fitlilsteph

12/26/2023

“Stillness”…“nothingness” are absence and cessation concepts that I have always had a hard time with. I have always been a diligent and resilient person, staying active and keeping myself busy. I have a fear of boredom or being stagnant.

Learning more philosophy of yoga really challenged this for me. Originally it was actually created so that the practitioner could sit and meditate for long periods of time. I had to ask myself questions like “what am I giving my attention to?” I was constantly thinking about the regrets of my past or plans for the future. Yoga taught me to stay in the present moment, that’s it’s ok to truly enjoy just existing.

Above all, I’m now thinking about the balance of the two extremes. Too much of one thing is never a good thing and so I continue to dance between the highs and lows.

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12/25/2023

I wanted to become a registered yoga teacher to diversify the way I am able to help others. Having a background in fitness along with my Masters in Nutrition Science, I knew I had a good understanding of holistic wellness. Yet a missing link to this well-rounded mindset was in the power of relaxation and regeneration.

Yoga is the perfect blend of movement (asanas) with mental, and spiritual practices. The meditations techniques can help calm the mind creating a relaxation response. These restorative methods are known to activate the parasympathetic nervous system which helps to heal and restore balance in the body. This slows breathing, reduces blood pressure, and produces a feeling of calmness. There are many benefits to this practice including reducing stress, anxiety and cortisol levels. Research has shown that yoga can even reduce depressive symptoms, improve sleep, along with many other positive effects supporting an overall better quality of life.

I am so happy to now be able to offer these teachings to my clients.

Stay tuned for more yoga fun 🕉️

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08/02/2023

AZ was a better than expected time with my favorite people ❤️

04/29/2023

Brooklyn Half Marathon last weekend was a success! My goals for this race were to:

1. Remain injury free

Growing up, I was a successful track and cross country athlete. Unfortunately during that period of my life, I would repeatedly suffer from chronic shin splints. I believe that this and other chronic injuries were from over-training without a proper strength base. I wanted to prove to my younger self that I was strong and smart enough to do it right this time. I included supplementary strength training 2x/week in addition to running 3x/week.

Before training began, I made sure I had the proper footwear 👟. I visited for a more customized shoe from that matched my feet’s shape along with insoles that assist with my over pronation. I believe this made a notable difference in my performance and ability to stay consistent from week to week. For race day, I ran in socks from .earth 👌

2. Complete the race at a pace of 8:30 or less

I trained for 3 months under a program from by
I really enjoyed learning from an experienced coach. I purchased a heart rate monitor to observe positive adaptations to my heart rate over the course of three months and became well-versed in zone training and my comfort levels in different heart rate zones.

I would also attribute my success to the social accountability from my amazing partner .jae and running besties . Our group chat kept the runs relatable and fun. 🤗

Reach out to me via email info@fitlilsteph.com or DM if you are interesting in your own customized half marathon training program, with hands-on coaching throughout your training.

I am always down to talk about running or training if you need help don’t hesitate to ask to help!

On to my new goals, up next; cleaning up my diet (gut health & hormones) and inversions/flexibility for summer! Stay tuned.

02/06/2023

⛷️❄️

10/13/2022

On our way to make you sweat 😅

10/12/2022

Side planks are one of my favorite moves to begin lateral movement. Adapting to that frontal plane 😉💪

10/05/2022

Never actually do this stretch, but it looks nice for the photo, no?

07/30/2022

Small but strong 💪

07/21/2022

07/15/2022

Merci
x

07/11/2022

Happy places and life lately