← Affirmations for Black Girls
Affirmations for Black Girls
423 | Soft Life Summer School: Falling In Love with Moving Your Body & Learning How to Turn Exercise into a Ritual You Crave | Pep Talk Wednesdays
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Tyler
It may be that season, but y' all know I'm not headed back to anybody's classroom these days. But one thing I do love about back to school season is new routines, new goals. Reason to tighten that budget and get a fresh start. And baby, my phone bill is definitely on that list. I've been interested in Mint Mobile and let me tell you, I might be ready to make the switch y'. All. Their math is mathing. Three months of unlimited premium wireless for just 15amonth. Come on now. Mint runs on the nation's largest 5G network, so you're still getting fast service just without the games and surprise fees. And the best part is you can keep your number, you can keep your phone and handle everything online. Easy peasy. Whether you're a parent who wants to save for the whole family or a college student who's still getting a handle on your money, here's your reminder. You do not have to overspend on your phone bill this year. Skip breaking a sweat and breaking the bank. Get this new customer offer and your three month unlimited wireless plan for just $15 a month at mintmobile.com affirmations. That's mintmobile.com affirmations. Upfront payment of 45 required equivalent to 15amonth limited time new customer offer for first three months only. Speeds may slow above 35 gigabyte on unlimited plan. Taxes and fees extra cmnobile for details the platinum card's five times membership rewards points on flights got us to paradise with special access to unforgettable experiences and late hotel checkouts. Platinum Card membership for a trip that's next level. Learn more at americanexpress.com Explore Platinum terms and Points Cap apply. You know, I've realized something lately. Exercise is mostly a mental game. Like sure, it is physical, but the part that really matters is all in our heads. And honestly, I think a lot of us have been playing that game on hard mode without even truly realizing it. We have been told for so long that moving our bodies has to look a certain way. Like it has to be in a gym, wearing certain clothes or burning a certain number of calories. But what if it didn't have to be that? What if working out didn't feel like working out? What if movement was something that you actually looked forward to? Like you look forward to your favorite meal or your first sip of Celsius in the morning. Imagine it being the highlight of your day instead of this thing that you try to squeeze in between your errands, between work and whatever else life throws at you for me, y'. All. I've been retraining my brain about exercise, shifting away from that old you gotta grind, gotta burn mindset to one that feels like care, community, and connection. And it has taken so much time. I can only. Oh, gosh, it's taken so much time, y'. All. But movement has become a ritual for me, something that I crave and not just a chore that I endure. What is going on, everybody? Welcome back to another pep talk Wednesday. I am Tyler the creative, your virtual host and cheerleader for the day, delivering a midweek pickme up that you have been craving. So get ready for some encouraging work to get you through the middle of the week. Ready? Okay. If you're watching the episode, this is a video episode. Sometimes I forget whenever I just put the camera on, I get all up into it. But you guys, if you're listening on your favorite podcast listening platform, that's okay. But there is a video episode if you want to go check it out on the YouTube channel. But for those of you that are already watching on YouTube. Hey. Hey. How y' all doing? We are starting a new series just for the summer. So it's just gonna be a couple episodes because I know we're already in August, but it's called Soft Life Summer School. And again, it's a laid back series all about learning how to show up for yourself with more ease, grace, and self love. In this season of life, we're exploring different ways to live softer, whether that's through how you move your body, how you set your boundaries, nurture your mind, or simply find more joy in everyday moments. And today we're talking all about moving your body. My relationship with moving my body has changed so much over the years. And as I look back, I'm just like, wow, it is so crazy because I forgot what I was watching, y'. All, but I was looking at a documentary or something on YouTube and it was just showing how the media has just done such a disservice to our society's overall body image as a whole. You know, back in the day, they was like, fat free this, weight watchers that, Jenny Craig's this. Make sure you get your 10,000 steps a day. All of that stuff really had a negative effect on me when I was growing up. But I really think, honestly, I would say my relationship with moving my body, instead of just calling it working out, really changed when Covid happened. I think it did change when Covid happened, but I started to realize that I needed a shift in my mindset. Around working out and moving my body right before that. So right before COVID so it had to be early 2019. I did a program at a CrossFit gym, and I fell in love with CrossFit. What happened was I had to pay them $500 and I got like a six week program. And at the end of the program, if I lost £20, I would get my $500 back. And if I didn't lose £20, then I just gave them $500 for six weeks of working out. And I fell in love with CrossFit. But I hated the way that I had to eat because they gave me a meal plan. And at the time, I was. I think I was still vegan at the time, or I tried to be vegan. And I was like, I cannot do that. I need to start eating meat with this program. And I just hated the things that I was eating. And I was like, I love growing a CrossFit, but I don't like doing this. Long story short, I did not get my $500 back, y'. All. I ended up losing like 16 pounds or something like that. But I realized that I actually really liked the community aspect of working out. And I said to myself, I would keep that up in the future because it reminded me of playing basketball in high school. It reminded me of teamwork and team sport. And I was like, how can I bring that same feeling back into my life to move my body on a regular basis? As I'm getting older, I'm not really being on any teams unless I'm doing, like, intramural sports and things like that. So when Covid happened, I got served another ad and it happened to be for Mayweather Boxing Gym. And I was like, you know what? Let's try boxing. Fell in love with it. As you guys know, I box all the time. And I am now at a new gym because I moved to a new part of town. But I would say that my relationship with working out and moving my body has done a complete 180. And I absolutely love where I am right now with my relationship with working out. I think the hardest thing sometimes about moving your body is deciding where you should even start. Movement does not have to look like going to a gym and getting all sweaty or having an intense workout. If that's not your jam, it can also be a slow walk with a friend. I've told y' all this countless times. When I was going through my last breakup, I did not want to eat. I didn't want to do anything. I Just wanted to lay there and rot away. And my friend Alexis was like, okay, we going on walks every morning and moving my body for that 20 minutes, even if I was super sad that morning, I didn't want to go. Moving my body for that 20 minutes just changed my mood in a way that I did not know it could do. I think being in such deep sadness really helped me appreciate movement in a way that I had never been able to appreciate before. Because I already said, like, movement has always been like, oh, you have to do this, and you have to do it a certain way. And even though this movement was intentional and it was something that I was like, you're gonna do this no matter what, I was getting something out of it. It was changing my mood in a way that it had never done before. It can also be like dancing in your living room for an hour just because you like music or doing some yoga. Yoga and Pilates ain't for me. I really want to try Pilates. I'm not even gonna lie. But yoga is not really for me. But some people absolutely love it. And it's just such a great mind, body connecting, movement, activity, and there's a lot of things you can do, like in the park and things like that. But like I said, it wasn't until I started doing classes with other people and building my community around my workouts that I started looking forward to going. I have started doing run club with my boxing gym. Some of us go run once a week, and it's been on Sunday mornings. And I'm like, yeah, I absolutely love this. I am not a runner by any means, but I've also done something called Walk Good LA here in Los Angeles. And just being in community and being in fellowship, along with movement, helps me make sure that I am doing all of this on a weekly basis. It doesn't feel like, okay, this is another chore that I have to check off the list. It's something that I actually really want to do. So once I shifted the way that I saw all of this, thinking of movement as celebration of what my body can do instead of a punishment or a chore that I had to do, everything started to change. I started to see it as devotion, something that made me happen, something that made me happy. And through that, I gained discipline. But I did not see it as, okay, I need to be disciplined in this thing. No, I saw it as, okay, Tyra, you like doing this, we gonna keep on doing this thing. I think of movement and working out as a way to show love and Gratitude to my body instead of criticism being like, okay, well, you ate too much. Okay, well, you didn't hit this goal, or whatever the case may be. I don't look at a scale. I do want to do better with the things that I eat because, y', all, I've been eating raisin canes, like, every day. That can't happen. But I'm not ever going on a strict, I don't even know, like, 600 calorie diet. I don't even think that's a thing. But I've never counted calories. I've never done anything like that. But I think the small mindset change made all the difference for me, and movement has now become something that I craved and something that I wanted and something that I look forward to, forward to every single day and not something that I have to do. Y' all want to know what I love? I love the feeling of coming home after a long day when the sun is still out, but I'm winding down on my couch and I look around and I realize that every corner of my apartment has a little piece of my personality. I love that so much. Wayfarer has been my go to for those things that really pull a room together, like my bar cart. If y' all follow me on Instagram, then y' all have definitely seen it. I got it for Wayfair, and it's cute and still super functional. I always dress it up super cute when I'm hosting friends over, and they always give me the best compliments on it. I truly find the cutest kitchen accessories that are affordable on theme for my quirky apartment and that get delivered straight to my door super fast. Y', all, they got all kinds of stuff. They got work from home setups, they got cute organizers, they have appliances. Meanwhile, I didn't have my eye on that ninja slushie and a portable grill. But y', all, I decided to get something that I actually really needed. I just got these gorgeous bar stools. Well, they're bar chairs because they got a back on it that really add that extra razzle dazzle to my space. They got yellow cushions and the legs are silver, and the back of the chair is a light rattan material, y'. All. They add the perfect pop to my kitchen. As soon as they got delivered, which they got delivered in two days, I put them together and I'm so in love. And I'm so glad that I picked the ones that are silver and a pop of color, because my accent color in my house is a lot of gold, but I was like, nope, I'm a mix of metals and they fit so perfectly. But anyways y', all, I got the shopping bug now. So if you're craving a little home refresh before fall, Wayfair has got your back. And you already know Wayfair, they got just what you need. Anyways, y' all get organized, refreshed and back in the routine for way less. Head to wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. That's wayfair.com wayfair every style, every Home this episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Fiscally responsible financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds because Progressive offers discounts for paying in full, owning a home and more. Plus you can count on their great customer service to help you when you need it. So your dollar goes a long way. Visit progressive.com to see if you could save on car insurance, Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliate Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states or situations. Now y' all know I'm a chef and y' all know I have been in my recipe testing era lately. But I'll be honest, I don't always have time for a three hour commitment or 10 random ingredients that I don't always have access to. I still want flavor and a pop of color this season and Washington red raspberries have got me feeling inspired lately. I've been dreaming of things like raspberry lemonade, a tart raspberry glaze for some meatballs, perhaps a homemade vinaigrette, or maybe even a raspberry sorbet situation if I'm feeling fancy. Oh my mouth is watering y'. All. I'm loving that I can always get that fresh summer flavor year round. Washington state produces 90% of American grown frozen red raspberries, and since they're picked at peak ripeness and frozen literally within hours, that bright, sweet, tart flavor gets locked in. And these berries are meant to be frozen so I can keep a bag in the freezer and use them whenever inspiration hits without worrying about loss of flavor or those weird textures. So if you want to learn more details on where to find American frozen red raspberries, plus recipe ideas and cooking tips, head to redraz.org that's R E D R A Z Z.org you'll find participating retailers and inspiration for every meal. Plus info on how these berries go from farm to freezer with quality you can taste for now look for frozen Washington Red Raspberries at Costco, Kroger, Meijer, or Winco Foods. And check the bag for product of the usa. Go grab you some raspberries. Get to cooking. I think the biggest thing about movement is building whatever habits you can stick with. And for me, that has always been rooted in accountability through my community and through my friends. I think moving my body and treating it as an act of self care instead of a chore has helped me rewire my brain. Like, okay, you love yourself. Go ahead and do this thing. You know, you actually start looking forward to it and sometimes you even want company. For me, most of the time, I want company. Okay? I think it's way better to start off small and stay consistent than go all in and risk burning out or even getting hurt. Because I have seen it happen. I've done it myself. People will push too hard, too fast, and then have to step back or they might hurt themselves. Because y', all, I'm 30, baby. If I am not taking time to recover or doing like, stretching and active recovery, I'm going to be no good in two, three weeks. And I have been on that side of things where I push too hard. So start small and build up. When I first started going to my boxing gym, I was like, okay, I'm going to go three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, give myself a break in between. And now I've worked up to going every single day, taking multiple classes a day. But when I feel my body needs to slow down, I will slow down. But I go twice a day every day because that's my fun thing for the day. Boxing is so fun for me. Or even if I go like on a hike and I invite a friend, I'm like, this is my fun for the day. So it's something that I really look forward to. One way that you can find your groove with movement is to test out different activities without the pressure. So I have a membership to my gym. If you don't want a membership so you don't have that pressure, don't do it. I have told you about this so many times. Class pass. Class pass. Class pass. Class pass. Class pass. Class pass. Baby, get class pass. Especially if you live in a metropolitan area or a big city, you'll have countless options to choose from. My link is down below. You'll get, like, I think 20 or 30 free credits. I don't know, it switches up sometimes, but you'll get some free credits. And what you do is you get the app, you get some credits, and a class will be like 3 credits. Some are as much as like 10 credits. You can also do health and wellness things on there. So there's spas, there's massages, all types of things. You could even get your nails done. I even saw a tap class on there that I really want to take. So it is just a great place where think of it like a food court, but for movement and physical activity. I think it's so dope to try things out and you don't have to commit because every gym nowadays you gotta have a membership to go or you have to buy a package of something to go. Maybe you have to buy like three classes, 10 classes. But with ClassPads you can go one and done, baby, and that's it. You have no commitment. So I think that's great to figure out what you actually like. But if you are in a space where you are like, girl, I don't move at all, all start free. Well, if you get my class pass, it will still be free because you'll get those free credits up front. Okay? Use it while you can. Matter of fact, go to the link right now and get class pass and then try a class and then let me know how you like it. But if you are like, okay, I need something that's free. Free. Look around your community. There's all types of community things happening. I know that we have a community garden where people can come and they can help garden, that is move. I used to be in the garden with my grandma every weekend when I was growing up and I absolutely loved it. You can even do like YouTube classes. There's so many people who do like yoga and 10 minute stretching and things like that on YouTube that I come across all the time. Go ahead and try one of those out just to see where you're at in your ability and where you're at in your mindset and the things that you would actually like to do on your movement journey. You know what? One thing that I thought about, what if we just made it into play? So what if your movement, like starting out was you playing hide and seek? When we were kids, we always played hide and seek. We played tag, red light, green light, cops and robbers. All of those games are just movement. What if you pull something from your childhood, let's say that you have friends around or maybe you have children or younger siblings, whatever, and you guys just wanted to go outside and play for a good 10 minutes. That's all. You need a good 10 minutes to start moving. I think that'll be dope and, or even A sport that brings back those good memories from your childhood. I played softball growing up. One of my friends, her little brother was in town for a while and we went to the park and we just threw the ball. We just played catch for a good hour. And it made me feel so good. I was like, oh, my gosh, I miss this so much. So, for example, like I said, you can also invite friends or family. That is definitely a game changer. It makes the time go by faster and you create those memories with those people and you're doing something healthy and pouring into. Both of you guys are pouring into yourselves. Movement becomes social at that point, and it becomes way more fun. And you get to hold yourself and the person that's with you and vice versa. You get to hold each other accountable when your motivation starts to dip. Like, some mornings when me and Alexis used to walk, she'll text me. Most of them when we first. First started, most of the mornings she would text me. And then if I didn't hear from her for a certain time, I'd be like, you wanna go walk? We hold each other accountable in that way. And I just love that ebb and flow because we're not meant to do this thing alone. Some people love going to the gym alone. Not even gonna lie. That is like their meditation time, their time to solely be with themselves. But for me, in my household, we like to work out together. So I think with boxing, like I told you, the community events really keep me connected to my gym. But I also like to mix it up sometimes. Like at my boxing gym, there's different classes, so we'll get to lift weights. Sometimes there's a sweat class, which is like a HIIT class, high intensity interval training, which I love. Such a good workout. And then there's the box classes, which are more technique focused. Outside of that, we used to have stretch classes, and I really hope they bring those back. They said they're thinking about bringing those back in the winter. But the run club, I've been getting faster every week, you guys, and it's something extra, something on top. I don't pay for run club or anything like that. It's just a free community thing that one of the coaches does. And I'm in there, like swimwear, okay. Because I just opened up my Nike app and I'm like, okay, let me see how fast I've been running. I was just telling my mama, every week I've been. My average pace has gone down by at least 30 seconds. Because I've never really been a Runner. And I'm like, oh my God, I can actually do this. And I'm doing it because I'm doing it with friends. And that's just been such a huge game changer for me. I say all this to say having all of those options and around my favorite activity helps to keep me engaged and it helps keep me moving in so many different ways. Foreign. As you guys know, every pep Talk Wednesday has a challenge of the day. So this week's challenge for you guys will be to find one way to move your body. It can be new, but it can also be something old and tried and true. Maybe you can pick something that's outside of your usual routine. Maybe a dance class or roller skating or tennis or even a post dinner walk. I love a good post dinner walk. Okay. Especially if I had a huge dinner baby. Walk me, please. Again, there is class pass. I think that is such a great opportunity for someone who is shopping around for some new activities. I did an aerial class on there and I can't wait to do it again. I'm so sad because the studio that I went to closed down, but I can't wait to do something like that again. And to make this a bonus, you could even bring a friend with you. Somebody to make your experience more fun or, you know, create new memories and not just something that you passively did and just wanted it to be over. So whatever you decide to do and y' all better start doing these things, tag me on Instagram, take a picture of you doing the thing, post it to your story on Instagram, and tag me. Firmations for black girls. Tag that page. Don't tag my personal page. Tag affirmations for black girls. Because we reposting them all because we need to make sure that we are moving our bodies. Getting active doesn't have to be all about grinding or pushing yourself to the limit. It can be so much more than just working out. It's an opportunity to really get in tune with your body, to deepen your connection with community and build a habit that supports you through every season of life. The goal isn't perfection. It doesn't have to be a super intense sweat session every time. What truly matters is finding what feels good, what actually brings you joy, and what you can show up for consistently without feeling drained or pressured. So again this week, I want you to find your movement, whatever that looks like for you. Make it something that you look forward to, something that honors your body and where you're at, something that your body needs and something that feeds your soul. Because when movement feels like care and celebration, it sticks. Trust me. Thank you guys so much for listening to this episode this pep Talk Wednesday. I really hope you guys find some movement that you actually like and please share with us. I will be doing more video episodes. I'm super excited to introduce these to you guys and have them coming around more often. So if you are not already, go ahead and subscribe to the YouTube channel because we have so much video content coming for you. But if you listen on your favorite listening platform for podcasts, be sure to rate the podcast and leave us a review. I love all the reviews. Thank you guys so much every to everyone who has left the review on the podcast. But I will say see you guys again next Monday for another episode. This is affirmations for Black Girls. What do you think makes the perfect snack? Hmm, it's gotta be when I'm really craving it and it's convenient. Could you be more specific when it's cravent? Okay, like a freshly baked cookie made with real butter available right down the street at a.m. p.m. Or a savory breakfast sandwich I can grab in just a second at a.m. pM. I'm seeing a pattern here. Well yeah, we're talking about what I crave, which is anything from AM pm. What more could you want? Stop by AM PM where the snacks and drinks are perfectly craveable and convenient. That's cravenience. Am PM Too much Good stuff. Life is a workout and Smoothie King is here to help you power through. 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