We’ve all had those weeks where things start out strong, but by midweek, life throws every curveball imaginable. In this episode, I share evidence based strategies to handle hard weeks without giving up on your goals.

Topics covered:

• The difference between all-or-nothing thinking and flexible thinking.
• How aiming for maintenance can keep you moving forward with weight loss, nutrition, and fitness goals.
• The value of planning for obstacles and how to increase the odds of following through with the plan on bad days.
• When aiming for less might get you further ahead.

Links mentioned:

Click here to join the interest list to be first in line to get discounts on nutrition coaching during Black Friday!

Waking Up Mediation App that I'm currently using.

Connect with me:

Click here to get a week of free customizable strength workouts + join my list for helpful nutrition and fitness content:

Follow me on instagram @naablevyfitness

In this episode, Nikki chats with Dr. Libby Hinsley about how to get started strength training with hypermobility if you have a history or fear of pain and injury.

Topics covered

• Essential strategies for starting strength training safely if you're frequently battling pain, fatigue, or post-exercise flare-ups.
• Common misconceptions about alignment and its role in safety and injury prevention for hypermobile individuals.
• Why a gradual approach to increasing load and challenge is more effective than trying to push past your individual level of tolerance
• How strength training can reduce pain and expand your movement options if it's applied with considerations for hypermobility
• Practical advice on dealing with flare-ups, with a focus on understanding the interplay between the nervous system, pain, and strength training.

Connect with Libby

• Instagram: @libbyhinsleypt
• Podcast: Zebra Talks
• Website: libbyhinsley.com

Connect with Nikki

• Get a week of free customizable strength workouts
• Instagram: @naablevyfitness
• Website: naablevy.com

In this episode, Nikki chats with Dr. Mike T. Nelson to explore the intersection of heart rate variability (HRV) and navigating dysautonomia exercise intolerance.

Topics covered:

• Understanding HRV: Learn what heart rate variability is and how it can gauge your readiness to exercise and your recovery capacity.
• Wearable Tech Insights: Delve into how devices like the Garmin and Oura Ring measure HRV and their roles in health tracking.
• HRV for Dysautonomia & POTS: Discover how HRV can be a game-changer for those with chronic conditions when navigating exercise and flare-ups
• Establishing Exercise Baselines: Strategies for building exercise tolerance and resilience in the face of chronic conditions.
• Managing Flare-Ups: Practical tips on using HRV data to navigate through flare-ups more effectively.
• Improving HRV: Explore methods to improve your HRV, including cardio protocols and lifestyle changes that make a difference.

Links mentioned:

Dr. Mike's Website: https://miketnelson.com/

Dr. Mike's HRV Education Course: https://miketnelsons.samcart.com/products/hrv-education-course-w-dr-mike-t-nelson-enroll-now/

Join my list and get a free week of workouts: https://naablevy.com/free-guides

This episode deep dives into the world of hypermobility with physical therapist Dr. Melissa Koehl. During this episode, Nikki and Melissa discuss navigating pain, exercise, and the healthcare system as a hypermobile human.

Topics covered:

• The complex reasons why hypermobile humans often deal with joint pain, soreness and fatigue.

• Strength versus stability and the value in cultivating both

• Strategies for physical therapy and exercise to build strength and stability with fewer pain flares.

• How to measure progress when you’re hypermobile and why "pain-free" might not be the best short-term goal.

• The importance of addressing comorbidities beyond joint pain and how to self advocate in a healthcare setting.

Connect with Melissa

• Visit Melissa’s website to learn more about her classes and offerings.

• Learn more about Melissa’s course Navigating Healthcare as a Hypermobile Human

• Follow Melissa on Instagram @dr.melissakoehl.pt

Connect with Nikki

• Grab your week of free customizable strength workouts with modifications for pain or hypermobility!

• Sign up for Nikki’s free Strength Q&A on March 10, 2024

• Follow Nikki on Instagram @naablevyfitness

In this episode, Nikki chats with Travis Pollen, PhD Health & Rehabilitation Sciences about how to critically assess scientific and research claims in the social media and online space.

They discuss:

• The limitations of research and how it doesn't always hold up when applied to real life
• The problem is cherry picking or only selecting a single study to site on why you are doing something rather than considering the larger body of evidence and how this can lead to misleading claims
• Why you can't believe everything you hear in the media or on Instagram, even when it comes from an authority
• Why most health and fitness advice is really boring and if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is

Resources mentioned:

• Research review for health and fitness professionals and teachers: physio-network.com
• Resource improving communication skills between health / movement professionals and clients: The Level Up Initiative

To connect with Travis, visit travispollen.com or follow him @fitness_pollenator on Instagram.

In this episode, Nikki chats with crainosacral therapist Robyn Scherr about her lived and professional experience navigating fitness in a hypermobile body. 

They discuss:

• Common misconceptions around hypermobility, exercise, and injury
• Why doing less when starting a new exercise program will often get you better results
• How stress affects exercise tolerance and recovery 
• Strategies that Robyn has used to get stronger with fewer flare-ups
• Their personal experiences navigating flare-ups and bad body days

Connect with Nikki on Instagram @naablevyfitness

Join Nikki's list for more hypermobility resources!

In this episode of Nikki interviews her friend Rachel Zwass about her journey into strength training and some of the surprising insights Rachel has gained since she started in February of 2023. 

They discuss:

• Rachel's initial apprehensions about starting and perceptions of strength training as boring
• How Rachel progressed from lighter weights to more challenging weights and exercises
• The physical benefits and increased functionality that Rachel experienced as a result of strength training and how it helped her recover more quickly from injury
• The difference between following a PDF strength program versus an app based strength program
• What to expect in terms of soreness when you're new to strength training

Links mentioned:

CLICK HERE or visit gettotalpackage.com to learn more about the Total Package Strength app based program and enroll. 

In this episode, Nikki chats with behavior change expert Dr. Karin Nordin about why behavior change is so challenging and what you can do to make the changes you want through a compassionate and evidence based approach. 

They discuss:

• Where motivation comes from and what to do when you aren't feeling motivated
• What it means to have compassion and what the self help world often gets wrong about the idea of discipline 
• How to improve your relationship with rest and instill routines to reduce burnout
• How to use ritual and routine to improve your health, fitness, nutrition, or work habits
• Why it might be helpful to wait until the new year before setting goals for 2024

Links mentioned

Follow Karin on Instagram @karinnordinphd

Follow Body Brain Alliance on Instagram @bodybrainalliance

Learn more about the Meaningful Mornings Course.

Learn more about Change Academy.

Follow Nikki on Instagram @naablevyfitness

Sign up for the FREE Strength Essentials Master Class.

Learn more about the Total Package Strength App Based Program.