Education Archives — Page 3 of 17

Sun for the Soul

As you read my blog this week, I will be enjoying my last few days in the Caribbean. This is something my husband and I commit to doing yearly. Although the finances don’t always look like we can afford to go, we say each year that this is something that we can’t afford not to do.

With the daily hustle and bustle of daily life, it’s easy to forget about the person you married. This is our time to reconnect, spending quality time together away from the kiddos to help us refuel after a long season of busyness.

Maintaining our health routine […] Read more

Do You Even Stretch?

Do you stretch with a purpose?

Or do you just stretch for the sake of stretching?

Sure, you have mobilized some. Pulling your leg behind you until you feel a strain on your quads, or kicking your leg up on a bench and leaning into it before a run. Real stretching is not part of a warm-up or cool-down though, real stretching is work. Sweaty, dizzying, (occasionally) nauseating work.

Let’s clarify one point before we get too far. When I talk about stretching (with a purpose), I am talking about actively working to increase your range of motion and your flexibility, with the intention of achieving […] Read more

The Mod Squad – Friday Night Lights Special!

Who’s ready for some amazing workouts!

It’s hard to believe the Crossfit Open is here again. Seems like we were just watching the games! The excitement around the announcements, workouts and clues is all over the place and the enthusiasm is contagious. We have some amazing people competing and I thought what better way to keep everyone healthy and moving than a little yoga!

I put together a 10 minute flow to stretch our back, hips and shoulders (places we all seem to hurt ?). Now you can take as much time or as little time going through the movements as you like. […] Read more

Self Love ❤️

It’s easy when asked about whom you love, to list our family, friends, pets, crushes, etc. Often we forget to mention a very important person: ourselves.

We live in a tough world. People can be extremely critical, cruel, and cold. We are obsessed with labels, with finding acceptance, with this implication that we must be “perfect.”

I grew up as a highly insecure girl. I had different color skin, my hair was different, I worried about my body image as I towered over the girls in my class until high school…as did my feet (size 11 by 6th grade) ?. People who […] Read more

the Power List

If you’re like me you wake up everyday with 1000s of thoughts, ideas and things on your mind. Or if you not, you wake up bored, lethargic and not so pumped up.

Either way we as human beings crave direction and structure to our day.

Last week I touched on a few things on why people end up un-successful with their New Year’s goals. In particular, #1) No routine, #3 Poorly Defined, #4) Too Many Goals. If that is the case with you allow me to introduce to you, The POWER List.

The Power List was introduced to me in a podcast by […] Read more

A Mod Squad Mini – Stretch Break!

Quick Shoulder Stretch Break!

It’s been a while since we’ve done a Mod Squad Mini, so I thought it was time for another video to help you sneak some stretching into your day. Stretch breaks don’t need to be complicated or take up a lot of time and today’s video is perfect to help undo the stress of being on our phones or computers all day.

In less than 5 minutes you can feel like a new person!

Want more good stuff like this? Join me for yoga every Saturday morning at 9:30!!

The O-Board Says…

Part A
Strict Press
3-2-2-1-1

Part B
3 Rounds for Time
800 m Run
15 STO
30 Back […] Read more

It’s Never Too Late

Let me introduce you to Judy Zimbelman. If you have not met her, you need to. Her smile and charisma is infectious!! Judy started with CPM in October of 2016. She had no idea the journey ahead but I am so glad I have been along for the ride!

Here is her story.

I initially was searching for a physical therapist because of my knee pain. I was interested in working with Nicole because she was not only a physical therapist, but also a trainer. Although my goal was to solve my knee pain, I was also interested in increasing my strength […] Read more

Entitled Kids?

I recently entered the world of being a mom of a teenager and I am beginning to see the signs of the entitlement epidemic. We all want the best for our kids. We raise them to be good humans, teaching them right from wrong and how to treat others with respect; but in our loving attempts, have I really fallen into the trap of over-parenting? Am I robbing my kids the opportunity to learn from their mistakes? The world can be a scary place. They will encounter struggle, challenges and difficulties. It’s time for me to take action before it’s […] Read more

The Mod Squad – Challenge your Movement

Up your Down Dog game, try Dolphin!

This week we have a great pose break down, let me introduce you to Dolphin. This is a great pose to open up the shoulders, stretch into the hamstrings and give some attention to our low back.

Dolphin is a great pose to not only incorporate into your yoga practice (great option to down dog), but can be a great stretch to sneak in before or after a workout. Since it hits so many of our most common tight spots, I encourage you to try this.

Few pointers to get the most out of this pose:

1. Keep […] Read more

Food is Medicine

During my first six months, my mom described me as a happy baby. I did not cry often, I was a good sleeper and not too picky when it came to food. At 9-months old, I took my first steps. Then one day, instead of walking, I dropped to the floor and could not move. All I would do is cry. The Pediatrician performed a thorough check-up and decided to admit me to hospital due to 104-degree temperature. No explanation was ever provided even after 2-weeks of testing. Then one day I miraculously started to walk again. The next episode […] Read more

The Mod Squad – Healthy Holidays

Happy Holidays!

This is a busy time of year for most of us. Work, school, family are all pulling us in so many different directions that it can be hard to take time for ourselves. It can also mean eating treats we normally wouldn’t and traveling to see family and friends. This week’s video is here to save your holiday!

I have put together a series of poses to help everyone spending long amounts of time in a car or plane or just sitting more than usual. Plus, BONUS, many of these moves will also help us with our digestion. […] Read more

My Top Books in 2017

The tradition continues from last year list (2016 Top Books) of my top books for the year! Our mind is a powerful thing to waste. We focus some much of everything from the neck down. But your life can transform by simply focusing on the opposite, everything from the neck UP!

Everything we succeed with or struggle with all happens in the mind. Our thoughts become words. Words become actions. Actions turn into habits. Habits shape your character. And your character leads to your destiny.

The list below is not about physical FITness and all about Mental FITness.

5 Second Rule = HARD COVER / AUDIO
This is my […] Read more

Thoughts by Nicole

New Chapter

So the time has finally come for me to get in on the mix of sharing my thoughts with the CPM family. Not going to lie, I put up a good fight. Writing is not my strength but I know that stepping outside of one’s comfort zone is one way for us to grow…so here we go!

I started my journey with CPMFitness during the BAFW in Jan 2014. I was mostly curious about what the rave was all about as I had a few friends that were members. I had no intention of joining a gym. I liked to […] Read more

The Mod Squad – Yoga Gear

How many different types of yoga mats can there be?

Any new sport often involves new gear and yoga isn’t any different. Most yoga studios will have mats available for you to use, but if you don’t want to be on top of mat that everyone has been sweating on, then purchasing your own yoga mat is a must. There are a wide variety of yoga mats out there and largely what you get will be based on personal preference. Do you want a lot of cushion or very little. Does the mat have enough grip to keep you from sliding off once […] Read more

CPM Lingo; Part 2 (Rosetta Stone)

Building off last week’s post of CPM Lingo (Terms and Phrases) I’d like to introduce Part 2 of our CPM Lingo involving what you will see on the board everyday.

As most of you are now aware, we have changed our introductory process with new clients by starting with Personal Training 1st before graduating them into group classes. While personal training does help improve quality by ensuring people aren’t Cleaning or Snatching for the 2nd time in their lives in their first group class…

Let’s be honest…

We teach our clients a boatload of movements! And even after 20 sessions, many people are still […] Read more

Behind the Scenes @CPMFITness

Last week I had the pleasure to sit down with a SDSU student in a FITness Facility Management Class. It is always great to have the opportunity to get interviewed when you are always the interviewer. These kinds of sit down’s are great for me to get an outside perspective on how we are doing our job to find any opportunities for growth or if we are missing anything.

I thought it would be great to share the questions and (actual) answers I gave to take a “behind the scenes” look on how we operate, if things have changed and where […] Read more

CPM’s Thanksgiving Tips and Tricks…

It is the infamous day where we gather around the table with family and friends and partake in some delicious delicacies. We then watch football, go to movies, play games, etc… all while usually consuming more yummy treats … By the time you hit the pillow you feel like one big stuffed turkey!

Here are 5 simple tips to stay on track and not over indulge this Turkey day…..

1. Eat a Good Healthy Breakfast – Many of us do not eat as we want to “Save up for dinner”. This is a big mistake, as you will then gorge on the bad […] Read more

The Mod Squad – Good Foundations

Let’s talk feet…

Now I know that sometimes feet can cause a major ewww factor for some people but power through this because the end result will be worth it. Today we are talking about two of our most important appendages and some ways we can start to treat them right. We don’t always put as much focus on our feet in yoga as we probably do on our other body parts, but there is definitely more we can do to help these guys out!

I have had a couple of people ask me recently for yoga moves to help sore feet […] Read more

Success or Failure?? Which Do You Learn More From?

Success or failure??

Which do you learn the most from? Most people will tell you that mistakes are what you learn from, but I learn more from my successes than I do my mistakes. If there’s a consistent mistake I make, it’s that I don’t learn from what just worked for me.

“If it ain’t broke….”

If I do something successfully, then I try something new… That sounds dumb. Stay focused on your successes and repeat them. Focus on where you’ve won, the meal prep for the week, making it everyday to a workout last week, reaching for water vs. a soda…and then […] Read more

The Mod Squad…and breathe

Inhale, Exhale, what was I doing again?

Today we are taking the Mod Squad way back to basics. We are all about breathing. Breathing is something we do all day, everyday without even thinking much about it. That is until we get to our yoga class. As a teacher I always try to get my class focused and conscious of their breathing before we even start moving into poses. What does focusing on our breathing even mean?

Often we connect movement to our breath in an attempt to help us be aware of our body and what we are doing and how […] Read more