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The winter months can take a toll on your mood, energy levels, and overall well-being. This seasonal slump, often called the "winter blues," affects many people, particularly in colder climates. The good news? Regular exercise is a powerful tool for combating these feelings and improving your physical and mental health.
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Let’s explore how fitness can help you beat the winter blues and keep your spirits high.

What Are the Winter Blues?The "winter blues" refer to a temporary dip in mood and energy that coincides with shorter days and colder weather. For some, this can develop into a more serious condition known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which affects about 5% of adults in the U.S. annually (American Psychiatric Association). Even if you don’t experience SAD, the lack of sunlight, colder temperatures, and post-holiday fatigue can make you feel sluggish and unmotivated.

How Fitness Helps Combat the Winter Blues

1. Boosts Mood and Reduces Stress Exercise triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators. Regular physical activity also reduces levels of stress hormones like cortisol, helping you feel more relaxed and happy.
   • A study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that individuals who exercised regularly were 26% less likely to develop depression than those who didn’t.
   • Activities like yoga and Pilates are particularly effective at combining movement with mindfulness, offering mental health benefits.
2. Improves Energy Levels While winter fatigue can leave you feeling drained, exercise actually boosts energy by improving circulation and oxygen flow to your muscles and brain. Just 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a few times a week can leave you feeling more energized.
3. Promotes Better Sleep Regular workouts help regulate your sleep patterns, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up refreshed. Improved sleep is directly linked to better mental health and resilience.
4. Increases Exposure to Natural Light Outdoor activities like walking, jogging, or snowshoeing can help you soak up sunlight, which boosts vitamin D production and regulates your circadian rhythm. Studies suggest that even 20 minutes of sunlight can significantly improve your mood.

Best Winter Workouts to Boost Your Mood

1. Indoor Workouts
   • Strength Training: Build muscle and stay warm indoors with resistance exercises.
   • HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Short but intense sessions improve cardiovascular health and mood.
   • Yoga or Pilates: Reduce stress and improve flexibility with mindful movement.
2. Outdoor Activities
   • Walking or Hiking: Enjoy the crisp air while benefiting from natural light exposure.
   • Snow Sports: Activities like skiing or ice skating combine fun with fitness.
   • Jogging: Cold-weather runs are invigorating and provide a sense of accomplishment.

Staying Motivated During the Winter

• Set Small, Achievable Goals: Focus on consistency rather than intensity.
• Find a Workout Buddy: Exercising with a friend adds accountability and fun.
• Try New Activities: Experimenting with different workouts keeps things exciting.

Leverage the Ascend Fitness AppNeed guidance to stay active this winter? The Ascend Fitness app offers a year's worth of expertly designed exercise programs, including options for quick indoor workouts and mood-boosting routines. With Ascend, you can stay consistent, even on the coldest days. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, the app provides structure and support to help you reach your goals.

ConclusionThe winter blues don’t have to take control of your life. By incorporating regular exercise into your routine, you can improve your mood, boost your energy, and stay physically healthy all season long. With a little movement and motivation, winter can become an opportunity to focus on your well-being.

Would you like to customize a workout plan or explore our 15 Minutes of Fire program for efficient, effective workouts? Visit the Ascend Fitness app today to get started!

 As the holiday season approaches, it’s easy to put yourself on the back burner. Between gift shopping, cooking, decorating, and family obligations, many women feel stretched thin. But what if prioritizing yourself during the holidays could do more than just benefit you? What if it could create a ripple effect of positivity that spreads to your family, friends, and community?
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Taking care of yourself isn’t selfish—it’s the key to showing up as your best self for the people you care about. And when you prioritize your health and happiness, others often follow suit. Let’s dive into how self-care during the holidays can inspire those around you and create lasting change.

1. You Set an Example for Healthy Habits - When you make intentional choices—like preparing balanced meals, staying active, or managing stress—you set a powerful example for those around you. For instance, your kids may notice that you’re opting for a protein-packed breakfast instead of skipping meals, which teaches them the importance of fueling their bodies. Or your partner might join you for a post-dinner walk instead of lounging on the couch.
Actionable Tip: Show your family that balance is achievable. Enjoy holiday treats but also emphasize the importance of nourishing foods. Invite them to join you in fun, active traditions like a family hike or a game of backyard football.

2. You Inspire Confidence and Self-Worth - Many women struggle with self-doubt, especially during the holidays when body image pressures can heighten. When you show confidence in your decisions—like not feeling guilty about indulging or skipping a workout without shame—it sends a powerful message to others. By modeling self-compassion, you give others permission to treat themselves with kindness.
Actionable Tip: Speak openly about your journey. Share how you balance your goals with enjoying the season, and encourage others to focus on progress, not perfection.

3. You Improve the Energy of the Household - Stress and overwhelm can easily spread to those around you. However, when you take time for self-care—whether through a 10-minute meditation, an early morning workout, or simply stepping outside for fresh air—you come back recharged and more patient. This calm energy can influence your household, helping everyone feel more at ease.
Actionable Tip: Set boundaries with your time. Explain to your family why prioritizing your well-being benefits everyone, and involve them in the process. For example, you can designate a “quiet hour” where everyone takes time to recharge.

4. You Foster a Culture of Gratitude - When you practice gratitude for your body, your health, and your progress, others are likely to mirror that mindset. Gratitude is contagious—it encourages those around you to focus on what they have, rather than what they lack.
Actionable Tip: Start a family gratitude ritual during the holidays. Each evening, share one thing you’re grateful for. This practice can shift everyone’s focus to positivity.

5. You Show Others That Change Is Possible - Your actions can inspire friends or family members who may feel stuck in their own health journey. Whether they see you handling holiday stress with grace, sticking to your workout routine, or enjoying holiday meals without guilt, you demonstrate that achieving balance is not only possible—it’s rewarding.
Actionable Tip: Share your wins (big or small) with your support network. Whether it’s on social media or in a conversation with a friend, your story could be the spark they need to make their own changes.

6. You Build Stronger Connections - When you’re feeling your best, you’re more present in your relationships. Instead of worrying about food choices or skipping a workout, you can focus on creating memories with loved ones. This positive energy strengthens bonds and creates a ripple of joy.
Actionable Tip: Plan activities that combine connection with movement, like a family walk to look at Christmas lights or a holiday-themed fitness challenge with friends.

Final Thoughts - The holidays can be a time of stress, but they’re also an opportunity to plant seeds of positive change. By prioritizing yourself—your health, your happiness, and your goals—you create a ripple effect that can transform not just your life, but the lives of those around you.


If you’re ready to start creating your own ripple effect, I’m here to help. My Rise Method program is designed to help busy women like you balance their health and their lives without extreme dieting or sacrificing the joys of the season. Let’s build a healthier, happier you—starting today.

👉 Click here to learn more and schedule your free coaching call.

Today is my birthday (actually it was Sunday)! After 40 years on this Earth, I've seen some things, experienced some things. I've had my heart broken several times. Found rock bottom a couple times. Found happiness. Found a soulmate. Crossed off a bucket list item. Loved deeply. Regretted some things. Faced my fears. Tried to experience new things. Struggled. Thrived. I’ve been all over the map.

Here's some lessons I've learned along the way that can help you change your life or the way you look at life:

• The skill of gratitude is the skill of happiness and like any skill,it must be learned and practiced regularly.
• Nobody is responsible for your life but you. Many people may be at fault for your pain and unhappiness, but no one else is responsible for bringing you out of it. And you’re responsible for how you respond. You CHOOSE to be unhappy.
• Decide what to do based on what will be most beneficial in 10 years. Take action like that shit's going to be gone in 10 days.
• We believe we don't have enough time, but really we don't have enough focus.
• When you appreciate your faults, they lose their power over you.
• The more something scares you, the more you should do it.
• You don't have to prove anything to anyone, ever. That includes you.
• Most of what you worry about, you won't even remember in a few weeks.
• People come before money, status, or material things.
• Just because you feel something doesn't mean you have to act on it.
• Get good sleep.
• Don't eat shit, literally or figuratively.
• Move your body.
• Just because you believe something doesn't mean it's true.
• You need far less than you thought to be happy.
• It's impossible to make everyone like you. It's a mistake to make everyone dislike you.
• Fail often.
• You can't force friendships.
• The world's not out to get you.
• The hard things are the most rewarding things.
• Other people’s opinions, thoughts, or feelings are not your problem.
• You are not responsible for making other people comfortable.
• Boundaries are important.

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So much of your fitness and health are impacted by the way you live your life and how you view the world. If you've seen anything on this list that you need to work on, get to it.

Embarking on a journey to lose body fat isn't just about following a strict diet or hitting the gym relentlessly. It's also about cultivating the right mindset. In fact, your mindset can be the determining factor between success and failure in achieving your fat loss goals. In this post, we'll delve into the crucial mindset shifts that are essential for shedding those extra pounds and achieving a healthier, happier you.
Understanding Your Relationship with Food: One of the fundamental mindset shifts necessary for losing body fat is changing your relationship with food. Instead of viewing food as a source of comfort or reward, start seeing it as fuel for your body. Focus on nourishing your body with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods that support your health and fitness goals. Incorporating keywords such as "healthy eating habits," "nutrient-dense foods," and "balanced nutrition" naturally into the content enhances relevance.
Embracing Consistency Over Perfection: Many individuals fall into the trap of striving for perfection when it comes to their diet and exercise routine. However, perfection is not sustainable. Instead, shift your focus towards consistency. Consistently making healthier choices and sticking to your workout plan, even on days when motivation is low, is key to long-term success. Keywords like "consistency in fitness," "sustainable habits," and "long-term progress" reinforce the importance of this mindset shift.
Cultivating Self-Compassion: It's easy to be overly critical of ourselves, especially when it comes to our bodies. However, practicing self-compassion is essential for maintaining a positive mindset on your fat loss journey. Be kind to yourself, celebrate your progress, and learn from setbacks without being too harsh. This mindset shift encourages a healthier relationship with yourself, which is crucial for overall well-being. Keywords like "self-compassion," "positive self-talk," and "self-acceptance" are seamlessly integrated to enhance relevance.
Focusing on Non-Scale Victories: While the number on the scale can be a useful tool for tracking progress, it shouldn't be the sole focus of your fat loss journey. Instead, shift your focus towards non-scale victories such as increased energy levels, improved mood, better sleep, and enhanced confidence. These victories are equally, if not more, important indicators of your overall health and progress. Incorporating keywords like "non-scale achievements," "health improvements," and "well-being goals" emphasizes the significance of this mindset shift.
Setting Realistic Goals: Setting unrealistic goals can set you up for disappointment and frustration. Instead, focus on setting realistic, achievable goals that align with your lifestyle and capabilities. Break your larger fat loss goal into smaller, manageable milestones, and celebrate each achievement along the way. This approach fosters a sense of accomplishment and keeps you motivated to continue progressing. Keywords like "realistic goal setting," "achievable milestones," and "progress tracking" support the relevance of this mindset shift.
Achieving fat loss goes beyond just following a diet and exercise plan—it requires a mindset shift. By changing your perspective on food, embracing consistency and self-compassion, focusing on non-scale victories, and setting realistic goals, you can set yourself up for success on your fat loss journey. Remember, it's not just about transforming your body; it's about transforming your mindset for a healthier, happier life. 

Fitness and nutrition are absolute staples to being your happiest, healthiest self. The problem is, some people take it too far. Coach Kayli and I have seen people lose a significant amount of weight and find themselves obsessing over their food, weight, fitness, clothes, etc. This really isn’t that uncommon. We usually see this when a person has struggled with emotional eating or binge eating. They lose body fat, but they never treated the root cause of the emotional eating. As with health, you have to treat the root cause or the issue doesn’t go away. Usually emotional eating is caused by unhealed trauma. When a person loses weight but doesn’t work on healing old trauma, they simply replace the old unhealthy coping mechanism with a new unhealthy coping mechanism. We see them go from binging food to not eating, obsessively weighing themselves, or overexercising. These habits can be just as dangerous for people as overeating.  The key to being successful is obtaining and maintaining a healthy relationship with food. Here are some signs that you may have an unhealthy relationship with food:

• Obsessively weighing
• You’re completely inflexible about food - Choosing to not eat if there isn’t a “healthy” option present
• You think about food all the time
• You prefer to eat in private
• Food guilt distracts you from conversations
• You feel the need to work off food you eat 
• Yesterday’s lunch makes you hate yourself
• You feel ashamed when you eat something you’re not supposed to eat
• You punish yourself for eating something that deviates from the rules
• You deny yourself food you really crave
• You worry about having food to eat in social settings
• You cut out entire food groups, like carbs or fat
• You eat foods even though they make you feel bad
• You’re always either on a diet or off a diet, no middle ground
• You’re embarrassed about the amount of food you ate
• You binge on food unconsciously

If you recognize any of these traits, it may be time for you to reach out to a mental health professional to help you work through any issues you may have with food. Disordered eating is a legitimate issue that you should address. You shouldn’t live your life chained by food or fitness. Food and fitness should be things you enjoy and tools to help you live healthy.

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Most people I talk to are so focused on giving and caring for others. Nobility is admirable. But there is a lot of value in loving yourself. Believe it or not, this can be one of the best ways to give and care for others.

What many, including myself, don’t often understand is this. When we don’t love ourselves, we inadvertently outsource that to those around us. It means it can be difficult for others to be truly transparent and vulnerable with us because they also want to care for us. 

The people around us need us to be ok when it’s time to have tough conversations. Hard conversations are a part of life, but they are difficult to have with a person that doesn’t have enough love for themselves that they can truly hear what the other person is saying. Often these conversations are opportunities for us to grow and learn to be better FOR the other person in our lives, no matter the relationship. When we struggle to love ourselves, we view this as criticism and we often grow defensive and shut down. This isn’t helping us become the best versions of ourselves and grow the relationship. It keeps us stuck.

There will be times that it makes sense to put ourselves second and another first, but if you have grace and love for yourself, it is so much easier to step into that role without eventually feeling resentful. Resentment is a relationship killer. When you constantly put other people’s needs before your own, you will grow resentful. You will. Many think that putting their needs aside makes them a good partner and it saves their relationship but it actually suffocates it. Both parties may stay in the relationship but are they happy? Usually no. You have to love yourself enough to know that your needs matter and are important. You have to love yourself enough to have that conversation with the other party. Tell them what you need and how they can help you achieve this. There are ALWAYS ways to meet the other person’s needs. Sometimes compromise is necessary but there’s always a road to fulfillment. Avoiding this is not loving yourself and it’s not loving your partner. Be straightforward with your needs and give your partner the gift of being able to love you the way you need to be loved.  (This counts for friendship and other dynamics as well.) This makes you happy and more fulfilled and the other person in the relationship as well.

There is value in loving yourself. Not just for you, but for those around you too.

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Here's what everyone gets wrong about losing fat quickly...

You might have two pre-conceived notions when you hear words like "rapid fat loss."

1. You think of fad diets portrayed by the media, instantly turned off by the idea.
2. You think of credible coaches, influencers, nutritionists, etc., who constantly preach how slow and steady wins the weight loss race. So, you're skeptical.

For the first notion, I get it. The media sucks in almost all ways.
For the second notion, I think that's generally sound advice ⏤ it's advice I give all the time.
But that doesn't mean there's not a right way to lose fat, fast.

If you do it correctly, it can be an excellent way to kickstart your fat loss and ramp up motivation from quick results.
I've seen it work time and time again with my 1:1 fat loss clients, along with the other 50+ people who've gone through the Fat Loss Accelerator Phase of my program in the past.

The key, however, is to avoid these critical mistakes.
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7 Rapid Fat Loss Mistakes (& How To Avoid Them)
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Mistake #1: You don't do an honest self-audit.

• Do you have an ongoing negative relationship with food and/or your body?
• Do you currently or in the past have a history of disordered eating or a diagnosed eating disorder?
• Have you been aggressively dieting and doing lots of cardio for several months without any progress, but see rapid fat loss as the "solution" to push you further?
• Are you constantly obsessed over your body and food intake on a daily basis?

If the answer is yes to any of those, then rapid fat loss is not for you. Period. No exceptions.
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Mistake #2: You mindlessly cut too many calories too quickly.
How many calories you take away and where those calories come from are what separates successful rapid fat loss from straight-up "crash-dieting." When your approach is to simply eat way less and move a lot more, it's a recipe to ramp up cravings, lose muscle and strength, and slow your metabolism too quickly. You need a "smart" calorie deficit and just enough of the right cardio to lose pure body fat, fast, without "crashing" your metabolic rate.
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Mistake #3: Focusing on losing weight, instead of fat.
Traditional diets focus on total weight loss with no regard to the composition of those pounds lost. Losing 5 lbs sounds great! But what if it was 2 lbs of fat and 3 lbs of muscle? And what if you could improve that ratio to 4.5 lbs of pure fat and only 0.5 lb of muscle? That should be the goal, assuming you want to actually LOOK noticeably leaner, more muscular, and defined. (Not just see an arbitrary number on the scale go down.) How you do that is by avoiding these next two mistakes.
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Mistake #4: Not eating enough protein.
This piggy-backs off the last two points. Eating a higher-protein diet, especially when in a large calorie deficit, is crucial for retaining muscle mass AND keeping those cravings away. You probably know protein builds muscle, but lesser known is that protein is the most satiating macronutrient (more than carbs and fats). So it's great for staying fuller, longer. Aka, you don't feel like you're starving every day, and you can stick to your diet much easier.
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Mistake #5: Not having a smart strength training plan to work synergistically with rapid fat loss.
To avoid having the "skinny-fat" and "deflated" look from losing weight quickly, you have to take your workouts seriously. A smart program for rapid fat loss is designed to 1) retain/build as much muscle and strength as possible and 2) maximize recovery and minimize fatigue. You want to use your diet to lose fat and your strength workouts to retain muscle, which is exactly how I designed the Accelerator Diet Phase and Accelerator Workouts.
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Mistake #6: Not having education, support, and professional guidance to guide you to the finish line.
Rapid fat loss is not for the weak-hearted, nor something to take lightly. It's even harder to go at it alone. The best approach is to use rapid fat loss to "jumpstart" your long-term weight loss journey and NOT as a sustainable, long-term approach. Use it to build healthier habits and learn new skills to use once the rapid fat loss period is over. Ideally, with a coach or expert guiding you every step of the way. Which brings me to the last, and possibly most important point.
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Mistake #7: Not having a plan to transition out of the rapid fat loss period without rebounding.
Rapid fat loss is pointless if you just end up gaining all the weight back. Which, if done incorrectly, you're prone to gain back even more than traditional diets. This isn't to scare you, because it's not irreversible and you won't "damage" your metabolism, but it's the truth. A slower, calculated transition is key. (Again, hopefully with someone who knows their stuff.)
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As you could've guessed, this is the part where I pitch my Phoenix Rising Method as the solution ⏤ and, you're right. I created the Rise Method which includes the (Fat Loss Accelerator) Phase with every one of these mistakes in mind so you can safely lose lots of fat, fast.
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If you've decided you want to learn more,  you can apply here for a free discovery call.

- Coach Kayli

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