SHAWN STEVENSON: Welcome to The Model Health Show, this is fitness and nutrition expert Shawn Stevenson, and I'm so grateful for you tuning in with me today. On this episode, we're going to be talking about the great pivot that's taken place in regards to fitness during the age of COVID-19. Obviously, a lot has changed in our world. There was a long period of gyms being shut down, bike trails being shut down, swimming pools had caution tape around them. So, a lot of folks were forced to pivot. And during this time, coincidentally, we've seen sedentary behavior that was already at epidemic proportions in our country skyrocket even further. Which again, just based on the data that we already had, it was to be expected, but this is something that we need to take control of, we need to get a handle on. And also, how can we shift gears and look at the bigger picture and look at the value that we can extract from this time, right now. And again, as mentioned, sedentary behavior has been up-leveled even further, and this is actually very counter-productive if we're talking about management of this virus that's on a lot of people's minds right now. And we've got some new data.

This was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, and they're looking at a massive analysis of COVID-19 patients to take a good look at their exercise habits prior to contracting COVID-19. The conclusion of the study states that adults who engaged in the recommended levels of physical activity were associated with a decreased likelihood of SARS-CoV-2 infection, severe COVID-19 illness, and COVID-19 related death. Number one, they found that regular exercise has a notable protective effect against contracting COVID in the first place. They found number two, it had an even stronger effect in protecting individuals who regularly exercise from severe effects from COVID-19, and also dramatically reducing the risk of death from COVID-19 as well.

And also in this study, they did a really good job at accounting for confounding factors, but again, no study is perfect. But seeing this connection is really startling, especially when you look at how detailed an analysis like this is and what it really brings forward, and what we can do to truly protect our citizens and get our citizens healthier and more resilient. They tracked the benefits of both aerobic exercise and strength training exercise as well. And they found that strength training had benefits in reducing rates of infection and reducing rates of severe symptoms while aerobic exercise, most notably showed an even greater benefit in reducing rates of infection, severe side effects, and being remarkably protective against death related to COVID-19.

But here's the biggest takeaway from this study, the combined engagement of consistent strength training and aerobic exercise outperformed them all individually and made the risk of severe COVID infections absolutely plummet. In one cohort of the study, people who regularly strength-train and utilize aerobic exercise had a 27% lower risk of contracting COVID-19 infection in the first place. And listen to this, they had almost a 60% lower risk of severe COVID-19 symptoms. That is incredible, a 60% lower risk of severe symptoms. This sounds medicinal. This is remarkably protective. This should be advocated and talked about a whole lot more. In another cohort of the study, the folks who were getting sufficient amounts of activity, getting sufficient amounts of exercise each week, were found to have a 22% lower risk of COVID-19 infection in the first place, a 38% lower risk of severe COVID-19 and an 83% lower risk of COVID-19 related death. Again, pretty remarkable, this is matching up against folks who are sedentary.

Now, we live right now... Here in the United States, we have the most sedentary culture in the history of the world. And I really want to emphasize this point, and I want you to take a moment and really think about that. At no time in the history of our species have we been this inactive. We evolved really in an environment where we were forced to move around. It was just a part of life. It was just a part of being human. Today, we have so many different conveniences and reacher comforts. They have their place, but it's created a situation where we have to proactively replicate or manufacture movements that we would naturally be doing, walking, running, picking up heavy things. We go to a gym to kind of replicate those activities and elicit the epigenetic influences that those things deliver, which gives us a healthy expression of our genes, healthy function of our DNA, healthy function of our cells, healthy function of our organs, healthy function of our organ systems, healthy function of our bodies.

And so, this is a time where also we can probably add in a little bit more creativity to the mix and getting those biological needs because truly your genes expect you to exercise. Your genes expect you to move and to be active. And even the word exercise itself, we're creating basically... We're putting it into a box. But exercise is a way to describe. Being human really, because encapsulated in this box with exercise, when we open up the box, there are thousands of different things that that could mean. So today we're really going to open up this box, expand this conversation, address what's happening right now in our world, but also look at, "Hey, what can we do moving forward to transform this state of affairs and really get ourselves healthier and more resilient to all the stress that's going on in the world right now?" So really pumped about this and we've got somebody who is an incredibly powerful voice in this domain of fitness and really can't wait... This is her second time on the show and she's somebody who's a friend and somebody who's a continued inspiration and just really a wealth of knowledge, based on her experience in helping countless people. She's impacted millions of people but also finding ways to adapt and pivot in her own life as her life structures have changed. So again, really pumped about this.

Now, as of this recording, we are moving into "cold and flu season”, so this is a time to be a little bit more adamant about our immune function and supporting our overall health. This is a time to be a little bit more proactive and making sure that we're getting the nutrients that we need to fortify our immune system. A study published in the peer-review journal, Antiviral Chemistry and Chemotherapy, revealed that the long-storied Bee product propolis has significant antiviral effects, specifically in reducing viral lung infections. Now, propolis has been found to be so effective against viruses, not just what we would deem to be like an internal virus, but also what we would deem to be something external, showing these external symptoms, like cold sores for example. A recent study published in Phytotherapy Therapy Research found that topically applying propolis multiple times a day, three times a day in this study, accelerated the healing of cold sores faster than no treatment at all. The research has found that the topical propolis not only reduced the amount of the herpes virus present in a person's body but also protected the body against future cold sore breakouts. That is remarkable.

Again, something that's deemed to be not really having a viable treatment or "cure", but something that is modulating the immune system in such a way that is preventing and protecting, not preventing, but protecting and reducing the reoccurrence of future cold sores via this very crafty virus that knows how to hide out in our nervous system. There's something really special about propolis. And why is that? Well, I think a big reason is because it has over 300 active compounds with the majority of these compounds being in the form of very powerful antioxidants, specifically polyphenols that are well documented to reduce inflammation and fight disease. Even more specifically, polyphenols have been proven to inhibit the activity of coronavirus, according to recent data published in the peer-reviewed journal, Archives of Virology. This is something that I add to my repertoire. Especially during this time of year, I'm more proactive at utilizing my propolis spray from beekeeper's naturals.

Go to B-E-E-K-E-E-P-E-R-Snaturals.com/model, and you get a 25% discount. This is brand new. They just bumped it from 15% to 25% off. They're wanting folks to proactively get their immune system fortified, pick up their incredible B.Immune spray, the B.Immune throat spray, based on propolis. Again, this is something I regularly use. Also, there's a kids' one that I use for my little guy as well. Go to beekeepersnaturals.com/model again for 25% off. Also, they've got some remarkable Elderberry Lozenges. Their B.Better cough syrup, that is avoiding all of these crazy... If you look at the ingredients on conventional cough syrup, it is insane that it's even okay for humans to consume. It's getting down to things that are clinically proven to be effective, safe, and actually healthy for humans with a storied, a long history of benefit. Go to beekeepersnaturals.com/model. Now, let's get to the Apple podcast review of the week.

ITUNES REVIEW: Another five-star review titled, "So inspiring" by CRI2016. “I love this podcast. Always so inspiring and full of easy-to-follow information. I just ordered the new book, and I can't wait to read, thank you.”

SHAWN STEVENSON: You said it, Suzie, that's powerful. Thank you so much for leaving that review over on Apple Podcast, and listen, if you get to do so, please pop over to Apple Podcast and leave a review for the Model Health Show. I appreciate that so very much. And now let's get to our special guest and topic of the day. Our guest today is Dr. Will Cole, and he's a leading functional medicine expert, who consults with people all around the world in his clinical practice, and he specializes in clinically investigating the underlying factors in chronic disease, and then customizing health programs. Dr. Cole has been named one of the top 50 functional medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, and is the host of The Art of Well-Being Podcast, and he has been featured everywhere from Forbes to Parade, to Shape, to Mindbodygreen, and so much more. And he's the author of the best-selling books, Ketotarian, The Inflammation Spectrum, and his new book, Intuitive Fasting. So let's jump into this conversation with the incredible Dr Will Cole. The first day I went to the gym, because you know I was lifting heavy, and the first time I did feel a little bit after maybe at 70% into the workout, I typically do, I felt a little bit light-headed, but the next session, you know, it just... I can go in there dead lift 400 pounds on a little coffee.

LITA LEWIS: Thank you for having me back. You're right, I've definitely been here before.

SHAWN STEVENSON: So, second time here, and I appreciate you stopping by. Obviously, there's a lot going on in the world right now, but with all this going on in the world, why is it more important than ever for folks to focus on fitness?

LITA LEWIS: Oh my gosh. Where do I begin? I think, listen, people like myself have been pushing healthy lifestyles for foreverness. Like myself, I know many others that grew up in playing sports, being involved in sports, living active lifestyles, and because of it have learned how to fuel their bodies correctly. And if you're lucky, you take that into adulthood and it becomes part of your very fabric, your very being. And because of it, we can then benefit from living in these vessels that are healthy, or somewhat healthy, 'cause I definitely enjoy a little treat here and there. But more than ever, I think as this virus spreads around our globe, and we see that it ultimately attacks our immune system, we recognize the importance of having a strong one. And I think a lot of people's thoughts go in all different directions when it comes to fitness, and I've always said it should be lifestyle like many other people. It should be something you enjoy and something that you take seriously because when there are risks to our health, our first defense is this very body that we inhabit.

I think at least with my own community, this idea of fitness, especially even how I've pushed it, which I take full responsibility for, has been really much kind of a hardcore approach to this idea of going to the gym five days a week, clocking in your time. I know social media has played this... A huge portrayal of what it is to live a fit, healthy lifestyle, and to the average person, that's really unobtainable. And I get that now more than ever, now that I'm filling roles of a stepmom, and a wife, and someone that's running a household and a business, I get that. Not even I can be in the gym twice a day for several hours at a time. But I think in more recent years, I've tried really hard to promote that fitness be not something that is hardcore and you certainly don't have to look a certain way or be lifting, pulling, squatting a certain amount of weight, it's simply that you are moving your body in a certain way to sustain a healthy lifestyle, and not to say, gain abs and a big booty and all these other... The verbiage around and the narrative around it. But it should be something that is very much linked to health and hence why obviously fitness plays a huge part in that because, just encouraging people, and I'm speaking primarily to women and women of color, just to move your body is important and to do so regularly, so we can ultimately then be strong and have strong immunes.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, do you feel that also your training exercise makes you more resilient to stress in your life too?

LITA LEWIS: That is a great question. I've always used movement, exercise to combat stress, and for somebody that has... I've been very vocal about having gone through and dealt with severe depression in my 20s, fitness ultimately, and I hate saying it like this, 'cause it sounds so cliche, but it saved my life. I recognize when I moved my physical body, I could then be somewhere else and focus on what I always said was kind of, avoiding what was the emotional pain, to what was the physical pain that ultimately made me feel good. I'm in a space now where the messaging that I'm sharing should really evolve, 'cause what was once in my 20s is very, very different from today, and what I recognize is, say my audience or my followers, they also reflect that as well. So, I think it's really imperative that I share and consistently share that regular movement and exercise not be this idea of a hardcore regimen or something again, just regular movement where we can honor our bodies.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, and obviously you've impacted the lives of a lot of people, you've worked with a lot of people, you taught a lot of classes. Do you see that as a viable tool for people to use exercise and movement, because again, there's a lot of stress, obviously, in the world right now, it's magnified? So, do you see that in other people's lives that you've worked with as that being something that's made them stronger in other areas, not just their bodies?

LITA LEWIS: Definitely, I definitely practice other things, like I'm big on meditation and journaling, but because I have had the influence of speaking over others and leading classes, all the time, without fail, the class is usually a 45-minute to 60-minute class. And I've said this before. The community around what ultimately is fitness becomes so much more. And women, people in general open up and then speak about their experiences about life and why they move and what brought them to the class or to the workshop or whatever it may be. And it is, it is life stuff. It's got nothing to do with fat cells or wanting to build a booty. It really is life stuff. And so, this idea that moving can combat or help manage stress is a part of the conversation. And especially now, I know stress is very prevalent in a lot of people's lives, and not just around health, but how this pandemic has affected us in all different types of ways. Financial, social, those that are raising kids and are dealing with the different types of the lacking of social interactions with their peers, all sorts of things that, I think, causes a lot of stress, that if we can get outside, again, not go to the gym and try to squat 315, but simply walk with your family around the neighborhood, take a hike, something very simple is helping people. Absolutely.

Fresh air in general, getting out of the house, especially after being told that you should be inside the house has been a part of the conversation and something that I'm constantly telling my folks as well.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah. Obviously, and you've seen this, over... It's not just now, but just recently in human history, we've kind of been devolving as far as movements concerned. We're pretty sedentary culture already. As a matter of fact, in the United States, most sedentary culture that's ever existed. We already have that title. But with COVID and all the shutdowns, that was magnified. So now, a lot of the data is coming out that the rates of sedentary behavior skyrocketed even more. It's going from really bad to far worse. And, obviously, gyms are shut down, parks closed. I saw the caution tape around the neighborhood park.

LITA LEWIS: A playground.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, the playground by my house.

LITA LEWIS: So sad. Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And, obviously, this is a reason why sedentary behaviors picked up. But why do you think that is? Why do you think we already...? We were already sedentary, but why do you feel that people became more sedentary during this time? Was it just uncertainty, was it getting permission to not work out 'cause it's closed, what do you think?

LITA LEWIS: I could answer that in one word, I think, and that is fear. I think that more than ever, what I've realized is there's kind of two types of people. We all have TVs, televisions, we all are pumped, our homes are pumped full of this dare I say, propaganda or narrative that is clearly, to me, intentional, and that is feeding the masses. And I think when we're at home and we're absorbing this, there's that person that says, this is truth, and we must abide, and we must fall in line, we must march along to whatever's being told. And there's those people that say, well, that doesn't make much sense, because I know when I feel the best or when I'm the healthiest and I'm the strongest, I do X, Y, and Z that contradict what is being told to me. And I think for those that are moving in fear, 'cause this is something that I personally have been very conscious about, like, am I feeling this way 'cause I'm fearful, and therefore I'm frightened, and it suppresses my thoughts and my rationale and common sense, or am I making his decision based out of common sense? Shout out to my mom who says, don’t let it be fear, be aware of fear all the time.

And so, I think there's people out there that hear the information, choose to believe it, and then... And I will say, there's obviously things that are said that I think we all should analyze and lean towards understanding and believing to some capacity. But those that absorb everything is truth, I think that is always, regardless of which way or which side you're on, has been really dangerous. And if you believe that, then it is, to me, very clear you are moving and making decisions based out of fear, hence why those that, say, would normally hit the park with their kids, take the dog for a walk and aren't doing so. So, I don't really think that people are using it as an excuse not to stay active. I think people do want to live in however they define that, and they... However, again, you don't have to be a gym person, but if you were that person that went on your local hikes, but were told that you couldn't, or they were closed, or if you do take a two-hour hike, you have to wear a mask the entire time, you might be discouraged from that.

So, I think it's fear. I think there's people that adopt it, adopt the information and just move from fear, and there's those that can recognize and filter that, be like, I will not choose to live my life from that, and I will make decisions based on what I know my body is capable of doing, and what I've known for X amount of years or however long you've been on this planet, has worked to me as far as keeping my body and mind strong.

SHAWN STEVENSON: I'm glad you mentioned body and mind as well. And you just... That was the ultimate answer, fear. You're so right. It really boils down to that. And, obviously, a lot of folks have had to pivot. Some people are just about that life. They're about that gym life, they're about getting out, training their bodies in various ways. And a lot of folks have been forced to pivot in the interim. Stuff is kind of open back up here in LA, kind of. It's a lot of very strange rules and regulations, though, at this time, almost two years later. But many people in the interim were forced to pivot. And you were there, and this is one of the reasons I wanted to have you here, as a resource. And I want people to continue to have you as a resource where you're like, hey, listen. I understand. This is closed down. If you have a body, you have a workout.

LITA LEWIS: So true.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And so, let's talk about that pivot, and just kind of removing the barriers of excuse, like, I don't have a gym, I can't do, fill in the blank. What can people really look to, and where did you see everything pivot in this time?

LITA LEWIS: Yeah. Well, I can speak on myself personally. I was like If I cannot get to the gym. I will say there were body-weighted workouts that I was doing on my deck, on my backyard. A lot of them involved the kids. That were fun. But for somebody that is used to going to the gym, and admittedly, that is still me, I still like strength training. Having some type of resistance that was a little bit more than a resistance band, I was getting itchy for it. I invested in some dumbbells, I was lucky to be able to borrow... my CrossFit gym at the time, barbell, and some weights. So, I made it work.

SHAWN STEVENSON: You see that. That's great. You borrowed.

LITA LEWIS: This is...I borrowed.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That's amazing.

LITA LEWIS: Yeah, they were like, "Well, we're shut down, but come and get this equipment, we're still going to get these workouts in." I think... Listen, I always say, my mother raised me and my sisters to be doers and to figure, can I curse? Figure shit out. Just figure it out. Just figure it out. It's this idea that nothing is that serious, nothing is... Doesn't have an answer. Everything has an answer. And I think just growing up with that type of verbiage it's just like, you just figure it out. It might not always be the same thing, and you might not always hit the target as far as getting the same results or getting that same type of workout that you would in your regular pattern, but just figuring it out. The people that panic that they can't sit there and like throw weights from like you know wall to wall, I'm like, "Things have changed, adapt." Listen, as human beings, if we can't adapt to our environments then we're going to die. I mean it's really that simple. I hate to sound so morbid, but it's... Adaption is imperative to survival. And besides gym rats, we look at fitness and follow those gym junkies that were like, "Oh, I can't do this. My world is going to crumble down." Again, I just think about what my mom would say, "Just figure that shit out," you know? And like I said, I pivoted, I bought some very, very over-priced dumbbells at the time.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Right.

LITA LEWIS: These inflated prices.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Oh man! The prices. Right.

LITA LEWIS: And I justify them 'cause I got... Even to this day, those dumbbells that I have in my backyard, still are getting their money's worth, but it's just about figuring it out, Shawn, just adapting, like I said, you adapt, if you don't adapt, you're going to die. So that's how we're going to consider these workouts. If you don't adapt and figure it out, you ain't going to survive, all right?

SHAWN STEVENSON: I love this. This is a whole new look at survival of the fittest, you know? Literally.

LITA LEWIS: Oh my gosh that has really been a real conversation. I mean, apart from everything, which I should be really sensitive about, 'cause I have spoken about it in such a way that people say, "That sounds really cold," and I'm like, "You're right, it does." But if we step out of this universe, if we look at human life as what it is and how it's evolved, it really is survival of the fittest. And if you're not taking your health and your family's health seriously, you just won't survive. Now, I'm not saying that say, this virus, for instance, is going to kill all your family members, what I'm saying is, if I and my husband are very conscious about keeping our kids active, sharing a narrative around what it means to move your body regularly, exercising, performing, and then fueling your body a certain way that gives you optimum results or execution of that body, then, you know, there's that narrative in the household, and there's the other family that perhaps are not taking that stuff seriously and are feeding their bodies full of junk and not prioritizing... Again, not the crazy workouts, or putting your kids in all sorts of sports, but just regular movement and encouraging that.

Who's living longer, who's thriving, who's got a healthier mindset that then leads to opportunities, to also wealth, if you will? Like who's doing that? So, when I say only the fittest will survive type thing, I'm kind of thinking of it as more metaphorically. I'm not saying you're going to die, so to speak, but who's living their best life?

SHAWN STEVENSON: Living. Yeah.

LITA LEWIS: Which family? Which group of people if you will? And I have always said I want to be part of those people that are conscious about how to literally honor the very vessels that we live in because these are the bodies that are carrying us through this experience, this human experience of life. And that's... Again, as you mentioned also, you have to pay attention to our mindsets, mindsets, our mental, emotional, not just our physical health.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, this really is a parallel to something I was going to talk about, but... We talked about this before the show. A big part of the reason I'm doing this work at this level that I'm doing it at is for our children because unfortunately, they've been the least considered in this equation with all this taking place, and I've pointed these things out very early in all this like the... These are the things that are going to happen if we do these things, these things will happen, this is just science.

LITA LEWIS: You called it early.

SHAWN STEVENSON: So, the CDC just came out with the report acknowledging the gigantic jump in obesity rates in children over just over the span of the pandemic. And so... Now, here's the problem, we can say, "Oh well, we can fix things and get things back on track," but that's not how it works. Once... Especially in childhood, there's this concept of recidivism. So, once you have a template where you're overweight as a child, it's very... It becomes exponentially more difficult to achieve a healthy body weight, a healthy body composition, when you get older, it's not impossible, you just start stacking conditions against you. Not to mention the higher risk of diabetes and heart disease, and the list goes on and on. That's happening in our children being subjected to a loss of connection, a loss of routine, which the brain craves, a loss of development of the social, and really, the social brain is a big part that's not getting talked about, I don't even want to get into it.

LITA LEWIS: Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: But also, just basic tenets of fitness because I know that the way that I grew up if this happened, I'd be in the house eating ramen noodles and pizza rolls and watching cartoons, you know what I mean? And it's not that there's anything inherently, we can't just label this good or bad, it's just what it was, it is, for hundreds of millions of Americans, to be frank. It's not... I've said this before, but I'm going to say this again here in this moment, 250 million of our citizens are overweight or obese. It's very difficult for us to wrap our minds around. We got 340 million-ish folks. That's a huge chunk of our citizens, and from my experience, and I know yours as well, it's not that people want to be in that state. It's not that my family members... And myself... I was fluffy as hell when I was 20 years old when I was losing my health. It's just that I didn't... I didn't really... I wasn't exposed to what really works, and I wasn't exposed to what you said earlier community, and that is such a powerful cohesive thing today. And once that gets pulled apart, I think that's one of the things that really broke a lot of folks. So, I want to ask you about your consistency, how important consistency is, and I know, again, I can see it in your face, it's not that we have to be 100% every day.

LITA LEWIS: Sure.

SHAWN STEVENSON: But where does consistency play into things? How have you... Have you had to pivot your own routine? And what does your routine look like? Do you train in the mornings and like...? Please share.

LITA LEWIS: That's a really good question, I think... So, I struggled with consistency at the beginning of COVID 'cause I, like many people, didn't take it too seriously, meaning like, "Surely this is going to be over in like, two, three weeks." In that interim, I was doing very basic workouts in the backyard. And then, reality kind of hit in and I'm like, "Oh, we're in this... " I'm not sure if your question is regarding over the pandemic, Shawn, or just in general?

SHAWN STEVENSON: Both.

LITA LEWIS: Both. Okay, so then let me broaden the answer. I should say this. Admittedly, and I think this is important, 'cause I've always avoided talking about this, and I think this might be a woman thing, but I've found that... I am 38 years old, and I'm proud to be 38, I'm not one of those women are too scared to say their age, actually, which always makes me feel funny, that women are like, "Don't say your age", I'm like, "Why the hell not? I achieved this," but my life from 28, when fitness was really big for me, meaning, I grew up always as an athlete then I started working and then I was doing that corporate thing and that was very much a focus, and then I got back into regular exercise around 26, 27. By 28, I was really into it. And consistency for me then was defined really differently than what consistency is for me today.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah.

LITA LEWIS: And I think it's important to say because a lot of women that I know that are in their 30s, even 40s, have this idea that they have to maintain a level of consistency that they're defining back when they were in their 20s versus what that means for them today. That's important for me to realize, because as someone that's in very much the space of a fitness influencer, age does matter, because with... And I don't mean that from a limiting perspective, meaning you're older, so you should be more mindful about what you're doing in the gym and how often... No! Not the intensity, so to speak, but simply because lifestyle changes. I tell people all the time when I was 28, I was not married, I was single, I did not have four kids to take care of, or a mortgage or a home, so I think it's really important, for not just your physical health but your mental health, ladies out there, please understand your definition of consistency today is going to be very differently than it was 10, 15 years ago. And that is okay. That is fine.

Let me tell you when I was 28, consistency for me meant at least six days a week. Four of those days were two-a-days, right? Every single one of those six days involved at least an hour or 90 minutes of cardio, right, and I would lift for at least 90 minutes. That was consistency for me.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That's a lot.

LITA LEWIS: Meaning, Sunday, I would rest, really rest, and then, if for whatever reason, I got five days, I'd be like, "bad week". Yo, if I got five days today and was in the gym twice, Monday through Thursday, and then did 90 minutes of cardio, I would be like, "Holy smokes, I am superwoman". So, I cannot live up to... And it's one thing I realized, I cannot live up to the standards I gave myself in my 20s that I do today, 'cause that is guaranteed like a mental breakdown. And I'm trying to live my very best life today, as a 38-year-old married woman with four kids to be responsible for. So, I say this with a lot of passion because there's so many women out there, and I know this 'cause I've had conversations with them, that are stuck on old definitions of what consistency means for them.

So, today, for me, Shawn, consistency is at least four days a week of doing my favorite hike that takes me about 70 minutes. 7-0, I know this 'cause I time myself. So, if I'm under that, I'm like, "That's a great day". And if I get to the gym twice a week and put in at least an hour, that's a fantastic week for me. And that is okay. I feel good, right? Sure, I'm not the beast mode girl that's squatting, out-squatting the boys in the gym, and that's okay, 'cause I don't need to be that person. As long as I can still out squat the oldest son, which I can...

I'm still good but what I'm saying is, for me, ultimately, the goal is to feel good in my own body, right, and if that means a little extra pounds, so be it, if that means I need to lose a little weight, so be it. But like for me, I'm trying to live my best life, and that's what my consistency... that my consistency has to be aligned to that. Does that make sense?

SHAWN STEVENSON: Of course. That was so refreshing. That was so, so great.

LITA LEWIS: I hope so. I feel like a lot of people need to hear that. Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, so you're... This amazing hike that you're doing... So, are you doing this in the morning? What does your morning routine look like?

LITA LEWIS: Oh, morning routine. Let me tell you, very different also from when I was 28. I wake up around 6:45. All the kids are self-sufficient, I will say. No one has to flip pancakes and make eggs in the morning; they all do their own thing. We leave out the house by about 7:20, I take them to school admittedly the school's a little way, it's not in our local neighborhood, and I drop them off, I go straight to my trail. The local trail. You might be familiar with it. If you haven't, you got to do it. It's beautiful. Like I said, I do an extended route, it takes me a little over an hour. I come home, that's when I start my workday. So, for the most part, I shower, make myself some breakfast, flip the laptop and a lot of everything's online, so between my online business with fitness and I also own in a apparel line, I'm doing all those types of things and communicating with manufacturers, that's what I'm doing until it's time to pick up the kids again.

So, laptop closes, I go pick up those kids, we come home, I set them off with homework, make sure they're fed, make sure they're eating, and then I'll just immediately do some more work until dinnertime. When do I train? 'cause this is a thing. The hours between, by the time I finish my hike and the time it's time to pick up the kids is actually just a few hours, and so on a good day, like I said, if it's twice a week, I'm happy I'll find I'll carve out an hour, sometimes 90 minutes if I'm lucky and do some strength training, and ultimately these days, because of my limited days per week now, in comparison to what I used to come from, I'll focus lower half and then upper half, give my body a whole week's rest until I do it again. And that works for me, that works for me if I could do extra great if I don't make one of the days. That's fine too. And I think that's also part of my way of maintaining mental health is this idea of not beating myself up, if I can't give my physical body everything that I desire for it to have, but no, that's okay. And that hike in the morning always satisfies me anyways.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, I love that.

LITA LEWIS: It's a very boring routine. Now that I say it out loud, I'm like, "Holy smokes."

SHAWN STEVENSON: No. This sounds fantastic, the hiking in of itself, there's so much value there, you know the fresh air, the altitude, there's so many... And just moving your body. And I would imagine you get some time to think, which I mean, how often do people just think like, when's the last time you just thought something without pick up your phone or whatever the case, even meditation, it's still... You're still meditating, but just to sit and think or to walk and think. I think that look I'm using think thing, but I think that during... Prior to all the shutdowns taking place and COVID becoming part of our lexicon, I was recovering from an injury, and I literally had to retrain my nervous system to walk again, like people don't know about this, I mentioned it on the show before, eventually, I'll do a full...

LITA LEWIS: Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Breakdown of what happened, but part of my rehab was just simply walking and the first time I tried to walk, I couldn't even make it to the end of my block. And eventually, over the months... And by the way, so I got to know all my neighbors who see me out there, and my neighbor is a pretty, pretty, elderly neighborhood, and I'm out there and they could smoke me, you like just, you know on the walking tip and they, but before you know it... I'm walking a little bit better, I'm walking a little bit better, and they're just popping out the window, "Keep it going, fella."

LITA LEWIS: You're kidding.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And so, but I had all of this time to think because I didn't have anything playing, I didn't... I wasn't with anybody, I just, I needed to be in my body so I could try to get my nervous system to turn over and to do the motion.

LITA LEWIS: I like that. You had to be in your body.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, and so I had a lot of time just to think about things, to contemplate, this is prior to the pandemic, and as we were transitioning into it, I feel like the world was kind of joining me, not being able to do stuff, but already I had this very centered connection with my body, my thoughts, and so I just felt like it gave me this extra layer of rationality and patience and peace when the world started to really change and mutate and so I just want to throw that out there for folks, maybe if you could take again, five minutes can be a long time today, a lot to ask for it, but just five minutes just to unplug, just to do nothing, just to think or getting out. Going for a hike. Going for a walk in your neighborhood. This is also a great time. This is a good opportunity to do something with your significant other or a friend, a great way to catch up to talk about things, the only way I can get my wife to actually walk with me is if we kind of talk shop, talk business, get her gossip. No, it's usually more of the gossip.

LITA LEWIS: That's hilarious.

SHAWN STEVENSON: From her just catching me up on stuff too.

LITA LEWIS: Creates balance.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, but I would just be like, " Babe, we get to go talk, you can tell me about... " Fill in the blank, whatever. But other than that, she's like, no, I'm not going, so...

LITA LEWIS: That's hilarious. Well see, she sounds a little bit more like, I know that he's like wants to gossip, but what I've tried to explain to him... So, we're cut from the same cloth. Like when I talk about literally, especially this time of year, it's so the air is crisp and is something the dewiness just the sights, half of it in the shade and then half the views of the valley.

When I try to speak to him, my husband that is, about what it does for me like meaning he knows when I didn't go on that hike. Sometimes people give me a little odd, he's like, "Babe whatever works for you. Whatever that is you do that." But we could sit there and make it sound like something that's kind of out of body or not of from this world but it really... It's funny when you said in my body a lot of times, I think that we just be... Whether or not we are driving, or even having a conversation, or a board meeting, anything, shopping we are just existing without really being fully aware of ourselves in a body that is capable of doing things, feeling things, all these things. I could talk about this for a while so I won't go on 'cause I will be that person but just simply the fresh air, seeing a view, that's something that I will never take for granted. Knowing that I'm in a body I have two working legs and two working arms and thinking about those that do not like little gratefulness.

And then what I've also started doing, though I love a good podcast I just stopped listening to music altogether because now I'm even paying attention to the smallest little things I've never seen on this hike, I do it like sometimes 4-5 times a week and just being aware and present and stuff. And like I said sitting down and kind of paying attention to me is the simple things and I... Can I share this? This morning when I went on this hike I decided to sit down on a bench and they have a few benches up at the top where you see, overlook the valley and it's just gorgeous. And there was clouds it was sort of settling so then you saw a few buildings pop up, the sky was clear and I remember sitting there and I had both feet on the ground, I had my hands on my thighs and whatever a dog kind of startled me. And my hands kind of did like over my thighs I kind of just brushed my thighs a little bit. And I don't know why but the feeling of just that made me very conscious that I was in a body and this body was mine and that it allowed me to hike to this point, that gratitude just kept coming to me. And I think when you hear though Oprah is speaking about the significance and the importance of living in a state of gratitude. It's little moments like that that I get it.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah.

LITA LEWIS: I truly get it. And I think that does more for me not just mentally but also physically from a different aspect not 'cause I'm working out these thighs and I'm squatting with heavyweight but because just... It's just the simple, the essence of that they are there, and I've touched them, and they allowed me to hike somewhere made me feel just really this heightened feeling of being in my body. So, when you said that it just triggered that for me 'cause it happened to me just hours ago this morning.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah.

LITA LEWIS: But I think it's important, I think it's important to be aware of that considering our world is like this all the time, to be in your body that's why I'm going to steal that, be in your body.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah.

LITA LEWIS: Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That's powerful. And you said it we are very... There's so much external pulling us away from our bodies in a sense but the truth is you can never really leave here even your perception of all this happening in the world is still going on in you, but it seems so exterior it seems so external. But getting back and being in your body and starting to notice how you feel, this is one of the coolest things about what you shared because that state of gratitude makes you physically healthier.

LITA LEWIS: Thank you.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That state of gratitude.

LITA LEWIS: That's what I was trying to get at, right?

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, yeah.

LITA LEWIS: Cause your mental and how you think and feel dictates health also, with you I'm sure you can speak on that more than I can.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, it's just... It changes your biochemistry.

LITA LEWIS: Exactly, there you go.

SHAWN STEVENSON: You are releasing more affirmative, strengthening, anti-aging hormones.

LITA LEWIS: Thank you.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Versus the more catabolic, which again it all has its place but if we're in that state where we have a chronic habitual release of chemicals where we are constantly outside of our bodies and stressed and not appreciating this body it's toxic to an extent. So being able to flip that switch however we can that's very remarkable.

LITA LEWIS: Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And this made me when you were having that moment where you were noticing things literally, I got to the point where I was noticing cracks in the ground that I hadn't seen and just like, I really knew this block 'cause I just walked up and down my block is just one block is kind of like this little cul de sac. So, I knew when I was... I knew the houses, I know this one house that just got all of these crazy plants look like they just took some seeds of some of everything, it's kind of like subway running through the garden I don't know, it just... It's crazy it just looks... It's a bit of a mess, a beautiful mess. Anyway, so I see that there's I see certain houses, or the panels are unfinished or their roofs and just noticing all these things. But most recently I just took a walk last night and I tried to get some footage of it, but it was too dark it wasn't coming up on the camera. I've been going because I got to get it in just like at least 10-20 minutes just get out and walk in my little, in my block. And a lot of times my youngest son will come with me, and I've been going right when the sun is setting so and there is this...

LITA LEWIS: This time?

SHAWN STEVENSON: There's this little bat, there's a damn bat...

LITA LEWIS: Okay.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That's been coming out and it comes out at this time without fail and it's just like flapping... One time it was trying to get at me and it's a tiny little bat.

LITA LEWIS: Really? It's got to be one of those fruit bats 'cause they're around I know; I've seen them myself.

SHAWN STEVENSON: I don't know what it's doing. I think that this one is actually from Wuhan.

LITA LEWIS: Oh no.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And he's just trying to tell me like, "It wasn't me, man."

SHAWN STEVENSON: "Don't believe the hype, it wasn't me."

LITA LEWIS: "It wasn't me." Oh my gosh.

SHAWN STEVENSON: So, I'm like "why is this bat so attracted to me?" Anyway, so these are the things that I might miss if I'm just got my head down, throwing on the headphones or whatnot.

LITA LEWIS: It's true.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Got a quick break coming up, we'll be right back.

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I want to ask you about... You are motivational force for so many people, like truly, and you know that.

LITA LEWIS: So sweet.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Now, what motivates you, what do you have in your life? Or do you look to in the moments when you might be needing a little bit of motivation to whether it's to take care of yourself, to execute, get your work done, whatever the case might be, what motivates the motivator?

LITA LEWIS: Yeah, that's a really good question for a lot of people that we probably both look up to, that apparently seem like they are always full of motivation. I can be fully transparent here and say the motivation always isn't at its highest for me, in dealing with life like everyone else, there's always ups and downs, and I think sometimes in those downs, I find it difficult to be motivated. The feeling I get when I go on my hikes for instance, will motivate me to just get up, just get up and do that hike or, get outside, let the sun kiss your skin breathe some fresh air, things like that motivate me, 'cause I'm very much a nature a Nature Girl, I think ultimately though when I'm in very much a cadence of motivation, I think those are things that come from my childhood, Shawn, like simple things, I come from simple people, Island people who are immensely happy and they don't have to have a lot... And I take a lot of motivation from that, especially 'cause I now live in the city of angels here in Los Angeles, where we so are really easily influenced by the Joneses, and I can admit that my husband and I have definitely had certain motivations where we feel like we should need and get.

And sometimes I fall back on them, like, yeah, oh we did it was a terrible purchase, but I think about childhood I think about the people that raised me, one thing, and I don't actually know who this came from, but I remember it being kind of like a staple saying amongst family members, it's like, Listen, I'm not here for a long time, I'm here for a good time. And I think about that often, sometimes, especially when I'm stressed, I'm like... I'm approaching 40. I don't know what God has intended for my life, the span... How long I would be here? But I am really conscious about wanting to live good, I want to live a good life, and then how I define good will be very different than say how Kim Kardashian may define a good life, so how I define a good life definitely is a sense of family, unity, community, health, and being in my best body to the highest capacity in which I can obtain at all times, and that also means rest days you know, not being hardcore by no means, but just whatever that means for me. And I think ultimately love, I want part of my best life means there has to be love, whether I'm creating it, or I'm receiving it, embodying it and being it for others, these are I recognize without a shadow of a doubt... This is what motivates me. Does that make sense? So, it's not a thing or a person anymore.

I used to say, oh my gosh, I used to say the craziest things about who used to motivate me. I used to say my mother motivate me, she absolutely... She inspires me and motivates me in certain ways, but ultimately what I take from my mother or the people that I admire that I said used to motivate me, are certain qualities and values that I want to obtain, and I want to live out in my days here on earth again, in this human experience that I'm experiencing, that motivates me.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And you mentioned this a little bit earlier, but you're pouring your motivation and your life force into helping other people in the service and through teaching, and also you mentioned your line, your clothing line, which is incredible. So many people... Like people are going nuts for your clothing line. Can you talk a little bit about it?

LITA LEWIS: Thank you, I appreciate that. Yeah, I might have mentioned some time ago that it was a very unintentional thing. I didn't ever plan to own an apparel line, by no means, but because of the workshops and the boot camps that I would host, I would shout out little cute things like "Thick thighs save lives, ladies!" Like, "Let's get these squats on," "Love thigh-self," really just telling... Just these little quirky things, and because of it built a line. Ultimately, then, it wasn't taken too seriously, just it was what it was, and I would sell a few units here and there at boot camps, but now we're very intentional about the line, and now we have whole collections of certain items that I know women feel amazing in, that snatches them up in all their curves, and it really kind of incentivizes a woman to show up as she is, in her shape and to just pursue her best life. And so today, the line is fueled by intention and I'm really proud of it, and where it's going. Takes up a lot of time, but I'm learning, kind of like a new entrepreneur when it comes to apparel, but it's something I'm really passionate about because I actually have seen and witnessed and have conversations with women that simply just wear the pieces and feel so empowered by them, which is kind of crazy when you think about it. It's just a pair of leggings, but they feel sexy, they feel strong, they feel empowered, and it contours their curves. Little things like that make my heart just buzz.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Awesome. Please let everybody know the name of the clothing line.

LITA LEWIS: Okay yes. The clothing line is called Thick Athletics Apparel.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yes. Thick Athletics Apparel. So, is that the URL as well?

LITA LEWIS: Yes, thickathleticsapparel.com.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Nice.

LITA LEWIS: Nice and easy.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Can we get a code? A little coupon code for everybody?

LITA LEWIS: Let's do a code.

SHAWN STEVENSON: How about...

LITA LEWIS: We want it to be the model?

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, we'll use the code MODEL, and then folks get hooked up with a...

LITA LEWIS: Discount.

SHAWN STEVENSON: How much?

LITA LEWIS: I think we could do 15%.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Really?

LITA LEWIS: Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Oh, come on now. So, people are seeing the live negotiation on here, for The Model Health Show community.

LITA LEWIS: That it, it's in pen. There's no going back.

SHAWN STEVENSON: I love it. That's so awesome. So, use the code MODEL...

LITA LEWIS: MODEL.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And you'll get 15% off, and again, this clothing line is amazing. Every person that I know, 'cause I know quite a few people who've bought...

LITA LEWIS: Oh, that is love.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Things from your clothing line.

LITA LEWIS: That is so cool.

SHAWN STEVENSON: They just love it, it's like their favorite gear, so...

LITA LEWIS: That's cool.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Yeah, super cool and thank you for that. That's really awesome. So, if you check out 15% off discount, use the code MODEL, URL one more time?

LITA LEWIS: Thickathleticsapparel.com.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Thickathleticsapparel.com. It just sounds good off the tongue. Alright, so I want to ask you about just a couple more quick things because earlier, you said something that really tripped me out when you said that you borrowed some weights from the gym.

LITA LEWIS: I did.

SHAWN STEVENSON: It really speaks to one of the greatest capacities of successful humans, which is resourcefulness. And you've been kind of speaking about that, like your mom, kind of creating the culture where you think in those terms, just figure it out. Because a lot of times we're limited like, "Oh, no, they did this, they took this thing away," or "I don't have this," instead of getting creative in finding ways to do, I never thought about borrowing some weights from a gym.

LITA LEWIS: Oh really?

SHAWN STEVENSON: You know like that's an incredible idea. I've never thought about that.

LITA LEWIS: The gym is filled with them, it's completely... They're fully stocked, and they're closed.

SHAWN STEVENSON: What? It's just like what? It's a no-brainer. And relationships, because even that taking place is the aspect of a relationship that you have with whoever there... You know what I mean? So that's another invaluable thing. In that context... My oldest son, he plays football, so he was, he was in his bag when everything got shut down. The gym shut down, he was really training for next season, and suddenly like he's using what we got. We got a pull-up bar, which is pretty dope that we have a pull-up bar, and we got a bunch of dumbbells. My man's trying to deadlift the 500, squat the 450, he's trying to do his thing. Relationships are... Shout out to Jay, who lived next door to us, he lives a couple blocks away now, but he owns a gym, and so that relationship, Jorden, the whole time he was training at Jay's gym. And just getting it in and is also building his online presence, sharing inspiration, workout videos, he started his... Created his own programs, all from having that, being resourceful. Just being able to look at what relationships, connections, value can we give and in exchange for whatever that might look like that can serve our fitness.

LITA LEWIS: Yeah, figuring it out.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Figuring it out. And the thing that I wanted to ask you about, the last thing that I want to ask you about is recovery. Alright? So, whether you are on your Lita 2000 version or the Lita 2021 version, our recovery is a big part of our health, so what are some of the things that are part of your recovery process? What do you do? Is there a post-workout nutrition, is that a focus? Sleep? What do you do to focus on your recovery?

LITA LEWIS: Well, you definitely hit two of the ones that I definitely implement. Nutrition and sleep. Now, admittedly, even when I was super active. Even when I was a full-blown track athlete, I think recovery, I did not take seriously at all. You get on the other side of mid-30s and you start realizing, "Why does my body feel this way? The workout wasn't even that crazy." And it's again, just a thing we all need to come to grips with, and obviously, this idea of recovery is very important, especially if you want to be consistent in your workouts and be able to show up in the best way you can the next day or the day after. For me, recovery, you hit sleep, and I was going to say that to last because I never took sleep seriously. I am a night owl; I feel like I can function on six hours. Probably into my early 30s, I realized that wasn't the case, I was just living a lie and I was beating myself up for it. But sleep ultimately is so key.

I live by my Thera gun, shout out to them. And although I have an own a foam roller and I will typically be rolling in front of the TV from time to time, I'll get lazy, but that gun does wonders. Also, you mentioned nutrition, which is something that I was going to definitely bring up as well. Because if I am going to the gym, I did mention these days it's only twice a week. Admittedly, when I'm there, I'm like, "I got one lower body day. I'm going in." And so, after warming up, that's the one thing I'm doing definitely these days, more than I used to back... Especially in my 20s, is I'm doing a really solid warm-up, activating everything I need to activate, making sure my mobility and my range of motion is there before I'm doing anything too crazy, and I do like to go crazy. Now, how I define crazy is really different how anybody else may define it, or even again when I was in my 20s. But I do try to hit weight because I'm only doing it very rarely throughout the week.

So typically, Monday, Tuesday is a leg day. A Tuesday or Wednesday, if I have not eaten correctly post-workout, I feel it more than ever. Back when I was younger, I didn't care, I didn't realize it and didn't kind of connect the two. I know if I do not give my body the right nutrition after a heavy lift, especially my lower half, I feel horrible, like almost cannot function. So, I'm definitely feeding my body a good amount of protein post-workout and doing other things. I'm just being particular. I'm big on turmeric, I love my ginger, things for my... Obviously, my immune, but I'm also making sure I'm getting a good source of protein within the first 30, 45 minutes after workout. So, whether or not I'm eating something or shaking it up, that's also a key too. So, I'm definitely nutrition, sleep, and I think that's kind of key 'cause these are the things that I would neglect the most. And when I say sleep, I'm getting eight hours. That's big for me. That’s big. I'm getting eight hours. I'm going to bed a certain hour, waking up at a certain hour, and I feel good.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That's awesome.

LITA LEWIS: Yeah.

SHAWN STEVENSON: And you mentioned some self-massage therapy, basically with the Thera gun too.

LITA LEWIS: 'Cause I have multiple... And I might even say there might be a mini one somewhere stuck in my couch. That's how often I use it.

SHAWN STEVENSON: What is this? Somebody's hanging out sitting around.

LITA LEWIS: Yes.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That's amazing. Well, this has been awesome, and I appreciate you sharing your wisdom. We could use a lot more of this kind of common-sense things and a lot of things that we are neglecting. So, I just appreciate it, I really appreciate the reframing of what consistency looks like.

LITA LEWIS: Oh, sure.

SHAWN STEVENSON: That really hit me. And I think that especially with all this going on the world, for folks to feel more at peace with redefining these things for themselves and not beating ourselves up and really taking more joy and the things that we are doing that we're able to do, I think it's going to take us a lot further. So, can you let everybody know where they can follow you online, drop the link to the apparel line one more time?

LITA LEWIS: Sure, the big shout out. So, across all social media platforms, I'm followthelita, that's L-I-T-A, being my name obviously. My apparel line, it's called Thick Athletics Apparel, and that is just thickathelticsapparel.com. Like I said, we're going to shout out that discount code, MODEL, that's where you can save some dollars on the website as well.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Awesome. Well, Lita, I appreciate you. Thank you for stopping by.

LITA LEWIS: Thank you so much for having me, Shawn. Always a good time chatting with you, always.

SHAWN STEVENSON: My pleasure. Lita Lewis, everybody.

LITA LEWIS: Hey.

SHAWN STEVENSON: Thank you so much for tuning in to the show today. I hope you got a lot of value out of this. This is a time again to take control of your schedule, take control of your routine, and be gentle, graceful, and compassionate with yourself because a lot of us experienced quite a bit of turbulence during this time and so there's going to be an adjustment period. But most importantly, it's really getting clear on what it is that you want and just taking steps in that direction. You don't have to take every step all at once. It's kind of like Lita and her hikes that she's going on. In order to complete that hike, it's just putting one foot in front of the other, doing one step at a time, and eventually, we'll get there.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it out on social media. You can tag me, and of course, tag Lita. She's @followthelita, L-I-T-A, and I'm @shawnmodel on Instagram and Twitter. Both of us hang out more often on Instagram, absolutely flood her with love. Let her know what the Model Health Show is all about in our incredible community. And listen, I've got some incredible shows coming your way, some masterclasses that are going to blow your mind, incredible guests, so make sure to stay tuned. Take care, have an amazing day, I'll talk with you soon.

And for more, after this show, make sure to head over to themodelhealthshow.com. That's where you can find all of the show notes, you could find transcriptions, videos for each episode, and if you got a comment, you can leave me a comment there as well. And please make sure to head over to iTunes and leave us a rating to let everybody know that the show is awesome, and I appreciate that so much. And take care, I promise to keep giving you more powerful, empowering great content to help you transform your life. Thanks for tuning in.