One of my newest certifications and endeavors has been in functional movement and mobility training. As a part of a proper recovery routine, adding in mobility and functional movement allows the body to integrate all the strength training and muscle gains more efficiently, and allows people to gain a deeper range of motion, better joint mobility, and avoid unnecessary injuries. Throughout incorporating mobility into my movement routine, my arthritic joints feel no pain from the arthritis and are as able bodied and mobile as ever. I don't worry about over twisting or extending my joints as I know through my mobility practice they can handle it. It’s also allowed my muscles to properly recover and build back even more sculpted and toned. Now with my certification in teaching functional movement, I’ve been blessed to bring this practice to the local Tampa weightlifting gym, Bayshore Fit.

Throughout my time as a fitness instructor I’ve been introduced to many different demographics to whom yoga and mobility can benefit. One of the biggest introductions to this fact has been my time teaching yoga and mobility to the youth of the local Tampa gym, The Rock. Within this community I had the privilege to run a 5 week program with a large group of 10-13 year old athletes looking to better their athletic performance. This coed group of about 15 of Tampas youth embarked on a challenging 5 weeks; testing their flexibility, mobility, and ability to rest. It reminded me of why I began practicing yoga in the first place; to find challenges while simultaneously finding peace.

As I’ve continued along my journey of teaching within the Tampa/St. Pete community, I’ve had many incredible opportunities come my way. Teaching amongst so many unique and diverse communities has only expanded my teaching capabilities, and grown my appreciation of the practice of movement and how it does not discriminate on the lives it can positively impact. Recently I’ve received the opportunities to teach regularly at two well known area hotels / resorts; The Don Cesar on St. Pete Beach and The Edition Water St. in Downtown Tampa. Both of these opportunities have introduced me to people I would have never met otherwise, from all walks of life and corners of the earth.

I believe that yoga is meant for everybody and doesn’t discriminate against who it can help. There is scientific proof that moving your body improves neurological development and quality of life, and if anyone deserves that it’s children with special needs.

There are many forms of exercise that are beneficial for the body. There's exercises that test strength, some that test cardio, but there’s not many that test both at the same time. One of my favorite forms of cardio strength is rowing.

There are a wide variety of yoga classes for people to choose from. Most studios offer a vinyasa style asana practice, where you flow through an hour or so of various standard yoga postures, and restorative yoga, where you settle into relaxing postures to tap deeper into relaxation. Today I want to dig deeper into the benefits of restorative yoga, not that it needs any more validity than it already has. If you've ever done restorative yoga you know, the proof is in the pudding. Walking out of any restore class I take has me feeling as if I've become a cloud myself.

We all know by now that movement and exercise are crucial pillars in maintaining optimal health and wellness. For some, exercising may be a normal part of their regularly scheduled programming. For others, not so much. Regardless of your opinion, there’s no getting around the fact that you must exercise.

You’ve heard it everywhere, you should be doing more yoga! But why? Let’s dive deeper and discover why you should be incorporating more yoga into your daily movement practice, and how we can flow together!

What's better, cardio or strength training? The most asked question when it comes to exercise. While many people may have their personal beliefs on what's better, the science is pretty obvious; strength training first, cardio second.