This high five goes to Shivani Pandey.  Shivani’s energy is infectious, she can really lift you up just by proximity.  She is always smiling, welcoming others, and starting up an interesting conversation!  We have had the pleasure of working with Shivani for almost 3 years now and her commitment and consistency shine through.  She is always improving, giving her best effort EVERY single training session. She works very hard and it is so much fun to see the payoff!  Through all of her effort, she has transformed how her entire family approaches their health. Her family has become just as dedicated to eating great and getting exercise into the weekly routine.  We hope you get the opportunity to train with Shivani and get inspired by her incredible energy!

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As many of you know, we recently spent a month in Costa Rica! Before we left we told you WHY we decided to take a month off as a family and try someplace new (to read our WHY click here!) We've been back for about two months and I realized that we updated you when we got  there and while we were away but I didn't really fill you in on how this experience changed and challenged us, individually and as a family. So read on to learn about our experiences - the good, and the bad! ​

 We had an incredible experience in Costa Rica. I am so happy that we took the time with our family and made it happen. Our kids did such a great job traveling (overall - we had our moments and I have some funny travel stories to share for sure!) In terms of expectations, I worked really hard not to set expectations for the trip. Traveling with 2 little kids (a 4 year old and a 1 year old) I knew a lot would be dependent on their mood, the lunar calendar (kidding) and which way the wind was blowing. I did expect that I would be working much more than I actually ended up working. Which is a good thing for this girl who LOVES her work. It was a really good shift for me - I was OK with doing less work and easing into the Pura Vida lifestyle. We also had a really fantastic team that was carrying our weight while we were gone. (Thank you guys!  You are the very best!!!)

A lot of people wanted to know what a typical day was like for us. It is difficult to describe that because we quickly learned that our family did best when we were ‘adventuring’. ‘Adventuring’ meant finding a new beach, or exploring a new town, or driving in the jungle, or visiting an animal refuge, or just trying something new. But one thing I did every day was get up at 5am to get a little bit of work done before the kids woke up. Our rental was tiny - so that meant working outside on the patio just before dawn. It was so loud!  We could hear howler monkeys, cows, birds, and the really loud grasshoppers (I think they are called cicadas). There were ‘condo cats’ - community cats that everyone fed but nobody owned who would keep me company while I worked. ​

The kids (blessedly) would wake up most mornings around 7 and from there it was off to the races. Brooklyn, our 1 year old would get up and look for her swimsuit, her sunblock, and her life jacket to indicate she was ready to go. We would have a quick breakfast of the most amazing tropical fruit and yogurt then be out the door for a walk on the beach before it got too hot. I would carry Brooklyn on my back and we would walk and explore a new beach - picking out our favorite beach houses. Then we all would have a swim / play in the waves or we would explore rocky tide pools. After that, we would get Brooklyn back into the baby carrier and she would get a little power nap in.  

We had to get out of the sun from 11-3pm.  It. Was. So. Hot. So hot you would feel your body slow down to compensate for dealing with the heat. During this time, we would either let the kids sleep or drive somewhere for our afternoon adventure. We had a really great pool at the place that we stayed and the kids LOVED swimming in it. It is really impressive to see how much confidence they gained swimming. Mike put Hazen’s life jacket on Brooklyn as a joke once and she LOVED it - seconds later she was peeling my death grip off her so she could swim on her own and the next day she was jumping off the side of the pool and holding her breath underwater. CRAZY. ​

Hazen made a lot of friends. He met a little girl Grace, from upstate New York and then his ‘best friends’ were a couple of Canadians in their 60s(ish) (Tammy / Earl if you are reading this I hope I didn’t overestimate). We would come back from our morning walk and Hazen would strain his neck walking down the path to see if his friends (60 years his senior) were there to ‘play’.  

The sunsets in Costa Rica were absolutely spectacular but we didn’t see many. The sun would drop right around 6 which was when we were in the hustle to get cleaned up from the day, have dinner and get to bed. Bedtime in Costa Rica was a breeze. The kids were e x a u s t e d and were so excited (just like we were) to get in their bed at night. I wish we could have brought a little bit of that home.

My most favorite day was when we went into the rain forest in the Monteverde area. It was so beautiful. It was a lot cooler - a great break from the heat we were experiencing - and I think I just love hiking. We walked across canopy bridges high in the air, stood on the continental divide where we could see the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, listened to the birds, and looked for monkeys. We didn’t see any- I am pretty sure that Hazen cleared out all wildlife within a 4 mile radius of us. ​

While each day was so different, in general I knew that everything would be a slower pace and I was really really to embrace that slower pace. But… I had my moments when we were out to eat where I just wanted to jump over the counter and make my meal for myself. I could actually feel my grandfather come through me (he was not known for his patience) and groan. I remember a particular time we were all packed up and ready to hit the road for an adventure. The plan was we would stop at the Bagel Kitchen and get 2 breakfast sandwiches and 1 bagel for the road (a girl can only eat so much fish, fruit, and veggies.) The kids and Mike were waiting in the car and I was watching the breakfast sandwich being made. The very nice man cracked the egg, beat the egg, poured the egg into the fry pan, toasted the bagel, fried the bacon, etc, etc, etc, at a pace comparable to a snail. He wrapped the bagel up, put it in a bag, and started on the next one… I just about lost it.  I am not proud of myself in that moment. I heard my grandfather’s groan come out through my body. I truly appreciate everything being made fresh and to order and I also appreciate the efficiency of an american kitchen. I am fairly confident this makes me a jerk.

One challenge we faced was the language barrier. We did our best with language and I think next time we travel we will work hard to be even more prepared. When we went to Costa Rica 2 years ago it was for a weeks vacation - and vacation for a week is much different than making a far away land your home for over a month. The kids did much better than us with language and Brooklyn came home with more words in Spanish than English just because she was in the sweet spot of learning new words. Hazen was fearless with his language skills. He would shout ‘Hola Amigos’ (hello friend) to anyone passing by; ‘Gracias’ (thank you) in not always the right circumstances; ‘con gusto’ (with pleasure / your welcome) in even stranger circumstances; and ‘Adios Muchachos’ because it rhymes (bye dude) - we had to look up Muchachos and make sure it wasn’t anything derogatory. Hazen also practiced repeating a string of sounds back to people which was incredibly entertaining for everyone involved. So - someone would say a sentence or two to Hazen in spanish and Hazen would parrot the same sounds back to that person, I am sure in his very Maine, very American accent. It was so fun to see the kids embrace learning the new language with such ease, curiosity, and fearlessness. It gave us more confidence to experiment and try our Spanish/French linguistic skills without being afraid of getting it wrong or embarrassing ourselves. ​

 But because of the language barrier, we did have a pretty scary miscommunication. We were in Costa Rica in the dry season and in the dry season there are forest fires. Not fires like you would imagine with high branches burning and big flames. Lots of little fires with burning of the underbrush. We would see smoldering ashes on the side of the road - just like when a campfire gets perfect to roast marshmallows. We had been to a monkey refuge sanctuary a few days prior and had learned that these fires the night before had gotten out of control and the refuge lost their water tanks and had a couple of animal casualties. The fire department wouldn’t help and all of the volunteers were working to put the fire out with a bucket brigade.  

So that's the back story.

Then at 4:15am there is a rap rap rap rap rap rap rap on our door. Mike leaps out of bed says ‘stay here’ and I of course was hot on his heels. It is the youngest security guard from the gate and he is getting increasingly panicked that we don’t understand what he is trying to communicate to us. The incredible game of Costa Rican charades begins with him gesturing to the mountains and making flame like motions, then he starts motioning a key, car, steering wheel. OK - got it muchachos - forest fire, evaluate, leave in your car.  Si.

The guard goes and knocks on our neighbors door...

What to grab for an evacuation in Costa Rica? Passports, water, elephant blanket, computers, who knows - we stuff a few things into an already packed bag.  I wake Hazen up and say: ‘Honey, there is a fire, we are being evacuated, you need to wake up and walk’ and I get the baby out of her crib.

The fear hit me when we were walking down the long path to our car and I hear the bomberos (the Costa Rican fire truck siren). I know there is one road in and out. I know we have the option to either go right to the jungle on the bumpy monkey trail or left to wind around the coast line.  I know that we aren’t going to have a team of emergency personnel telling us calmly and in English where to go and what to do. I know this is it. We are on our own. At least we have elephant blanket.   

Just as we get to the end of the path we see Roberta, our host of Italian nationality.   ‘Buongiorno!!!’ she calls to us - walking towards us slower than she should in an forest fire / evacuation situation. After a few Italian niceties she explains to us that we are not being evacuated we just need to move our rental car. There is a truck in full flames of fire and it is right next to our rental car.  

Welp… that was a bit of a misunderstanding - sorry kids - wanna go to the waterslide park?  What time do you think they open?

Thank goodness that was the only "emergency" we faced on our trip! 

​So much has changed since we opened this business in 2015 with 30 personal training clients and Mike Wilcox training them all.  But one thing has stayed the same – our mission.  Every decision we make, every team member we onboard, every new location we open – we ensure that it is in alignment with our mission.  Our mission is to inspire people to enhance their life by forming healthy habits that they can sustain for a lifetime.  That can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  What does it mean to you?  Please share – it would mean the world to us!  Lots of love – Paige & Mike

This massive monster high five goes to Joe Grzybowski.  Joe has been a really awesome client, who trains privately with Nick as well as in the group training program.  Since Joe started training 6 months ago he has made some serious improvements in his posture and his overall movements.  He is dedicated to the Peak Performance System - getting here early and staying after have been crucial to his success. Joe has an impeccable attitude and is a joy to talk to.  He is always working to improve his mobility and alleviate the tightness in his body - significantly improving both even though this is not his strength. Joe is a caring, friendly, and positive person who makes training fun and creates an awesome atmosphere when training with him.  We love your attitude, Joe, thank you for being a wonderful part of our community!

Lots of Love,

The Team at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness







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Train Smarter // Not Harder
Are you ready to train smarter and not just harder?  Do you want more results in less time? Are you ready to make health and fitness a part of your everyday routine?  Do you want a proven plan and path to get you to where you want to go in less time, with less stress, and less worry whether you are ‘doing it right’?  Want to know if you would be the right fit for our training program?

Training at Wilcox Wellness & Fitness is perfect for you if:

>>You are ready to increase your energy levels so that you can ENJOY all of the things in life you love to do.
>>You want to feel great in your skin. Fit back into the wardrobe in your closet. And get excited about wearing a swimsuit.
>>You want to build momentum through healthy living so you can gain leverage in all other aspects of your life.
>>You want to be limitless. You want to be able to go for a hike with your friends or family at a moment’s notice. Get in and out of a kayak with ease. Or run a road race – just for fun.
>>You need a plan. You need someone to hold you accountable and tell you exactly what to do.
>>You finally want to eliminate and get control over your sugar cravings and form a healthy relationship with food.
>>You want to learn how to nourish and fuel your body so that you feel great, maintain your goal weight, and not worry about counting calories or measuring portion sizes.
>>You want to have a steady positive outlook on life and take care of your mental health.

If you answered YES to any of the above statements then our program could be the perfect fit to help you achieve and sustain your health and fitness goals and live the life you have always imagined.  Click here to learn more!

 
1. Did you know that if you have a stronger core, it can actually make you a better runner? A study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research found that after 6 weeks of core training, runners clocked faster times when running 5,000 meters!
 
2. A strong core will help you breathe more deeply. When your core is strong, the muscles in your torso are more balanced – and that leads to having a stronger diaphragm and better posture.
 
Both of those factors can help you take deeper breaths. According to the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, deeper breaths help you relax and reduce stress. (win-win!)
 
And if you haven’t tried belly breathing (taking a few minutes to breathe slowly and deeply in and out of your belly and up through your lungs), try it! You’ll be amazed at how quickly it helps you to relax.
 
3. You’ll notice an improvement in your balance. A strong core helps align your posture so you’re not slouching forward. An aligned posture helps keep you upright, which can improve proprioception – your body’s “awareness” of where it is in space.
 
This is REALLY important- especially as we get older. 
 
4. A strong core also can help keep you agile, active, and moving with fewer aches and pains as you age. We’ve all seen images of elderly people with a bent-over, “stooped” posture. If you take the time to work on your core and posture now, you can save yourself a lot of pain and discomfort later in life. 

Since this all is so critically important we have pulled it all together for you in a guide complete with handpicked exercises sculpt a powerful core from the inside out.   Click the image below to download the guide now!

Core exercises are especially important if you’ve had an injury; sit or stand all day at work; spend much time in front of a steering wheel, computer, or phone; or if you’re a new mom.
 
All of those factors can lead to muscular imbalances that, after a while, can contribute to pain and even injury.
 
Training your core properly can help counteract all that, plus have you standing taller and feeling more confident!
 
Feel free to share this guide with your friends, family or coworkers who might benefit from it!
 
Here’s the link to download ←
 
We hope you LOVE this guide!  Let us know what you think!
 
Wilcox Wellness & Fitness

Always Fresh, Sometimes Normal.  Misfits Market tag line is my spirit animal and I am smitten!  

I came across this organic produce subscription service recently and I am pumped for so many reasons.  Misfits Market delivers organic produce to your door for up to 50% less than grocery store prices.

They rescue all of the unwanted and 'ugly' but perfectly delicious produce.  They are dedicated to breaking the cycle of food waste by helping delicious food find a good home.  

Our first experience was AWESOME!  I was surprised with how much produce we got and how fresh it all was.  It was super convenient to have it all delivered to our door.  If you want to give it a try for yourself, feel free to use this code to save 25% off your first order!

Let us know how you like it!

Paige

It’s been said that fear of failure is fear of growth. It can be pretty painful when things don’t go as planned, but I am thankful for everything that I learn every single time I fail and I wouldn't trade that wisdom for the world. 

I heard on a podcast recently that most actors have to go to 100s of auditions to get one yes. That is 99 nos and a lot of people give up. UNLESS - you count every no as one no closer to that one yes. Can you imagine that mindset shift? You go to an audition, you pour your heart out and you get your 89th - ‘no, sorry we don’t think you are right for this role.’ Instead of being discouraged you are encouraged - SWEET - 89 nos - I am getting that much closer to the yes. And you are - because you learned something new in those 89 experiences. I am constantly getting nos - learning and failing - failing and learning and I know (or I hope) that is getting me this much closer to my big YES. I don’t even think of it as failing any more - just trying something new that didn’t work.

What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned by failing at something? I’d love if you joined the conversation on our Facebook Page.  Leave your insight in a comment here so we can all learn together!

Happy Training!

Paige




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Are you ready to train smarter and not just harder?  Do you want more results in less time? Are you ready to make health and fitness a part of your everyday routine?  Do you want a proven plan and path to get you to where you want to go in less time, with less stress, and less worry whether you are ‘doing it right’?  Want to know if you would be the right fit for our training program?

Training with us is perfect for you if:

• You are ready to increase your energy levels so that you can ENJOY all of the things in life you love to do.
• You want to feel great in your skin. Fit back into the wardrobe in your closet. And get excited about wearing a swimsuit.
• You want to build momentum through healthy living so you can gain leverage in all other aspects of your life.
• You want to be limitless. You want to be able to go for a hike with your friends or family at a moment’s notice. Get in and out of a kayak with ease. Or run a road race – just for fun.
• You need a plan. You need someone to hold you accountable and tell you exactly what to do.
• You finally want to eliminate and get control over your sugar cravings and form a healthy relationship with food.
• You want to learn how to nourish and fuel your body so that you feel great, maintain your goal weight, and not worry about counting calories or measuring portion sizes.
• You want to have a steady positive outlook on life and take care of your mental health.
  
  If you answered YES to any of the above statements then our program could be the perfect fit to help you achieve and sustain your health and fitness goals and live the life you have always imagined.  Click here to learn more!