Lifestyle, Health, Wellness
and
Personal Growth

My husband and I spent years obese and out of shape before we found what we believed was the answer: a strict diet and exercise plan. I've since learned it's more complicated than a few behavioral changes. Maturity means learning your own limitations, and learning that a body, especially as it gets older, breaks down more easily than it used to.

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Since then, I've come to see wellness as something much bigger than eating right and exercising. Real health is physical, mental, and emotional, and focusing on only one piece of that is often exactly what leads people into disordered eating or exercise pushed past what actually helps. Emotional maturity and resilience matter just as much as any workout plan. So does the slower work of figuring out who you actually are, not who everyone else, or even your younger self, decided you should be. That kind of clarity brings real peace of mind, and room to grow into the person you actually want to become. Making peace with your own limitations, physical or otherwise, including how your mind and senses process the world, is part of that same work.

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That early experience with my husband led me to become an ACE-certified Personal Trainer, then a Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant, a Nutrition Specialist, and a Qigong practitioner for Health and Healing. Eventually, I became a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, working in short-term rehab, long-term care, memory care, hospice, and assisted living, which taught me just as much about aging well as my earlier certifications taught me about getting healthy in the first place.

I no longer coach clients directly. What I learned across all of it- physical, psychological, and practical- now shows up in what I write.

My Personal Growth posts are where that background actually gets used. I write about realistic goals, the roadblocks that derail people, and the slower work of actually changing something instead of just wanting to. It's also where I write about finding real peace and contentment, instead of chasing expectations that were never realistic to begin with.

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Here are some blog posts you might find useful.

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Health and Fitness Training and Certifications

• Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant, Metropolitan Community College (MCC)

• Qigong for Health and Healing, Spring Forest Qigong

• Nutrition Specialist Certification, American Academy of Sports Dietitians and Nutritionists (AASDN)

• Lifestyle and Weight Management Certification, American Council on Exercise (ACE)

• Nutrition for Professionals, Lifestyle Management Associates

• Older Adult Specialization, American Council on Exercise (ACE)

• AARP Fitness Trainer for Older Adults

• Personal Trainer Certifications, American Council on Exercise (ACE), Fitness Together Corporation

• Adult CPR/AED Certified, American Red Cross​​