4 Healthy Lifestyle Tips From a Former Army Ranger

Recently, David and I interviewed Coach Chris Giesking, who is a fitness coach and former Army Ranger. He served in the National Guard and was deployed to Iraq for 22 months. During this time, he depended on his inner strength as he witnessed tremendous loss and hardship. Later, he attended Army Ranger school and failed out five times. Eventually, he passed. In his experiences, he learned about dedication and drive. He earned a degree in health promotion and a master's degree in kinesiology and exercise science.

Currently, he coaches his clients and uses his Health Compass framework to teach them. His framework looks like:

North = Nutrition

East =  Exercise

West = Wellness

South = Sleep

In addition to and inspired by his Health Compass coaching, Coach Giesking supplied excellent tips for homeschooling families who want overall wellness. 

• Focus on your health.
• Encourage a healthy lifestyle. 
• Use mindset shifts. 
• Encourage problem-solvers, not complainers. 

Focus, Focus, Focus!

First of all, focus on your health as a homeschool parent. Coach Giesking encourages parents to use his Health Compass framework and to focus on one area on the Compass. He encourages parents to set small goals in that one area. For example, you can identify a 1% goal to make a small change and write it down. Then check it off once you have completed it. 

For instance, if you choose his West (wellness) area, how can you better yourself mentally? Should you walk outside once a day or journal your thoughts for 15 minutes per day? Where can you choose one small task to make a change in your life?

Next, encourage a healthy lifestyle. This depends on you and your child. You can make changes that will improve your family’s health. Coach Giesking suggests doing age-appropriate/strength-appropriate mobility, resistance, and bodyweight mechanical activities. 

Also, eat healthy together and exercise as a family when you can. Does your family enjoy running or creating an American Ninja Warrior course in the backyard? Include movement snacks in your family routine. When homeschooling, encourage your kids to take a break from academic work and move around. This is a short burst of movement or a “movement snack.” Your homeschooler could shoot some hoops or do a few pushups. Also, set a scheduled bedtime and wind down at a decent time every night. Use this method for the whole family.  

Additionally, use mindset shifts. Remind your child that we grow from failure and can learn from it. Speak to them with empathy and ask them how they have learned from hardships. Coach Giesking also encourages families to use a military mindset. Motivate your kid to just focus on today and “win the day.” This requires your child to focus on the present moment and hone in on the day before them. 

Finally, encourage problem-solvers, not complainers, in your household. How can your child solve a problem they face? How can they get involved in their community and fix something? Discuss ideas and methods as a family. Encourage your child to communicate with gratitude and positivity. Now, granted, this is very hard, and it will take time and grace to work on this mindset. Encourage yourself and your kids as you all work on this shift.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Coach Giesking provided wonderful insights and supportive advice for homeschooling families. His tips will help families achieve their health and mental goals. Homeschooling is a mindset in itself, so we have the power to shift our minds to get after our health and mental goals!

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This information came from a resource in the interview with Coach Giesking. 

- NxtEra

Written by Bethany (@thebookwormgirl_bethany)

Helpful Links: 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachchrisgiesking/ 

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