'When Your Trainer’s On Vacation' Workout

You’ve had a great summer. Kept up with your training schedule. Have arrived each time for your session and kept the cancellations to a minimum. You’ve proudly received your gold stars and reached your goals.  New ones have been set for the Fall quarter and you’re ready to get started. There’s just one little glitch. Your personal fitness trainer is going on vacation for three weeks. Now, what do you do?

My advice. Give yourself a break from a formal program. Put your energy toward doing more daily activity as well as plan one 45-60 minute total body routine once a week.

For the daily activity stuff, focus on the following:

• Daily Activity: Aim for thirty minutes of activity daily. Move your body any which way. All activity counts.

• Standing: Stand up every 45-minutes. Move around. Get some water. Take a stretch break. Go for a little walk about.

• Core: Work on activating your abs by pulling them in and up. Bring your shoulders back under your ears, focus your eyes straight ahead, bring your chin down and back so that your forehead is in line with your chin. Now, take three deep breaths.

• Driving: Every time you stop the car, work on pulling your shoulders back or your chin down.

• Watching TV: Move around during the ads or stand up and stretch.

• Stretching: Some light stretching done daily is the answer to staying flexible both in body and mind.

For your weekly Workout, use the FITT formula as a guide for your more structured time:

• Frequency: 1x a week 

• Intensity: Hard to somewhat hard or a rate of 5-7 on the perceived exertion scale*

• Time: 30-60 minutes

• Type: Total Body exercise routine – Cardio, Weights, Core Work and Stretching

*Want to learn more about perceived exertion go here.

Added to what is above, the goal is find new and interesting ways to get your body moving. Whether it’s yard work, a home renovation project, or something else, it’s all about moving your body in new ways that's important. Plus, September is going to be a beautiful month. Take it outside.

 

Summer Recipe – Pumpkin Cranberry Crunch

This is a great snack anytime you need to take the edge of your hunger. Pumpkin seeds have properties that help quell anxiety so if you’re about to make a presentation and you’re nervous, nibble on some pumpkin seeds (instead of chewing on your nails).

 Pumpkin Cranberry Crunch

• 1 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1½ teaspoons canola oil
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1¼ cups dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 300°. Lightly spray a baking sheet with canola oil and spread pumpkin seeds evenly over sheet. Roast for 20 minutes.

2. Place pumpkin seeds in a medium bowl and mix in maple syrup until coated. Combine spices in a large bowl and pumpkin seeds. Place back on baking sheet and return to oven. Roast for 15 minutes or until dry. Be sure not to burn. Set seeds aside until completely cool, for about 30 minutes. In a large bowl, combine seeds with dried cranberries.

Make 10 (1/4-cup servings, each contains approximately:

• 125 calories
• 13 gm. Carbohydrate
• 7 gm fat
• 0 mg cholesterol
• 4 gm protein
• 123 mg sodium
• 1 gm fiber

For more spa recipes visit www.canyonranch.com

Stressed Out? Try a Little Exercise…

There are two kinds of stress. It’s important to know how to combat bad stress with good stress. Good stress, like exercise done properly, will in the end make you feel better.  Bad stress, like frustration, makes you feel lousy and it’s what you need to stay away from. 

Heart pumping exercise is a great example of good stress. It helps relieve the fight or flight hormones that our body produces and then dumps into our systems when we do get stressed and aren’t able to utilize that energy. Another good benefit of this kind of exercise is sweating, or if you prefer…glowing.   Whether its dancing around your living room, walking/running, playing your favorite sport, or using a piece of cardio equipment, it all counts.  

Resistance training is another good tool to use. Being stronger really helps in fighting bad stress.

Flexibility training helps to calm both the body and the mind. No time for an hour and half class, how about five minutes? A few standing stretches while waiting for your breakfast to cook or at night, before climbing into bed, is a great idea. The body does respond well to small and gentle amounts of stretching – especially as we age.

Ball/foam rolling, although painful, which in itself is stressful, does help to break up your fascia so that you can get to the muscles to relax both you and them.

Not so interested in formal exercise? No problem. There are plenty of activities out there to choose from. Find a few and go for it.

The next time you feel stressed, push yourself away from whatever it is that is making you anxious and turn towards some form of activity. You’ll feel much better.

As a last point, remember to recognize that stress exists, and sometimes it’s more of a problem then we readily admit. One must work, all the time, on reducing the bad stress. Now, take a fit break.  Remember…breathe.

Stressed Out? Try a Little Exercise…

There are two kinds of stress. It’s important to know how to combat bad stress with good stress. Good stress, like exercise done properly, will in the end make you feel better.  Bad stress, like frustration, makes you feel lousy and it’s what you need to stay away from. 

Heart pumping exercise is a great example of good stress. It helps relieve the fight or flight hormones that our body produces and then dumps into our systems when we do get stressed and aren’t able to utilize that energy. Another good benefit of this kind of exercise is sweating, or if you prefer…glowing.   Whether its dancing around your living room, walking/running, playing your favorite sport, or using a piece of cardio equipment, it all counts.  

Resistance training is another good tool to use. Being stronger really helps in fighting bad stress.

Flexibility training helps to calm both the body and the mind. No time for an hour and half class, how about five minutes? A few standing stretches while waiting for your breakfast to cook or at night, before climbing into bed, is a great idea. The body does respond well to small and gentle amounts of stretching – especially as we age.

Ball/foam rolling, although painful, which in itself is stressful, does help to break up your fascia so that you can get to the muscles to relax both you and them.

Not so interested in formal exercise? No problem. There are plenty of activities out there to choose from. Find a few and go for it.

The next time you feel stressed, push yourself away from whatever it is that is making you anxious and turn towards some form of activity. You’ll feel much better.

As a last point, remember to recognize that stress exists, and sometimes it’s more of a problem then we readily admit to. One must work, all the time, on reducing the bad stress. Now, take a fit break.  Remember…breathe.

Fit for Spring

With Spring comes the desire to shed those winter pounds. I find people make getting into shape a bigger deal than it is. And it’s not really about loosing weight, but about getting healthy and happy. If the focus starts there, the weight loss will follow.

Throughout the years, perfecting the formula to get people moving has been my specialty. I’ve have found followiong these four simple tips work.

1) Burn more calories. This isn’t that hard. You just have to move around more. Working up to three times a week for 30 minutes is the goal. To make it an exercise routine give yourself time to warm-up and cool down. Then add 10-12 minutes of some activity that will get you moving. This could be a light walk to a little gym time to swimming.

2) Be consistent. I cannot stress this enough. You have to maintain the moderate exercise you do, and maintain it over weeks and months. Go for little bits of activity as opposed to pushing yourself to the max, then needing too much time to recover.

3) Enjoy it. Really, this isn’t some abstract feeling but a very important point. If you do not make an effort to have fun you will not be consistent. So, making whatever you do enjoyable will be instrumental in getting fit this Spring.

4) Track it.  Keeping track of what you do each week will let you see your progress. This can be in your head or on paper.

Getting started isn’t easy to do, but at the same time, you will enjoy the benefits of your efforts.  

It’s lovely having a body. Use it or lose it. Be focused, consistent and have fun!

Weighing In On A Weighty Issue – It’s Time to Get Moving

There’s a new message out there these days, found tucked way on the back pages of the Globe and Mail. According to Dr. Steven Blair, who is the first winner of Canada’s Bloomberg Manulife Prize for the Promotion of Active Health, inactivity is far greater an issue than overeating.

Mounting research suggests that adding activity brings you more benefits than just focusing on what you are eating. That’s not to say that diet is not important. A healthy diet is still a good thing but it shouldn’t take priority over physical activity. Dr. Blair adds, “ You can be obese and fit.”

Adding activity is the challenge. Here are four things that work for me: 

• Public transit does have its benefits. Getting off the bus early and walking to my destination is quite enjoyable. It helps if you don’t have to carry a lot of stuff but even if you do, it’s functional resistance training.

• Housework has become less of a chore and more of an opportunity to move. Pushing, pulling, bending and twisting are the different planes you want to work through on a daily basis. Housework fits the bill nicely. Add a little music and it’s a modern day dance.

• Sitting is not good for us. There has been a lot of news around the benefits of standing more and taking more active breaks throughout the day. Finding ways to do this can become an enjoyable way to be active. Standing up while talking on the telephone, puttering during the TV ads are all strategies that work nicely.

• Yin Yoga has been working quite nicely for me. It’s a type of yoga that uses only a few moves held for long periods of time. It has made me a better personal trainer and therapeutic stretch teacher and, I get more fresh air walking to and from class.

The focus has been on obesity for so long that I’m happy to see that this new direction is starting to get recognition. We all need to move our bodies more. That’s the fact. So, get up now. Dance around a bit.  Go get some water. All activity counts.

An Exercise Recipe for the Holidays

Recipes for all kinds of holiday cheer show up at this time of year. 

I thought it might be fun to add an exercise recipe to the mix.

3 Dashes of Exercise – one upper, lower and core done to fatigue 

3 Bouts of Cardio Activity – added in between the dashes of exercise 

3 Static Stretches – done at the end

Mix the ingredients into a big bowl of exercise, adding heavy breathing as you stir. Top off the mixture with a spread of static stretching. 

Doing this 2-3 times over the Holidays will put a smile on your face, a bounce in your step and keep your waistline trim.

Care of Health Conscious Santa Clause - Ho Ho Ho

Boosting Your Immune System

As the days grow colder and the nights get longer, it’s harder to stay active and to eat a healthy diet. I say it’s time to put some ‘winter time’ strategies in place that will boost your immune system.  Look at it as an early gift to yourself.

Food

Your diet is one of the best ways to ensure continued health throughout the year. According to some new research published in a journal called Cell, cruciferous vegetables – Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Turnip and Rutabaga  can help protect your immune health.

Leslie Beck, a dietician that writes a column called Food for Thought in the Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper, reported on this new research. Check out her website for ways to include these wunderkind veggies in your diet. Look for the article called: Want to ward off colds this season? Start in your fridge. I am a fan of her writing style.

Exercise/Active Living

You all know this is important. Whether you go for short bouts of activity throughout your day or you spend 3-4 hours a week doing cardio, weights and stretching, it all counts. Take some of your breaks outside. Fresh air is not only good for your immune system but it relieves stress as well. Make it more like exercise by leaving the errands for later, and focus on the added perk of taking a mental break.

Alternative Health Therapies

My choice is Homeopathy. If you're interested, and live in the Vancouver area, check out Homeopathy Vancouver.

Extras

Getting enough sleep, factoring in some daily fun, staying warm and taking the right amount of Vitamin D rounds out the formula for boosting your immune system.  Now, isn’t enjoying the benefits of good health the best way to motivate yourself into sticking with the plan?

a true pain in the butt - the recovery (part 2)

by Sandy Reimer

“It’s just a hammy, Sandy, it’ll heal”. These words of encouragement and wisdom came from my good friend Howard Dell, ex-Olympian.

It’s just been over 5 months and yes, it’s true. Time and physio/rehab have served me well. My pain in the butt is mostly down to a little twinge here and there, but for the most part, my life is back to ‘normal’.  I’ve started jogging again, teaching classes and am happily and confidently leaping and jumping! Being able to move freely brings me joy!

It was a process, and I was reminded of many things during this time. We really need to go through all the steps of healing, and I was thankfully guided by my physiotherapist. The torn hamstring needed to heal first. Next, we started to strengthen in a stable setting, and finally (after a time that seemed forever to me), we started to strengthen the hamstring in an unstable environment. We got here by adding small leaps, agility training, etc. (by the way, there was no stretching during this time).

I must admit, I was a good patient – okay, except for the occasional tears and frustration! The hours at physio provided me with a much needed get away from life – to simply heal through muscle stimulation, ultrasound and skilled massage.

At home, I did my prescribed exercises diligently, which started with butt exercises – standing leg extensions, bridges, clams. Then we added step ups, variations of lunges and squats and finally leg curls and power movement. Funny, I’ve been an instructor for years, but each time my physio prescribed an exercise, it felt like I was doing it for the first time! I often felt awkward and uncoordinated!  I’d start with 10 reps, progress to 2 sets of 10, then 3 sets of 10. I knew I was doing too much if the muscle began to tweak. The science of training is fascinating...it works!!

I have to mention, at one point I thought I was totally falling apart. The pain, lack of movement and mobility in my hips snowballed into other symptoms...for many weeks I also suffered from headaches, and tingling down my arm. X-rays revealed osteoarthritis in my neck and lumbar spine... not uncommon as we age.

I started doing Pilates and attending Feldenkrais classes (see bottom picture) at the YWCA to try to connect my core muscles and simply move and stretch. And here’s the great news.... once I was able to move freely again, stretch, maintain good posture and alignment, those symptoms disappeared.

Movement brings joy, unlocks energy and promotes freedom. Explore the relationship of our muscles that are all connected...our bodies are amazing! There are so many ways to move and so many amazing instructors and teachers to learn from if you need guidance. Just keep moving...just because you can!

Outdoor Exercise Gyms

Headlines, like GREEN MACHINES, on the health and fitness page in the September issue of Chatelaine Magazine, piqued my interest. It talked about a fitness gym set- up outdoors. Hmm. I took a look at the website, www.greengym.ca, to find a gym in the greater Vancouver area. Nothing. The pictures interested me and that got me thinking about exercising outdoors.

Start here:

Look for outdoor fitness circuits in a city park. They usually have all kinds of organic wood based equipment, like pull up bars, flat pieces of wood for stepping up and down, as well as parallel bars. Or, you can develop your own outdoor gym experience by combining cardio drills with calisthenics (exercises that use your own body weight). If you don’t see yourself doing any exercises using what’s available outside, bring some tubing for your resistance training and combine short cardio intervals, using different speeds or a few hills.

Checklist… nice and short

• Layered clothing works best. Good for when you start to heat up and conversely when you start to cool down. Either invest in outdoor wear or start the layer with something made out of cotton

• Light fitness equipment (tubing, BOSU), phone, ear buds, water, towel. Perhaps a snack…

Motivation Corner… Go for it!

• Start your exercise resolutions for the New Year early

• Set-up a competition with a friend

• Include some partner, non-competitive, training exercises

• View the routines as active fun rather than exercise

• Think outside of the exercise-in-the-gym box

• Add this type of activity to your list of things to keep you healthy and active year round

What Makes You Happy?

A newspaper article on finding happiness got me thinking about what makes me happy. Here are some things at the top of my list:

• Helping people find their strength. I love my job as a personal trainer. 

• Lists. The power of organization.

• Healthy food. There’s nothing like real food and drink to keep me on an even keel. Plus, a daily dose of Vitamin D.

• Strength training. Finding time to do an hour of exercise, three times a week, is a challenge. Training once a week using the 15 min. power workout that I talked about in my first blog, coupled with daily stretching and the fact that I use walking as my primary mode of transportation, have kept me strong and injury free. That makes me very happy.

• Music. Most tunes either calm me down or make me dance - good for the head and the heart.

• Teatime. And, weather permitting, preferably in the garden. In the words of Mark Twain, “There’s no better time in the day then the hour dedicated to afternoon tea”. Amen. 

• Meditation. Keeps me grounded and thinking clearly. It’s important to experience feelings of peace and tranquility daily.

• Family and friends. Yes, love is best.

It comes down to keeping life simple, focused, mindful and balanced. The trick is finding out what works for you.

As we move into the Holiday Season I encourage, and challenge, you to ponder and think on what makes you happy.

Strategies for Daily Activity

The bus was late. The activity chain reaction started with a low back stretch done by a rather smallish older women standing to my right. She was very flexible. That movement reminded me to, ‘stand up straight’. Then, a young man sitting on the only dry spot on the bench seized the moment to start tapping one foot, then both feet, one at a time. He was listening to something on his iPod. The gentlemen holding up the post at the edge of the shelter, came away from his position and squared off his shoulders then rolled his head gently from side to side.

It was quite fascinating to watch. What a practical example of how we, in the fitness industry, have made a difference. Little bits of exercise are the corner stone of good health in this day and age. Better health strategies are available whenever you remember to focus on you and your body.

 Try these out:

• Brushing your teeth: take the opportunity to stretch each calf muscle.

• Waiting: work on your balance by standing on one foot, hold, then the other. Take a couple of slower breaths.

• Watching:  make sure your eyes are focused straight ahead (glasses or not). This will put less stress on your neck. Often we raise our chins when looking at something.

• Sitting: come forward off the chair and sit slightly away from the back while at work, in a car or on the bus. This will engage your abs.

• On the phone: stand to talk. 

How do you include activity into your day? Email me your story at jody@jodysfitness.com and I will share it.

Taming Technostress

Are you feeling over stimulated by always being plugged into technology? There’s a word for this kind of stress and it was coined in 1984 by psychologist Craig Brod, in his book, Technostress: The Human Cost of the Computer Revolution.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by way too much information, unrealistic expectations of yourself and too much multi-tasking here are some tips to manage this kind of stress and get yourself some much needed downtime.

Daily

1. Plan ahead. The techno world is notoriously slow sometimes, so give yourself plenty of time for the glitches.

2. Take regular breaks. Add a vision break. Walk around, do some standing stretches. And, drink lots of water. This will create the need for more short breaks.

3. Slow down. Limit multi-tasking and consciously pull back from rushing around.

In General

1. Use technology to set your boundaries. When you’re on a techno break, let people know you’re off the grid.

2. Get outdoors without your earphones in. The rhythm of nature will slow you down. Add some deep breathing to this mix and you’ll feel like you’ve had a mini vacation.

3. Add some weekly exercise that will allow you to switch off and tune out.

Technology is here to stay. Reduce the chances of becoming more stressed by setting your techno boundaries and learning how to have that balance (of being too plugged in, or not plugged in enough).

HELPFUL HINTS TO ‘MINDFUL’ MOVEMENT

When I first train someone, I look to see how they move and whether their movement is mindful. Teaching people how to be more mindful during exercise is a big part of my coaching style. It develops both a stronger body and a steady mind.

My definition of ‘mindful’ movement is when you do anything physical with clear and present attention. I encourage my clients to use these 6 Steps before, during and after executing any given exercise or physical task.

Step 1

 Concentrate.

• Focus on what action you will be doing.

Step 2

Set-up your body.

• Focus on setting up your lower body first, by making sure your feet are firmly placed on the floor and your hips are square.
• Activate your core by pulling your belly button in towards your spine, zipping up your imaginary jeans and finally, to activate your lower abs, stopping your pee.
• Set your upper body by finding neutral for your shoulders and neck. To do this, bring your shoulders back so they are under your ears, and your chin down, so that your eyes are looking straight ahead.

Step 3

• Breathe.

Step 4

Steady your eyes.

• If your eyes are moving about, you are thinking about other things. You need to stay present to avoid injury and in some cases fix incorrect movement patterns.

Step 5

Start the movement.

• Move slowly so you can adjust the movement through the full range of motion.  It’s important not to rush through any exercise, as it increases rates of injury.

Step 6

Begin again.

• Go through the checklist. Pretty soon it becomes automatic.

It takes time and energy to be mindful. Once you do, it makes all aspects of life a whole lot easier.  

The Key to Exercising … Just start!

To exercise or not to exercise? That is the constant question. We know we have to. We know it’s good for us. There are a ton of reasons why we should, and another cluster of reasons why we can’t. Throughout my thirty years of training clients I’ve heard a lot of humming and hawing about lack of motivation. Here are some ways to overcome the challenge of “No… I don’t want to.”

• Listen to music. Make yourself a playlist or listen to your favourite radio station. CBC has some great DJ’s playing fabulous Canadian music.

• Don’t listen to yourself. Once you get going you’ll either get into it, or you won't. Either way, you will have made a decision to do something.

• Get outside. There are some great outdoor circuits no matter where you are living, and if not, make one up or consult with a fitness trainer. Remember a hike is still exercise.

• Exercise with someone. Whether it be a friend or a trainer, accountability and money are great motivators. It’s nice to know that someone will notice if you are not there, and or, make sure to remind you to get yourself there.

Exercise helps with life skills. Be patient with yourself. Once you’ve used these strategies to get going, it’ll only be a matter of time until it doesn’t feel like work. And for the days you don’t feel like it, pick your motivation strategy and just start.

Have a good way to get yourself moving? Share it here, or on JodysFitness Facebook page. I’m sure we will all benefit from your wisdom. 

a true pain in the butt!

by Sandy Reimer

Four weeks ago I tore my hamstring tendon, at the origin, while teaching a group exercise class. It's been 32 days and really - a pain in the butt.

What happened? Not exactly sure. I was doing a relatively common exercise, 20 minutes into the class, and I was warm. A perfect storm perhaps of overuse, stress, dehydration from a recent trip overseas and some previous hip pathology that hadn't totally been addressed. I moved, it popped! It happened.

My life is pretty much about being on the move. I walk as a mode of transportation, instruct fitness classes and train clients. When not moving, I sit at my computer - none of which is easy or comfortable with a strained hamstring. Not to mention putting on shoes, taking care of a household and having a social life!

During this time I've gone through a myriad of emotions: frustration, denial, sadness, stress, even depression. It's not an easy time when the life we're living suddenly changes...wish I could say I handled it all with grace. Reviewing the stages of injury, disease, or illness - I realized I'm pretty normal.

The loss of range of motion, and the inability to function with natural daily movements becomes a concern. You experience fatigue and chronic pain; you long to do activities that you'd like to do; and finally realize you don't even have the strength or ability to do what you long for.

Apparently ‘hamstring origin’ tears are hard to heal, and easy to re-injure. They take patience (generally 8 weeks of rehab), care and a progressive plan back into exercise.

I'm thankful that I'm beginning to move more freely once again and for my support group that includes my family Dr., colleagues and most importantly my physiotherapist who understood the ranges of movement and emotion that I'd experience.

Recovering? Try a little pool time.

Last month I hurt my back. It was a combination of not stretching after a hard day gardening and upping the weights on my once weekly SMART session of the Body By Science workout. This is what I continue to learn…no matter what your age, one needs to take a moment to stop and listen to yourself.

Along with a few days of bed rest and over the counter medications, an intense massage therapy session to calm down the spasms and no formal exercise for three weeks, I slowly eased myself back into a working routine aimed at rehab rather than increased stamina or strength. That’s when I was re-introduced to the joys of water exercise.

Why is water so good?

• Offers a greater resistance to motion than air does, without the wear and tear on the muscles and joints.
• There is much less danger of jolting movements, which can cause damage to muscles and ligaments.
• Good for all body types.
• Improves heart and lung efficiency (cardio output), balance and muscle imbalances.
• Provides the body with buoyancy that promotes both physical and mental relaxation.

I knew all this, but what surprised me was the wonderful sense of grace I felt while striding, pulling and pushing my way to more mobility and less pain. I’m not a fan of getting into cold water and I did slip a lot but I’ll suck it up and buy a pair of water running shoes.

I’m hooked, again, on water training. 

"OH MY ACHING BACK "

According to ongoing research, 80% of us will experience significant low back pain sometime in our life.  Daily living requires us to push, pull, lift, lower, and twist. But what happens when you stop paying attention and you find yourself incapacitated? Here are some tips for getting you back up and running smoothly.

Be patient. According to Tom T. Gomez BSc (PT), in his book Fighting Back, most back pain will resolve itself in seven days.

Make yourself comfortable. Ask your doctor about medications that can help manage the pain.  Physiotherapists can use taping procedures that provide temporary relief. Add some Massage Therapy to further help with pain management. These are the three types of health professionals I use when dealing with back pain.

Ease back into normal activity. ‘Ease’ is the operative word here.  Do gentle stretches and find out the best ones for you. Ask for help when you need to do any lifting, bending, pushing, pulling or twisting that causes you to wince or cry out in pain. Learn what protective movements work for you and use them. For example, watch how golfers pick up their golf balls or movers pick up heavy boxes.

Stay fit. Research shows that individuals that are fit are less likely to have low back pain and when they do, they recover faster.

The muscles of the trunk and pelvis account for 90% of the back’s stability and without them you would hardly be able to hold up your head. It’s important to train SMART (Specific, Measured, Action-Oriented, Realistic and Timed). Less time exercising will ultimately lead to more injuries. That is not SMART…

How To Correct Bad Form

Form is arguably the most important aspect of any exercise, because when it’s off it affects your entire body.  Bad form can cause muscle imbalances with one part of the body over compensating for another. If form isn’t the first thing put in check, injuries will occur.

Here are four ways to correct the problem before it becomes a problem:

1. Sounds simple but learn what correct form is for the exercise you are doing. Trainers are good for this.

2. To begin with, go weightless. To feel what you are doing, perform the exercise without any weight or resistance.

3. Add weight. Now that you’ve added a weight, make sure you body is in the right position. If you are unable to keep good form throughout the repetition reduce the resistance.

4. Always set you core before you start each exercise (see last blog post). Engaging your core will always keep you stable. This will help against accidents, leading to injuries (as small as a slight pain in the knee or a tight muscle in the low back).

Good form helps with aches and pains, especially as we get older, and it’s often overlooked, replaced by focusing on reps, weight, frequency and duration. Don’t make this mistake. Form is king, or in this case – queen.



8 Exercise and Health Lessons Learned, & Re-learned

Last Saturday I attended a group of workshops at the YWCA on anatomy, exercise, and nutrition. Here are the eight best things I learned:

1. A piece of wooden doweling purchased at your local lumber store is an inexpensive, fun and functional exercise tool for dynamic warm-ups and balance exercise.

2. Plant both feet firmly on the ground before you do a standing or seated exercise. This will help you set your core.

3. Remember to activate your core, before you do an exercise, by going through these three steps:

• Pull your belly button in and glue it to your spine
• Pull your abs up, like when you zip up your jeans 
• Stop your pee

4. Before any exercise, work on finding a ‘neutral’ position for your neck, shoulders and low back (image at right).

5. Throughout your workout remember to check your posture as you move from exercise to exercise.

6. Learn to use diaphragmatic breathing–that’s when you breathe though your nose and there is movement in both your chest and diaphragm.

7. Add some mustard to your balsamic/olive oil dressing to keep it from separating.

8. Light snacking ½ hour before bed (1/2 piece of whole grain toast with a light spread of peanut butter) is good for maintaining a stable metabolism throughout the night.