Setting Intentions for the New Year

The start of a new year always feels like a reset — a chance to decide how you want to feel moving forward. This year my intentions are simple: movement, nourishment, and not forgetting myself in the process.

Making Time for Exercise (Without Overcomplicating It)

Movement doesn’t have to be long or intense to matter. Small, consistent choices add up. To help others with this, I recently shared a quick video breaking down the basics of Pilates and a bonus Pilates Express workout you can do at home for free (all on my free app). Pilates is for everyone. All bodies, all stages, and all seasons of life are welcome. Pilates emphasizes:

• intentional breathing

• engaging your deep core

• strengthening from the inside out

• improving mobility, posture, and body awareness

  
  

Nourishing Your Body (Simple + Real Life)

Healthy eating doesn’t need to be complex to be nourishing and sustainable. My go-to lunch lately is easy, filling, and packed with protein: Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad. It's simple and delicious. You don’t need complicated meals; you need ones you’ll actually make.

How I make it:

1. Boil chicken breasts and shred (I use my KitchenAid)

2. Mix shredded chicken with plain nonfat Greek yogurt

3. Add sweet salad cubes (or dill relish for zero sugar)

4. Serve with celery sticks or in a low-carb wrap

This month always hits me hard. Sign-ups for sports, summer camps, and calendars filling up for my three boys. It’s so easy to get swept into everyone else’s schedule and forget yourself. Then it dawned on me how lucky I am to already be committed to our Women’s Wellness Retreat in March. One guaranteed weekend to unplug, move, laugh, share, and just be.

Community Is Everything

Community means more than we realize. I feel it every time I walk into a group fitness class. That’s why I love teaching so much. It’s not just the workout; it’s the connection. If you’re craving more of that, come join me sometime at the Covington Family YMCA. Or if you're up for it, there’s still room in our upcoming retreat. We’ll enjoy healthy, nourishing food (yes, including the above chicken salad), do Pilates together, go hiking, and finish one night with an Italian-themed dinner while doing a blind wine tasting. It’s going to be such a good time!

My intentions for this year are simple. I want to move my body with purpose, nourish myself without guilt, and remember that taking time for myself makes me a better mom, wife, and friend. If you’re looking for more connection, more movement, or just space to breathe — you’re not alone. You’re always welcome here.