Uncategorized Archives - Page 28 of 36 - Carmen Ohling, Keynote Speaker + Corporate Life and Leadership Training Coach

Fitness & Health Fridays With Lauren on Fox21 News

by Carmen Ohling | Jul 17, 2020 | Movitation, Tips for Success, Uncategorized

Fitness & Health Fridays Join myself, Lauren and other health and fitness professionals each Friday on FOX21 Morning News and Loving Living Local as we breakdown the barriers of fitness and health together. You don’t want to miss this!

Friday, October 16th:

Make Ahead Breakfast & Snack Recipes

I am so excited to share these kid and hubby approved make ahead recipes! Not only are they healthy, simple and quick but they taste great too!! I highly recommend getting kids to help with these recipes too, because they will love it that much more!!

#1: Breakfast Make Ahead Overnight Oats

Base recipe is: ½ cup oatmeal, ½ cup liquid, ½ scoop protein powder

I made: Pumpkin Overnight Oats & Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Other flavor combos: lemon/blueberry, chocolate chip cookie, coconut/vanilla, PB&J.. the options are endless!

Classic Overnight Oats

Protea Nutrition (the protein powder I use!)

#2: Dips and Veggies

We all know we should eat more veggies but often do not. Here’s a fun way to add more veggies to your daily diet with these make ahead dips!

#1: Green Goddess

#2: Hummus

Friday, September 18th:

5 Things to Know Before Hiring A Personal Trainer

There is tons of information available online and programs online to help you reach your fitness goals, but taking a more personalized approach can really improve your results. If you can afford it, hiring a personal trainer is an excellent option, particularly if you struggle with keeping yourself motivated. You’re less likely skips workouts or give up on yourself when someone holds you accountable, and a trainer can give you that extra push. However, not every trainer will be right for you. Here 5 things you need to know before hiring a personal trainer.

#1 Know Your Goals: The best trainers listen to what they’re clients are wanted to accomplish and can even help you set more specific goals. For example, if you tell them you “want to get fit” they may help you set a goal to run a mile in a certain amount of time or be able to do 20 strict push ups.

#2 Don’t Be Fooled By A “Big Name” or Tons of Followers: Social media is not always the best way to pick your trainer. Just because they have thousands of followers does not mean that they are worth the investment. Keep in mind that trainers should be able to show their client’s results, not just their own abs! A good trainer will also ask a questions prior to starting your first session, such as your goal, your health history, injuries, fitness level, etc. If they don’t ask you questions, this is a red flag for sure!

#3 Ask About Their Certifications & Expertise: Common training certifications you will see are: NASM-CPT (National American Sports Medicine) ACSM-CPT (American College of Sports Medicine), or ACE-CPT (American Council on Exercise) all indicate some level of credibility. The gold standard in the industry is the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). The NSCA-CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) or NSCA-CPT (Certified Personal Trainer) certifications are also 2 certifications to look for when interviewing a trainer. Be sure to also ask about their expertise, for example if a trainer loves doing sweaty high intensity workouts but you’re into yoga and low intensity workouts because of a knee injury that might not be the right trainer for you!

#4 Make Sure You Connect:

Trainers all have different coaching styles and you will want to find a right fit for you. Don’t be afraid to say no if you’re personalities don’t align but you’re also not looking for a best friend here. If you’re too chatty during your sessions, you may not get the biggest bang for your buck!

#5 Keep Consistent, Open Communication & Stay Open:

There’s nothing worse than hating every single workout you are doing. Keep the lines of communication open with your trainer always. Provide them feedback with what you’re loving or not loving about the training sessions and keep them update about your goal. Lastly, you’re hiring a trainer for a reason- don’t be a know it all or not willing to try new things. Stay open to new techniques, hey you might love them!

Friday, August 28th:

How to Get Out of A Fitness Rut!

If COVID-19 has got you out of the grove, I am going to share my tips to get you motivated again!

Tip #1: Write down your goal AND speak your goal out loud, so others can help encourage and hold you accountable.

Tip #2: Get an accountability partner or coach. (I work with Mike Gray currently and he is in this segment!)

Tip #3: Challenge yourself and try something new!

With the guidance and coaching from my trainer, Mike Gray, I am currently challenging myself to learn to do handstands. CLICK HERE to watch the entire segment, including when Lauren and I do handstand on air!

Find out more about Mike Gray’s Functional Fitness Coaching, HERE.

Friday, August 21st:

I Share with You How to Be Motivated Every day!

Fill your own cup first thing by developing an AM ritual. This will allow you to not be so rush each day and set your intentions to be healthy, happy and motivated…..

Why an AM Ritual?

Most of us are in a rush in the morning, which leads into a rushed day and we are less likely to keep our goals at the forefront of our minds. Not to mention if you are rushing all day you are always in your sympathetic nervous system, that fight or flight state, which can be very detrimental to your health and waistline. Stress is the #1 reason for physician visits year after year in the US. So start your morning a little slower, be intentional and you can be in control of your day and how you feel vs your day being in control of you!

AM Rituals to try to get you closer to reaching your health and fitness goals daily that we share during this segment:

#1 Lemon water

#2 Deep breathing, meditation or prayer

#3 Intention setting and affirmations

How do you get started?

Make a commitment to yourself to set aside 5-10 minutes in the morning. Start with one thing and build on it from there! Here are a few you can choose from that can help be intentional and reach your health and fitness goals:

Here are a few that you can try out – pick any that resonate with you –

Drinking a cup of coffee or tea
Practice yoga
Meditate
Take a hot or cold shower
Go for a walk or a run
Visualize your day
Write/say your affirmations
Read
Journal
Practice gratitude
Deep breathing
Stretching or walking
Getting outside for a quick hit of Vitamin D!

Find more on AM Rituals at:

FREE GUIDE: 3 Hacks To Simplify Your Morning Routine: https://carmenohling.com/intention/

BLOG: How To Build A Morning Ritual: https://carmenohling.com/building-the-perfect-morning-routine/

Friday, July 31st: I share with you two healthy cocktail (or mocktail) recipes that you can use this summer to enjoy a refreshing beverage and stay healthy!! Click here to watch the full segment and click here for the blueberry-mint spritzer recipe and here for the margarita recipe to download and try them at home!

Plus, if you’d like to check out the new female-focused wine spritzer company created by Lori Harder that I mention, you can do that here and grab the Ultima Replenisher Electrolytes here.

Friday, July 17th: I share with you smoothie recipes that are not only delicious and healthy but will keep you full until lunch! Click here to watch the full segment and click here to download the recipes and try them at home!

Connect with me on Instagram here for more recipes and tips.

A big THANK YOU to Blitz45 in Colorado Springs for sponsoring this segment!

Find out more about Fitness and Health Fridays on the FOX21 News Website here.

Connect with Lauren McDonald here.

How to Stay Healthy As We Transition To Busier Schedules

by Carmen Ohling | May 20, 2020 | Uncategorized

3 Tips For Busy Women to Stay Healthy and Put Themselves First

As we in the United States, begin to transition in phases from quarantine to being out and about more in our communities, it’s extremely easy to get overwhelmed or feel anxious. Especially as women, we are often the caretakers, the shoppers, the controller of finances, and we still want to be our best selves, feel good and be healthy as well! What happens often, I know this was challenging for me when my kids were young, is that women put themselves last. We have all heard it before that we can’t show up and help others unless we are helping ourselves first but somehow that gets neglected. So, I want to share with you today three simple strategies to stay healthy and put yourself first. If you implement these, you will reduce you overwhelm, improve your health, and feel happier overall!

Tip #1: Nourish your body with whole real foods consistently during the day.

You might be thinking who has the time to be cooking and preparing such complicated meals? Well don’t worry- I’ve got your back with some simple, fast, healthy and delicious meals that you can make to improve your energy and feel amazing, even with a busier schedule. Click HERE for 7 simple recipes that I know you’ll love!

Tip #2: Practice daily self-awareness

One of the keys to reducing stress and living a joyful life, is living in the present moment. Specifically, this means not dwelling in the past and not worrying about the future. The key to living in the present is being super self-aware. So how do you do that if you are constantly being pulled in all directions? Here is what I suggest: set aside five minutes in the morning, five minutes in the afternoon and five minutes in the evening to check in with yourself. In the morning start by writing down your intention for the day and how you want to feel first thing in the morning. Then, as afternoon rolls around, check in to make sure your actions are matching your aspirations during the day and then at the end of the day celebrate your wins. Be sure to include what you’re proud of accomplishing and this will help build momentum for the next day.

3: Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

Again, we all have heard the importance of sleep, but I am here to tell you that sleep is really the catalyst to everything in life- it’s our bodies time for rest and recovery. And guess what? When we don’t get sleep we’re less effective during the day, we’re less creative, more apt to snap at our love ones around us and we’re more likely to eat non-nourishing foods for our body. And guess what? If you’re trying to lose body fat, it’s not going to happen easily for you if you’re not getting enough sleep. My recommendation is 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, so yes that means that you may have to Netflix less, social media less and get your booty into bed earlier.

I hear you, that’s easier said than done so something I’ve been using it lately is taking a 15 to 20 minute hot bath with a bath bomb from slab mule. Let me tell you- I sleep like a baby every time! Other things that you can do before bed is trying out that five minute journaling exercise that I mentioned earlier, doing some deep breathing or a quick meditation (try googling yoga nidra, do a free video on YouTube that’s my favorite!) Lastly, be sure to put down your constant companion a.k.a. your cell phone at least an hour before bed.

I am the first to tell you that all of these ideas that I’m sharing with you today are simple, but at times they can be hard to implement. So, start with the one that you feel would be most helpful to you and do that for a full week then add another one. With consistency you’ll find that you’re less stressed, more present in everyday life and overall feeling so much better with your energy and your health!

I’d love to hear from you! Which tip are you going to try first? Shoot me a DM on Instgram @carmenohling!

COOK FROM YOUR PANTRY & FREEZER: 3 Healthy & Delicious Recipes (all with 6 or less ingredients!)

by Carmen Ohling | Mar 27, 2020 | Uncategorized

Cooking healthy & delicious from your pantry & freezer: All with 6 ingredients or less!

If you’re like me, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus across the world, you stocked up on your pantry and freezer items. If you’re feeling stuck making the same old basic tacos, spaghetti and cream of whatever casserole, I am here to help! Today I am digging deep back into my nutrition arsenal of recipes and bringing back some favorites, all with 6 ingredients or less. Don’t worry though, they all taste freaking awesome, are healthy and totally kid and husband approved!

Here are a few tips when cooking at home during social distancing:

Season your food. Buy simple, single ingredient foods and season them yourself when you cook. Often we are accustom to letting the grocery store help us with this, but guess what? They are added a ton more than just salt and pepper, like: sugar, preservatives and other chemicals to make the foods last longer and encourage our bodies to crave them more. Ya, the food industry is pretty sneaky like that! My favorite go-to seasonings are: sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, chili power, cumin, Italian seasoning (so simple & make everything taste like pizza!), a blend called “Chicago Style” seasoning (for meat), cinnamon, and stevia or monkfruit (for natural no-calorie sweeteners.)
Start batch cooking, even though you are home all the time. What is batch cooking? It’s basically cooking in bulk foods that you know you like and enjoy and can re-purpose into different meals. I recommend batch cooking 2 proteins (think grass-fed beef into taco meat and grilled chicken breast), 2 carb sources (think potatoes and rice) and 4 veggies sources (think frozen veggies baked on a sheet tray and prepped cold veggies for snacking.) Batch cooking will help you put together meals quickly for your and your family and keep you away from eating everything in the pantry when you tell yourself your “too tired to cook!”
The key to cooking and eating at home is eating more, not less. Let me clarify here: eating more of the foods that nourish your body and make you feel good vs the foods that make you feel like shit. If you’re asking yourself, what are those food that I should be eating… Okay, I am going to call BS here! You already know! Veggies, fruits, lean meats, healthy fats and non-processed carbohydrates. I recommend to make your plate following this guide, which always starts with 1/2 a plate of veggies!

Click here to grab the recipes!!!

Do you want more recipes like this, but also a full weekly meal plan, shopping list, nutrition info and support and accountability around your nutrition? Well then, I invite you to try my best selling group nutrition program, The Clean Eating Transformation Program FREE for 30 days! No string attached, cancel anytime if it’s not for you- but hey… I know that you will love it!

How to build and maintain thriving relationships: Part #2 Female Friendships

by Carmen Ohling | Mar 11, 2020 | Uncategorized

🔻I use to tell myself that I wasn’t good at making friends with other women. I shied away from building intentional female relationships and I often put other women up on pedestals, dreaming to be like them. I felt like I could never be, do or measure up to how and what they were as a woman. I was afraid of what they would think of me, of saying the wrong thing, wearing the wrong thing… looking stupid.⠀
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▪️Can you relate?⠀
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🔺Here is what I know now. Creating intentional relationships with other powerful women lifts you up, supports you, and challenges you to be your best. Don’t get me wrong, this shift didn’t happen overnight but as I started to work on my own personal spirituality and growth I was able to begin to cultivate my own authentic voice and step into my confidence as a unique and powerful women of my own. This was the key for me. By cleaning up my side of the street, owning my own shit and and developing my own voice I was able to start sharing vulnerably and building intentional connections with the most amazing women!⠀
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🔺So if you said, YES, I can 100% relate to what I shared- start by looking within. You already know the answer, it’s there. Start shining your authentic light and voice and the women that are meant to be part of your life we come…⠀
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🔺I am grateful for each of the women that have made a huge impact on my life, I thank you and send you so much love today.⠀
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How to build and maintain thriving relationships: Part #1 Stop Being Let Down

by Carmen Ohling | Feb 27, 2020 | Uncategorized

Question: When was the last time you felt let down?

If you answer this truthfully, it’s most likely the last time that you had an expectation for a person or situation. There is a quote that says “expectation is the thief of all joy.” This could not be more true! Think about it, what if you went into each interaction or experience being completely open. Open to what is possible, held space for others to be their authentic self; how do you think this would change things for you?

Watch this quick video as I share one of the recent times I felt let down and how I was able to reframe my perception.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/B2myBtzF_zn/

Why Should I Get Uncomfortable?

by Carmen Ohling | Oct 17, 2019 | Uncategorized

I remember when I left my 16 year, successful corporate career.

For 16 years I worked on average 6 days a week, 10 hours a day. I loved my job and I was freaking good at it! So why did I find myself in my car before work one day crying? You know what- I had no idea why I was crying but after that day I was on a mission to find out!

There were a lot of thoughts with me when I thought about what I should do. I should stay in my career because –

I’ve been here for 16 years
I’m the primary breadwinner for my family
My entire community knows me as this career woman

The loudest thought that downed out all of the “should’s” was that I had forgotten who I truly was. There was no congruency in my life and I had no idea what I stood for as a woman. I cried that day that I left my successful career, and I’d love to say they were all tears of joy but the truth is that it was scary to let go of a career that I had established as my identity. It was like ripping off a bandaid and all I kept thinking to myself was, “who the hell am I without this?” Not knowing what was next and heading into the unknown was terrifying but it was what I needed to do.

The New Shift

Fast forward 5 years….. My husband and I decided to sell the home we lived in for 15 years in Oregon, along with 90% of our belongings, and move to Colorado. You’ll never believe this, but the day we moved into our condo was actually the first day I ever saw it. If we had moved 10 years prior, there’s no way that would have happened!

The truth is that today, one of the most exciting things in my life is the uncertainty of the new opportunities that I’m experiencing. I actually like not being in control of what’s happening and rather, being open to the world and what might happen.

The more that I have released my grip on everything in life, the more open I have been to what the world has for me. This has led to more connections and more opportunities than ever before.

Do you want to know why?

The Power of Letting Go

I’ve realized that trying to be in control of everything keeps you playing small because you have less to lose. By releasing your hold on control and opening up, it allows you to experience more, play bigger and see what is possible.

Letting go does not mean letting your goals go, it just means letting go of the outcome. This means that every day, you can take deliberate, intentional action to achieve your goals, but you don’t have to white-knuckle it daily for a specific outcome. Instead, you’ll see the world around you with open eyes and an open heart rather than limiting yourself with tunnel vision.

Does that tunnel vision sound familiar?

It’s okay if it does! As an ambitious, goal oriented woman, I’m sure you’ve made it where you are today by “keeping your eye on the prize”. But imagine what you could create with the world around you if you open your heart to exploring the unknown.

Use This Question to Keep Moving Forward

I invite you to sit down and start asking yourself this question, “What am I curious about today?”

Is this a new book or podcast? Taking a new fitness class? Trying out a new recipe?

When we follow our curiosity, we can really understand what we’re passionate about.

If you can’t think about what you’re curious about today, that is okay! Can you think about what you were curious about 5 years ago? 10 years ago? 15 years ago?

When we were children, we were curious about everything! However, we heard “no, don’t do that” about a million times and it’s become ingrained in us to not do things. But by allowing some time for play and for joy, the creative and curious version of yourself is likely to emerge.

For more tips and to learn more about my story, Click here to listen to the episode of the Why Should I? Podcast where I talk more in depth about why I continue to pursue the uncomfortable and how it’s changed my life!

Wishing you a ton of light and love,

Carmen

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