HEALTH IS THE NEW WEALTH

I used to be hardcore. I did. When I was in the Army, I maxed out the PT (physical training) tests and did 12-mile ruck marches in full battle rattle. I repelled out of helicopters and fast-roped off high things. 

Not so much anymore… 

Now, 20+ years later, cleaning out the storage closet can take me out of commission for a whole day. I am a little broken. I have a lower back issue that has plagued me since my Army days. 

I have done every kind of physical therapy, exercise program, chiropractic, all the things. I have spent 10's of thousands over the years trying to find exactly the right combination of movement and therapy to keep myself functional. Overall, I haven't done half-bad. 

I have avoided, maybe just delayed, a major back surgery. But in truth, I haven't done much else.  

If you, like me, suffer with some kind of chronic injury, you know what I mean. Staying upright and mobile is a part-time job. And it is a hamster wheel headed nowhere because not being in pain is just the first step, not a destination. 

In May of 2020, shortly after the COVID lockdown, I experienced the perfect storm of not enough movement, working from home, too much time in my chair, and stress. My back went out not once, not twice, but three times in one month. 

I was miserable. I did all the things I knew to do. I got a little better, then a little worse, and just went round and round the hamster wheel until I found Dawnelle. 

As jaded as I have become over the years, Dawnelle has given me hope again. 

Dawnelle Arthur was a premier yoga instructor in Denver, CO. She had her own studio and was regularly featured in all the fancy yoga magazines and sites. And then her hips rebelled…   

Long story short, she went from an elite athlete to what she calls an "injured mover" almost overnight.  A double hip replacement changed her life forever. As I will share with you, maybe it changed it for the better. 

Dawnelle did what resilient people do. She took the reality of her situation and turned it into an unforeseen blessing. She used everything she learned rehabbing herself to create an entirely new program called AgeDEFY Movement Therapy.  

Dawnelle describes AgeDEFY as movement therapy for injured and aging movers. The AgeDEFY way is to train for full-body physical strength, mobility, and active flexibility in every class. 

I describe AgeDEFY as what would happen if physical therapy, yoga, barre, and HIIT got together and had a baby. Dawnelle takes the best of any and all movement protocols, adjusts them to improve safety, and combines them in a way that both rehabs your body and challenges you physically at the same time. 

No more hamster wheel.  

For the first time in over a decade, I feel like I have the tools to prevent injury while also working toward fitness goals. I am actually making progress again instead of grasping to maintain the status quo. 

You might be asking yourself what does all this have to do with being a financial advisor?  Everything! 

Unless you are incredibly lucky or blessed with good genes, it is very likely that you also suffer from a chronic injury or pain. The office-chair lifestyle that we all live exacerbates all of our issues. 

Lower back issues become upper back issues. Tight hamstrings lead to injury. Sloped shoulders from clickety-clack on the keyboard all day lead to neck issues and headaches. It's a vicious cycle that is tearing us down every day and the pandemic has amplified it all. 

-Can you serve your clients well when you are in pain?  

-Can you lead your team well when you are in pain?  

-Can you show up for your family the way you want to you when you are in pain? 

NO!  None of us can. Health is the new wealth and many of us are feeling pretty poor right now! 

As I am writing this "Omicron is surging across America" is the headline in the news and the new year around the corner. All those New Year's Resolutions to hit the gym or try a new exercise class are likely going to be put on hold for a while. 

They don't have to be! Dawnelle has created a safe online fitness studio that is truly accessible.   

-Is time your challenge? AgeDEFY Online has over 200 on-demand videos. 

-Is money your challenge? AgeDEFY Online is only $30 per month (about the cost of one fancy Pilates or yoga class) 

-Is injury your challenge? AgeDEFY Online has rehab workouts for every fitness level and injury type.  

-Is location your challenge? AgeDEFY Online is with you anywhere you have an internet connection. 

-Is lack of equipment your challenge? AgeDEFY Online has many workouts that require no equipment and most can be done with just a $5 mobility stick or 5lb dumbbells.  

-Is boredom your challenge? AgeDEFY Online has an amazing variety of workouts: therapy, yoga, barre, spin, HIIT, it's all in there… 

The pandemic doesn't have to get in the way of your progress.  Nothing does.  We now have a low-cost, flexible and progressive way to take care of ourselves safely, anywhere, anytime.  

You can learn more about Dawnelle and AgeDEFY Online HERE. 

For your sake and the sake of all those you serve, I hope you find a way to take really good care of yourself in this upcoming year! 

With Purpose, 

-Lucila 

If you have been around a while, you will know that I don't generally promote things on my blog and I am not getting compensated to do so. I am sharing this with you because it has changed my life for the better and I KNOW that there are people in our community who are struggling as I have been.  

With this in mind, I have invited Dawnelle to be a guest instructor on our next live IMPLEMENTATION Monthly Mastermind call on January 28th at 11 am (MT). I have asked her to lead us in a live workout called OFFICE MOVEMENT THERAPY. 

This will be a quick no equipment required therapy session that you can do anytime to help unwind the stress on your body caused by computer work. She will also focus on postural training to help undo those bad movement patterns we pick up sitting at our desks all day. 

Our IMM members can join us live and will have access to the recording to come back to.  AND…Dawnelle will be giving a month of AgeDEFY Online to all of our members! For FREE! 

If you aren't already a member of IMPLEMENTATION Monthly Mastermind group coaching, you can join us at no cost by taking advantage of our trial month offer. 

Click HERE to join IMPLEMENTATION Monthly Mastermind.  Use coupon code: TRIALMONTH to join us on the live call and get access to the IMM Archives of past trainings for 30 days. Love it, stick around. Don't love it, cancel within 30 days and you won't be charged a penny.