Hey there—here’s your August check-in

This time of year can feel a little in-between. Summer’s not quite over, but routines are already shifting. It’s a good moment to pause, take stock, and make small adjustments that support where you are right now.

Inside this month’s email: tips for using plyometric exercises at any age or fitness level, fresh seasonal foods that make meals simple and satisfying, and a mindset shift around body image that challenges the pressure to stay the same as life changes.

Let’s make this season work with you, not against you.

Movement: Plyometrics—For Power, Strength, and Longevity

Plyometric training improves muscular power, coordination, balance, and bone density. It includes explosive movements like jumping, hopping, bounding, and quick changes of direction. These exercises train your muscles and nervous system to generate force quickly, which helps with everything from sprinting upstairs to catching yourself if you trip.

You don’t need to be an athlete to benefit, and age doesn’t automatically mean you should avoid higher-impact movement. What matters is how well your body moves right now, how much experience you have with impact, and how you structure your training.

Here’s how to safely and effectively add plyometrics to your routine at any age or fitness level.

Under 35

• Newer or returning to exercise:
  Start with low-impact versions to build control and confidence.
  Try squat-to-calf raise, step-ups with a hop, or jump rope.
  
  • Train one to two times per week for two to three sets of 15 to 30 seconds.
  • Focus on balance, posture, and quiet landings.
• Experienced with training:
  You can go higher impact with more intensity.
  Try box jumps, lunge jumps, or skater bounds.
  
  • Use plyo two to three times per week in short circuits or as a workout finisher.
  • Keep reps low, rest between rounds, and move with power.

Ages 35 to 50

• Newer or returning to exercise:
  Start with small movements that improve speed and rhythm.
  Try pogo jumps, quick step taps, or small hurdle hops.
  
  • Include these one to two times per week in your warm-up or conditioning.
  • Build slowly and stay focused on form.
• Experienced with training:
  You’re not too old for explosive training.
  Try lateral bounds, depth jumps, or sprint starts.
  
  • Add plyo to strength workouts as contrast sets or quick finishers.
  • Train with intention and allow time for recovery between efforts.

Age 50 and up

• Newer or returning to exercise:
  Begin with movements that support joint control and reaction time.
  Try march-to-hop progressions, fast feet drills, or low skips.
  
  • Use one to two rounds of 15 to 20 seconds one to two times per week.
  • Keep movements light, quick, and stable.
• Experienced with training:
  You can absolutely maintain and build power.
  Try low box jumps, step-hop combos, or resisted movements with bands.
  
  • Keep sessions short and focused to protect recovery and maximize results.
  • Focus on control, posture, and maintaining good mechanics under fatigue.

How to Use Plyo in Your Workouts

• As part of your warm-up or activation:
  Use light plyo like pogo hops or squat jumps to wake up your nervous system before lifting.
• As a power-focused session:
  Pair two to three plyo movements in a short circuit with rest between rounds.
• As a finisher:
  End your workout with one to two sets of jump lunges or lateral hops to reinforce coordination and control when tired.

Stay Safe While Pushing Yourself

• Warm up before any jumping. Use dynamic movements like squats, step taps, or arm swings.
• Focus on soft landings and stacked joints. Land quietly with knees slightly bent and chest lifted.
• Keep reps low and effort high. Quality matters more than quantity.
• Rest between sets to maintain form and reduce risk.
• Adjust or scale movements if you feel pain or loss of control.

Plyo is a skill and a tool. Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining your explosiveness at 60, there’s always a version that works for you.

Nourishment: What to Eat When Summer Hits Peak Flavor

We’ve entered the dog days of summer, the stretch where time feels slower, produce is juicier, and school supply displays are starting to creep into your grocery runs. Before you blink and everything tastes like pumpkin spice, this is your chance to soak up the best flavors of the season.

August produce is fresh, vibrant, and practically does the cooking for you. When it’s hot out and motivation is low, seasonal eating is the easiest win. Hydrating fruits, crisp veggies, and garden herbs give you meals that are light, energizing, and ready in minutes. No oven required, no overthinking needed.

Here’s what to grab while the summer sun’s still doing its thing—and how to turn it into low-effort, high-flavor meals that fuel you through the end-of-season chaos:

• Tomatoes
  Eat them like candy or level up with roasted tomato toast. Bonus: lycopene for your skin and heart.
• Zucchini and Summer Squash
  Grill them, spiralize them, or slice them thin and call it lasagna. They’re like the tofu of the veggie world—neutral and ready to take on flavor.
• Peaches, Nectarines, and Plums
  Sweet enough to feel like dessert. Also packed with fiber and vitamin C. Slice them into salads or just eat over the sink like a savage.
• Cucumbers
  Crunchy, cool, and 95% water. Basically nature’s Gatorade.
• Basil and Mint
  Instant flavor upgrade. Toss into salads, infuse your water, or sprinkle on whatever you're eating and pretend you're a chef.
• Corn
  August corn is elite. Grill it, roast it, or shave it into salsa. You cannot go wrong.
• Eggplant
  Meaty, versatile, and thrives on a grill. If you haven’t tried grilled eggplant with olive oil and sea salt, what are you doing with your life?

Hot tip: Skip the grocery store tomatoes with the personality of wet cardboard. Head to a farmers market, produce stand, or roadside cart and grab what looks and smells amazing. Build your meals around what’s fresh. Better flavor, better value, and less stress figuring out what to make.

Build-Your-Own Summer Bowl

When in doubt, throw it in a bowl. Summer bowls are the easiest way to eat well without turning on the oven or following a recipe. Use this formula and mix it up based on what’s in your fridge or what you just picked up at the market.

Start with a base:

• Greens like arugula, spinach, or chopped romaine
• Cooked grains like farro, quinoa, rice, or couscous

Add your seasonal produce:

• Grilled zucchini or eggplant
• Cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, peaches, or plums
• Fresh herbs for flavor

Pick your protein:

• Grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tofu
• Hard-boiled eggs, black beans, chickpeas, or edamame

Top it off with something fun:

• Feta, goat cheese, or avocado
• Seeds, nuts, or crispy chickpeas
• Balsamic glaze, lemon vinaigrette, or a spoonful of pesto
• One bowl. Endless combos. Minimal effort. All the nutrients.

Mindset: You’re Not Here to Be Who You Were

Lately, I’ve found myself moving into a new season of life, and with it, the physical changes and cultural messages that show up like clockwork. The ads are relentless. Products to "fix" the effects of aging. Tips to flatten the so-called “menobelly.” The unspoken suggestion that this stage of life is something to battle rather than embrace.

It’s not new. I’ve seen this messaging before, just dressed for different seasons. The warnings about the freshman 15. The pressure after childbirth to “get your body back.” The idea that every time your body changes, it’s a problem to solve.

It’s like we’re never allowed to simply be in the body we have now. We’re always being pulled backward. Told to rewind. Told we were somehow more valuable when we were smaller, younger, or less lived-in.

But here’s the truth.
Your body was never meant to stay the same.

Not through seasons.
Not through motherhood.
Not through stress, joy, grief, healing, or aging.

And yet, we carry this quiet belief that if we looked like we did at 17, or before kids, or before menopause, we’d be doing something right.

That isn’t empowerment. That’s conditioning.

We’ve been taught to shrink, erase, and bounce back. To treat visible change like failure. As if a body that reflects a lived life is something to be ashamed of.

But your body has carried you through everything. Every version of your life so far. Every shift, every loss, every win, every start-over.

And it’s allowed to change.

You don’t have to love every part of it. But you can stop punishing it for growing, aging, softening, or stretching. You can treat it with care even when it doesn’t look how it used to. You can choose support over shame.

Because your worth is not tied to your weight, your wrinkles, or your waistline.
You were never meant to stay the same.
And that’s not a problem. That’s being alive.

Let the next season of your life be one where your body is supported, nourished, and respected. Not because of how it looks, but because of what it allows you to do, feel, and experience.

Not body positivity.
Not forced self-love.
Just truth.
Just freedom.

If you're looking for extra support heading into fall, I’ve got a few openings:

• If you're self-motivated but want a customized program that's easy to access and follow, I have a few spots open for online coaching.
• If you're looking for more support and accountability, I have limited availability for one-to-one training locally.
• And if you prefer community and consistency, small group training meets Tuesdays at 6 PM and Saturdays at 8 AM.

Hit reply if you're interested or want help figuring out what’s the best fit for you.

Have lovely month!