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Why Your Sleep Matters and Ways to Improve the Quality of your Sleep

1/28/2020

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Are you sleeping well at night?  If you aren't, you are not alone!  Did you know that 30-40% of people struggle to get a quality night sleep on a regular basis?


There are many factors that can lead to sleepless nights including stress, work demands, and big life events like a wedding, buying a house, or having a baby.  Sometimes underlying health issues can also impact one's ability to get a good night sleep.

Sleep is critically important to our health, so identifying ways that you can improve your sleep is worth while.   ​

​Not getting enough sleep can effect your mood and weight.  It can also have a powerful impact on your hormone levels and blood pressure, and can even impact the way that your body feels and moves.

The need for sleep varies from person to person, but studies show that people who regularly sleep more than 7 hours per night are generally healthier.  On the flip slide, people who get less than 7 hours of sleep tend to experience health problems including an impaired immune system, and an increased risk of heart disease, depression, obesity, and even certain types of cancer.  Researchers are still investigating the links between sleep and disease, but if you're anything like me I'd rather work on improving the quality of my shut eye than risk disease.
My ability to get a good night sleep ebbs and flows depending upon all kinds of things that might be going on in my life.  For me I find that creating a nighttime ritual that helps me wind down will help me fall asleep and stay asleep.  

I like to listen to some music, which also helps to reduce evening screen time.  I'll curl up with a nice, warm, soothing beverage, (read on for one of my favorite night time beverages) a book and the dog and start to get into the mindset of getting a good night sleep.  For me this works, but it's important that you find what works best for you.
There are a few factors that can have a big influence on how well you're sleeping including the position you're sleeping in, use of drugs or alcohol, timing of meals & water before bed, level of activity during the day, your nighttime screen time, the temperature and darkness of your bedroom, and more.

Getting a good night's sleep can help you wake up feeling rested and energized with less aches and pains, improve your immune system, decrease your risks of disease, improve your complexion, decrease cravings by controlling hunger hormones, improve your memory, and make you happier!  Who doesn't want that?

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to help improve the odds of getting a great night of sleep EVERY night, and that's why we created this "Supercharge your Sleep" resource guide.
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​The guide contains simple lifestyle changes you can make to get more sleep – and improve the quality of the sleep you do get.

You’ll Learn:
  1. Why sleep matters so much... and why you need to pay attention to how much you’re actually getting
  2. About the phases of sleep and why they are important
  3. How your sleeping position affects your body
  4. 17 simple-to-follow tips that will quickly improve the quality of your sleep
  5. And more!

Get your copy of this incredible resource by clicking below.  
Supercharge Your Sleep!
Take some time to experiment with different approaches to find what works best for you.  Give this delicious recipe a try too.  I hope you LOVE it as much as I do!
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I hope you enjoy these resources and find them helpful in improving your quality of sleep!  Feel free to share this information with anyone you know who could benefit from a better night's sleep.  We always appreciate it when you share our resources and posts with the people who you care about.

Sweet Dreams!

Allison
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How My Training Elevates the FUN in My Life!

1/21/2020

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I have always been an active person.  I enjoy doing all kinds of things outdoors regardless of the season.  My husband and I both grew up skiing, and converted to snowboarding as adults....because of course snowboarding didn't exist when we were kids!   When the winter's are cold I find that getting outside and enjoying what the season has to offer is the best medicine for getting through the coldest months of the year.

This year I set a goal for myself to get out on the slopes with my husband Eric at least 5 times.  I haven't been on my snowboard as much as I would like over the past couple of years, so this year I took to putting it in writing to hold myself a little more accountable.  I attended a business retreat in the White Mountains of New Hampshire just after the New Year, and one perk was the opportunity to get out on the slopes for a couple of hours one afternoon.  This was absolutely perfect because it gave me the itch to get to my goal.
Aside from the couple of hours of riding in New Hampshire, which does not count towards my goal by the way, I made it to Mt. Abram the day after a Saturday snowstorm.  The conditions in New Hampshire and at Mt. Abram were completely different.  New Hampshire was a spring skiing kind of day.  The snow was soft as were the occasional ice spots.  It was a perfect day all around.  The Mt. Abram day was a "powder day", but keep in mind that powder in New England is usually heavy unlike the infamous powder of the western U.S. mountains.  But I LOVE it none the less.
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During both of these days out I couldn't help but be blown away by how my training has benefited my riding.  Keep in mind that I opened Wilcox Wellness & Fitness because I wanted to make an impact in my community.  I had known Mike & Paige Wilcox for many years and was impressed by what they had created in Bangor, and I wanted to share it with my community in Brunswick.  I've never been a gym goer.  My past experiences at a gym included a clip board and a monotonous routine that I quickly became bored with.  My lack of regular strength & conditioning training started to become more evident as I "got older".  I noticed that I would injure myself more easily, which landed me in physical therapy on a couple of occasions, but even more so my overall strength & mobility was suffering.
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​What is interesting is that I didn't entirely appreciate the waning mobility as it was happening.  When I would be out riding I'd notice that it had become more difficult for me to rotate my body in order to look behind me and uphill for oncoming traffic.  I chalked it up to the layers of bulky snowboarding clothes that I was wearing.  


During my day in New Hampshire I noticed how much stronger I felt as I literally shredded the mountain.  We only had 2 hours so we wanted to maximize our time and we rallied to get in as many runs as we could.  As I carved the edges of my board into the soft snow I noticed how my ab engagement would support the most gracious carves through the snow.  I was able to lean into my turns with power and control.  When on my heal side edge I could sit into a squat position without the quad burn of years past and power into my turns in the opposite direction.  I felt AMAZING!  I had never felt so strong in all of the years that I've been snowboarding.

​So when we got a big snowstorm predicted for Saturday and overnight into Sunday I was rearing to go!  Eric and I got up bright and early so we could get onto the trails early before they were skied off.  Much of the mountain remained un-groomed and we were ready for a fun day on the mountain.  As I got ready to get out on the trails I reflected on my experience just a couple of weeks earlier in New Hampshire, and I knew that I would need to adapt my riding approach to the different conditions.  As I said earlier, even though it was a "powder day" I knew that the snow would be heavy and it would be a lot of work.  The edging that I was mastering the trip before wouldn't do me any good in these conditions.  I needed to feel this out and figure out how my new strength and stability would benefit me in the powder.



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Within two runs I had it figured out.  When navigating through tracked powder each turn can be unpredictable.  The snow gets piled up into soft moguls by the skiers and riders who had been down the hill in front of me.  In the past these kind of conditions would have felt intimidating.  I would have to work hard to maintain control, moving my board nearly 180 degrees from side to side to maintain a checked speed.  I would use my legs to power my board from side to side. 

But this time was entirely different! 

I realized that my thoracic mobility was markedly improved. 

I could comfortably look up hill behind me, yet the clothes I wore were exactly the same. 

The strength through my core and obliques were working for me. 

I was able to use this strength to almost effortlessly move the board from side to side. 

This gave me the confidence to go much faster, knowing that I could easily correct my trajectory if the line I had picked was different than I had imagined and I would need to change course without warning.  My legs also feel stronger, so as I surfed over the unpredictable moguls choosing to carve in between some, bank off of others, and ride up and over...maybe even catching a little air.  
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​The powder was hard work.  I overheard some people in the lodge talking about checking out early because they were so tired.  Eric and I were working so hard we had to go into the lodge to cool down, not warm up as normally the case on an 18 degree day, but that only encouraged us as we set out for run after run, right up to the end of the day.


With every run I would reflect on the work that we do in the gym, and recognize the subtle movements that my body was naturally making, allowing me to maximize every turn.

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I love the feeling of recognizing the benefits of my commitment to my training sessions.

Remember, before making this big decision to open my location of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness I didn't visit a gym regularly.  Although I have spent a great deal of time in preparing for the opening of this business studying and learning about nutrition, exercise science, and the skills of being a great coach I wasn't super fit.  I'm on this journey right along side the people within the WILCOX community who have also made themselves a priority and take the time each week to invest in their health & fitness.


When I feel the impact of my training I get so excited.  Not only because I'm able to live my very best life because of the time I take to be healthy, but because it provides me with so much perspective around what each client is experiencing. 

​Everyone is on their own journey, finding their own path to their commitment to wellness, and learning and growing at their own pace....but I know that with each day that they spend in the gym, each opportunity they take to step outside of their comfort zone and try a new movement, each time they commit to the movement, they are contributing to some greatness outside of the gym.  I love hearing the stories that clients share with me about where they feel the benefits of their training program.  Whether it be doing household chores, playing with their kids, or embarking on a new adventure of some kind or another the benefits of their commitment to their health & fitness is seen.


I love what I do.  I love impacting people's lives in a positive way.  I love that I have the opportunity to share this experience and provide people with the tools that will allow them to feel absolutely amazing in what ever it is that they love doing. ​

Are YOU Looking to Elevate the FUN in YOUR Life?
I would love to talk with you to learn more about what you're looking to get out of a health & fitness program, and to share more with you about how we work with our clients.

Click below to schedule a brief phone call to talk about how we can help you live your very best life!
Let's Chat!
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Client Spotlight:  Ellen Shillinglaw

1/20/2020

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When Ellen joined our community in March of 2019 her primary goal was to “live a normal life”. 

Ellen had a stroke 4 years earlier and had a fear of falling.  Ellen and her partner Jeff are avid travelers, and she wanted to be able to enjoy her adventures to the fullest.  Sometimes enjoying an adventure is as simple as being able to walk with ease or to sit on a park bench comfortably so you can soak in the scenery.  These were Ellen’s goals.  They are simple goals, but goals that would have a dramatic impact on the quality of her life.
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​The day that Ellen was able to do a full TRX squat is a day that the team still celebrates.  Ellen’s range of motion had been limited when squatting as a result of her stroke, but Ellen was eager and willing to commit to her training program right from the start and despite this so called limitation Ellen arrived to each of her sessions with a positive attitude and with a strong spirit.  She worked on her squat to the extent that she was able to, focusing more on her overall form and technique than how deep of a squat she could do.  One day Ellen’s leg released some tension she had been holding onto and she was suddenly doing a full range of motion squat.  It was absolutely amazing!  It was such a dramatic change she was convinced that she was doing it incorrectly until the trainer confirmed that she was in fact doing a full range of motion squat!  
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​Ellen joined our group training program and coupled that with one private session each week to focus upon specific areas that she needed to improve.  We couldn’t be more excited for the progress that Ellen has made over the past 10 months.  During Ellen’s time training with us she has shared several successes and I want to share a few of them with you.
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​Ellen’s friends have commented how they notice that she is walking with greater ease, her ability to go up and down stairs has improved.  She has improved her mind-body awareness and connection dramatically, and has increased flexibility.  All of this allows Ellen to move throughout her every day life with greater ease and confidence.  Perhaps the greatest example of this is demonstrated through a story that Ellen shared with us last summer.  Before her training program Ellen required help getting on and off of her boat.  She would essentially crawl off the boat and receive help up to a standing position.  Last summer Ellen arrived one day particularly excited because the day before she successfully stepped from the unstable surface of her boat onto the unstable surface of the dock with only the normal help of someone’s supporting hand.  We were so excited to hear this development and have continued to celebrate successes with Ellen.  
​These kind of successes that our clients experience is exactly why we do what we do as trainers.  To impact people’s lives in ways that allow them to live their very best life.   We couldn’t be more proud of what Ellen has accomplished over these past 10 months! 

Great work Ellen!  Please join me in giving Ellen a HUGE HIGH FIVE!


Better Posture = A Healthier Body!

Having a strong body starts with a strong core, and our core and posture have a co-dependent relationship. Restore your core and become stronger from the inside out!  

Because posture is so critically important to living your best possible life we created this guide, which will show you how to improve your posture, protect your back and neck, and gain core strength in and outside your training sessions.

Download your free copy of our Restore Your Core resource guide and start improving your posture and core strength TODAY!
Download the Guide HERE!
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Celebrating our 1st Year of Business in Brunswick!

1/14/2020

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It's hard to believe that it was one year ago today that I opened the doors of my very own franchise location of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Brunswick, Maine!  So much has happened over the past year and it's simply incredible to be celebrating our first year in business.  

When I set out to develop my business plan and assess the feasibility of this business venture I had two goals in mind.  #1:  To make a positive impact in people's lives, and #2:  to get closer to my local community.
I am absolutely ecstatic to have reached both of those goals and achieved so much more over the past 12 months.  Not only have we welcomed 78 participants into our KickStart program, and over 100 clients, we have built an amazing community with the help of each and every person who has been a part of it.

Every day I go into work and am greeted by incredible people who have made a commitment to living a happy and healthy life and I am honored to be a part of it.
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Through our programs we have supported people in their goals of reducing or eliminating medications for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, depression, anxiety, and more.  
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We have helped people avoid surgeries, helped improve relationships with friends & families, improved feelings of overall well being, and have welcomed people into a culture & community where they can make themselves a priority while growing through their own personal journey.

​I am so proud of the incredible community that we have at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Brunswick and couldn't be more excited to embark on my 2nd year with an incredible team and a kind, caring and simply amazing community of clients.
During our first week in business we offered free training sessions to the community with the request of a donation of either cash or much needed supplies, all to support Midcoast Humane.  Together we raised nearly $1000 and collected multiple boxes of supplies to support the animals who make a stop at Midcoast Humane in search of their forever homes.
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This past November we hosted our first Burpees for Turkeys fundraiser event in support of Good Shepherd Food Bank, and raised over $3000, contributing to a grand total, in combination with the Bangor location, of $10,354!

And as if this wasn't enough, I am honored to have met numerous amazing people in our local community.  I've had the opportunity to support several projects with my local Rotary Club, volunteer for events with my local Chamber of Commerce, connect with incredible physical therapists, massage therapists and chiropractors, all of whom are committed to supporting a healthy community.
I feel an incredible sense of gratitude for everyone who has supported me, trusted in me, and welcomed me in various ways.  I couldn't have achieved so much if it were not for the people of the Brunswick community.  Thank you to all who have been there.  I am looking forward to what this new year has to bring.  To meeting new people, building upon our fund raising success so we can give back even more, growing as an individual and continuing to impact people's lives each day.  ​
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I know that with every person I meet and strive to impact in a positive way that they are most definitely making a positive impact in my life. Through the stories that they share, the wisdom that they pass on, and the contribution that they make to everything that we stand for as a business - making the world a better place by helping people live their very best lives.  For that, I cannot thank you enough.
With Gratitude,

~Allison

We would love to welcome YOU into our community!  
Our next KickStart Program starts on Saturday, February 8th!
We promise that we will meet you where you are and support you every step of the way.
Come join us.  We are excited to meet you!
LEARN MORE!
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    Author

    Hi!  My name is Allison Hopkins and I am the owner of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness in Brunswick, ME.  I am excited to bring WILCOX to Brunswick and share in my passion for living a great life through health and fitness.

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  • HOME
  • Get Started
  • Personal Training Programs
    • KickStart
    • Private Personal Training
    • Group Personal Training
  • Location
    • Bangor, Maine
    • Brunswick, Maine
  • Reviews
  • Schedule
    • Bangor, Maine
    • Brunswick, Maine
  • Meal Plans
    • MEAL PLANS
    • Meal Plan Bundle
    • WINTER MEAL PLAN
    • SPRING MEAL PLAN
    • SUMMER MEAL PLAN
    • FALL MEAL PLAN
    • Plant Based Whole Foods Meal Plan
    • Holiday Cookbook
  • Newsletter / Blog
  • Information Packet
  • Career
  • Keep In Touch
  • Apparel
  • Sugar Detox Program
  • What Your Trainer Wants You To Know
  • Finding the Right Personal Trainer for You
  • Release Tight Hips Now
  • Website Terms & Conditions