Tuesday, December 25, 2012

My Christmas Workout Fix :)

I LOVE Christmas!  Seeing family and friends, eating delicious stuff and sleeping until late in the afternoon - can't beat it.

If you're anything like me though you start to get a little antsy and your body feels a little sore if you don't do any physical exercise at all.  I was feeling that way today but didn't want to invest a lot of time in a workout when I could be spending quality time with my family, so here's what I did:  I got my gymboss timer out, set it to 16 rounds of 30 seconds and did the following circuit:

Squats
Burpies
Pike push-ups
Burpies
Lunges
Burpies
Regular push-ups
Burpies
1 legged hip lifts (right leg)
Burpies
1 legged hip lifts (left leg)
Burpies
Spiderman push-ups
Burpies
Low pulsing plie squats
Burpies

That's it!  8 minute investment to feel great and ready for a nice turkey dinner :)

If you've been to Wholey Fit you'll know what all those exercises are - if you haven't, e-mail me at info@wholeyfit.ca and I'll send an explanation.

The New Year is almost here!  If you're looking for spin in Point Grey come check out Wholey Fit.  I offer indoor cycling, boxing, circuit training and so much more :)

Merry Christmas and here's to a healthy and happy New Year!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Where Am I?

Wow!  It's been too long since I've blogged about anything!  Not totally my fault though - I just opened my studio in September and have be SO busy!  I liken it to having a child.  I've created this great thing that I'm now in the process of nurturing in order to create something amazing. 

I've been told I'm a bit hard to find.  People have searched Vancouver Spin, Point Grey Spin and even Heather Spin and haven't had any luck.  Technically what I offer at Wholey Fit is not Spinning (that's a trademarked name) but it's the term we're all familiar with (probably why they trademarked it).

Right now I'm in the process of getting that fixed.  Another example of how I'm nurturing my beautiful new studio to help it grow.

Hope to see you there soon!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

My Studio

When I first dreamed of my studio (about 10 years ago) I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen.  When I finally opened my doors I knew this was what I was meant to do.

It's a scary undertaking but I've had so much help and support from some amazing people.  One person in particular is my friend Peter.  We met when he took my indoor cycling class at one of the many gyms I've worked at.  He's always been so supportive and when I decided to open my studio he was right there helping me get things started.


Having a dream is one thing, but when other people jump on board to help support your dream it's amazing and makes you feel like you can succeed at anything.

Thursday, October 04, 2012

What Are You Doing On Monday?

Don't you hate it when your favourite class is cancelled just because it happens to be a holiday Monday? 
 
Well no need to worry!  This Monday I'll be running all classes as usual:
 
6:30am Cycle
9:30am Cycle & Core
6pm Cycle & Box
 
Come out and work off some turkey and feel awesome about yourself!
 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Friday, September 14, 2012

Thank You Wholey Fit Helpers!

My studio is almost up and running!  Lots of last minute things to do.  I could not have done it without the generous help of so many people!

First of all Annie the web designer (Annie Curran, Event Planner / Planificatrice d'événements, 514-806-7077 www.anniecurran.com) who designed my beautiful website.  She did such a wonderful job designing it and any changes I ever needed, she took care of right away - and I had A LOT of changes as my studio dream started becoming a reality!

I also have to thank Dara the keyword domain designer/programmer.  I've been operating an Ultrafit Bootcamp in Burnaby for over 4 years now.  When I first started, it was suggested that I get a keyword domain done to direct people to my site.  I hired Dara (RealtySupport.ca; Team Total Marketing and Consulting Inc.) to put it together.  To this day I get over 90% of my business from that site!

Once again she did an awesome job and I'm already on page 1 when you google Kitsilano Indoor Cycling and Kitsilano Indoor Cycling Classes!  I also love that I can go into the back end of my site and make any changes I want to - so easy that even I can do it ;)

Then there's Kirsten my logo designer, Chris the leasing agent, Sal and Bob the subletters, Dan the phone guy, Don the flooring guy and his installer Casey, Zoe the electrician, Ian the contractor, Lenny the painter, Taso, who let us use his van to pick up such things as bikes, tires and flooring, Mark the Keiser rep, SpaBooker the online scheduling providers, Vancity Savings Credit Union (Kitsilano Community Branch) and Puneet the accounts manager who believed in my 'small' dream (which is going to become something HUGE) when my other bank didn't...and of course Norm the awesome boyfriend who can do everything and can make anything happen!

I'll be adding these people to my recommendations page (all except my boyfriend that is) in the next few weeks, so if you need anything done check them out!

Here are some pics of the studio in progress :)

Ian the Contrator

Woohoo!

Lenny the Painter

Norm the Awesome Boyfriend
I still can't believe it's about to happen :)

Thursday, September 06, 2012

Me In My Studio

Here's a 'before' shot of my studio (with me in it)


Here are a couple of after shots!:


Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Quick & Dirty Body Weight Workout!

Got a few minutes to spare to improve your health?  Here's a quick workout you can do anywhere:

50 Push-ups (nice way to warm up) ;)
50 Squats
50 Sumo Squats (legs wide, knees and toes point out.  If you do them right you'll feel it in your inner thighs)
50 Tricep Dips
50 Lunges (50 per leg)

Take breaks if you start to lose your form on any exercise.  Stretch after.

I just did it, now you do it!

Sunday, September 02, 2012

My Studio!

 I've got the keys to my studio and yesterday Norm and I went in to check things out!  The guys who were supposed to move the desks out didn't show up so we couldn't really get started with doing anything, but it was great to be able to walk in and start visualizing how it will look when it's done.  It's gonna be AWESOME!!!
Top picture: looking in from the front door.  Bottom picture: looking out from the office to the front door.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Gran Fondo Banff

Glenda and I did the inaugural  Gran Fondo Banff last weekend - love being among the first to ride a new Fondo!  It was supposed to be about 140km, but a mama bear and her 3 cubs intervened and we ended up with a 100km route ;)

The scenery was gorgeous!  It was a little cooler than I anticipated: 3 degrees when we started but then warmed up to about 19 degrees by the time we finished. 

Looking forward to riding my 3rd Gran Fondo Whistler with on Sept. 8th!


P.S  I get the keys to my studio on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

5 Post-Workout Mistakes That Are Easy To Avoid



I think we all can agree that working out regularly is important. What many people don’t realize though is that what you do after your workout is also very important and can have a huge effect on what kind of results you get from all your hard work.  Here are 5 post-workout mistakes that a lot of us are guilty of and how to avoid them.

Post-Workout Mistake #1: Re-hydrating with a sports drink when water is really all you need:

After sweating in a regular workout (ie a workout that lasts less than 90 minutes at a moderate to hard effort) you need to rehydrate with water, not a sports drink that's full of calories. If you’re working hard for over 90 minutes (especially if you’re out in the heat and/or tend to sweat a lot) you should be replacing some electrolytes. Vega has a great electrolyte drink.  Another great, all natural choice is coconut water – it’s sweet, low in calories and is a natural source of electrolytes.  You can get it at Save-On-Foods and Costco at a great price (make sure to check the ingredients to make sure it’s just 100% coconut water).  If you find it a little too sweet mix it with some water.

 Post-Workout Mistake#2: 'Rewarding' yourself for a job well done:

I think we can all relate to this scenario: you’ve just finished a grueling workout and you’re feeling exhausted and proud of yourself, so you decide to reward yourself with something that’s not so healthy. This will only sabotage your efforts though.  After a workout your body needs high quality nutrients so it can recover properly and get stronger.  

Next time you finish with a workout, reward yourself with a meal that’s both satisfying and healthy. You’ll need some healthy carbs, healthy fats and healthy protein.  How about a quinoa salad with dried cranberries, some cucumber, some red or yellow peppers, a handful of nuts (pecans, almonds, walnuts or whatever your favourite nut is) drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar?  Or a nice chicken breast, some sweet potato baked fries drizzled with olive oil and some raw veggies?  Or maybe some fruit and yogurt?  So many healthy and delicious options!  

Post-Workout Mistake#3: Skipping your cool down and stretch:

After an intense workout session your muscles are tight and your heart rate is probably elevated.  It’s a really bad idea to skip the cool down and stretches. You need these to allow your heart to slow down to a normal pace and gradually stretch and relax your muscles. A proper cool down will help to lessen or even prevent muscle soreness and injury. 

Post-Workout Mistake#4: Touching your face with contaminated hands:

Sweaty gym equipment can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Although we do it almost unconsciously, we usually touch our face several times an hour with our hands. It's no wonder why it’s easy to catch a cold or get the flu in spite of all our efforts to stay healthy. Cut down your chances of getting sick by washing your hands frequently and hitting the shower right after a workout (or at least washing your hands really well). 

Post-Workout Mistake#5: Not cleaning/drying your mat:

A damp mat is a breeding ground for bacteria. Your body gets a lot of contact with your mat, and if you just roll it up without wiping it and/or letting it dry, you could be rolling in bacteria the next time you do yoga, pilates or a bootcamp class. Keep your mat clean, dry and fresh for the next workout.

Avoid these post-workout mistakes and enjoy all the benefits of exercise!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

How To Change Your Fitness Routine


A lot of people love the comfort of a routine – why?  Because it’s comfortable and familiar.  Routines can be good, but if your workout has become routine it’s time to take a closer look at what you can do to get you out of your comfort zone.  I like to tell my class participants that they have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Remember how you felt when you first started your current fitness routine?  You probably felt energetic, excited and had no problem fitting it into your day.  How did you feel a few weeks later?  How about a few months?  You may have noticed that you no longer felt that same motivation you felt in the beginning.  You may have even found yourself missing a few workouts here and there.  You probably noticed that you weren’t getting the same results you once did.  This is all perfectly normal.  When you do the same thing over and over again your body and mind adapt to it.  Your body will learn how to be more efficient which means you’ll be able to continue doing the same exercise while burning fewer calories! Our bodies will instinctively try to conserve energy as a survival tactic.  Your mind will get bored and you won’t have the focus you once had.  This is typically the time when a lot of people give up and before they know it they have no fitness routine and their health starts to suffer.

So when should we switch things up? Here are some signs that you should make some changes: you find yourself skipping workouts, you’re no longer seeing/feeling any results and you’re no longer excited about your workout.  Another big sign is if you’re constantly sore, have been getting sick or injured a lot, having trouble sleeping or have an increased resting heart rate.  These are signs of over-training which is just as bad as under training.

If you do the exact same routine at the exact same intensity every time you workout a good rule of thumb is to switch it up every 2-4 weeks.  For example if you run on the treadmill for 45 minutes on the exact same incline 3-4 days a week, try doing something completely different such as biking, swimming or trying a new class at your gym (you can do that for 2-4 weeks and then go back to your running routine if you like).  If you only do cardio, try adding a day or two of weight training – just make sure to talk to a trainer first so you know you’re doing it right.  If you only workout at a level that allows you to talk comfortably try upping the intensity a bit so you can only get out 3 or 4 words at a time.  Join a program such as bootcamp or indoor cycling where you know your trainers will push you and your class-mates will encourage/motivate you every time you come out.

Another good idea is to switch it up every single day!  If you like to run, try running for a longer duration, or using a new route that includes some steep hills, or adding random intervals where you go as hard as you can for about 30 seconds and then recover for a minute, or stopping to do something completely different such as push-ups on a bench.  Sounds a bit like bootcamp doesn’t it ;)  This will allow you to maintain a certain level of comfort because you’ll still be running, but these little changes will make a huge difference!  That’s why classes such as bootcamp,  indoor cycling and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) are so effective.  Every class throws something different at you to keep your body and your mind guessing and your results amazing!

The take home message?  You definitely need to change up your routine, but it doesn’t have to be an entire overhaul of your current routine.  Try adding a few small changes to your current workout routine  and get ready to reap the results!

In about a month I’ll be opening the doors of my new studio, Wholey Fit, where I’ll be running indoor cycling classes and some really unique interval training classes - I can almost guarantee you’ve never done interval training classes like the ones I’ll be offering!  If your current fitness routine has become stale and you’re no longer seeing results you’ll have to come by.  I’ll be announcing an exciting pre-sale in the next few weeks.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Indoor Cycling at Wholey Fit (4th and Alma)

Today I'm sending Keiser my deposit on my shiny new Keiser M3 bikes!  There's no turning back now - Wholey Fit will be opening it's doors in September offering exciting indoor cycling classes, stress relieving boxing classes (equipment provided) and highly effective HIIT classes (High Intensity Interval Training) - but don't let the name intimidate you!  We'll offer modifications for everything.

I'll be offering an amazing pre-sale package that you won't want to miss out on.  If you want to know the dates when everything will be happening put your info in the box to the right - you'll get a great report on 7 foods that will help flatten your belly too ;) 

Be sure to sign up so you can take advantage of the pre-sale!

Sunday, July 08, 2012

IMS For Back Pain

If you haven't heard of IMS here's a great article that explains it really well:

http://www.intramuscularstimulation.com/2.htm

I wasn't having any luck with my back even with physio, stretching, icing, resting - all of that and I still had enough pain to keep me from being able to teach my classes.

Then I went to a new physiotherapist at Treloar Physiotherapy (Steve Wong) and he did IMS on me.  It was super uncomfortable to have it done and I was sore after, but the next day I had NO pain!!  It's been almost a week and I'm still almost completely pain free!  I'm going back for more on Tuesday.

If you suffer from back pain you have to try IMS!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Back Pain Makes You Annoying

I threw my back out about 10 days ago - not good when you teach fitness for a living and have upcoming rides.  Yesterday it was feeling good and I'd been teaching a few indoor cycling classes in the previous days so thought I was out of the woods.  I taught my first class and felt great, then I taught my second class and felt great...until I got off my bike.  As soon as I got off my bike I knew I was in trouble.  So here I am back on the couch flat on my back almost back to square one.  I must say, eating on your back sucks - unless you like keeping a detailed food diary on your shirt.

Over the past 10 days I've come to realize something.  You know all those annoying people who move super slow?  They walk slow, they drive slow, they come to almost a complete stop when trying to make a simple right turn and you just can't figure out how someone can move that slow through life?  I've come to realize that they all must have back problems!  I know this because I have become the annoying slow moving person.  Making a fast right turn in the car can be excruciating! 

So now when I'm stuck behind some slow person, I feel sympathy rather than frustration and think 'Ah, poor guy.  He must have a back problem'.

Your back rules your world, take care of it ;)

Monday, June 11, 2012

Got Back Pain?

This morning I taught my Cycle Fit class at the Arbutus Club and it went fine.  I chatted with the members a bit, cleaned up and went to grab my bag - that's when it happened.  That familiar radiation of pain spreading throughout my low back (I had a disc bulge years ago and it flairs up now and then) - and once it starts there's nothing I can do except accept the fact that I'm gonna be in A LOT of pain as the day goes by.

I was in a bit of a state of denial as I slowly hobbled out of the Arbutus Club thinking 'maybe the ride home will make it feel better'.  It didn't.  When I got home and tried to get out of my car I knew I was in trouble.  When you feel the need to scream a bit getting out of your car you just know.  I had to do the thing I hate the very most - I had to cancel a class at the very last minute!  I had to let Tash at Cadence know that I couldn't teach the class that I was supposed to teach in about 2 hours.  There are only two things that will cause me to cancel with no notice - sudden stomach flu/food poisoning (puking in a class is just not good for business) or back pain so bad that I can't walk properly (it just doesn't look good when the instructor hobbles, hunched over and cursing up to the bike to teach a spin class, and has to use the bike to hold her up).

So here's what I've been doing today: cancelling on multiple classes for today and tomorrow (just as painful as my back but in a different way), lying on an ice pack with my legs over some cushions, lying on my nice cold, hard tile kitchen floor stretching my glutes and hamstrings, using the same nice floor to roll a tennis ball under my glutes (hurts at the time but really helps) and, of course, cursing.

I'm hoping another day of this will do the trick - I really don't think I can stand not being able to teach my classes for any longer than that.  I should be fine by Saturday for the Ride to Conquer Cancer and will be super angry if I'm not.

If you have any good back pain remedies leave a comment ;)

Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Ride to Conquer Cancer

Next weekend I'll be riding in my 3rd Ride to Conquer Cancer.  These past 3 years I've managed to fund raise over $2500 each year thanks to the generosity of my friends, family and bootcampers - if you donated to me and are reading this, thank you so much!

I rode today with my club - Terminal City/Click Cycling and had an awesome ride!  Unlike last weekend when we rode up Cypress and then I had to get my boyfriend to come and pick me up because it was too damn cold to ride down!  Hypothermia was setting in!  No more Cypress or any mountain in Vancouver until August.

So this time next weekend I'll be in Seattle - thank you again to anyone who donated.  Fingers crossed that we get some nice weather this year (PLEASE!!!!!!!!)

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Burn Fat with Food!

I was watching Dr. Oz the other day and he had these great and easy fat burning recipes.  Just in case you didn't get to see it I thought I'd share ;)

Orange and Avocado Salad

You just chop up 3 oranges, 1 avocado, mix them together with 1 tbsp of olive oil and voila!  Full of monounsaturated fats and goodness!

Brazil Nuts & Raw Onion Quinoa

I can't remember exactly how much, but you finely chop up some Brazil nuts and a raw (must be raw) onion and add it to cooked quinoa - mmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmm!

Super easy, super healthy and it gets your body burning fat for fuel instead of storing it for later ;)

Stay tuned for the grand opening date of Wholey Fit Studios!!  There'll be indoor cycling classes, awesome HIIT classes and more!

Friday, May 11, 2012

Eggs - Great Source of Protein & How To Store Them For Up To 1 Year

You may or may not know that eggs are one of the best sources of protein.  The bioavailability of protein in your food is ranked with a biological value - this tells you is how much of the protein from the food you're eating is actually available for absorption/use by your body.  Eggs have a biological ranking of 100 whereas some meats are as low as 77.  Whey protein is the best at 100-159, but eggs are non-processed, delicious and satisfying! 

Some people avoid eggs due to the bad reputation they gained as a high source of cholesterol.  They are high in cholesterol, but guess what?  Our bodies are way smarter than we give them credit for.  Cholesterol is something that our body makes naturally - we need a certain amount of cholesterol. When we take in extra cholesterol from natural, non-processed foods (ie foods found in nature, NOT man made foods) our body produces less of it's own to maintain a healthy balance.  So unless you have unusually high cholesterol (talk to your doctor if you do) you can safely eat eggs every day!

Did you know it's possible to store them for up to 1 year?  The other night 'Doomsday Preppers' was on - not a show I would normally watch, but I just couldn't stop (kind of like watching a train wreck - you can't believe what you're seeing and you can't look away!)  Anyway a lady was busy preparing different foods to last forever and I learned a really neat trick for eggs.  They won't last forever, but you can safely store them for up to 1 year!  All you do is completely cover the egg's shell in mineral oil!  This prevents oxygen from getting to the egg - oxygen exposure causes things to go bad more quickly.  Then you just store them in a cool, dark place. 

So the next time eggs are on sale buy em all up, pick up some mineral oil and voila!  A full year's supply of the ever versatile, nutritious and delicious egg!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Get Rid of Heart Burn

I was watching The Doctors earlier today and they were talking about heart burn (acid reflux).  Many people have a problem with this - it's that burning feeling coming up your throat that you sometimes get after eating a meal (especially after an unhealthy high fat meal). 

When people get this they often reach for the antacids or other medication.  These medications are meant for occasional use only and some people are taking them on a regular basis to deal with their horrible eating habits (remind you of any commercials?  'Eat all the junk you want and then just pop an antacid to deal with the discomfort'.  If your food is causing you discomfort, don't eat it!).  Did you know that people taking too much of these medications have a higher incidence of anemia, osteoporosis and hip fractures?  What on earth is that medication doing to our insides??

So now you're probably asking 'well what am I supposed to do?  Just suffer?'.  One thing you can and should do is eat a healthier diet - keep saturated fats low and absolutely NO trans fats.  Develop a taste for healthy natural foods - not only will your heart burn go away, you'll have way more energy.

I know that we don't always eat what's best for us though.  So what do you do if you've had a not so healthy meal and you're suffering from heart burn?  Eat an apple.  That's right!  An apple!  Clears it right up.

A while back I heard about this from a guy on the Internet (I wish I could remember who because I'd love to give him credit - his dad suffered from horrible acid reflux and his quality of life was greatly diminished because of it.  Apples literally saved his life.).  I was curious if it really worked.  The next time my boyfriend had heart burn I told him to try eating an apple.  He tried it and it worked!!  We now always keep apples on hand.

How awesome is that?  So the next time you get a little heart burn go get an apple and get ready for sweet relief :)

Got any natural cures you'd like to share?  Comment below.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Losing Weight/Gaining Weight

Last week I sent out an e-mail to my subscribers letting them know why they may be having problems losing weight.  I got a huge response!  Most people responded to thank me for the helpful information, but a few wanted to know what to do if they had the opposite problem: trouble gaining weight.  That seems so foreign to me - I've always found it very, very easy to gain weight.  Anyway I looked into it and sent out another e-mail with information on how to gain weight and I thought I'd share it with you :)

If you like this article and would like to get regular information from me regarding all sorts of things health and fitness related (including healthy recipes and fun workouts) you can sign up in the box on the right ;)

Here's the last article I sent out:

Yesterday I sent out an e-mail regarding what may be stopping you from losing weight.  I got a huge response!  A few of those responses were actually on the flip side.  They wanted to know why they can’t gain weight.  To a lot of us that sounds like a dream come true – not a problem!  But people who have a hard time putting on weight (hardgainers) are just as frustrated and self conscious as those of us who are always struggling to lose weight.  There’s a ton of information out there on how to lose weight, now here’s a few tips on how to gain weight:
1.   Lack of Food. Most hardgainers eat less than they realize.  You should be eating every 2-4 hours and your meals need to be dense in healthy calories.
2.   Wrong Food Choices. Eating too many carbs and not enough protein and healthy fats will not help you gain weight.  Be sure to include protein, a healthy fat and some healthy carbs in each meal (think whole grain bread, whole wheat pasta, starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes).
3.   Too Much Activity. The typical hardgainer (or ectomorph) is always on the go.  They tend to be quite active and often forget to eat.  A physically active job will burn calories and these calories need to be replaced.
4.   Training Wrong. If you just work one muscle group at a time (think bicep curls) you won’t get anywhere near the results you would get by doing compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts.  Talk to a trainer to get a proper program set up.
5.   Avoiding Fat Gains. When trying to put on muscle gaining weight without gaining fat is slow & hard so don’t be afraid of gaining a bit of fat.  Gain weight first, then lose the fat. 
6.   No Consistency. No approach will work if you miss workouts, neglect to meet your daily caloric needs and change your approach all the time.  Find an app on your phone to track your calories and your workouts.  Stay accountable if you really want results!

Best Foods to Gain Weight.
Calorie dense foods that are healthy are the best ones for weight gain.  Here’s list of some good ones:
·         All natural peanut butter
·         Dark chocolate
·         Raw almonds, cashews and other nuts & seeds
·         Fruit (especially dried fruit)
·         Whole grains, whole wheat pasta and brown rice
·         Potatoes and yams
·         Beans and other legumes
·         Avocados
·         Dairy such as cheese and yogurt
·         Fish high in omega 3’s such as salmon and tuna (watch your intake of tuna due to mercury)
·         Red meats with the word ‘round’ or ‘loin’ in the name
·         Olive oil, flax seed oil, hemp seed oil
       
- If you can't get enough calories from food, try a meal replacement shake. Add peanut butter, flax oil, fruit, etc to make it even more calorie dense.  Vega has some really good ones!  (p.s if you order Vega off my website I do get a little kickback.  That’s not why I promote it though – I promote it because I use it and it’s an extremely high quality product that I’m proud to recommend on my website).
So there you have it!  Just as someone who is struggling to lose those last 10 pounds, hardgainers must be diligent and consistent with their nutrition and physical activity - if you want it enough you’ll do the work and get the results!  Contact me anytime with your questions!
Heather Lind
Wholey Fit Inc.
We make healthy bodies!
www.wholeyfit.ca
info@wholeyfit.ca
604-773-4660 
  

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Leg Recovery

Today we rode out to Porteau Cove and it was awesome! 

Climbing hill after hill, chasing after the 2 guys in the lead, legs burning, heart pounding, lungs feeling like they may burst at any moment....I felt exhilarated!  I LOVE hills!!

I rode just over 92km today and when I got home my legs felt heavy and tired.  No worries though because I knew just what to do!  At the end of my shower I ran the water over just my legs and slowly made the water cooler and cooler until it was as cold as it would go.  I then slowly counted to 30 as I ran the water over one leg and then the other.  A little uncomfortable, but when I was done my legs felt refreshed and ready for tomorrow to teach my 3 spin classes and a Total Body Conditioning class. 

Cold water really works well on tired legs - give it a try after your next big ride, or tough workout!

Now it's time for a snack and a nap :)

Sunday, April 08, 2012

Healthy and Easy Recipe for Chicken Marsala

Crock pots rule!  Just throw in the ingredients, turn it on and walk away - dinner will be waiting for you when you get home :)

Here's an excellent recipe to try:

CHICKEN MARSALA CROCK POT RECIPE


Ingredients


4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup of flour
1/4 cup Chopped parsley
1/2 cup Marsala wine
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms


Directions


Mix most of the flour with the sea salt and pepper and cover the chicken breast in this mixture. In a skillet brown the chicken breast on both sides and place in the Crock pot. Add the wine and mushrooms to the skillet and let heat for about 10 minutes, while tossing and stirring. Sprinkle the left over flour onto the chicken breast and pour the sauce over. Allow cooking on low for 6 hours. Use the parsley to garnish the finished chicken Marsala.

 

Delicious!  You know what else is delicious?  Easter chocolate - especially after a long bike ride on a beautiful day with my awesome bike club :)  Hope you're enjoying your Easter weekend!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Great Day for a Ride!

Rode almost 85km today and it was awesome!!  The sun was out and it even warmed up a bit :)

One of my favorite parts of a great ride is the coffee afterwards.  Did you know that 1-3 cups of coffee (that's regular 8 oz cups - not giant cups that are bigger than your head) can actually be good for you? 

Coffee is a great source of antioxidants!  But what about the caffeine?  Won't it dehydrate you?  Good news!  When you drink coffee you do get some water from it, and the amount of caffeine in 1-3 cups of coffee is not enough to cause you to lose more water than you're able to retain.  It's only when you go above 3 cups (or your cups are giant) that it becomes a problem.  I would still recommend drinking a glass of water for every cup of coffee you drink, but as someone who sweats A LOT,  I'm big on hydration :)

So no more feeling guilty about enjoying a quality cup of coffee!  Just don't ruin it by adding a bunch of crap to it (sugar, cream, flavoured syrups, whipping cream etc) and you'll be fine.  Also, since coffee crops are one of the heaviest sprayed crops, you should only consume organic coffee and the coffee should remain in bean form until you're ready to use it so it doesn't go rancid - you want to keep all the goodness intact until you're ready to consume it ;)

Friday, March 23, 2012

Fat Torching Workout for All Fitness Levels!

Were you just sitting there wondering what to do for your workout today?  Even if you weren't here's something to try!

Super simple and you can do this on any piece of equipment, or go out and walk, run or bike ride.  Here's what you  do:

Warm up for 5-10 minutes.

For 3 mins. do whatever activity you've chosen at an easy level (ie leisurely jog)
For 2 mins. do the same activity at a higher intensity (ie run slightly out of your comfort zone)
For 1 min. do the same activity at the highest intensity level you can handle (ie sprint)

Then repeat for however much time you want to spend working out (each set is 6 minutes long).

Finally cool down and stretch each muscle group for 30-45 seconds.  Contact me anytime at info@wholeyfit.ca if you need any good stretches to do or just need some advice ;)

Want another fun workout?  Check out my homepage: www.wholeyfit.ca

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Nutrition, Health & Weight Loss

I was speaking today with a fellow passionate fitness leader about nutrition and how important it is to your success, whether you want to lose weight, get stronger or just improve your overall health.  One of the things we spoke about was how so many people don't make the connection between proper nutrition and optimal health.  When someone wants to get in shape and improve their health nine times out of ten the first thing they think about is adding exercise to their lifestyle.  A great place to start but that's not all there is to it.  You also have to think about eating proper, real foods that are nutrient dense and not processed.

I get so frustrated when I hear so called nutritionists insisting that weight loss hinges only on calories in versus calories out.  That's just too simplistic and very misleading to the average person who doesn't know enough about proper nutrition on the cellular level.  Sure - if you eat a ton of calories and don't move you will gain weight, but think about this for a moment: if you meet two people and one of them is eating a 1500 calorie diet consisting of fast foods and processed foods and the other is eating a 1500 calorie diet consisting of real foods that actually occur naturally (and will go bad if left out on the counter for a day or two) you will have two completely different bodies, not to mention brains.  Not only will the fast food person be physically unhealthy, they will also be mentally unhealthy.  They'll probably suffer from depression, lack of energy and a whole slew of other health problems.  The sad thing is they may never make the connection between healthy food and a healthy mind and body.

People have to realize the importance of what they put in their body.  I like this analogy: if you build a condo out of crappy materials what do you get?  A leaky condo of course!  If you build it out of high quality materials what do you get?  A beautiful home that you'll be able to live in for a long, long time.  So why would you think your body is any different?  Put crappy materials in and you end up with a body that's unhealthy and breaking down.  Put high quality materials in and you end up with a strong healthy body that you will live a long, happy, productive life in free of a lot of the pains/ailments that many people suffer from today!

In this age of processed and convenient everything we've managed to save some time, but we've lost our health.  That's too high of a price for a little convenience if you ask me. 

So the next time you sit down to eat something ask yourself this: if I didn't have access to any stores and had to hunt for my food would I be able to find what I'm about to eat?  If you're about to eat a twinkie, I have some bad news: there are no twinkie trees out there.  If you're about to eat a salad and a nice steak you're making a wise decision that will affect your body in a positive way.

Any questions?  Please feel free to comment below or contact me at info@wholeyfit.ca.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Free Workout & Recipe for you!

Just wanted to share a fun workout and a delicious recipe with you:

Warm-up (5 minutes)  You can jump rope for each circuit, or do jumping jacks (or low impact jacks).
Circuit 1
  • Jump rope or Jacks -  1 minute
  • Stationary Lunge with right leg in front 30 seconds, jump squats 30 seconds
  • Stationary Lunge with left leg in front 30 seconds, jump squats 30 secondsCircuit 2
  • Jump rope or Jacks -  1 minute
  • Plank 30 seconds,  triceps (narrow placement of hands) push ups 30 seconds
  • Circuit 3
    Plank 30 seconds, regular push ups 30 seconds
  • Jump rope or Jacks -  1 minute
  • Pulsing low squat 30 seconds, burpees with a push-up 30 seconds
  • Pulsing low squat 30 seconds, burpees 30 seconds
Circuit 4
  • Jump rope or Jacks -  1 minute
  • Hip bridge left foot on floor right leg in the air, flip over and do 5 shoulder push ups (you're in a pike position with your butt up in the air and doing push ups.  Range of motion may be quite small)
  • Circuit 5
    Hip bridge right foot on floor left leg in the air, flip over and do 5 shoulder push ups (you're in a pike position with your butt up in the air and doing push ups.  Range of motion may be quite small)
  • Jump rope or Jacks -  1 minute
  • Bicycle crunch 30 seconds, reverse crunches 30 seconds
  • Bicycle crunch 30 seconds, regular crunches 30 seconds
Stretch!
e-mail me at info@wholeyfit.ca if you have any questions about that :)

Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
·    4 medium sweet potatoes
·    1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
·    2 medium tomatoes, diced
·    1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
·    1 teaspoon ground cumin
·    1 teaspoon ground coriander
·    3/4 teaspoon salt
·    1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream (or plain yogurt 2% or less) - optional
·    1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation:
1.     Place sweet potatoes in a baking dish and bake at 425 degrees F until tender all the way to the center, about 1 hour. 
2.      Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine beans, tomatoes, oil, cumin, coriander and salt; heat in a small saucepan over medium heat until heated through.
3.     When just cool enough to handle, slash each sweet potato lengthwise, press open to make a well in the center and spoon the bean mixture into the well. Top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of cilantro (optional).
mmmmmm mmmmmmmmm!

Stay posted for news on my studio!  I'm going to be running indoor cycling classes, cardio boxing classes (I supply the equipment), HIIT classes and more!  So much fun!!