again or locating it for the first time 🙂

1)MIND OVER MATTER. Get into the right mindset because being FIT and FIERCE starts upstairs, in your brain. What we think about we bring about! Keep those good vibes and positive flowing and if you cant generate them on your own, find a studio where you can get your group fitness on and be in the company of others who are looking to vibe on a higher level.
2)Music IS the ANSWER. Seriously folks. Turn up the volume to your favorite tunes and vibe out to your favorite jams. Music is a mood lifter! Tune in on your favorite instructors playlists (you can follow me here https://open.spotify.com/user/1214798123) or follow your favorite artists for inspiration. Better yet, make your own playlist for your next workout and turn up the intensity for yourself! 🙂
3)NO FEAR, NO FAIL… If you haven’t been in the studio , gym or at your practice lately its  ?OK. Return with a beginners mind and give yourself a break. While you’re getting back into your routine focus on posture, form and using your breath with your movements. Get back to the basics and take the pressure off yourself. There’s never anything wrong with beginning again, think of it as an opportunity to reunite and unify your body, mind and spirit.
4)BOOK A CLASS If you’re having trouble getting off your A$$ my best advice is to a group class in your local area ASAP. You will not only have someone to motivate you, you will also find others who are there for the same reason, and make connections. Its a win-win situation!
5)HIRE A PROFESSIONAL. Let someone else take over, seriously. Find a fitness pro in your area who is certified, recommended and experienced who can program design for you. All you need to do is show up and LISTEN. The best way to learn how to exercise and execute movements correctly is from someone who has the experience and knowledge to show you how. Put down the magazines, stop obsessing over fads or listening to friends who claim to know it all. Get together with a professional who can tailor a program to meet your individual needs and cut the fat!
6)DIG a LITTLE DEEPER. Seriously. Nothing is worse than being the roadblock to your own success. Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are our own problem. Take a step back and break away- from the news, from family, friends, social media, everyone’s opinions and ask yourself what it is that YOU want the MOST. Create a list of goals and post it where you can see it every day. Then commit to working on those goals daily. Remember the idea here is to create momentum and forward motion!