Body Design

Amazing staff

Yesterday, I hosted our annual staff Christmas Luncheon and once again I was so grateful to be in the company of some truly amazing individuals.  Not only are these people dedicated to their own personal health and fitness but I could see they were so passionate about helping others to improve their health through physical activity.  My staff are an inspiration to me and I am grateful to have them part of my team at Body Design.

Ditch the hand/ankle weights!

Now that the great weather is here, I see many people out walking for exercise.  Walking is a great form of activity that gets you outside exploring your community and enjoying nature. 

However, it never fails, but I inevitably see "exercise walkers" who are out speeding along swinging hand weights or dumbbells as they are walking.  I know they think if they carry weights while they walk, they will add resistance to what they are doing and therefore burn more calories and tone their arms. 

However, what they do not realize is that they are dramatically increasing the chances of injuring the delicate muscles in their shoulder joints.  

When we walk, we naturally swing our arms - we create a natural pendulum action.  However, when we add weight to the end of the pendulum (in our hands or on our wrists ), the natural swing of the pendulum is increased.  Because walking is a repetitive activity, the arm swing is also repetitive and the increase in additional weight to the pendulum action puts increased stress on the shoulder joints.  

Next thing you know, the shoulder starts to ache but most people do not connect that the ache is a result of the weights in their hands while they walk so they continue with the activity.  Soon a real shoulder injury has developed that only time can heal.  Sometimes it takes more than time - additional treatment like physiotherapy and accupuncture, etc. are needed to aid in the recovery process.

Recommendation - if you want to add resistance to your walk, wear a weighted vest or invest in some Urban Poles.  The vest will add resistance and make the walk harder on your heart and legs.  The Urban Poles will tone and shape your arms, work your core, improve your posture and burn more fat and calories.  Ditch the hand/ankle weights!

  

It's Spring - Let's Get Walking!

Spring is here - yeah!  What a great time to get outside and get moving. 

I find a large portion of my clients enjoy walking.  Walking is a great form of cardiovascular exercise and requires no special equipment except a good pair of walking/running shoes.  Walking is also a great way to enjoy the outdoors, check out your community and get in some exercise that can assist you with your weight loss goals.

If you are thinking of starting a walking routine, I would suggest the following tips to ensure you are successful at reaching your goals.

1.  Set aside specific time during the week to accomplish your walk.  Determine the number of days you are going to walk and the amount of time each day you will walk.  Having a plan in place gives you a roadmap to success.

2.  Make a check mark on a calendar each day that you go for your walk.  Seeing the number of check marks increase over a period of time will help motivate you to keep going.

3. Be diligent with yourself (and your family) about going out for your walk.  Tell yourself and your family when you are going out and follow through - don't let anything get in the way.  Try not to fall back on making excuses.

4. Find a walking partner who is committed to walking with you and developing a routine.  It is much easier to stay committed when someone else is depending on you to walk with them.

5. Dress appropriately.  Spring can still be cool so it is best to dress in layers.  Summer can be extremely hot.  Wear clothing with Cool Max technology to keep you cool and wick the sweat.  Wear a hat and bring water for hydrating.

6. Make sure you have good, comfortable shoes that offer lots of support.  Shoes should be replaced about every 500 to 600 km.  Get your shoes properly fitted at a store with knowledgeable staff.  You will be deterred from walking if you end up with sore, achy feet.

5. Get a pedometer and keep a "steps log".  Health Canada recommends 10,000 steps per day to maintain your health and fitness.  A pedometer will motivate you to get out for your walk to get your steps in. (If you are looking for an accurate, easy to use pedometer, contact Body Design.  We have an excellent pedometer to assist you!)

6. If you have not been walking regularly during the winter, start off your walking routine slowly.  I find many people start off too ambitiously and end up with shin splints and sore muscles. They end up discouraged and stop walking.  You may want to just start with 3 walks per week that are about 15 - 20 minutes in length at a moderate pace and build from there.

7.  However, once you get into a regular walking routine, you should increase the intensity of your walk to continue seeing benefits.  Our bodies adapt to exercise and if you do not "change it up", you will plateau.  You can increase the intensity of your walk but walking for a longer period of time, change your route to incorporate more hills or increase the speed of your walk.

8.  Another way to increase the intensity of your walk is to incorporate Urban Walking Poles.  Urban Walking Poles engage your upper body and core muscles while you walk so you end up burning more calories and fat without having to walk longer or faster.  If you are interested in finding out more about Urban Pole Walking, contact Body Design for class details and pole sales.

Walking is easy, walking is fun and walking is a great way of reducing stress and getting in touch with your body.  Walking is also a great form of exercise that allows you to get outside and enjoy nature.  Enjoy!!

Buyer Beware

I recently attended a networking meeting and found myself with a group of ladies talking about body wraps.  They were excitedly telling me about another personal trainer who was promoting body wraps and one of the ladies said she had lost several inches in her first body wrap session. 

Body wraps have been around for years.  However, have you ever heard of a doctor recommending them or any credible health organizations promoting wraps?  No - but what surprised me in this conversation was that another personal trainer was promoting them.  For me, if you are a certified personal trainer, you should have the education and knowledge to know that body wraps are just another one of the "quick fix" gimics that appeals to individuals wanting to lose weight.  

There is no credible scientific research by government organizations that verifies that body wraps produce long term results.  The truth is body wraps do not shrink fat cells or burn body fat - no matter what type of wrap that is used or what you are wrapped in.  Fat can only be lost with a caloric deficit from the reduction of food intake and an increase in activity or a combination of both.

Body wrap companies will promote that you will lose inches after each session.  Yes, you can lose inches but it is not fat.  It's water weight and fluid and the results are very temporary.  The inches will come back in days or even hours as soon as you rehydrate yourself.

Other claims made for body wraps include detoxification, improved circulation, tighter and firmer skin.  Most health and fitness researchers as well as government agencies will tell you these claims are debatable.

Wraps might take off some inches and water weight but the results are not permanent.  The only way to take off fat and inches is to cut back on your calories - by making healthy food choices and/or burning calories through increased activity and exercise.

Lesson learned here - if something seems too good to be true, it probably is!

No, I'm not selfish!

The other day, a friend of mine emailed me and suggested we set up a date to go to the movies together.  She asked me to email her some dates that would work for me. 

I went through my schedule for the next several weeks and replied to her that I had 3 dates in the next 3 weeks available.  My friend replied back that I must be very busy to be only available 3 evenings.

I thought about that comment - yes, I am busy but when I had replied to her with my available evenings, I had only suggested evenings that I was not exercising or would be with my family. 

My exercise routine is set - I run on Sunday mornings and Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  I attend a Boot Camp class on Monday nights.  I work out with my trainer on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  So that leaves Wednesday and Friday nights to do my "social" stuff with friends.

I have maintained this routine for a long time - years in fact, and I only change it if there is an event or activity that I feel is necessary to attend or I am sick. 

When I used to work outside of my home (over 8 years ago), I used to come home on Tuesdays and Thursdays and immediately get out of my work clothes and go for my run.  My family learned that this was my routine and they adapted.  The kids could still tell me what happened at school that day when I came home from my run and my husband cooked dinner while I as out running.  It took awhile to get the routine set but we made it work.

This routine may sound very regimented and strict but it has to be if I want to make sure that I get in my regular exercise.  I deliberately plan my free time around my exercise time. 

Some people may feel this is selfish but I do not.  I want and need to set time aside for myself during the week - I feel better when I do - physically and mentally.  I have maintained a 50lb. weight loss for over 8 years now and I "plan" to keep it that way. Notice the word "plan" - my exercise routine is a "plan" that I stick to because it works.

I encourage all of you to plan your exercise time during your week and stick to it!  You're not being selfish, you're taking care of yourself.

Heal Thyself

Unfortunately, we all suffer injuries from time to time.  Some injuries are more serious than others.  As a trainer, I often see people who suffer from chronic or long term injuries - the injuries that just seem to be there, that do not totally go away and act up once in awhile. 

I had a gentleman in the other day who has been dealing with an old rotator cuff injury.  He aggravated his shoulder in the fall by raking leaves rather "vigorously" and ignoring his body telling him that things were getting sore.  Since re-injuring himself, he has been seeing a massage therapist and physiotherapist regularly to help heal the injury.  We have stopped doing alot of upper body work to rest the afflicted area and help with the healing process.

He has been doing all the right things to help heal himself - except one - he has been focusing on the pain - almost obsessively so.  Everytime he moves his arm/shoulder where the injury is, he waits to feel the pain or discomfort.  He anticipates the pain and tries to isolate exactly where it is and what is causing it.  This is wonderful from the perspective of being in touch with and listening to your body however what he does not realize is that he is not aiding in the true healing process. 

Instead of focusing on the pain, I asked him to focus on channeling positive energy and love to that part of his body.  Instead of just focusing on negative energy (the pain), focus on positive energy (healing)! 

There has been alot of talk and study about the power of the mind in the healing process.  I challenged my client to turn his thinking around and see if he can heal himself by loving his body, loving the injury and marveling in the power and magnitude of his body.  I challenge all of you to think about your own injuries and how you heal or perhaps "sabotage" your own healing by the negative energy and thoughts you direct to your body.  Are you loving or cursing your own body when it needs you the most?

Sloppy Holidays

I was going to write a new post before Christmas however with all the stress and commitments leading up to the holidays, I just did not get around to writing.  Now that Christmas is over but we are still in the holiday season with New Years just around the corner, I still wanted to write about a topic that I felt was important. 

I was speaking with another trainer just before the Christmas break and we were sharing with each other what generally happens with our businesses during the holiday season.  She commented that she expects most of her clients to keep their appointments as usual and that she requests that they continue to practice good eating and exercise habits despite the holiday temptations. 

I commented that about 1/2 to 3/4 of my clients all want to take a break from their regular training appointments and come back in the New Year.  They want to spend time with their families and just relax. 

I have to admit I want to do that too.  I look forward to the "down time" and I need the break to recharge my batteries.  But most of all, I need the break to reconfirm to myself why I try to lead a healthy lifestyle the rest of the year. 

I find during the Christmas holidays, I can slip into a sloppy routine.  I stay up later at night and then sleep in later in the morning.  I eat holiday treats and I indulge in some occasional holiday cheer.  I end up eating out more during the holidays or entertaining more as I use this holiday time to catch up with friends. 

However, as my lifestyle habits get sloppy, I also notice how my body responds.  I feel more sluggish and have less energy. I will experience stomach upset and bloating.  I feel like I have put on weight.  I will get cranky and bored.  When I go running (I do keep this up despite everything!), my legs start to feel like "tree trunks" that I am dragging around.  I also do not feel as alert and I know I do not get as much accomplished in a day.   

By the end of the week, I am looking forward to getting back into routine.  I do not like the way I feel.  I do not like the way that I look.  I want to get back into my business and moving forward again.  I crave my healthy self back - I want to feel my energy again, my body working efficiently and in harmony.  The week off has reconfirmed to me once again why it is so important to me to lead a healthy lifestyle.  I just work (physically, emotionally and spiritually) better when I do. 

So back to my clients - when they tell me they want to take the holidays off, I do not necessarily see that as a bad thing.  In fact, I see it as a good thing because when they do come back, I know they will be refocused and ready to move forward with their own personal goals.  And I will be moving forward with them, sharing in the journey.

Tis the Season for Gift Giving

I had the pleasure of hosting the Body Design staff Christmas luncheon last Saturday at a local restaurant.  We had 15 people in attendance out of a possible 21 invitees.  I felt so honored to find myself surrounded by such a group of enthusiastic and committed individuals who all shared the same passion - a dedication to fitness and healthy lifestyle habits. 

90% of our staff are over 40 years of age.  They all have their own personal stories of how they got into fitness.  Some have been active all of their lives but most of them including myself, found fitness later in life. 

Regardless of when they started to get active and then make a living out of fitness, they all talked about how they loved working with clients and sharing their passion for activity.  They shared stories about client achievements. They talked about their concern with childhood obesity.  They talked about what they learned at professional development events and how they were sharing that information with their clients.  They laughed at funny stories, they listened to each other and offered suggestions to problems.  They offered new programming ideas.  They enjoyed being with each other.

As I drove home later, I marvelled at how fortunate I was to have the privilege and honor of working with such a wonderful group of individuals who have chosen to share their expertise and passion for fitness and health with Body Design.  In giving my Christmas gift to them, I was receiving many gifts in return.

Listen Up

I just finished a good work out with weights and I feel great - I feel alive!  My muscles are tingling, my heart rate is up and I can feel my own life energy surging through me. 

I had a client in today who told me about her workouts for the week.  She had done really well - cardio and weights just like I recommended however she was doing it all (both cardio and weights) on the same day and on consecutive days - no rest.  We had to talk.

She reminded me of another client I had a couple of years ago who was addicted to training - no, she was addicted to over training.  She had convinced herself that the more she worked out, the more she would lose weight and tone her body.  She had lost touch with her body and was now abusing it.    

I talked to her about the symptoms of over training and set her up on a training schedule that I advised she stick to and do no more than what I advised.  She followed my advice and started to look and feel better.

Working out is about getting in touch with one's own body - feeling it respond to an outside stimulus.  Your body can heal itself, it can get stronger, it can get faster and it is your's - the only one you will have for your entire life.  Take care of your body, listen to it, respect it, love it and challenge it.  Your body will amaze you if you listen.

Wow, You Look Like You've Lost Weight!

Wow, you look like you've lost weight!"  How many of you feel this statement is a compliment? 

In my business, most clients seek our services initially to lose weight and tone up.   Their focus is what the scale tells them - is the number up or down?  During our time with each client, we try to educate them that the benefits of eating well and exercising is about much more than just what the scale says. 

Eating well and regular exercise can create huge changes in a person's life.   I get really excited when clients start telling me how good they're starting to feel, how they have so much more energy and are sleeping better.  They also start telling me stories of how they have found themselves doing some household chore and noticed that the task was now much easier to do.  I hear this alot in the winter regarding shovelling snow. 

To me this is progress - this is improved health.  Improved health is about more than just what the scale says.

So instead of saying to someone, "You look like you've lost weight!"  Take the opportunity to congratulate and acknowledge success by adopting other verbal phrases. "Wow, you look so healthy!"  "Your eyes are beautiful - you are just glowing!" "You look so fit and healthy!"  or "You look amazing - I love the energy you're sharing!" 

I recently received my annual Milk calendar and at the back there is a full page ad from the Dairy Farmers of Canada.   The caption reads, "It's better to have a body in shape than to obsess about the shape of your body".  What a great message - I could not agree more.