Fall Is Coming

Before we forget that we still have quite a bit of summer left to enjoy it is hard not to notice the vibe of Fall rolling in. It is another time of year where the gears seem to change and life speeds up again. Kids go back to school, vacation time is ending and the sun seems to set a little earlier.  It is the time we get back into routine. I know I feel this change, the summer time sadness kicks in but the studio will be buzzing. I love this time of year. 

However, I don't think we need to wait to jump into a new fitness routine or lifestyle change. It is not something that needs to run on a seasonal clock. Maintaining an active lifestyle is something that helps us prepare for these busier season and feel confident in the times we are more social.  Do I dare say it?  The next one will be Christmas.  Office parties and New Year Events. Little black dresses! 

I always say if it has been on your mind, it is there for a reason.  A thought is nothing without action. So, if you have been having fun this summer, talking about getting back into a healthier routine. Than I would say the time is now to do it. Do it before you find new excuses and to be harsh they are all excuses in the end.  If you do not value yourself, no else can.  If you don't value yourself you will not value your time. If you do not value your time,  you will not make time for yourself. Therefore, well we have the time.  As, I know many people lighten up their schedules during this time of year.  It is the perfect, no excuse time to put yourself back into the equation and develop those habits now.  Iron on the kinks and rev up your focus. 

How Your Footwear Is Effecting Your Mobility

Ever have your feet cramp in the midst of a workout?  It can be so painful it literally stops you dead in your tracks. It has happen to me!  About 5 years ago I have a flare up of plantar fasciitis for the first time.  I actually thought something seriously wrong happened to my foot.  After a painful yet successful A.R.T. Session and custom orthotics I thought I was in the clear.   

WRONG!

My now fallen arches were becoming an ongoing pain in the butt. My feet would cramp during most workouts.  I would toss my shoes off because it helped relieve the pain. It enabled me to continue my workouts.  It was than I realized how important my footwear and care for my feet began. 

Although orthotics work for many and may even be necessecary. I believe that they can also prevent natural ranges of motion that are rooted at the base of our feet.  Therefore,  if you need them I would encourage you get properly fitted ones for the required activity.  However,  if you do not need orthotics you need a proper shoe. Shoes that move well, give you flexibility.  If your shoes are overdue for a new pair you may experience discomfort in the knees, ankles or even lower back. If you are new to exercise and have the proper support,  you may even want to try no shoes.  This is my favourite!  I gave up my orthotics a long time ago and moved my focus to improving the stability and mobility starting with my feet. I haven't worn orthotics since.  I change my footwear often and still take my shoes off depending on the program.

Our feet are our base. They ground us.  So be nice to your feet!  Keep your shoes up to date, wear the appropriate training shoe. Work on making your feet strong! Keep those feet moving. 

We Are Meant To Move

Daily Movement can be so beneficial to our well being. I believe movement is the catalyst to discovering our potential. It stimulates our mind, generates focus, improves our sleep quality, boost our metabolism and regular exercise can help prevent numerous diseases. Movement is a vital and key process in living a healthier lifestyle. It help keep you healthy and avoid visits to the doctor.  The long term benefits of just walking 30 minutes a day can do more for you than the efforts of a dozen doctors.  It reduces your blood pressure, acts a de-stresser and is incredibly good for your heart. It can help you lose weight, avoid injury and prevent osteoporosis.  It can play a role in preventing cancer.  It can act as an anti-ager. It can unfold your mind EVERYDAY.  It can pull you out of a funk fast.  It can turn your entire day around.  It delivers you with energy.  It brings people together, it is a social common. Movement only knows feeling good. It can help increase your core temperature, releasing tension.  I could seriously give 100 reasons why movement is so valuable. In the end it is what we are meant to do. We have been conditioned to sit and live out these sedentary habits.  It is our natural instinct. When we feel good we crave movement.  Our body literally will ache for it. If you have ever taken time away from the gym, you know what I am talking about. So, MOVE!  MOVE OFTEN. MOVE NOW.  

10 Ways To Lose Inches, Crush Stress, and Sleep More

We want it all and I believe you deserve to have it all.  More sleep, less stress and a lean and healthy body. It doesn't always come easy.  It takes work. It takes consistency. It takes a legit, no bullshit approach.  It requires personal accountability and self care. So if you want to have it all.  You need to some work.  It doesn't magically happen. It gets a little uncomfortable at times. When you are reseting your life, you can feel like your whole life is going through a detox.  You may sleep worse before it gets better, you may feel more bloated, you may get head aches.  These are signs that body is changing, a shift is happening.  Give it time and a real effort.  Trying one day and giving up for the rest of the week won't cut it.  It is something you need to work on each day. This doesn't mean you need to strive for perfection.  There is no growth in perfection.  Be prepared to be disappointed, frustrated and even overwhelmed. These feeling signal us to continue our pursuit to change. Quitting is not a progression forward, moving forward is. It is about recreating your associations for happier and better ones.  Here are some tips on how to get started. 

1. Go to bed earlier. Be in bed by 10pm. Sleep is a hot commodity in my life. I honour it. It is the pivotal point of my routine. The foundation of my success each day. 
2.Get up earlier. Start your day at 6am.  Studies have shown this vastly improves ones productivity. 
3. Eat more vegetables. 5-7 servings a day. Toss them in each meal, snack on them. Eat more plants, period. They are loaded with all those Micronutrients.  The stuff that makes us feel REAL GOOD.
4. Drink more water. 2-3 litres a day. A hydrated body glows better, detoxifies better and helps against fatigue. 
5. Take mental breaks throughout the day.  Reduce your stress by taking time away. Start with 5 minute breaks and work your way up to 15 minutes.  You should do this at least 2x a day.  
6. Stand Up. If you work at a desk. Take moments to stand up. Improve your air flow with opening up your posture. 
7. Limited your caffeine to one cup a day and before lunch.  This will help improve your sleep quality. 
8. Move your body daily. It can only 15 minutes. 
9. Reduce your screen time. Shut down all devices at least one hour before bed. The brain needs time to change gears after a full day of stimulation. 
10. Be a GOOD HUMAN. Be kind, patient and loving to yourself and others. 

A healthy mind, leads to a healthy body which leads to a happy life.  Movement is the catalyst to this. It helps reduce stress and makes us feel good. However, working out only takes a little time each day.  Therefore, a lot of the work goes into your self care each and every day.  Reduce your stress and you will see results. Sleep more and you will results. Move some and you see results. Find your balance. 

The 101 On Women Building Muscle

This is still something that I often hear floating around the gym scene. Will lifting weight make me bulky.  Truth be told this is a fitness myth and let me tell you why. 

1.  You need to eat, train and likely be on a supplement plan to put on that kind of size.  Both men and women. Body Building requires it's own unique formula of nutrition and training. 
2. Lifting weight actually can increase our lean muscle mass and boost our metabolism.
3. Your muscles get stronger, the doesn't mean bulky. 

Typically it is said that women do not have the same hormonal profile as men, therefore we do not pack on muscle and size like men do.  This is generally true for the general population but we need to remember a couple things.

1. Even being toned can be too "bulky" for women.  Some may see it as strong. It comes does to personal perception. 
2. No two women are a like, therefore they may have the ability to put on a decent amount of size. This would  be unique to their hormonal profile.

Therefore, it comes down to what makes you feel healthy, fit and strong. I am a believer in adding resistance training to your plan because of the metabolic benefits.  For conserving muscle, building muscle and burning fat. I personally like myself more toned. That is what makes me feel strong. I like a leaner physique.  Again, just my own preference. Our bodies are all different.  As long as we nourish and move them, they will thrive. 

Summer Cocktails

It's summer and the social calendar is littered with cocktails and patio drinks. Here are some ideas that keep the calories away found in most Alcoholic Drinks. They could even  help you keep booze out completely. These pretty numbers could fool anyone.  It is no secret the alcohol has a negative impact on our health, wellbeing and goals.  It affects our brain and how we see things, it has a direct link to our mood. Drinking too much over time or heavily at one time can have negative effects on your blood pressure, mood, immune system and many other major health concerns.  I am not saying you can't live it up a little,  it is about mindful practice and expanding your horizons in your wellness journeys. I am not a stranger to a the glory of a cold beer on a crazy hot day.  Drinking, however is not something that serves me often. Hence, why I can go month and months without it. 

So, if you are trying to cut down on your booze. Here are a few ways to make that transition a little more fun. 

1. Use Soda Water. I love this.  I use it all the time. Toss in some lemon wedges or fresh strawberries.  Not only do you have a fun drink, that is refreshing.  It is fizzy, bubbly and looks pretty. 

2. Make your own Kombucha Sangria! When I found this, I had to try it.  I like to use a Berry Flavour or the Trilogy by GT does the trick. Add your choice of fruits. There you have it. Choose your favourite Organic Wine and done! Cuts down on the sugar and helps with the gut health. Winning!

3.  Make your own Daiquiri.  Toss some strawberries into a blender, add some ice if you want more of a smooth consistency. Sweeten with a little Maple Syrup. Add little Lemon Juice. wedge it with a lemon. You have a delicious cool drink for a hot day. 

We often forget cocktails can be fun even without the alcohol, but even with it.  There are small ways you can make mindful moves to treat your body better. 

Power Combos: 2-in1 Time Saving Plan for Cardio + Weights

I am all about saving time, conserving time and protecting time. It is one of the most valuable things we have and we fill it with so much. You now have decided to fill it with some very much deserving self care. You have put time aside for your workouts. I want to see you stay focused. When workouts take up too much time, it can be an excuse we use later to skip a workout. You will opt out because you just don't have the time.  So, today I am writing to share some of my favourite Power Combo tips.  The time saving plan for Cardio & Weights.

1. Set a cap on your workout. Personally, I don't design workouts longer than 40 minutes.  This includes both my weights and cardio.  This is a start to finish block of time.  My restorative practices are their own blocks of time in between my workouts.

2. Use Supersets and Finishers to keep time efficient. Supersets is a program strategy where you place two or more exercises together without rest. This allows you to elevate your heart rate and intensity.  Finishers punches of intensity placed at the end of the workout that wrap up the workouts. Typically, I don't make my longer than 5 minutes. 

3. Add intervals to your workout.  Complete your superset and toss in a 30 second to 1 minute round of skipping, burpees, jumping jacks or running on the spot. 

I am a huge fan of Metabolic Conditioning, it kills two birds with one stone. Keeps the strength training and blast fat with a high intensity cardio feel. With this style of program, I do believe in playing around with different levels in the intensity. Some days I will plan a Metabolic Program that on a scale of intensity between 1-10, ranks a hard 10. However, other days I will use similar practices but pull back and push maybe a 4 or 5 of intensity.  The body needs that to aid in a healthy recovery.  It is great to be efficient but we also want to maintain our effectiveness for results.   Regardless, I maintain the same time commitment to my workout. 

How to apply the tips?  Here is a simple workout that we completed in the studio to this week.  If you have any further questions, please feel free to connect.  

Warm Up:

30 Jumping Jacks
20 Squats
5 Push Ups
2-3 Rounds

Workout:

10 Dumbbell Deadlifts
10 Reverse Lunges
10 Rounds
* With a max time of 20 minutes to complete. 

Finisher:

500m Row
Rest for 90 seconds
250m Row

Have fun!