Well to the Core: A Realistic, Guilt-Free Approach to Getting Fit and Feeling Good for a Lifetime by Robin Long Book Review

In Well to the Core, Robin Long explored how you can reclaim your health and live healthier on your journey to wellness. She is a certified Pilates instructor and founder of Lindywell. In the book, she shared how a moment changed her entire life. She recalls how when she was eight years old and hanging out with her best friend. They were playing and dressing up like they were twins. Her friend’s dad made a comment about how much smaller their daughter’s legs were compared to hers. She remembers going to cry under their pinball machine. This caused her to begin to recognize how her thighs were bigger than most of her friends. She also remembers one of her past boyfriends referring to her chin as like Jay Leno. She admitted to how she would try different diets and trends to try and work off all the food she ate. This in part as to why she wrote this book to help woman to achieve wellness and to lose the guilt and shame. It is divided up into ten core components. These included: reframe, move, breathe, play, unplug, just to name a few. 

 

 

 

 

She explored how she begins each Pilates class with a few deep breaths and how we can try and become one with our bodies. Mind and body connection can help us to have lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol levels, and have an increased level of dopamine. She described Pilates as a system of exercises meant for physical health and conditioning. It isn’t seen as related to a spiritual practice. She focuses on the importance of core strength, spine, flexibility, balance, alignment, and much more. 

 

 

 

One of my favorite chapters discussed steps to changing our inner dialogue. This first step is to become aware of what we are thinking about and are they helping us to become who we want to be. We also need to listen how we talk to ourselves. She enclosed some helpful questions we can journal and reflect on. She deliberated what we can do when we miss a workout and how we can literally flip the switch and give ourselves compassion. 

 

 

 

I would recommend this awesome book to anyone who is wanting to try Pilates and obtain an overall new healthier living lifestyle. There are tons of helpful habits and suggestions to get us more centered and balanced in life. I enjoyed how she included a helpful meal and snacks examples to have a balance between protein and fat such as an apple and almond butter. I also appreciated the info on staying hydrated. I also liked the recipe ideas enclosed such as the one pan chicken fajitas with mango salsa. I can’t wait to try some of these recipe ideas. 

 

 

 

 

"I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review.”

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like to purchase a copy, check it out on Amazon.com:

 

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1496472624/