About Me

I learned to love the journey, not the destination.I learned that this is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.-Anna Quindlen Credit: SQNSport

I learned to love the journey, not the destination.I learned that this is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get.-Anna Quindlen
Credit: SQNSport

About Me

I have been coaching and helping people improve their fitness for over three decades. My passion is to help you become stronger for activities you love, and to guide you towards your specific goals. If you have recurring muscle and joint pain, I can help you identify musculoskeletal imbalances that are either causing or contributing to your pain, so you can enjoy life to the fullest.

I work with top-level athletes in the sports-oriented town of Sun Valley, and regular amazing folks. I also know from experience the challenges we face when rebounding from injuries, surgeries or chronic conditions.

In 2004 I was struck with spondylolisthesis, a painful slipped disc in my lower back. I was living with chronic pain. After undergoing surgery to fix my back I continued to focus and expand my education on the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, and how to manage and prevent back pain. Flash forward to the present, I am now a recognized Corrective Exercise Specialist in The BioMechanics Method ( TBMM-CES ).

Since 2000 I have also studied yoga with world-renowned yoga teachers, so if you train with me, you will surely do some yoga. Balance is huge for people over 40. So is the necessity of bringing together muscles and mind to move more efficiently, to relax when we need to relax, and to be powerful when power is needed. For example, have you ever noticed that a great skier’s upper body is always relaxed?

When you first begin working with me, you will undergo a comprehensive musculoskeletal assessment. Results from this assessment then guides us to understand what muscles and other soft tissue are contributing to your condition. Each program is designed specifically for your needs and goals. We’ll look at any musculoskeletal imbalances and design a corrective exercise program to help you move better, if that’s what you are more interested in. If your goal is weight loss, we incorporate full body moves with high metabolic cost, as I want your time working out to be maximized.  Whether your goal is fat loss, feeling better, or returning to your favorite sport, I will bring abundant enthusiasm and the best programming to design your workout. ( If you train with me I can guarantee you that you will not be sore on the first day of ski season.)

As a former junior ski racer, my greatest passion skiing. I love to run, bike, practice yoga, and rock climb, taking me to the cliffs of the Greek Islands, Sardinia, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Thailand. Hiking with our Golden Retriever, Izzy, is also high on my list of things I love to do.

Here is a list of my credentials:

  • Corrective Exercise Specialist in The Biomechanics Method ( TBMM-CES ), the industry’s highest-rated CES credential.
  • American College of Sports Medicine ( ACSM ) Certified Exercise Physiologist 
  • American Council on Exercise (gold level)
  • Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research
  • Active Isolated Strengthening Therapist (a method of fascia release used to facilitate stretching)
  •  International Dance Exercise Association Elite Level Personal Trainer  ( the highest level of achievement in the personal fitness training industry)
  • TRX Suspension training coach.
  • Author of the Essential Core Poster ( click on link front page ! )
  • 30 year author of a popular monthly health and fitness column ” Fitness Guru ” for the Idaho Mountain Express
  • Yoga training with www.judithlasater.com, www.seanecorn.com, and www.erich schiffman.com
  • YMCA Group Exercise Leader

USREPS_badge_blue_80x83

Featured Post

Fitness Guru-How to find tight neck and shoulder relief

Posted on by

If your neck and shoulders are chronically tight, not only does it feel bad, but neck and shoulder limitations affect the biomechanics of your body. Conversely, when you have balance and alignment in everyday life, you establish a great starting … Continue reading →

The power of problem solving

Posted on by

Can you think of a time when your problems seemed insurmountable? In a world where our happiness is so crucial to our overall well-being, behavioral tools can be helpful. If you’re struggling with goals like eating better, sleeping or exercising … Continue reading →

4 stretches to stay ahead of aging

Posted on by

We all want to enjoy a healthy work-life balance and have more energy throughout the day. Regardless of your age, the habits of daily living become more important, whether you are in your 40s or 60s. The body, however, has … Continue reading →

Break old habits to fix an achy back

Posted on by

Healing a sore back requires breaking some old habits and forming some new ones, says Dr. Stuart McGill. If you’re living with an achy back, getting your swagger back, as McGill, the most recognized spine researcher in the world, states, … Continue reading →

Quick fixes for your squats

Posted on by

All winter sports require strong leg muscles, good balance and core support—all benefits of doing regular squats. The squat is one of the most common and basic exercises performed in strength training and offers a tremendous bang for your buck. … Continue reading →

Five everyday movements you need

Posted on by

Good habits contribute to optimum health. When it comes to your health, preventing injuries in any sport or activity you enjoy is crucial. No one likes being injured. With a New Year fast approaching, here are five injury-preventing moves to … Continue reading →

Add single -leg squats to your training

Posted on by

Early fall, ski-teamers are working on quad strength for their upcoming competitive season. You should be, too, if you are planning to ski this winter. Even if you’re not doing any type of physical activity, you should at least train … Continue reading →

Ankle flexibility for better balance and sports

Posted on by

The feet and ankles support and cushion the entire weight of the body and are crucial to keep your body balanced. Anyone that has to be on his or her feet all day knows that they bear a lot of … Continue reading →

To sleep better, add Yoga Nidre to your nighttime routine

Posted on by

We need sleep and it’s best in moderation, like most things in life. According to studies recently published in the journal Brain, there is a middle range to keep the brain sharp over time, and most adults need at least … Continue reading →

Healthy brain aging and exercise

Posted on by

The human brain is a magnificent three-pound organ. It is the seat of our intelligence, initiates all our body movement and controls our behavior. As we all age, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is expected to markedly increase. Our health … Continue reading →

Health and perspective: From stairs to red wine

Posted on by

The Covid -19 pandemic has impacted everyone across the globe.  It has affected our lives on both a small and large scale, particularly having to let go, for a while, of a pre-Covid world. Remember, there is nothing wrong about allowing … Continue reading →

Build core power and stability with the Farmer’s Walk

Posted on by

Core stability is imperative for all facets of movement and performance, whether you’re a skier or skater. As a new ski season kicks off, core strength can be a great asset to ski at a higher intensity, for a longer … Continue reading →

Work ( out ) from home

Posted on by

Try this new six-move fitness routine to break your pandemic rut Did you ever imagine living through a pan- demic? More than ever, we’re all chal- lenged to be resilient. For many of us, our routines are shot and the new … Continue reading →

Can you really spot-reduce belly fat?

Posted on by

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply get rid of your belly fat with a few crunches and ab work? After all, wouldn’t all that hard work melt the fat away if you really put your heart into it? … Continue reading →

Breath and awareness can help us cope

Posted on by

Fear and uncertainty are real right now, as each week brings even more uncertainty fighting COVID-19. Many of us are scared and lonely. But please don’t be so hard on yourself right now, because you already are doing something very … Continue reading →

Recent Posts

fitness guru

Posted on by
Reply

How to not feel older when you’re stressed

When we’re in a stressful situation, it’s not always easy to take a deep breath and calm down. Stress makes all of us look and feel older, teens and those in their 20s and 30s included. A new study finds that younger adults look and feel older on stressful days, when they feel they have less control over their lives.

Stress is a psychological and physiological response to situations we find to be overwhelming. It’s associated with a host of negative outcomes. However, up until now, there has been little research on the amount of stress younger adults are experiencing compared to what previous generations experienced when they were young, says Shevaun Newport, professor of psychology at North Carolina State University.

Accumulative stress over time can have adverse effects. People are feeling increasing levels of stress as they move from young adulthood to midlife—their 40s and 50s—Newport says. If young people are already experiencing high levels of stress for their age, and that stress is affecting how old they feel, it is important for us to address stress-related physical health and mental health for this generation, he says.

So how can we deal with stressful days? Communication coach Tatiana Kolovou suggests not turning against ourselves by self-bashing. Lines such as “What were you thinking?” or “This was a huge mistake” are self-sabotaging and negative. Think of something encouraging instead, she advises. When we have bumps along our road, we need to remember that we can do hard things. We can reframe our self-talk and build resilience. Instead of saying, “I have to do hard things,” for example, we could choose to say “I get to do hard things.”

Even small shifts in the language we use to refer to ourselves can be helpful. A research review in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology showed that first person self-talk (“I can do this“) helps to positively influence our ability to manage our thoughts and emotions under stress.

You can manage a stressful situation by taking a deep breath. Deep breathing is a great way to reduce the activation of your nervous system. (Take a deep breath in for a few seconds, hold it and slowly release it.) Learning and applying this skill can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system to rest, which helps the anxiety you may be feeling.

We all have crummy days, and strengthening our personal skills and resilience is key. Exercise is a great stress reliever. And taking care of yourself with proper nutrition is imperative, not only to help your whole body feel better, but your mind as well. Make a commitment to trying any of these strategies for good days ahead.

  1. Do it right: How to stretch the external rotators of the hip 1 Reply
  2. Train like an athlete with the landmine single-leg deadlift Comments Off on Train like an athlete with the landmine single-leg deadlift
  3. Think twice about skipping the gym Comments Off on Think twice about skipping the gym
  4. Learn Hip Airplane for strong hips and stability Comments Off on Learn Hip Airplane for strong hips and stability
  5.  Improve your motor skills with crawling and bird dogs Comments Off on  Improve your motor skills with crawling and bird dogs
  6. Save a fall with strength and balance Comments Off on Save a fall with strength and balance
  7. Want a strong core? Skip the 3- minute plank Comments Off on Want a strong core? Skip the 3- minute plank
  8. Why you need inner leg work Comments Off on Why you need inner leg work
  9. Benefits of stretching and flexibility Comments Off on Benefits of stretching and flexibility