Fitness is meant to be inclusive. Yet sometimes it feels like there are more barriers now, than there were before, to getting healthy and fit. Whether it is deliberate disinformation, health authorities acting as gatekeepers, false dichotomies of the “best” fitness regimen, and more; it can be hard to disentangle fact from fiction let alone figure out what will be best for you. We wrote this to help break down some barriers and sort things out.

Ever wonder what causes DOMS, what to do about it, or if it’s okay to work out while having it? While some may experience some delayed stiffness and tenderness 10 hours after a big day of squatting or longer than usual trail run, someone else may have that same feeling occur later or sooner, peak at a different time, lasting for a shorter or longer duration, or not at all. Why the difference? We aren’t entirely sure. But we do know that some degree of damage has likely occurred and/or some of the metabolic processes that occur surrounding that damage that can trigger pain.

When things pile up with work, family, or other obligations and events; those self-care behaviors tend to be the first to go for a lot of us. That’s why it is important to highlight what are non-negotiables for you and your health and fitness. Truly- sometimes you need to take an actual inventory with pen and paper. What is the most important area of self-care and what can you do to still take care of yourself? Is there a way that you can pick specific items to make as non-negotiables like brushing your teeth?