What if the whole world was your gym? If you really look at it, there are endless opportunities all around us to work on strength, balance and endurance. If you’ve ever peeped Angelo Grinceri’s insta, then you know he gets it. Not only does he take every opportunity to use his environment to build fitness, he also knows how to keep it #perfectlybalanced by eating what he wants and enjoying a cocktail now and then, all while running a successful personal training business (plus he’s a total #dreamboat)
Angelo is also the author of Intrinsic Strength Training: A Breakthrough Program For Real-World Functional Strength And True Athletic Power, a book meant to encourage everyone to break free from restrictive exercise patterns such as standing, sitting or lying down to lift weights. In the book, Angelo explains that by challenging your body to workout using dynamic movement planes, you are able to get even stronger than you could with conventional lifting, leading to reduced injury, better posture, increased balance and physical control.
However, as temperatures drop and we head into the all too-tempting holiday treat season, it can become challenging to stay motivated let alone unlock our full athletic potential. Here are Angelo’s 5 Steps to staying #perfectlybalanced through the holiday season:
1. Stay hydrated
“This is #1. Often times we confuse hunger for what is actually thirst and possible dehydration. Try to consume a liter of water in the morning before you eat any food. Don’t go to sleep dehydrated either, or you’ll wake up feeling less than optimal. An easy life hack is to keep a 1.3 liter bottle of CORE on your nightstand.”
2. Skip The Guilt Trip
“If you know you can’t make it to your workout, avoid feeling guilty about it and choose to be more active throughout the day. You can do this easily by walking a few blocks instead of taking the subway or driving. Take the stairs, vow to do 10 push-ups before bed, whatever works for that day. (Or, workout on the beach!?) It’s about making simple active changes that will stay with you, instead of beating yourself up for missing the gym.”
3. Make Healthier Desserts
“Don’t skip out on dessert if you don’t want to. Find recipes to make your favorite desserts and treats at home but healthier, without the pounds of processed white sugar and food coloring. Have you tried chocolate mousse made from avocados yet? It’s a game changer.”
4. Keep it 1 for 1
“If you are out and about – doing the social things – be sure to stay safe and hydrated. You don’t need to forgo drinking alcohol if you want to have a few drinks, just remember the 1 to 1 ratio: drink 1 glass of water for every alcoholic beverage consumed throughout the night.”
5. Meditate for 10 minutes each day
“I live in NYC. It’s fast paced and pushes you to level up. That can lead to feeling a bit rushed and irritable and to respond and make logical decisions day-to-day, you need to remain calm overall. Meditation has obvious benefits for me. I spend 5-10 minutes meditating accompanied with deep diaphragmatic breathing 1-2 times a day. This really helps me observe everything happening in my life from my current situation, to things that have happened, to thinking about new possibilities and all of the other possibilities, and figuring out a way to get there.”
