If you follow me on Instagram or we’re friends on Facebook, you probably know that I was traveling this weekend. I went to Kansas City, Missouri for the first ever Women’s Fitness Summit and let’s just say, it was AWESOME.
Not only was it amazing to spend time with so many other smart, strong, positive, health-focused women, but the speakers were incredible and I got to meet several of my online friends in real life, including my latest girl crush, Molly Galbraith.
It’s always cool to hang with other gals who appreciate going to bed early, squeezing in movement and talking about food and training. Let’s just say it’s not every day that I’m with several other women who see hills and think the same thing I do… “Boy, that would be a great hill for sprints.”
Since my brain is still full and digesting everything I learned, you’re getting a quick highlight of some of the best parts of the weekend, two things at a time. I’ll share more details and more about what I learned in the coming weeks/months on my blog since the presentations were on topics I’m sure you all would love to hear more about.
…Think subjects like fueling your body for optimal performance and health), programming training for women, finding balance in your life, pelvic floor dysfunction, pregnancy, nutrition and training tips for menopausal women and more. Yah, it was the bomb.com for someone like me who could talk about these things all day long.
TWO…people I spent the most time with.
I’ve known Stacey for awhile now, but we flew together and got to know each other so much better through 4 flights, time at the airport, several meals and a few workouts. It feels like we’ve been friends forever.
We also ended up running into her friend, Keri, at the airport in Boston when we were leaving. The three of us spent a lot of time together, eating, sweating, and girl-talking. These chicks rock and we’re already planning our next get-together.
TWO…people I was most excited to meet.
I’ve been totally digging Molly’s posts, blogs and the Modern Woman’s Guide to Strength Training she launched a few months ago. After meeting her, seeing her speak, and sitting with her at dinner, I can confirm that she is just as sweet and down-to-earth as she seems online.
I’ve been chatting with Jen Keck for years online and we’ve talked about getting together a handful of times, but this was the first time we actually made it happen. It was so great to finally meet her in person!
TWO…speakers who rocked my world.
Dr. Sue Kleiner spoke about carbohydrates and female athletes. She pointed out that many athletic females consume less carbohydrate than is necessary for optimal glycogen storage. In fact when female athletes are under-fueled this way our bodies use all of the carbs we eat during exercise/movement and there are none leftover to be stored for non-essential functions like reproduction, digestion, etc. Stay tuned for a full post on this one, especially if you train hard and may be restricting carbohydrates in your diet.
Dr. Brooke Kalanick spoke about the hormonal changes that occur in women during peri-menopause and menopause. She gave some great tips about how we can better manage some of the changes in that happen in our bodies during menopause with some nutrition and exercise modifications. The truth is, you may have to train and eat a bit differently during menopause to feel and look your best.
TWO…of my favorite quotes from the weekend.
“I often have clients that come to me and say, ‘I can’t figure out what’s wrong. My diet is perfect. I eat clean; no gluten, no carbs, no chemicals… ‘
Most often, their ‘perfect diet’ means that it’s (im)perfectly overly restrictive.”
– Dr. Susan Kleiner
“When you focus on the positive, there is no room for the negative.”
– Molly Galbraith
TWO…workouts I did.
Saturday morning Stacey, Keri and I met up for a quick hotel room bodyweight workout. We did a circuit of random bodyweight exercises and then Stacey taught us a little yoga. I am not good at yoga, but it sure felt GOOD.
Sunday morning we were tired, but looking to move our bodies after sitting all day Saturday and knowing we’d be sitting most of the day again on Sunday while traveling. We went for the most beautiful walk in a perfectly hilly neighborhood with amazing houses to view. It was so refreshing and I loved the summery weather that randomly appeared at the end of September!
In case you can’t tell, I feel refreshed, motivated and encouraged by all that I learned and the women I spent time with at the Women’s Fitness Summit. If you are a trainer, strength coach, nutrition coach or even a fitness enthusiast looking to learn more about fitness and nutrition for women (and meet some awesome people), I highly recommend you check out this event next year. Make it a girl’s weekend and have a blast!
A huge thank you to my husband for holding down the fort and taking care of our awesome three year old. Man, I miss this kid so much.
Have you been to any conferences lately?
What’s your favorite fitness/healthy living conference?
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