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.