Episode Thirteen: Show Notes

Now back in our official recording studio (still during the pandemic), we explore the many facets of exercise with a fitness expert: how much, what kind, how often, how to mix it up.

Candace and Kyle have both been very active women but have faced their own obstacles over the years. In this episode, Kyle sits down with Charli Nesbit, a fitness instructor and expert and asks the questions you all want to ask.

Candace sat this one out: Allergy season against the backdrop of Covid 19 presented some additional challenges, so she chose safety first.

Charli shares her story of her journey from collegiate gymnastics and an eating disorder to her long career in fitness. She inspires us to find the joy in movement and helps us to ask the right questions along the way. She also shares her own struggle with hormonal imbalance and how she found her way back to feeling whole and energetic again. She faced many of the same challenges all women do: a changed body after childbirth, a busy life filled with parenting and working and how to find her new baseline. As an athlete, she relates well to other women with athletic backgrounds but she also has empathy towards women who have always found exercise to be a bit of a challenge.

Charli explains how she helps clients achieve their personal fitness goals but asking them: what did you enjoy doing when younger? What part of that would you like to bring into your present life?

She helps women come up with a realistic plan and recommends that you spend 80% of your fitness time doing something you love and about 20% of the time on what you should do.

Charli reviews the “RPE” scale, rate of perceived exertion: a method she likes to use to help people understand the level they should be working at: she aims for her clients to work out at a level 6-7, mild discomfort, able to talk in phrases, without feeling fearful about completing the activity

“Party guidelines”: 150 minutes /week of moderate cardio activity: this can be 30 minutes 5 times/week plus 2-3 sessions of strength training /week

Her philosophy embraces movement: most people are capable to move most days of the week.

30 minutes is the ‘sweet spot’ but for many of us, we need more and very active/fit people are more likely to extend their sessions to 60+ minutes.

It is important to combine cardiovascular/strength/flexibility into your exercise routines.

Cardio: defined as using major muscle groups/sustained/rhythmic/increased level of intensity(RPE of 6-7)

Walking is a great activity: easy/always available/minimal equipment(WEAR GREAT SHOES!!); has some strength elements, balance/use of senses. Helps with confidence of movement/balance as we age: decreases chance of falling, which is extremely important

Many people, especially during the pandemic, making ‘home gyms’: can make weights out of gallon jugs (fill with water), cans, wine bottles, etc: strength training imperative for improved bone density.

Also, muscle is denser than fat: more compact and lean muscle increases your metabolism

Important points: can you get off the ground by your own strength?

Sitting is the new smoking (sedentary lifestyle has so many risks).

Study done in CA: standing desks with ‘fidget bars’: showed improved focus and learning ability.

What does a new client program look like?

Don’t jump right into guidelines. Be proud of what you did do, don’t focus on what you didn’t do. What do you enjoy? Charli then finds group classes that suit the individual. Try a sampling.

Benefits of group classes: social/support/instruction/cameraderie/you will do more than what you would do on your own; also accountability.

Fitness classes give you a new tribe.

Learning new skills: keeps you sharp, helps you to measure achievements objectively (examples: Charli shares her piano lessons experience and Kyle talks about learning tennis later in life)

Charli helps people define their fitness  goals but also helps people understand how their daily functionality improves with enhanced fitness: better quality of life achieved, able to run up stairs, keep up with their children, etc.

Charli goes through H.I.T./Cross Fit: benefits/ risks.

What about spot reducing? Can we do specific exercises to rid ourselves of belly fat/saddlebags? The truth is, we gain fat where we are genetically programmed to do so, but we can build muscle in the ‘trouble areas’ and this will make the area leaner. And by burning more calories, we will lose fat all over.

Brief discussion of lipo, which leads to a discussion about what are your fitness goals? It is not just about looking good—although that is clearly a goal of many and also a result of improved fitness—but if you do what brings you joy, you are more likely to repeat it.

Social media has made it that much more difficult to avoid the “perfect body” images, but remember—it is more important how we feel about ourselves. We need to celebrate how we feel when we are more fit: more confident/stronger/ makes us better partners/friends/parents/employees. If you miss a few days, get right back at it: this is not a contest. We are striving for optimal health.

Charli’s references: