Let me tell you something I learned the hard way: over-exercising can be just as damaging as not exercising at all. 

Yup, I said it. And yes, I’m calling myself out.

If you're someone who lives by the motto "no days off" and thinks soreness equals success, this is your sign to slow your roll. Because more isn't always better—especially when it comes to your body.

Are You Overdoing It? Check These Signs:

• Constant muscle soreness that lingers for days

• Decreased performance (you’re working harder, but lifting less?)

• Fatigue that caffeine can’t fix

• Slower muscle growth or even muscle loss

• Weakened immune system (hello, random colds)

• Frequent or nagging injuries

• Feeling “tired but wired” all the time

Sound familiar? Your body isn’t being lazy—it’s screaming for recovery.

Recovery Is Where the Magic Happens 

You don’t build muscle while working out—you build it while recovering. So if you’re skipping rest and piling on workouts, you're actu...

Let’s get real—if you’ve hit your 30s and feel like your body’s changing, it’s not just in your head. You’re not just getting older… you’re losing muscle. And that’s kind of a big deal. 😰💪

Most people don’t realize that starting in your 30s, you can lose up to 3–8% of your muscle mass per decade. And if you're not doing anything to actively maintain or rebuild it? That decline only speeds up. By your 60s and beyond, it’s not just a little loss—it’s a slippery slope into weakness, fatigue, joint issues, and increased risk of falls or injuries.

And no, unfortunately, carrying your toddler around, doing laundry, or walking the dog doesn’t quite cut it as resistance training. (Love you, mama, but we need to do better.)

Why Muscle Matters More Than You Think

Muscle is about way more than looking toned in a tank top. It’s your body’s metabolic engine. More muscle means:

• A faster metabolism (yes, even at rest)

• Stronger bones and better posture

• Better balance and mo

  ...

Oh the holidays are here, I know you see it and feel it, on you time, energy and budget, but hopefully not on the scale or your waistline! But if so know you aren't the only one. Yesterday I had a client ask me:

What should I do when my healthy habits fail, And/ or they need to get “re-stuck”?!

Let me start with this, I totally understand because I spent so many holiday seasons, setting myself up for failure! For the holidays, I try and set myself (and clients) up for success and use the mantra: “Maintain don’t gain.”

Because life happens, or as I like to say "life be life-in"

And also “ it’s not if you fall off the horse it’s how quickly you get back on the horse when you fall off” 

Here’s how: 

1. Acknowledge and accept setbacks

-Understanding where you’re at—and how you got there: time, emotions, energy, budget etc

2. Revisit nutrition goals

-Reassess your caloric needs and your nutrition goals: these are not always the same!

3. Re-establish a meal plan and routin...

Ok so hear me out. I’ve tried to put on muscle for years. Legit high protein diet, heavy weights, creatine supplements… the works 

However women don’t naturally “bulk up” due to estrogen- I’m sure there is some genetic freak or two out there exception to every rule- however the “bulky” women you see usually aren’t all natural.

Also after the age of 30-ish our muscle starts to decline roughly 5% every 10 years which is why strength training is so important!

But why should you start to workout BEFORE (aka during) your weight loss journey?

Because muscle burns fat! 

Yes muscle can take up 20% more mass than fat- this is why muscular people usually weigh a bit more than they apear. However their body fat percentage is lower than someone of roughly the same age, height and weight.

So since muscle burns fat, the more muscle I build the more it speeds up my metabolism and the more calories I burn off, therefore the faster I achieve my weight loss (I prefer inches not scale measure...

As hard as I try, I eventually get sucked into the social media scroll, and the more I do the more contradicting information I see. You should do this, you should do that, don't miss that, avoid this... it goes on and on, but what do I find to be one of the biggest lies in the fitness industry?!

If I could only pick just one (I think I smell a series coming through lol) I would start with this:

 One size fits all diet and workout plans 

We are not the same!

Nutrition and Fitness plans should take into account:

(In no particular order, at least most, ideally all, of these should be factored in)

1. Gender

2. Age

3. Weight (current and goal weight)

4. Goals

5. Activity levels

6. Lifestyle

7. Body type

8. Health imbalances 

9. Injuries

10. Health concerns

But I’m also going to add a little controversy with this one: 

Your diet plan should not be missing any major macros (protein, fats, carbs) for an extended period of time!!!!

This is why I loveeee to harp on ...

Want to eat healthier, drink more water, add in fitness, lose weight or gain muscle?

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound

Instead of just an open ended goal of working out more, make it specific, workout 3 days a week doing weight training for 35 minutes at the gym, which also makes it measurable. Make sure this is attainable, maybe you have kids or work 12 hour night shifts, adjust to make it work, maybe it’s at home workouts before school/work. Make sure it’s relevant to you, why do you want to workout 3x a week? For overall health? Maybe to look and feel you best for a trip? Find your why! Last make it timely. I want to be doing 3 workout a week every week by Easter, or maybe I want to lose 20 pounds by July 4th!

Whatever your goal is, breaking it up into smaller goals. This not only makes it more manageable but also gives you the opportunity to celebrate your wins along the way. Instead of aiming for 20 pounds by July 4th, why not celebra...

Recently I was asked, ok I've been asked a lot over the past decade, how to know if you're using quality supplements! So here's a little snippet of what I'm teaching on this week in my Restored and Revitalized Course, to help you find the best for you and your family as well as where to find them!

Quality Supplements:

• GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) Certified (FDA standard, part of USP:United States Pharmacopoeia)
• 3rd party tested
• Formula based on studied dosage
• Freshness
• Gluten, dairy, soy etc. free
• Where it comes from (China etc.)
• Not paying huge money for marketing (money instead goes to research)
• Taste (fish oils that taste fishy are rancid and most likely doing more harm than good)
• Read reviews 
• Don’t get your supplements where you get your paper towels and toilet paper!

Reputable Quality Supplement Brands:

EquiLife

Apex Energetics

Thorne

Pure Encapsulations

Integrative Therapeutics

Ortho Molecular Products

Hey ya'll! So this one is a more "informal" blog but I've been a bit MIA on the blogging for the past little bit but with good reason!!  

"Brea Sharron Estep was crowned Mrs. United States 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada October 7th, 2021.

Brea is an Integrative Health Practitioner, Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, business coach and author of the amazon best seller "Holistic Health Clean Eating Cookbook". She was born and raised in Greensboro NC where she graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with her bachelor’s in business and became the owner of Foundation Fitness studio for 8.5 years. Brea recently moved to Morehead City NC with her husband Tim and two pups, to enjoy living their best life at the beach. She is proud to represent her home state as Mrs. North Carolina United States and now Mrs. United States, where she promotes her platform, her non profit Youth Fitness Link. Which shares her life’s mission statement “build health positive relationships...

Jump Around! 90s style!

Benefits of Rebounding
1. Lymphatic drainage:
Aids in venous blood flow allowing our lymphatic system (where our toxins are stored) to flow better, therefore detoxifies better which improves the immune system.
2. Stress reduction:
Light bouncing can help increase blood flow to underused muscles and loosen and release overused ones, plus it helps the body release endorphins which are your brain’s natural calming, feel good aid.
3.Improve balance:
Improves proprioception (ability to sense the orientation and position of your body) which aids in fall/injury reduction. It also stimulates the vestibule in the middle ear to improve balance.
4. Strengthen pelvic floor muscles:
The pelvic floor is a group of muscles that effectively form a hammock across the base of your pelvis and support the internal organs above it. Having strong and flexible pelvic floor muscles helps control the bladder, stabilize the hip joints, and connect to the deep core.
5. Improve bone strength:
Rebou...

New year, new you; new years resolutions; most resolutions are broken by February; and here we are. We’ve all heard the same thing every single January but why should you actually stick to your goal’s of “getting healthy, looking better, and feeling better” this time around? 
 
Exercise releases positive endorphins, and positive endorphins make you feel better about yourself as well as increases energy.
 
Exercise itself increases energy, stamina as well as mental alertness.
 
Exercise makes you want to eat better in order to “perform” better, which in turn increases your overall health.
 
Exercise, whether it is indoors at a local gym/group classes, or outdoors at a park/ trail is a great way to engage with new people with positive life goals.
 
Exercise has been proven time and time again to decrease and even alleviate depression, anxiety, stress, negative self-esteem and cognitive function.
 
Exercise is a great way to improve self-esteem through setting and beating personal goals.
 
Exercise imp...