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Audrey JoAnn | Content and Copy Writer

Compelling Copy for Female Founders

How To Lunge Yourself Out of A Health Slump

January 14, 2016

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I’ve been inspired, y’all. This week marks the first of many, I hope, training with new-to-town RPT Dallas*, a spinoff of Royal Personal Training in Beverly Hills. All that probably means nothing to you, but this could: Dylan Clark, the owner and the cool guy who brought fitness knowledge aplenty to Dallas, just trained and toured with The Weeknd before planting himself here. I’m, like, majorly star-struck by anything remotely Hollywood, and I have been known to binge-listen to The Weeknd’s smooth melodies entire days at work, so this was a big deal to me.

Dylan has also worked with Gigi and Bella Hadid, AKA stunning supermodels whom I’m insanely jealous of, and Joanna Krupa, another scary-gorgeous model who’s also on “The Real Housewives of Miami” (anyone who knows me well knows about my embarrassing obsession with the “Real Housewives” franchise), among other known names. So, all that to say: I was extremely flattered when he reached out to me for training, and was excited slash nervous knowing I’d get my butt kicked. (Check back in a couple months to see if I’m looking like Gigi yet.)

But back to the whole being inspired thing. After shaking up my normal workout routine this week, I realize now what a rut I’d been in for a long time. I thought that because I workout several days a week, I was set. I would run for 30 minutes or so and stretch some days; others, I’d do 45-minute weights workouts. I’d mix up that routine weekly, but sometimes when I felt lazy or underwhelmed about the gym, I’d skip it. And then I’d skip it again. Add in more cheat meals than healthy ones (I started slipping on tracking my meals during the holidays); all this led to said rut. Actually, it was probably more of a full-blown health slump. I didn’t necessarily feel sluggish or like I’m wildly unhealthy, but I didn’t feel good every day either.

Obviously, the first step in getting over any issue is realizing there is one. I was lucky to have been approached by a fitness professional new to the area and looking for clients. Without that I would’ve kept on my merry way working out mediocrely and eating whatever I wanted. A few questions I wish I would’ve asked myself months ago are: do you feel like the healthiest version of yourself? Do you wake up anticipating leading a healthful day or dreading it? Do you have problem areas you’re ignoring rather than actively working on?

The answers would have been: no. Dreading it. Thighs, shoulders, stomach, and, yes, I’m ignoring them by doing my same monotonous routine. I do want to be clear that I am not self-conscious about much, if anything, but I spout that I love and want to always continue living a healthy life. When your words and your actions misalign, changes need to happen. Everyone deserves to be their healthiest self, and if you’re working on getting there like I am, test-run a few of these ideas to get there even faster.

Recognize your favorites and monitor them. Food is my true love, but unfortunately abs are made in the kitchen, so they say. My guilty pleasures are cheese, carbs (all), Tex-Mex, ice cream, and well, pretty much anything sweet. Chocolate especially. But I can’t eat all of those every day and feel good about it (though I have, I’m sure). Indulge in one favorite some days and none on others, and you’ll probably already be cutting way back.

Try something new. Like I said, this personal training stuff is my new jam. I’m sore and tired after 5:30 a.m. workouts, but the challenge of a new routine has me going back for more. Whether it’s a hot yoga class or boot camp in the park, put yourself out there for a new fitness experience, and then stick with it for a while until you feel another itch to switch things up.

Realize your limitations. I could never do Crossfit, not because I’m not athletic, but because the motions coupled with heavier weights would be too jarring for my back and knees. If you only have 25 minutes to workout a day, find a series that utilizes that time. It is important to know what your no-nos are so that you can personalize your own fitness experience with what does work for you.

Drag a friend in to it. Things are always better with a friend. When I was more regular about using My Fitness Pal, an app that tracks your meals and exercise, I loved that John tracked his stuff with me. We could encourage each other and know someone else was on the health-wagon with each of us. Same concept goes for committing to a certain workout regimen with a pal, too.

Stop the justifications and do it. When I wake up at 5 for an early morning workout, my first thought, like clockwork every time, is, I can just workout after work tonight and sleep another hour now. What usually happens when I succumb to that suggestion is that I don’t workout at all that day. I know I’m more active in the morning and my productivity drains throughout the day, but I still get caught in the excuse-trap sometimes. If you tell yourself you’ll do it, and plan to do it, then you should probably do it. Tell your lethargic side to hush.

*If you live in the area and are interested in learning more about a personalized fitness program at RPT Dallas, fill out this form!

1 Comment in Health, Life

Welcome! I'm Audrey, and I adore connecting with female founders and telling their stories in a way that matters & lasts for years to come.

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audskelton

I used to hardcore resist SEO in my writing work. I used to hardcore resist SEO in my writing work. 😂 It felt formal and stuffy and forced, so I just sorta... ignored it. 

As someone who appreciates copywriting for the creative and storytelling sides of it, I have struggled with some of the technical pieces like search engine optimization. 🥴

But... my clients wanted SEO, and truthfully I know it *is* important, even if ~cReAtIvE writer Audrey~ wanted to pretend it wasn’t a thing.

I began paying more attention to how to do it in a non-icky manner and sort of backed into this simple method for incorporating SEO best practices in blog posts in a way that is natural (aka, doesn’t read like a robot wrote it). Here’s what I do!

• Google your topic/headline. It will help you find the most appropriate keyword to focus on in your post. Say the topic you want to write about is “how to get your newborn to sleep.” 🙃 Type it into Google, and see what kinds of content comes up on the first page.
• Pay attention to which keywords are repeated. For this one, “newborn sleep tips,” “baby sleep tips,” and “how to get your newborn to sleep” are all keywords used in multiple headlines. Also pay attention to the “People also search for” and “Related searches” lists that Google provides because those are keyword goldmines. 
• Pick ONE of these phrases to use as your main SEO keyword (and try to weave in a few of the other phrases throughout the post, but don’t worry too much about those other ones... it’s better to have one focused keyword). Make sure you choose one that you can organically use a few times in the blog post. (So not something like “best restaurants near me 2021”... that keyword stinks and will read like you’re trying to rank).
• Use the keyword you chose in your headline, 1st paragraph of the post, and at least one H2 or H3. It should be in the blog post at least 3-4 times. The best places are the intro paragraph, 1st header, and last paragraph. And aaaaalways the headline!!!
• Include the keyword in a meta description (or the summary Google will pull underneath your blog post’s headline).
• Finally, make sure the content is actually interesting. Because SEO doesn’t mean a dang thing if the content sucks. 🥵
Motherhood is the only time I’ve worked hard at Motherhood is the only time I’ve worked hard at something every day but haven’t been able to problem solve or research my way into feeling very much better at it.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s only been 6 weeks! You have a *lifetime* to keep learning. I KNOW. It’s ridiculous but this is how my brain works.

And some days I just thank God over and over for a beautiful and healthy and good baby. Like, I still can’t believe he’s real. Then... there are times I just need a quick sob on the floor (😂😅) because he won’t nap longer than 20 minutes. It’s a real ride, over here. 

Most days I’m in leggings and the only thing on my face is coconut oil. I usually don’t get to brush my teeth until 10 a.m. or later. I want to cry every time he cries and I can’t figure out why.

It’s this constant mix of feeling unproductive because I’m literally not producing or accomplishing anything most days, let alone getting dressed (a la this photo), and feeling the most productive I’ve ever been because... I’m keeping this tiny being alive! (Using my boobs! That is insane, no? Why don’t we talk about this??)

Anyway. That’s the end of my jumbled rant on 6 weeks of parenthood that no one asked for. 😂 I just hope Wally knows how infinitely loved he is, always and forever. Even when I can’t figure out if it’s witching hour or sleepy cues or just gas.
Little valentine, thank you for being mine. ♥️ Little valentine, thank you for being mine. ♥️

#valentinesday #valentinesbaby #6weeksold #babyboy #boymom #valentine #babyoutfit
It’s the hands and the half smile for me. 🤗 It’s the hands and the half smile for me. 🤗

One month old tomorrow and I *can’t* believe it! 🎉 He’s the sweetest babe, loves bath time, sleeps in 3.5-5 hour stretches at night (for now...), responds to smiles, and is already here for a good book, much to both of his parents’ satisfaction! We love you, Wallace. 🤎
Who do you think was more excited about this day t Who do you think was more excited about this day trip out to the coast... us or Wallace? 😅😂 I love them. Also, I can’t get over the burp cloth on John’s shoulder. Ya know, just in case. #newparentlife
One hour, just us two in our backyard with a big c One hour, just us two in our backyard with a big charcuterie board, a deck of cards, a couple glasses of rosé, and no baby monitor. 🤎

The first week of Wallace’s life? I ached even being in another room from him (#hormones). I was a wreck of emotions and had legitimate baby tunnel vision... preeeetty much nothing else mattered. But things have been balancing out this past week, and today was so needed.

My mom is in town all month and watched Wally for us so we could have some time just us two—yep, in the backyard because of shelter in place restrictions from COVID. (Plus let’s be real... I’m not quite ready for an out-of-the-house date yet anyway. 😂)

As much as I desire to be a present + loving mama and ambitious business owner, it’s just as important to me to prioritize our marriage with little moments like this to just be in each other’s presence (and not just talk about burping and swaddling and bedtime routines, like most of our recent convos).

Here’s to (almost) 2 weeks of being parents, @the_beermonger. I think we’ll do okay.
My two favorite guys in the world. 🤍🌎 My two favorite guys in the world. 🤍🌎
Me, trying to figure out what to do with my hands Me, trying to figure out what to do with my hands without a bump. 👐🏼 Wallace, trying to figure out what we’re doing out of the house. 🤨

First family walk in the books! All of 10 minutes. 🤪 (Also, does anyone else notice the rainbow over Wally?... My heart. 🌈🥺)
1 week old. 🤎 The hardest, most emotional & mos 1 week old. 🤎 The hardest, most emotional & most rewarding week of my life. Babies’ sleep schedules, y’all. They are not for the faint of heart.

Wallace is hitting all his milestones, has learned the alphabet, and is picking up Latin. Just kidding. But he CAN poop 3 times in an hour and a half 😎, and he eats like a champ, is so strong that we prefer to tag team diaper changes for now, and makes the sweetest, cutest noises all day long. (And night.) Like even his cry is cute. 😩

One of my friends called this time the “wet weeks”: urine, breast milk, spit up, night sweats, tears, blood, more tears. It’s a lot, and it’s temporary. So even in the hard moments, we are reminding ourselves that the hardest things are often the best things. 

And this really has been the best thing.

So, so thankful for a hands-on husband who’s been so involved in everything... there’s something indescribable about watching your partner care for your child and step into a big, new role like this so gracefully. And we are thankful for ALL of the support, near and far (... mostly far), from our family and friends and coworkers. What a week... here’s to continuing to figure it all out together as a family. 😌
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