Smitten Life

4.7 km

366m elevation gained

Rating-Moderate to difficult depending if you go on to windtower

The view at the top is absolutely gorgeous, you can keep hiking as well. If you veer to the right you can keep hiking to Windtower, its a lot more challenging over that way, and the round trip becomes 9.8km.

5.0km

563m elevation gain

Rating-Difficult

This one if a bit of a rocky one, lots of loose rocks and quite a scramble to the top. If you're bringing your doggo make sure they're quite fit, our guy was too tired to make it all the way to the top (he had hiked two days in a row). The view was gorgeous, even if we didn't quite get to the very top.

 I bought this polka dot pinafore last spring from Beacons Closet in Brooklyn, it was such a fun shopping trip. Theres something so fun about second hand and vintage shopping, it's like treasure hunting. You never know what you're going to find! This was a great find, I wear the shit outta this during the summer months, throw this over a tee and you're good to go. 

 This rust body suit has been an excellent addition to my wardrobe too, it's super comfy and I am obsessed with the colour. It's such an easy colour to work into a wardrobe of black and white. And a pop of leopard print is always welcome. Darcy hates anything with leopard print, I think he's crazy (for other reasons as well haha) 

Now that it's officially summer (even though the weather may disagree) its shorts season, its the season of tank tops, bathing suits and being outside. It's time to shed the layers, and with that time to shed our insecurities about our bodies. There are many women (and men!) I know who would prefer to suffer in the heat in full pants and a sweatshirt than let anyone see their legs, arms, etc. Why in the world should we suffer rather than be comfortable? Because society has told us our bodies need to be perfect, that our bodies should have no hair/cellulite/excess body fat in order to be ready for public consumption?

Fuck that narrative. 

I say wear that crop top, tank top, show off your thighs. I totally 100% understand feeling insecure about my body, there are things I have been really really hard on myself for in the past. These things are things no one else notices but me. I have also noticed that the individuals who comment on others bodies are the ones who are insecure in their own bodies. Sooo: 

Your body your choice in all regards, what you put on it, what you do with it, all that. My hope for anyone who reads this is to have one less moment of fear when getting dressed this summer, to enjoy the hot days a little bit more instead of hiding. I'll do my best to try to do the same, to own my body and be comfortable in my own skin; I have moments where the overarching narrative I've been fed my whole life infiltrates my brain and I think "I've got too much ____ for this outfit" which I know is bs. What helps me is supporting others, I raise myself up by raising others up too. 

These shorts are my go-to for this summer, high waisted, ripped up and perfect with tees, bodysuits, and kimonos. So basically all I own. All I want to is to be comfortable, especially when it starts getting really warm. I mean, if that warm weather ever decides to happen here. 

Outfit: Shorts/shoes-Winners, Bodysuit-Simons, Kimono-F21 (old), Necklace-Miss Boss, Sunnies-Simons

I have yet to encounter a client come in who does not have tightness in their hips. Tight hips are a very common problem for a lot of individuals, myself included. Whether the cause be from a sedentary lifestyle causing the muscles to shorten and become weak, or overuse causing them to become overactive and tight, both need help to perform proper range of motion. Releasing, stretching and performing dynamic movement can help create a lot more mobility through the hips and can help you squat deeper, improve your posture or alleviate pain. 

Grab a lacrosse ball, place it about 2 inches to the left or right of your bellybutton but still along the inside of your hip bone. Place a heavy object such as a kettle ball on top and apply pressure, this one can be difficult to locate but is very helpful to release. Hold down for 60 seconds or more before moving on

Lay with your quad on the foam roller, but closer to your hip joint to release the quad muscle that attaches over your hip. Again roll until you find a spot that is uncomfortable then apply pressure for 60 seconds or more

Deep Lunge

Bring leg outside hands, maintain proper posture (not rounding through shoulders here) other leg can be straight or with knee on the ground  hold 30s each side

Half Kneeling Side Lunge 

Have the one leg bent with knee on ground, sink into that side to feel a stretch along inner thigh

Helps move you in and out of the range of motion create space in the joint.

 Push hips forward while band pulls back on you, move in and out of this position 10x

 90 90 shin switches, create a z with legs, keep one foot planted as you move hips over and switch which leg is in the front position, back and forth 10x. Try to perform drill without using hands to support

 Quadruped to thread through. In a quadruped position (hands under shoulders, knees under hips) place weight on right hands and kick right leg through (bottom photo) and then come back to starting position 10x per side 

Standing hip hurdles. Bring knee up and open hip to side and then back, without shifting weight too much try to maintain upright position. From back position bring it all the way back to front. 10x per leg.