Trufit Pilates

Author: The Pilates Blonde

  • August Playlists

    Morning Babes! So as you probably know I was on vacation two weeks ago in the best place on earth ( Hilton Head ) where I spent seven days livinggggg. You know, zip lines, paddle boarding, obstacle courses 30 feet in the air… the usual. One day when the boys were golfing, the girls (momma and my cousin Laurie and I ) got to talking about music.

    Fun Fact: my fam is vvvv big into dancing. Dance parties all day everyday. Our Bose speaker are constantly playing everything from Kygo to Frank Santra to Luke Bryan.

    I feel like everyone on the planet likes music… I mean have you ever met anyone who doesn’t like music? Neither have I. My favorite part of commuting to school is the thirty minutes I get alone with my music…and you knowwwww I am singing at the top of my lungs and  you will catch me dancing at every red light and no i don’t care that you can see me.

    When it comes to working out music is VERY important. I like to listen to rap when I lift. I need a strong club mix when Im spinning. I love me some Jack Johnson when I’m on the reformer. You get the picture. I figured I would put together a few different workout mixes since no two days are the same and its fun to switch it up.

    Playlist One: Sassy 

    Closer – The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey  ( I have has this one on repeat for a week)

    Me Too- Meghan Trainor

    Cant Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake

    Sorry – Beyonce

    Into You – Ariana Grande

    Hands to Myself – Selena Gomez

    Work From Home – Fifth Harmony

    Something in the Way You Move – Ellie Goulding

    Love Myself – Hailee Steinfeld

    Better When Im Dancing – Meghan Trainor

    Confident – Demi Levato

    Weekend – Mocks

    Talkin Body (Gryffin Remix) – Tove Lo

     

    Playlist Two: Sweet 

    Sleep Without You – Brett Young

    Die a Happy Man – Thomas Rhett

    Confession – Florida Georgia Line

    Drunk on your Love – Brett Eldridge

    Dibs – Kelsea Ballerini

    Humble and Kind – Tim McGraw

    T Shirt – Thomas Rhett

    Love Me Like You Mean it – Kelsea Ballerini

     

    Playlist Three: Fierce

    Bottom of the Bottle – Curren$y

    Needed Me – Rihanna

    Hold Up – Beyonce

    One Dance – Drake

    Saved – Ty Dolla $ign

    Comfortable – K CAMP

    Again – Fetty Wap

    Too Good – Drake

    Body Language – Kid Ink

    679 – Fetty Wap

    Back to Back – Drake

    Blase – Ty Dolla $ign

    My PYT – Wale

    Promise – Kid Ink

    Jumpman – Drake and Future

     

    Hope you enjoy!!

    xoxo,

    K

  • Everything you NEED to know about Greens Powders

    It is no secret I loveeeeee my kale smoothies. If you are new to TPB, my FAV is my Berry Blemish Blaster. Three weeks ago I decided I wanted to sneak more veggies into my diet. I know I couldn’t possibly eat anymore than I already am so I started looking into greens powders. This was a project…let me tell you. I am someone who craves veggies and actually enjoys them, greens powder however taste like wet grass. Most are too disgusting to even chug-a-lug and leave the worst possible aftertaste. Thanks but no thanks.

    I recently ordered a powder from Australia (Morlife) and I am so obsessed. The greens powder has an alkalizing effect on the body which is so so so important for maintaining a health pH. If you aren’t aware, your bodies optimum pH is slightly alkaline…7 is neutral and our body needs to be around 7.35-7.45. Nurses will tell you that anything outside of that range, even slightly, can be fatal. Foods that are acidic include meats, dairy and sugar while foods that are more alkaline are fruits and veggies. I cant stress enough the importance of eating alkaline foods people.

    One super easy way to balance out your diet is a greens powder. The brand I use has five servings of fruits and veggies in every tablespoon…FIVE. I love starting my day with a tablespoon in 8oz of water. I know that my body is going to disperse all the nutrients really fast on an empty stomach especially since there is a build up of stomach acid at night when we sleep. If I had a more indulgent day or if I am feeling sluggish I will double up on my powder because it is such an EASY way to fill up your body with nutrients. For example, I was VERYYYYY sick on Saturday…that story deserves its own vlog…anyway yesterday I did two scoops of greens on an empty stomach first thing in the morning and had a third scoop mid afternoon.

    Okay so know that you know all the benefits let’s talk about what you are wondering… how awful does it taste. On a Yum Scale I would give it a 5. It isn’t the most delicious thing in the world but it also isn’t gross and there is ZERO aftertaste. I wouldn’t drink it to quench my thirst. But I don’t dread it or struggle to drink it. Honestly it is the only one I tried that I think is even worth drinking. I have tried half a dozen from Wegmans and Whole Foods and they were a total waste of money…one sip and I was throwing them out. If you know any American brands that don’t taste like booty let me know kay?

    Have a bomb Monday folks…ewww Im far too young to use that word. Whatever.

    xoxo,

    K

  • Cupping 101

    Hey guys!! I know I wanted to have this up for you last week but my schedule was kind of all over the place…and my little brother is leaving for his freshman year of college today so it has been a wild week in the Dudley house. Anyway, last week Micheal Phelps hit the pool with a dozen circular “bruises” and the internet went insane, but cupping isn’t new. The earliest recorded cupping practice dates back to the fourth century by Chinese herbalist Ge Hong.

    The three types of cupping are typically practiced (wet, dry, and air) after acupuncture or during//after a massage. Although the methods differ slightly, they share a common goal, create suction of the skin into the cup. Once the cups are applied, they sit on the skin for 3-10 minutes.

    I had the suction cups applied and used during a relaxation massage. Kayla (my masseuse) first used her hands to massage my neck, shoulder and back. She felt for adhesions and tight spots before using the cups to massage those areas. It totally doesn’t hurt but the sensation is…different. A good different. As she moved the cup over my tighter spots there was definitely more pressure, but I welcomed it.  After she was finished using the cups to massage, she applied the cups to my skin and left them their while she massages my legs. The cups where noticeable but not at all bothersome. I really liked it. After a few minutes she took off the cups and finished my massage. After what seemed like the shortest hour of my life, it was over.

    Now it was time to see my marks. Before going into it I knew that the darker the marks meant then more toxins I had in my body. I had just came back from a vacation where I had donuts (three to be exact) and cinnamon rolls neither of which are in my normal clean routine so I expected the cupping marks to be dark. To my surprise, they were barely visible, only in good lighting and they were gone the very next day.

    Comparatively, my little brother had cupping done a few weeks ago and his back and his marks were dark…they were super noticeable and there was a lot of them. You can totally see the difference in how our two lifestyles impacted the cupping. Not that Brendan is unhealthy, but he eats more processed food than I do. He will grab snacks or meals from Wawa when he is out with friends. He also loves to go out to eat whereas I prefer to cook all my meals. Those slight differences in our exposer to toxins made a big difference when it came to our marks.

    According to a private practitioner of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine, Dr Lovie, “When our liver or kidneys aren’t able to process these insults to the system and excrete them correctly, the toxins are put into storage to be managed at a later time – and they’re usually housed in the muscle layer. The vacuum action of cupping rapidly facilitates the release of rigid soft tissues, stimulates the peripheral nervous system, loosens and lifts connective tissues, breaks up and drains stagnation. It also increases blood and lymph flow to skin, muscles, and connective tissues. It does all of these things far more rapidly and effectively than any other type of therapy, including acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustments, medications or even surgery.”

    Ummmmm how amazing does that sound????????

    To clear up any misconception, cupping marks are not bruises. They are causes by stagnant blood and toxins in the body. So who can benefit from cupping? Everyone. Toxins are unavoidable. They are in the air we breathe and the food we eat (no matter how hard you try to avoid them) If you have an autoimmune condition or an old injury cupping can do wonders for you! Athletes use cupping to help with healing and to increase their performance…I mean if the best olympian in the world is doing it, you know it has to be good right?

    After cupping, it is super important to drink a ton of water and rest. You want to help your body flush out the toxins. Try to limit sun exposer to your cupping marks and you want to eat nutrient dense meals to help promote healing. The cupping marks can last anywhere from a few hours to three weeks so if you have a wedding or a photoshoot you might want to skip it that month.

    This was only my first time cupping and I plan to keep it up especially to help manage stress heading into my final semester of nursing school. What are your favorite homeopathic health methods? I am dying to try more!! Leave me a comment and it might just be my next post.

    xoxo,

    K

  • College Tips: Failing

    Keeping with the College Tips theme I have going on this week, today I want to talk about something that I never thought I would be comfortable enough to share with you. The other day I read a quote that really resinated with me. It said something along the lines of a toddler falls hundreds of times while learning to walk, but they never think that walking isn’t for them. Think about it. How many times does a baby get uber frustrated with trying to learn how to crawl or walk, but they keep trying. Why? Because they don’t understand self doubt and they don’t understand negativity. All that baby sees and hears are the people they love cheering them on…they only see the positive.

    Last fall, after trying my very hardest, I failed. I failed a nursing class and it rocked my world. Well, to be technical, I withdrew from the class so i didn’t actually get below a 76 (the required grade to pass a class in my program) on my transcript. Making the decision to stick it out and give it my all or to withdraw and try again next semester was gut wrenching. I met with teachers and my advisor. I talked to everyone I knew trying to get advise. After I cried myself to sleep for a week I make decision to pull myself out, come up to the surface for air and try again in the spring, this time, prepared.

    The class is called Complex Adult Heath…think ICU, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, sepsis, etc. It was the most overwhelming two months of my life. I was studying until 3am then waking up for class at 5am. I was working two jobs (because I wanted to not for the extra cash). It was far too much. I was grasping the information and I was able to apply it to my patients at clinical without hesitation but the exam questions caused me to second guess myself an it destroyed my confidence. I should also mention that my grade was based only on how I performed on four exams, not my skills on the floor…the reasoning being it preps us for our state boards (NCLEX).

    The day I withdrew felt like waking up from a nightmare. I was calmer and more relaxed, but I didn’t get lazy. I still went to every single lecture. I took notes and made outlines. I kept up with the class as if I was still fighting for a passing grade. It was like getting a preview into what I would be facing next semester. I could ask my peers who were successful in the course how they studied and test it out before I my grades counted. During winter break I studied every lecture from my first go round.

    The first exam I got an 82. The next an 80. I was thriving in clinical, giving meds to three patients and applying all the skill from lab, knowledge from class and the time management from experience. Slowly but surely I earned my confidence back. I ended up getting an 85 on the final…which honestly was UNREAL. I did it. I passed the hardest class I had ever taken…one that totally destroyed me a few months before. I had never been more excited in my life.

    Failing taught me how to dust myself off and get back in the ring.  I no longer feared failure because I learned how to handle it. Every failure is a learning opportunity, a chance to evaluate your mistakes and to improve. Failing, oddly enough, made me more confident. Failing a test or a class isn’t the end of the world.Failing, I think, teaches you more than succeeding. I had very little trouble in nursing school up to that point. I studied, I got good grades and it wasn’t all that hard. But failing taught me to problem solve and get to the root of my short comings.

    Alright guys…Im off to watch SVU, sip on some sleepy time tea and go to sleep because I’m a 23 year old grandma.

    xoxo,

    K