In my many years as a group fitness fan, and later as a fitness professional, I've seen my own strength and stamina improve. I remember being in a fitness class over 20 years ago and watching my instructor (a few years older than me) lifting her leg up and down while leaning up against a stability ball. Meanwhile, my leg felt like lead – it was NOT going up even once. Yet there she was at the front of the class, happily conversing while her leg was going up and down, up and down . . . “9, 10, 11 and 12 . . .”.  I was amazed.  Now I think of her every time I easily (?!) demonstrate that move. Here's the secret no one's willing to say out loud: The first try rarely ever goes amazingly well. If our strength and stamina were at peak performance without any repeated effort, we wouldn't bother exercising at all. It's all about simply starting, and then building upon what you've got.  That's where the challenge comes in, as well as the self-pride and sense of empowerment!

Not only have I marked strides in my own fitness journey, but perhaps more importantly I’ve seen so many instances of others moving past plateaus where they initially thought they were stuck...including an 82-year old gentleman who increased his plank form and plank time from 5 seconds to 45 seconds within a few months’ time! Similarly... a newly retired woman who had not exercised a day in her life decided, with some excitement and a little trepidation, to embark on some personal training sessions.

What seemed very difficult initially (i.e., 10 repetitions of bicep curls with 5-lb weights) slowly but surely increased to two sets of 10 repetitions and then 3 sets of 10 repetitions and then 6-lb weights, 8-lb weights, etc.  And I loved the smiles that accompanied the "aha" moments of what it really means to engage your core and employ proper form and what a huge difference it made in her workouts and her state of mind too!

Train your mind and your body will astound you.  “Yes I can” are very powerful words.  Know your body, know your stopping point to stay safe and avoid injury, but also be honest with yourself and know when you can push yourself a tad bit more.   Increase your core strength by holding a plank with proper form and adding on 2 to 3 seconds every time (or maybe every week) until you reach one minute. Once you've reached a point of comfort (well...as "comfortable" as a minute-long plank can be!), there's endless opportunities and avenues for growth. There's a ton of variations on the classic plank; in fact, here's a challenge I'm trying out right now if you're looking for some ideas. Don't let the source deter you, gals! 

If some of your strength training moves (i.e., bicep curls, overhead presses) are starting to seem somewhat effortless, it’s time to consider adding slightly more weight for those particular muscle groups or adding a few more reps. Push-ups?  Squats? Train that machine which is your body to get stronger by adding at least one or two more reps every couple of weeks or so. Strength training is also an amazing opportunity to incorporate mindfulness into your day. Be present when you're taking a class or working out on your own. Instead of just going through the motions and quite literally relying on muscle memory, fully engage your brain for a complete mind-body workout. Some questions to ask yourself to build on your strength and stamina:

• Is my core engaged?
• Am I squeezing the muscles I'm working?
• Am I relying on momentum or am I really using my body effectively? Am I just swinging my weights around?
• Am I remembering to breathe deeply? Inhale for four counts...exhale for four counts.