Health Warrior - Erin
If Erin isn't out shredding on her mountain bike or skis, she is passionately serving her community in one capacity or another. She is healthy, athletic, busy, outgoing, a good cook/homemaker, a competitive mountain biker, an aromatherapist-to-be (hey Doterra) and Occupational Therapist. She is constantly, generously helping others live more naturally and fully. She's just awesome! I'm blessed to have her as a friend.
Erin is living a life without regret and is openly showing us how she does it! Read what she shared with me and I believe you will be greatly inspired!! And above all, as Erin says, "GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE."
Erin, thank you for sharing and inspiring us!
1. Could you please start by telling us a little bit about yourself. Who are you and what do you do (life, hobbies, career, etc.)?
Hi! My name is Erin Dimas. My initial response about myself is always that I am an Occupational Therapist because I love it and it’s a very gratifying career. I love the outdoors! I coach mountain biking here in Durango for DEVO and Every Pedal and occasionally I assistant coach for other groups. I used to live in Moab, UT so I absolutely love the desert and red rocks. I also enjoy white water rafting, that is, if my husband is rowing and I’m guaranteed not to flip! I’m actually afraid of fast moving water but I do enjoy rafting the Animas river and love SUP boarding with my dog Mia. In the winter months you’ll find me either skiing or snowboarding on the slopes or in the backcountry. I am also an advocate with Doterra essential oils and I’m enjoying learning how to help others live a more natural life with the use of oils, while furthering my education of aromatherapy.
2. Can you share with us how you approach health and fitness. What does living healthily look like to you? How you consciously steward and take care of your body on a regular basis? What sort of tools or tips do you have that help you stay on track?
Well, first off I’d have to say that I’m not a person to ever get on a scale. I gauge my health and fitness a lot on how I feel. If I feel like I have a little too much fluff or feel like I need to tone up then I probably do and it’s probably because of how I’ve been eating for the past few weeks and my level of fitness. I feel like I’m pretty in tune with how my body feels. If it needs a rest break then I listen and I never feel guilt for my choice of fitness or lack of fitness for that day. Healthy living for me is not just based on my fitness level for that week. It’s a compilation of taking my daily supplements, getting my fruits and vegetables, plenty of sleep and riding my bike 4-5 days out of a week. I enjoy other forms of fitness but mountain biking is what makes me feel alive and healthy. Some other habits that I’ve developed over the past few months includes using my essential oils on a daily basis. I use them to assist with mood stabilization, motivation and hormonal balancing and detoxifying my life. I continue to “check in” with my body to see what it needs. I also LOVE to put various natural products and oils on my face. I believe that being aware of what we put on our body and inhale is equally important to what we ingest into our body.
3. What has your journey in health and fitness looked like? Was there an obvious starting point or is it something that has developed over time? What/Who prompted and encouraged you on that path?
I have always been physically active, it’s something that has come naturally to me. I grew up as an athlete and participated in all sports and played softball in college. Even though I didn’t love the gym, I would go year round. During a clinical rotation in Colorado, my landlord introduced me to mountain biking and that’s when it all began. My whole body was worked, I was outside and it was fun! Living and traveling out west has opened my eyes to various forms of health and fitness that address the whole body from a holistic stand point such as Yoga, meditation and Ayurveda practices/beliefs to name a few. I’ve remained open-minded and continue with an open heart to anything and anyone who can enrich my mental, emotional or physical health.
4. What do you believe is the single most important part of a healthy lifestyle, a sort of non-negotiable? Please walk us through your typical nutrition or exercise routine… and maybe include some of your go-to ways of staying physically active.
I would love to say that nutrition is the single most important part, however it’s something that I am working towards being better at. I’d have to say that the most important part of a healthy lifestyle is some kind of physical activity that brings you joy and happiness. I don’t love the gym and if I had to go to the gym and run on a treadmill or some other cardio machine again then I would go crazy. Biking brings me joy, hiking with my dog brings me joy and skiing/snowboarding makes me happy. I think doing the things that you enjoy is priority in developing and sticking to a healthy lifestyle and routine. If I think exercise and fitness then I think mountain biking. If I only have time for a short “work out” or I’m tired then I go for a short bike ride. If I need a solid work out then I plan a longer day on the bike that includes a fair amount of elevation gain. There are days when I need a little accountability if I’m not feeling motivated to get out on my bike. This is where my husband and friends who bike are key to making bike rides happen. We plan post work rides or ladies rides which always include a good conversation and laughs while raising our heart rate. Our bodies and minds are much happier after a good work out!
5. In your experience, what's the biggest barrier to overcome in terms of health? If anything distracts you or seems like a roadblock sometimes, what is it? How have you worked (or how are you working) to overcome those health barriers and carry such a positive attitude about health and fitness?
My biggest barrier is good consistent nutrition. It’s easy for me to work through lunch and grab something unhealthy to get me through (if anything). I feel like I’m always on the go and don’t always like to take the time to make myself a healthy meal. I enjoy cooking a good meal but would rather be doing other things most of the time. This is something that I’m trying to work on with Carly. I think what saves me more than anything is taking my daily supplements and drinking as much water as I can! When I make poor food choices, this is what gets me through. I also planted an amazing garden last year and I’m excited to plant an even bigger one this year. I’m looking forward to canning and freezing my vegetables to be used over the winter. Picking from my garden is more motivating then driving to the grocery store and scanning the veggie section.
6. How do you set health and fitness goals for yourself? Do you measure them? If so, how often? What are some goals you are currently working on?
Sometimes I set goals for participating in various events. For instance, I’m signed up to ride in the Iron Horse road bike event. Sometimes I just need to go week by week and decide at the beginning of the week when I’m going to do a ladies group ride, when my husband and I will ride and also pick a bigger ride I want to do and make a definite plan for it. My general goal right now has been to be stronger on my mountain bike with better endurance than last year. I want high alpine rides and long rides to come with ease. I don’t need to be the fastest but I want to be strong and feel strong on the bike all season long without every saying “man I’m not in shape for this ride.”
7. What's the best advice you could give to someone just beginning their own health journey? A key takeaway you could share with us?
GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE.