Happy Friday and Happy Newsletter Day,
This week I officially started training for the New York City Marathon! I am super excited to run this marathon in the fall and if you see me sitting more than usual you know why. Well with that - lets get into the newsletter.
Weekly perspective
Learn From "Bad" Times
One of the themes from this week's podcast was reflecting on the unexpected lessons that came from difficult periods of life.
When Gary and Peter looked back on the COVID years, they weren't ignoring the challenges. They were asking a different question: What positive things happened that we unintentionally left behind?
Many people spent more time with family. They cooked more meals at home. They exercised consistently. They slowed down. They connected with friends more often. They found ways to be creative when life forced them out of their normal routines.
The interesting part is that most of those changes only happened because people were pushed outside their comfort zones. Stress created adaptation. Disruption created innovation. Challenges forced people to rethink what mattered most.
The same principle applies to our health. Stronger muscles require stress. Better endurance requires stress. Personal growth requires stress. The goal is not to avoid discomfort. The goal is to choose the right discomfort and learn from it.
Sometimes the biggest opportunities are hiding inside the situations we'd rather avoid.
Exercise of the week
Dumbbell Bench Press
Who it's for:
Anyone looking to build upper body strength, improve pushing power, and develop balanced strength through the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
Why it matters:
The dumbbell bench press is one of the best exercises for building upper body strength while allowing each arm to work independently. This can help improve muscular balance and carry over to sports, lifting, and everyday activities.
Coaching cues:
• Keep your feet planted firmly on the floor throughout the movement.
• Lower the dumbbells with control and press them up smoothly without bouncing.
Common mistake:
Letting the elbows flare excessively or losing control at the bottom of the movement. Focus on maintaining a strong, stable position from start to finish.
Healthy tip of the week
Tip: Start With Protein
Choose one meal this week and make it a habit to eat your protein source first.
Whether it's eggs at breakfast, chicken at lunch, or fish at dinner, starting with protein can help improve satiety, support muscle maintenance, and reduce the likelihood of mindless snacking later in the day.
The goal isn't perfection or tracking grams. It's simply creating a small habit that helps you prioritize one of the most important nutrients for recovery, strength, and long term health. Small changes like this are often easier to sustain than a complete nutrition overhaul.
This week in the clinic
Meet Caitlin!
This week we welcomed, Caitlin, to Whole Health Solutions! She is a physical therapist and will be working primarily with clients who need pelvic floor physical therapy. Lets ask Caitlin some questions to get to know her better!
What is your favorite way to stay active?
Running! It lets me push myself and I like having alone time.
If you weren't a physical therapist, what would you be doing?
Interior Design, as a small child I would watch a lot of HGTV.
If you could instantly become an expert at any skill, what would it be?
Cooking, I am a bad cook.
What is one thing on your bucket list?
I would like to visit every continent. So far all I have are North America and Europe.
What is something that always makes you laugh?
The TV show "Tires"
Upcoming Events
- Pelvic Health Center Open House
- Date & Time: Wednesday July 15th at 5pm
- Location: Whole Health Solutions
Jianna mentioned this week's Different Life podcast episode. Want to hear it?
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