Athlete Spotlight: Kelsey Kinsella

There is one word that comes to mind when describing Kelsey Kinsella: grit. Kelsey has been a part of the Floch since the beginning of Floch Fitness over 6 years ago. In our time working together, Kelsey has competed in the sport of fitness (Crossfit), worked on maximal strength (her personal best deadlift is 400lbs.!), and has moved closer to body composition goals. To give you an idea of Kelsey’s physical and mental fortitude, she has rowed the fastest 2,000m time for any female athlete I have ever worked with (7:32!!!).

With the immense changes in the world, Kelsey (a Physician’s Assistant at a major Broward County hospital) has had to balance her training with her extremely stressful work life. For now, that has become our goal in working together: stress reduction. Kelsey is continually bounced between trauma and ICU, and her training gives her stability. This is her time she can work on herself, both the mind and body. Even after a shift, she goes home, laces up her shoes, and gets her run and bodyweight training. I prescribe the workouts and she completes them. Time and time again. She knows that even an average effort on a workout is better than no attempt at all. As Kelsey’s life circumstances change and the pandemic eases, I look forward to our next step in Kelsey’s fitness journey. Thank you for being part of the Floch Kelsey!

Are you looking to balance your work life with physical training? If you feel like it’s time to make a change, I’m here to help. Book a free assessment today to get started on the path toward the best version of you!

The Best Tip For Better Sleep

I have tried everything for better sleep. I have tried a ton of supplements including melatonin, magnesium, phosphatidylserine, and Ambien. I’ve spent tons of money on various pillows, comforters, and mattress. I blacked out my room, made sure it was a cold, and got rid of all electronic lighting in my room (you’d be surprised how many things in your bedroom glow in the dark!). Nothing ever gave me significant improvement until I started addressing my habits around sleep.

Specifically, I had not properly addressed the habit of waking up in the middle of the night and staying in bed. It wasn’t until I had multiple discussions with Nick Lambe (@theonlinesleepcoach) that I had been ingraining poor sleep habits for years. He explained to me that lying in bed for anything more than 30 minutes is telling your body, “We don’t sleep in this setting, we lie around and ruminate.” My brain shot out the back of my skull when he hit me with this truth bomb. Every time I woke up at 2 or 3am, I was laying there, trying to get back to sleep, thinking about how frustrating it was. After enough time, that became habitual. I took Nick’s advice, and since talking with him, I give myself 30 minutes to get back to sleep after waking up (and maybe grabbing a glass of water). After 30 minutes, if I haven’t fallen back asleep, I get out of bed and my bedroom, and I sit quietly and meditate. This is what I choose to do, but reading, listening to calming music, or journaling about the ruminating thoughts are also great suggestions too. Once you start to feel drowsy again, get back into bed and just relax. Remember, your body is wired to sleep, you just have to get out of the way. The key to this practice is getting out of your bed/bedroom. As Nick puts it, “There should only be two things done in your bedroom if you want good sleep: sleep and sex. Everything else should be done elsewhere.”

If you need some more great information on sleep and sleep habits, make sure you check out The Online Sleep Coach (https://www.onlinesleepcoach.com/).

There are many other areas that can affect your sleep like exercise, diet, and stress practices. If one or more of these resonates with you, it’s time to book a call with me today and start moving toward the best night’s sleep of your life! Click the link below to sign-up.