Move Well With Carolyn

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Canada
Toronto, ON
Move Well With Carolyn

I am a Movement and Wellness Coach focused on Healthy Aging for women at mid-life and beyond.

I believe we are aging well when we have the strength and energy to enjoy all the things we love to do. My goal is to help my clients move with ease, feel good in their bodies, and live pain-free. My approach to movement involves a focus on the entire body, devoting attention to all body parts to improve strength, stability and mobility. My approach to wellness and healthy aging in particular, is about mindset, the willingness to listen and honour the wisdom of the body, and making the lifestyle choices that allow us to meet our individual goals.

08/20/2023

A moment in time…

Reflecting back on only a few days ago when we were Forest Bathing in this magnificent Old Growth Forest in Nelson, BC.

24 hours later we were witnessing the beautiful town of Kelowna being decimated by wild fires only a few kilometres from where we are staying.

This week has been a great reminder that life is precarious, nothing is permanent, and we best savour joyful moments because they can change without a moments notice.

Be Here Now…

08/15/2023

B R E A T H…
So effective and it’s FREE!

It is also one of the best tools each of us have to regulate our nervous system.

There are many different breath exercises to choose from.
I have 3 that I practice daily in succession. It takes about 5 minutes to complete and I share these with all my clients.

1️⃣ 3-4 Deep Belly Breaths in, followed by a slow, deep sigh on the exhale.
2️⃣Box Breath: 8 rounds -
4 counts inhale, 4 counts hold, 4 counts exhale, and 4 counts hold after the exhale.
3️⃣Single Nostril Breathing:
3-4 rounds on each nostril- using the right hand thumb and ring finger, close the right nostril with the thumb while breathing in from the left nostril,then close the left nostril with the ring finger and breath out from the right nostril.
Then switch sides- breath in from the right and breath out from the left. Repeat 6-8 times per side.

👀Watch and feel the difference this short sequence can make.

✅If you are feeling stressed or anxious give this sequence a try.
✅If you want to improve the quality of your sleep try this right before bed.
✅If you want to age well give it a try
Do you have a go to breath exercise?
I’d love to hear in the comments below!

08/04/2023

Simple but NOT easy…
Making time for rest and recovery has been one of the hardest yet most effective remedies for restoring my nervous system.

For years I wore working out hard and long with very little time to rest in between like a badge of honour.

When I finally started to slow down, take 2-3 days between hard workouts, keep hard workouts to a maximum of 45 minutes and include more Zone 2 training( fast walking, leisurely biking, slow jogging,) take short naps in the afternoon to recharge, and practice gentle yoga again, things quickly began to improve.

My sleep quality improved significantly, my resting heart rate went from about 58 to 50, my average HRV went from 18 to 41.

Those are significant markers for recovery and readiness and they reveal how well our body is handling stress.

While some stress to the body is good for healthy aging too much stress and we find ourselves injured, exhausted and like me, burned out!

If this sounds like you…struggling with poor sleep, irritability & & anxiety, dealing with recurring injuries, or profound exhaustion your body is begging for a break.

As a wellness coach for women 50+ I have seen the impact that a commitment to rest and recovery can have on quality of life.

If you’d like to learn more about my own journey or how I may be able to support you in yours, send me a DM or book a discovery call from the link in bio.

Stay Strong, Keep Moving & Be Kind to Yourself with DOWNTIME each day.

07/27/2023

I wear my Red Glasses at night so I can so I can sleep!!

Wearing these blue block glasses in the evening as the sun goes down has been a total game changer.

If you struggle to get good quality sleep, light exposure in the evening is probably a contributing factors.

Overhead light, TV screens, and electronic devices mess with our circadian rhythm by telling our brain that it’s still daytime. This disruption prevents the natural production of Melatonin that we need in order to sleep well.

Not exactly a fashion statement.. I get it , but I look a lot worse when I don’t sleep😝😝

07/23/2023

Sometimes the right book comes around at just the right time.
For those of us who struggle with nervous system dysregulation .holistic.psychologist wrote this book for us.
Trauma wounds, setting boundaries, inner child,emotional maturity, mind- body connection.
It’s all in there with explanations and strategies on “how to do the work”.

I am forever grateful…

07/18/2023

My secret sauce…

Downregulating an overactive nervous system is not easy. It takes time and patience and helps to have some effective healing strategies.

In my quest to find ways to relax and restore, I discovered the photon infrared therapy light and I knew this could be a game changer.

With benefits like improved sleep, nervous system down regulation, joint and muscle pain reduction and improving age related skin health, I wanted in.

Combining infrared light therapy into my morning meditation while listening to binaural beats on my headphones, has been totally transformative.

Each morning I find myself transported to a place of calm, stillness, and peace.

Exactly what the doctor ordered!

06/26/2023

It feels good to be back…🙌

The last few months have been a time of rest and recovery to restore my very over active nervous system.

Months of poor sleep, long work days, over-doing the workouts, and not enough down time led to high blood sugars, high blood pressure, brain fog , and exhaustion.

All this despite eating well, exercising daily, and taking all the right supplements.

Learning to say “NO”, cutting down on hard workouts, honouring the need to rest, committing to a proper bedtime routine, and several healing modalities to optimize sleep and relax my nervous system have helped the healing process.

Here are a few signs that your nervous system may need a reboot:

1️⃣ Disrupted Sleep
2️⃣ Anxiety/ mood swings
3️⃣ Weird symptoms or pains
4️⃣ Lack of motivation
5️⃣ Wired and Tired

Ladies over 50 listen up:

We are strong, we are awesome, and we can do anything BUT we must honour our need to REST.

Check back here again soon as I share all the healing modalities that I have implemented over the last few months❤️‍🩹

06/23/2023

Things don’t always work out as planned …
Yesterday turned into a gym and pickleball day on our Oregon hiking trip after our friend broke his leg on a steep and snowy descent.
Things I learned on this hike:
1) Always carry a First Aid kit- the tensor bandage in his kit got him down the mountain.
2) Be prepared!- Proper shoes, adequate food and water with electrolytes and extra layers- we had to give a young hiker water with electrolytes,protein and sugar when he was close to collapse with only a bag of nuts being shared between 5 friends.
3) Read recent reviews on All Trails or other hiking Apps to know what to expect- bugs, closures, terrain, etc.
4) Listen to your inner voice- if your spidy sense is telling you there is danger -pay attention. My warning bells were ringing the entire hike.
Hiking is awesome but Mother Nature is unpredictable and things can change on a dime.

I plan to keep hiking as long as possible but a few simple precautions for those of us north of 60 can save the day and the trip😃

03/22/2023

Be Back Soon…

I have been slow to learn that pushing & striving leads to stress and burnout.

When my sleep is suffering and my energy is low I now know that this is my body telling me it’s time to slow down and rest.

We are powerful beyond measure but we all need time to recharge & restore in order to stay strong & vibrant.

With that in mind I am hitting the IG pause button for a little while in order to honour me and serve the people in my life.

Do you show up for yourself?
Do you know when it’s time to say NO?
I’d love to know..
Tell me in the comments below

03/09/2023

When Your Body says NO MORE…
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Does REST have a place in your busy schedule?

As a recovering overachiever, I have been slow to learn that more is not always better.
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After years of long, hard workouts, a never ending to do list, and a constant thirst for more, I have experienced my fair share of sleepless nights, exhaustion, and constant muscle aches.
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The wakeup call came when I did some bloodwork and discovered that I had muscle damage, high cortisol & high blood sugars - all despite a super healthy diet, regular exercise and a daily meditation practice.
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What I had not been prioritizing was rest and recovery - what I now know is an essential component of wellness - especially for those of us north of 50.
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My mind was always saying YES, but my body finally said NO.
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It feels counterintuitive to commit to doing less in order to get stronger and lose unwanted pounds but when I finally started to prioritize recovery I began to sleep better, feel stronger, and have so much more energy.
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Say Yes to less!
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If you’d like to learn more about my experience send me a DM. I’d be happy to share!
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03/05/2023

After months of disrupted sleep, low energy and many mood swings, I decided to do bloodwork to test for micronutrient deficiencies, cortisol levels, etc.
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I tend to eat well, exercise regularly, meditate daily, and take my supplements so when I received my results I was totally unprepared to find that my blood sugars were really high, I had muscle damage, high cortisol, and a few other less than optimal results.
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To be honest, I felt a lot of shame and sadness from these results.
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I have worked hard at staying healthy, probably harder than most, for most of my life and yet despite all my efforts, my metabolic health was less optimal than I would have hoped or expected.
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The knowledge did however, spark my need to better understand the role that stress, exercise, nutrition, and hormones has on metabolic health, specifically for women at or beyond menopause. There is a lot of information that was being swept under the rug when it comes to women and Menopause. Thankfully the landscape is changing…
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While completing a certification as a “Menopause Specialist” I realized that I was the client in the course that was often referenced - overexercising, not allowing enough down time, not managing stress well. UGH!!
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As frustrating as this discovery was, it fuelled me to learn as much as possible to help myself and my clients. I have learned a lot and I’m now committed to helping YOU find your solution, because I know first-hand how frustrating it can be! Send me a DM and let’s talk. 💜
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01/13/2023

Mindset is everything.

Ask yourself these questions:

Why aren’t you at your optimal weight?
What does “Good Nutrition” mean to you?
Are you ready for change?
What are you willing to change to live a better life?

Let me help you find out. I have a 12-week program that may be just what you need to get back on track. Send me a message now, and let’s get you started on your healthy aging journey!

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Toronto, ON

Website

http://movewellwithcarolyn.com/

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Our Story

Do you need to improve mobility in your joints, increase reflexive strength and stability throughout your body, or improve articulation and fluidity in your spine, shoulders and hips? If so, you’re not alone.

As these and other common limitations began to show up in my own life, I recognized the need to shift my approach to fitness. That’s when I turned my focus away from stretching and more towards mobility, stability and agility. Within a few months, I discovered that these essentials were the three cornerstones for maintaining a strong and healthy body. That’s when Yogility™ was born.

Yogility™ is a mindful movement practice designed to challenge the brain, stimulate the nervous system and awaken the entire body. Drawing from various movement practices and modalities, it connects the dots between the mind and body by awakening and strengthening dormant or under-utilized muscles and joints.

While mobility, stability and agility may be essential to those of us approaching or already in the midlife phase of our lives, they benefit everyone – as does Yogility™. Discover what this practice can do for you.