Do You Eat Your Veggies?

My poll this month asks "Do you eat the daily recommended amount of veggies?"

A few people do get enough. Congrats! Most people try.

The daily recommended amount of vegetables in the average adult diet is 6-10. Check out Canada's Food Guide for more information on daily recommended servings for all food groups.

Here are three tips for eating the daily recommended amount of veggies:

1. Substitute a night time snack for veggies and hummus. Instead of eating a snack high in carbs after dinner like bread or cereal, try veggies instead. Baby carrots and broccoli are healthy choices that also happen to be incredibly delicious. If you don't like hummus try cottage cheese or yogurt.

2. When you are on the go and thirsty, try a V8 as a substitute for your usual beverage. V8 makes vegetable cocktails that taste pretty good now, so it's not like drinking pure tomatoes! This is a much more healthy alternative to pop or iced tea.

3. Make sure your meals contain a vegetable. Either as a side, such as mixed frozen vegetables. Or as the main course, like stuffed red peppers. Try to make every meal contain a carbohydrate, protein, vegetable and dairy or a soy fortified beverage.

Vegetables are very nutritious and fill you up. They are excellent for weight loss and general healthy eating habit.

Eat Your Vegetables!

Monday Motivation from Confucius

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

-Confucius

Get started on that fitness program! Don't quit when you run in to obstacles.

Go for it!

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How Gum Can Confuse Your Appetite

Gum is mostly harmless. Even the most sugary of them all, is about 25 calories a piece. Unless you eat multiple packs a day, this shouldn't be a huge problem for your diet.

The problem is the signal it sends to your brain.

Chewing gum activates the salivating process, which kick starts digestion. Your stomach thinks it is getting food because of the digestive juices that are being released. An empty stomach will start growling like crazy!

These digestive juices make you eat and you may end up eating more, if gum makes you crave sugar or carbs.

If you jump start your digestion and then don't eat actual food, your stomach will think it is starving and will hold on to fat when it does get fed...Just in case.

If you chew gum, go with sugar free to protect your teeth and stick to a piece after you have had dinner. Not hours before your next meal.

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Three Mental Benefits To Exercise

By now it's obvious that exercise improves quality of life. There are the physiological benefits like making your heart more efficient and the physical, like becoming lean and having defined muscles.

Here are three mental benefits to fitness that will drastically improve your life:

1. Determination. When you plan to reach a goal, plot out the steps necessary and consistently work toward the target, you are learning how to finish what you start and making ideas and desires a reality. Being determined means that you know what you want and you will figure out how to get it. Employers love this!

2. Time management and organization. Trying to fit a workout session in to an already busy schedule, plus planning the exercises in their proper order, definitely improves time management and organization skills. These traits are useful when you are in school, or when you are taking care of your family.

3. An agile brain. Exercise makes your brain sharp. A healthy, fit brain means you can answer questions more quickly, think clearly and have a better memory. Having a healthy brain is useful no matter what point you are at in life.

Fitness has so many benefits that it's crazy not to exercise. Caring about your own health and wellness is important. If you don't care about yourself, who will?

Exercise!

How Long Will It Take To Lose Weight?

When the decision is made to lose weight, it seems that a lot of people place high expectations on themselves.

Healthy, lasting weight loss happens at .5-2lbs per week. If you have a lot to lose and have never exercised, expect to fall in the 2lb a week range. If you have only 5-20lbs to lose, and you have fitness experience, your weight loss may come at a bit of a slower pace.

In general, younger people will lose weight more quickly than older and men lose weight easier than women. Of course everybody is different and general rules do not always apply.

If results don't happen as quickly as you expect, don't give up! I have noticed that even though my own results steadily progressed, most of my weight loss happened 4-5 months in.

Most of the time, you will lose weight and hardly notice until you look at old pictures. You see yourself everyday. While you are seeing the same chubby guy/girl in the mirror, everybody else is seeing a new you!

Stick to losing weight the healthy way. Don't get discouraged and resort to pills, crash diets or overexercising. There are serious negative side effects to bad dieting and fast weight loss.

Signs you are losing weight too fast

-Irritability

-It comes back if you "slip up" for a couple of weeks

-Getting sick easier

-Saggy skin

-Hair loss and bad skin

-A protein only diet causes really bad breath

-Depression

-Fertility problems

If you need help monitoring weight loss, to make sure you are eating the right foods and exercising enough, hire a nutritionist or personal trainer to guide you through the process. You can also join a support group like Weight Watchers or even organize your own.

Losing weight and becoming healthy is a wonderful choice but be patient and let it happen at a healthy, natural pace.

Lose Weight Safely!

Five Jobs That Keep You Fit

I watched another episode of the Discovery Civilization Tribes series the other night. This time it was on bike couriers.

Mobile personal trainers don't have much in common with couriers, except for being in a profession that keeps you active. One of the reasons I love my career is because I can choose to cycle or walk to work, when the weather is permitting. I also do outdoor training. I get to work at the beach and in parks. How cool is that?!

I can't even describe how great it feels to cycle to appointments in the morning, when the air is crisp and the birds are chirping. While everybody is stuck in gridlock on the highway, I'm cruising along the boardwalk completely stress-free.

I wouldn't trade it for anything.

This had me thinking about other careers that keep you fit.

Here are 5 Professions that will keep you fit.

1. Bike and public transportation couriers. As mentioned above, this is a very active job! Even on public transportation it's a job that has you walking around the city all day. Not only do you stay healthy but you get the chance to see new parts of town you would not have visited otherwise.

2. Painters. Being a painter doesn't even mean being outside all year around. This job is a great way to keep fit but also stay dry and warm! Painters have the potential to develop great arms and shoulders!

3. Dog Walker. If you love animals and don't mind cleaning up after them, this is a fun career. Dog walking involves a lot of walking in parks and sometimes even cycling. Dog walking definitely involves experience and skill. I see one person to seven dogs and think "How do they do it?"

4. Childcare Provider. Kids are heavy and active. Between chasing them around and picking them up, you have the potential to stay in great shape! Childcare providers can be anything from a babysitter to a daycare teacher. This is a fantastic job if you love children and want to be a part of their learning process.

5. Construction Worker. Working in construction takes a lot of strength and builds a lot of it too! There are many different types of construction jobs from road work to building houses and buildings. The hours start early and you are typically outside but that can be balanced out by being home earlier then the average worker and getting to go home early on rainy and cold days.
I love my career because it gives me the opportunity to keep myself in good shape and outdoors in the nice weather. If you are thinking of starting or changing your career, consider a job that keeps you fit!

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5 Ways to Increase Running Intensity

When you are trying to progressive your runs, it's not all about increasing speed and time.

Here are Five Ways to Increase Running Intensity

1. Hills. Running hills really targets your glutes and lungs. Hills also make you a stronger runner when you switch back to flat terrain. If you don't live in a hilly neighbourhood, practice on the treadmill by raising the incline. Start with 2 minutes at an incline of 5.0 and 3 minutes at 1.0

2. Sand. Sand adds resistance and makes you run slower, but ultimately increases speed for normal runs. Sand running targets your hamstrings. You will really see development if you sprint. Just make sure to wear a pair of sneakers, that you don't mind getting dirty.

3. Off-Road. If you have forests with trails this is a great way to use core stabilizing muscles to keep your balance on uneven terrain. Trails also have hills for added intensity. The dirt paths are easier on the joints, oppose to the impact of running on concrete.

4. A Race. Running a charity race, either a 5, 10 half marathon or marathon distance is a great way to have an intense run. The adrenaline and motivation from other runners will have you feeling an all over workout the next day. My quickest run times are in races!

5. Running Parachute. If you can get over standing out like a sore thumb, running with a parachute strapped to your back is a piece of equipment that can really improve speed and power. Just make sure to practice in a park or at the track. You might be too distracting on the main roads:)

Running is a rewarding way to get and stay in shape. It's an activity that is easy to start and incredibly affordable. If you have been looking for new ways to progress your running skills, try one of these tips for great running results.

Run For Fun And Fitness!

Health Benefits of Green Tea

The Chinese have been drinking tea for it's medicinal properties for over 4000 years. Green tea has amazing health benefits.

Green tea contains a powerful anti-oxidant called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). It is also contains lower levels of caffeine than coffee.

Some Benefits of Green Tea Include:

-Inhibits the growth of cancer cells and even kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue.

-Reduces risk of rheumatoid arthritis.

-A study in China showed that green tea reduces esophageal cancer in men and women by 60%.

-Improves impaired immune function.

-Helps heal infections.

-Lowers bad cholesterol.

-Reduces risk of heart disease and stroke by inhibiting abnormal formation of blood clots.

-Prevents tooth decay by killing plaque causing bacteria.

-Increases metabolism by about 4% a year. This isn't a weight loss miracle by any means, but every little bit helps:P

To receive the health benefits of green tea it is recommended you drink 2-5 cups per day. Be sure to not drink tea late at night. It still has caffeine (even if it is less than coffee) and it might keep you up.

Drink Tea!

Monday Motivation

"There is no telling how many miles
You will have to run
While chasing a dream"

-Author Unknown

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5 Activities For Autumn

As we reach the first day of fall it's official that the days of beach volleyball and swimming in the lake are over. When the summer is over, people tend to become less active. Don't lose your momentum just because the weather is changing.

Try These Fall Activities

1. Cycling is typically a summer activity but it feels amazing to throw on a hoodie in the morning and go for a ride. Fall is a scenic season and a great way to enjoy it is by cruising along any of Toronto's bike trails to admire the changes.

2. Indoor swimming and other community centre activities. Fall is back to school time and your local community centres start new programs. If you have kids, consider enrolling them and yourself in an activity after school or on the weekend. Community centres offer everything from tai chi to aerobics.

3. Field sports. It may be too chilly for a BBQ and a game of baseball but kicking around a soccer ball or throwing around the football are perfect autumn fun. Field sports are intense and you will warm up quickly. You don't have to be a pro or join a team. Playing for fun with your friends and family is a great way to get in to great shape.

4. Exercise videos. When it's too cold for outdoor exercise, workout videos are the perfect alternative. In the summer it's reasonable to not want to spend much time in front of the TV. So now that it's approaching cozy season, try out the latest workout video you have been meaning to try.

5. Hire a personal trainer to help you change your routine enough to keep progressing throughout the long, cold months. After summertime people become more sedentary and eat more. A personal trainer can provide you with various new workouts to keep your muscles from getting bored.

The seasons changing also means that activities are changing. Don't wait until next summer to be active and fit. Keep your goals progressing and your muscles guessing.

Be Active In Autumn!

List Of Fitness Calculators

I can't count the number of times I've wanted to check out the calorie content in certain food, or figure out my running pace without having to bring out the calculator.

There are a ton of various calculators online from BMI to daily caloric intake. The problem is finding the good ones.

Alisa Miller has collected 50+ quality fitness, nutrition and sport calculators all in one convenient article.

Go check it out and play around with a few. Not only do calculators save time but they give you specific numbers to see what you are doing right/wrong and what it will take to achieve your goals. They are extremely motivating!

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Benefits Of Hiking

I know it's only Friday but I'm already pumped for tomorrow. We plan to hit up Rouge Valley for a trail hike. It's the largest urban park in North America. I love this time of year, when the weather starts to change and the air is cool and crisp. Perfect for an afternoon surrounded by trees and wildlife!

Hiking is fabulous for health and fitness. It's also a lot of fun and more interesting than your everyday walk.

Check out some benefits of hiking!

-Hiking on rough, hilly terrain recruits core muscles for an extra abdominal work.

-Gear up with a hiking backpack (with good back support) to add weight to your walk. It adds an extra lower body workout.

-Hills increase the heart rate and place more emphasis on the glutes and quads. It's a fat burning workout, with a lower body focus.

-Walking downhill strengthens your lower back

-Using hiking poles helps you to walk faster and get in a more intense workout

-Being surrounded by nature makes you feel less stressed and more connected with your sense of self. It's "me" time.

-Hiking is inexpensive and suitable for all fitness levels.

If you want your hike to be a great workout try walking for 20 minutes at a time. Switch it up between flat and hilly terrain. Try throwing in some squats and lunges on walking breaks to increase the intensity. Be sure to wear layers so you can shed some clothes when you work up a sweat.

If you are going on a hike to relax, bring a camera and a lunch to enjoy a day out, while the weather is still nice.

Hiking doesn't have to be in parks and conservation areas. Try an urban hike. Pick a place in your city you have not visited. Pack some water and go! Walking is beneficial no matter where it's done!

Take A Hike!

Discovery Civilization - Tribes of the 21st Century

Discovery Civilization has an interesting series going on right now. Tribes of the 21st Century examines modern day cliques, or tribes. On September 11th the episode on bodybuilders was aired.

Obviously I was interested in seeing this program. I'm not a bodybuilder but many training techniques and elements of sport nutrition, come from the bodybuilding world. Their hardcore dedication to finding the perfect diet and fitness program, eventually aid us hobby athletes to achieve our ideal physiques.

The show followed a few Torontonians for about a month before a competition. It covered their training, eating and competition prep.

One issue they touched on, was women bodybuilders looking "unnatural." The thing about this particular issue, is that you have these unnaturally large men, steroid users of course griping about how women bodybuilders look unfeminine. However, these men became this way through drug use. They are not the ideal body type from the average woman's perspective and therefore, not very masculine. Especially after steroid use, if you get my drift.

I think it's seriously unfair that these women work just as hard as the men to achieve their goals. Only to have their work undermined in 6 inch stilettos while being pressured in to getting breast implants. Ultimately they win a fraction of the prize money and respect.

They said it themselves, bodybuilding is a freak sport. There was a guy on the show that nearly collapsed after his competition because he was so extremely dehydrated and nutritionally deprived. He could barely stand up to accept his pro card! Normal? Hardly!

So if everybody is a freak and "not normal" what do they care if a woman has bigger lats than them? Instead of bodybuilders placing so much attention on what women look like, maybe they should shift their focus on making the sport more healthy and less dangerous to the athletes.

Does anybody else have any opinions on the bodybuilding tribe? I'd love to hear it! Comment or E mail me kaleenatrainer@gmail.com

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The ABS Diet

The abs diet is a common sense, straightforward approach to dieting. It was created by Men's Health Magazine editor David Zinczenko. It's uncomplicated recipes and easy list of "yes" and "no" foods makes starting out and sticking to the diet, incredibly easy.

Basics of the ABS Diet

The diet is based largely around the "power foods"

1. Almonds and nuts

2. Beans and legumes

3. Spinach and other greens

4. Low and fat free dairy

5. Instant oatmeal (no sugar added)

6. Eggs

7. Turkey/lean meat

8. All natural peanut butter (up to 3 Tbps/day)

9. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

10. Whole grain bread, rice and cereal

11. Whey protein

12. Raspberries and other berries

There is also a list of foods to eat often, occassionally and foods to avoid such as butter, products with high fructose corn syrup and soda.

The ABS diet is fantastic because you probably have a lot of these items at home already. The goal is to eat more healthy food, in smaller portions 6 times a day.

The diet also allows a free day. What more can you ask for it a diet?

Try It!

Know Your Limits in Group Classes

On Friday I attended an Ashtanga yoga class. It was a level 1 class. Even still, students of all levels, including (the very) advanced participate to brush up on their skills and impress the newbies.

When you practice yoga, the first thing you might notice is how quickly your muscles loosen up. Before the class, you couldn't even touch your toes. By the end it's possible to fold yourself in to a pretzel, while balancing on your head. With the advanced students doing their thing, it's pretty easy to become ultra ambitious and want to try everything.

After my first class I couldn't move for a week. The muscle soreness was intense! Not in a good way either. The thing is, my muscles were warmed up from the class. They weren't magically flexible. Forcing myself in to postures my body was not conditioned for, to "keep up" with the class was a big mistake.

This time around I went at my own pace. I'm only really sore in my hamstrings from the downward dog. Every other muscle feels worked but not insanely stiff and painful. "Good hurt!"

I'm writing about these experiences because I know anybody that has attended a fitness class has felt the same way. Group classes are meant to motivate and push you. It's up to the individual to decide their limits and pace themselves. An instructor won't be able to tell if you are pulling every muscle in your body or you are bending your injured shoulder the wrong way.

I've known people that have fainted, thrown up and have been hurt pretty badly in classes because they were too embarrassed to slow down or tell the instructor their limitations. Just remember it is a class for your benefit. Do what's right for you.

Pace Yourself In Classes!

Interview With Faze Magazine

Click on Picture to Enlarge

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Five Foods For Serious Energy

The best combination for energy is carbohydrates, protein and fat. Here are five foods that are not only awesome extra energy but they are quick and easy. Just the kind of snack you need when you are on the go and feeling an energy low.

Five High Energy Foods

1. Fruit and Cheese. Have you ever had a pear with some cheese? Ohmygawd it's good!

2. Trail mix. The best combo is nuts (especially almonds) and dried fruit like raisins and cranberries.

3. Veggie Hot dog on a bun. A veggie dog is low in fat, minus the animal part rejects. Go easy on condiments. Mustard over ketchup and mayo.

4. Milk. If you need a snack and you are really in a hurry grab a carton of milk or soy milk. It has a perfect combination of fat, carbs and protein and it's extremely accessible. Even the smallest convenience store has milk!

5. A latte. Another beverage that fills you up. Plus the caffeine gives you an extra boost. Just don't get in to a 3 latte a day habit. It will be heavy on the wallet and the stomach!

All of these options are delicious and quick snacks for a mid day energy boost when you are on the go and don't have the time or resources to eat healthy.

Keep these energy snacks in mind and resist the urge to reach for the chocolate bars. The energy from all of that sugar isn't quality and you will feel even tired an hour after you eat anyway!

Snack Smart!

Big On Basketball

I start playing basketball again tomorrow. I'm joining up with a group of girls wanting to stay active and get in to better shape. I have not played on a team in years but I manage to get out and play for fun once in a while. Needless to say, I'm pumped!

Basketball was invented in 1891 by fellow Canadian James Naismith, professor at McGill University in Montreal. Any Canadian that has seen our heritage commercials, knows that!:P Remember the peach baskets?

Basketball is a great sport for full body conditioning and it's so much fun, you forget that it's exercise!

Benefits of Basketball Include:

-Burn up to 500 calories an hour

-Improves agility

-Improves stamina

-Better hand-eye co-ordination

-Tones upper body

-Basketball drills are great for all around fitness.

-Playing with a group improves teamwork skills

-An excellent cardio workout

-Improves focus and determination

-Improves reaction time

-Great for weight loss

Basketball is played at all levels from house league to professional. It's one of the most popular games worldwide and no wonder, it's an amazing game!

Play Basketball!

Yummy Yogurt

Yogurt is a delicious, healthy food. It's great as a snack on it's own, mixed with fruit, granola or muesli. It's also a fabulous extra to add in smoothies or even on rice.

Check out some of these amazing benefits of yogurt:

-Contains probiotics. This is a "good" bacteria that improves immune functioning and digestion. If yogurt says live and active bacteria on the label, it contains probiotics.

-Yogurt is great for both building muscle and losing weight because of its low fat and high protein content. For a weight loss diet go for low or non fat yogurt with a low sugar content.

-Contains nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and vitamin B-2 and B-12.

-Having a yogurt a day helps maintain bone mass and reduces the risks of osteoporosis.

-Yogurt reduces the risk of high blood pressure.

-Probiotics helps to treat and prevent conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, colon cancer, lactose intolerance, diarrhea and constipation.

-Probiotics helps to discourage yeast infections

-Yogurt is a great weight loss snack because it helps you feel fuller for longer. You will actually end up eating less calories during your next meal if you snack on yogurt.

Yogurt is an extremely customizable snack. You can add any fruit, nut, seed or even honey to spice it up. Yogurt is great on most carb foods such as baked potatoes and even to make desserts a little bit more healthy.

Eat yogurt because it's excellent for your health and seriously tasty.

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Five Tips For Dining Out

It's absolutely the worst when you have been eating well over the course of the week and then suddenly, you are asked out to dinner. Surprise dining springs up from all over the place including work lunches, your partner's parents and when friends visit from out of town. Fortunately you can still enjoy yourself at a restaurant by making a few sensible choices.

Here are Five Tips for Dining Out

1. Skip the cream sauces and fried foods. Be aware that any kind of creamy sauce is made with a ton of butter! If you are going to eat a lot of fat, you might as well make it something you can chew. Sauces like Alfredo and Hollandaise are not even filling! Fried food like battered tempura, fish and appetizers like samosas and springrolls are really unhealthy and loaded with saturated fats. Go for soups and salads instead. More satisfying with a fraction of the unhealthy fat and carbs.

2. Skip the wine. Alcohol is bad enough for a diet but it also makes you more hungry. A stimulated appetite is the last thing you need, in a restaurant filled with rich desserts and main courses big enough for an entire family!

3. Take half home. Asking to get half the food to go is a wise choice. If you know you are going to take half home in the beginning, you won''t force it down and nearly explode yourself for the sake of manners. Even if you eat it later at least there will be a break in between feasting, to let a little settle.

4. Eat Slowly. If you are out to be social, nothing is worse than scarfing a whole plate of food like you were just released from prison. Then having to sit with the empty plate while everybody else enjoys theirs. Eat slowly because you will get full long before you finish. It's a way to be polite, engage your guests in conversation and not look like a complete glutton in front of your boss or future in-laws!

5. Share dessert. When everybody has dessert, it's kind of hard to resist. Usually by this point most guests are full. If you are lucky someone else, may also be watching their food intake. Ask if anyone wants to split a piece of cake. If you can't find anybody to help share, then stick with a specialty coffee with a little whipped cream.

Eat Smart!

Be Honest With Your Personal Trainer

Getting in to shape should not be something to be embarrassed about! On the contrary, getting in shape is a fantastic decision. Hiring a personal trainer is the best step toward fast and lasting results. However to make it work, you need to be honest about your eating and exercise habits.

Three Reasons to be Honest with your Trainer

1. Personal trainers design routines with skill level in mind

If you tell your trainer that you exercise regularly or you used to, when you never have or did a few times in the past you risk a program design not customized toward your skill level and goals. If exercises are too challenging you may find yourself discouraged and even injured.

2. Personal trainers work with you to change bad habits

How are you suppose to get help for say, something like bad eating habits if you won't admit you eat poorly? Personal training is about coaching and support. Your trainer can make suggestions and provide you with valuable tips to get in to healthy diet and exercise habits. If you tell him/her that your diet is perfect, you lose out on part of what you are paying for!

3. Personal trainers need to know what you do in between sessions.

For the most part, clients want a trainer that will keep them on track and regularly show them new exercises so they can work out on their own, in between sessions. If you regularly communicate with your trainer and tell them you did a chest, triceps and ab workout when you really did not, then your trainer will most likely work out the parts you missed over the week, instead of a full body routine.

Personal trainers are here to help you accomplish the goals you set out to achieve. Don't be embarrassed to admit mistakes liked missed workouts and bad eating. There is no judgement or disappointment. If you slipped up on your diet over the weekend, just say so. You will benefit in the long run, get the most out of your sessions and develop a comfortable relationship with your trainer.

Speak Up!

Workouts On Demand

I have to take a minute to review this fantastic fitness site. Workouts on Demand is a video site geared toward busy Moms that prefer exercising in the comfort of their own home.

Considering quite a few of my clients are Moms or Moms-to-be, I thought this would be just the site to recommend as a supplement to personal training. Especially since a lot of women find it hard to get in a workout on their own, in between training sessions.

For a small fee you can choose what kind of workout you want to complete and follow the online personal trainer's instructions, to get a fabulous workout in at home, on your own time!

Workouts on Demand also offer express workouts for the busy crowd, a ton of neat fitness calculators and a pro shop filled with any kind of equipment you would need to participate in online classes, for a good price.

Furthermore, the trainers are extremely nice and helpful. They really care about what they do and make sure that the highest quality goes in to every video and product.

Try It!

Motivation From William Shakespeare

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first."

Shakespeare

As a fitness buff, I take this quote quite literally. Sure you could read it as a metaphor for life, with climbing the ladder to success slowly but surely and all that.

Or like me, you can really interpret it as, start slow and build your way up to those hill intervals. For a nicer, tighter butt!

Who knew Shakespeare was such a fitness enthusiast:P

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Thoughts On Accountability

Even the best of us need a little obligation to get in to a regular habit of exercise and eating healthy.

Being accountable is having someone rely on you to get the job done. Having an obligation to meet friends for a kickboxing class, or to show up for your personal training session is a fantastic "trick" to keep yourself consistently active.

Personally speaking I'm motivated to keep going by a few things. First is my clients. As a personal trainer I should be in better shape than most of them. I need to workout, eat properly and never quit to be a positive role model for the people that hire me, to teach them how to develop a healthy lifestyle. I can't exactly say "Yeah I've gained back 10lbs because I eat potato chips and stopped exercising."

It's always been easy for me to run and cycle because I enjoy it so much. I feel fabulous after my morning run or after cycling to client's houses everyday. My weakness is staying consistent with weight lifting. I've never stopped for anywhere near a long period of time but I have trouble sticking to a schedule.

Some people work out when they feel like it and that's not a terribly bad approach. The problem, is if you only feel like it once a week. You won't see results.

This summer I started weight training on a three day/week schedule with my boyfriend. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we make the time to get through a routine. Sometimes we are tired, other times (quite) cranky but we get through it, no matter what.

If I was lifting on my own, I can think of at least five times I would have put it off with an excuse to justify my decision. "I'm too tired today," "I don't have the energy" and my favourite "I don't feel like it."

Being accountable means that someone will have to be the bad guy that backs out, and who wants to be that person? So you suck it up, take a deep breath and start exercising.

The thing is, everybody knows that you may not feel like it, but after the workout you can't wait to do it again. In the end, it's always the best decision. You may need a little pressure to get your butt to the gym, or to make another appointment with your trainer but you know it's the right thing to do.

So grab your friends, partner, family or trainer and get on it!

Stay Active!

Try Active Recovery

Have you ever worked out so hard, that the next day you feel like Frankenstein? You know, stiff everywhere. All day you are walking around like the living dead. Climbing stairs without bending your knees, falling in to chairs instead of sitting and turning your whole body instead of just your neck and torso, just to look at someone talking beside you!

That's a sign of a tough workout indeed! Now before you sit still until you start feeling human again, consider active recovery.

Active recovery (AR) is traditionally used to taper off of a hard workout. Otherwise known as a cool down. This could be a walk after a run or a couple extra light laps after a heavy duty swim.

It's also the idea that, instead of healing by doing nothing you get better from moving around and engaging in light activity within the following days of a hard workout. AR can be used for sore muscles or recovering from an injury, surgery or pregnancy.

Benefits of Active Recovery

-AR right after a workout reduces muscle lactate faster than passive recovery, which is doing nothing at all. Muscle lactate or lactic acid is the build up that makes you sore the next day!

-Active recovery has been proven to improve an athlete's psychological well-being after a competition.

-Improves relaxation

-Helps to speed up recovery time by increasing circulation in the bloodstream, which removes lactic acid in the muscle.

-AR keeps you going. It's always good to stay on a roll. Especially if you are just starting out.

Always use active recovery after a workout as a cool down and definitely try it in between tough workouts. Some suggestions would be walking, light swimming and short distance cycling.

Stay Active By Recovering Actively!

Five Cardio Mistakes

Whether you are just starting out, or a cardio veteran, don't make these common mistakes:

1. Not being safe.

Cardio safety means wearing the kill switch cord on machines and pausing your headphones when you run through an intersection. Cardio safety means wearing clothes that won't get caught on a fence and wearing proper shoes that support your feet. Being safe while performing cardio means you can exercise again the next day.

2. Going too hard, too long.

Cardio doesn't have to be an hour long. Actually it should rarely be an hour long unless you are training for an endurance event. Furthermore, cardio shouldn't be performed at maximum intensity the whole way through. If you do cardio in the morning and you are tired by noon. Or you regularly feel fatigued and even cranky, you need to take it easy and throw some intervals in to your routine.

3. Not knowing when to rest.

If your knees and hips hurt, if you have exercised everyday for weeks, if you are never hungry and exercise is not fun anymore, you are suffering from over training. Over training can cause depression, anxiety and a variety of psychological and physical problems. Rest is a sure fire way to feel great about every workout before, during and after the session. If you think you are over training take half to a whole week off to rest and eat healthy.

4. Refusing to change the routine.

If you always run 10 miles an hour for 30 minutes everyday, your body is on to you. It's not challenging and you will not see results. The body learns and adapts quickly. When you exercise, cardio or otherwise you want to challenge yourself constantly, to stimulate progression. No new routines, no new results! Don't be so stubborn!

5. Not eating and drinking enough.

Not enough water before and after exercise causes muscle cramping, headaches and fatigue. Food is your body's fuel to complete a great workout. You need stored carbs for energy and protein for muscle repair. If you are dieting make sure you are not skimping on calories where it counts, like when you need energy for a purposeful cardio workout.

Cardiovascular activity is a necessity for losing weight and strengthening the most important muscle of them all...The heart! Exercise consistently and use these tips to make the most out of every session for cardio that works!

Go Get 'Em!

Benefits Of Compound Exercises

The beauty of compound exercises, is that you can get a great workout in a fraction of the time. Isolation exercises are fantastic for focus on muscle development but compound exercises take the (low fat) cake for fat burning and core stabilizing programs.

Benefits of Compound Exercises

-They work more than one muscle group at a time. More work in less time

-Working more than one group improves balance and co-ordination.

-Compound exercises work core stabilizer muscles for more ab and low back strength and better posture.

-Many compound movements really get your heart racing. They are better than isolation exercises for circuit training and fat burn.

-Great for a quick workout when you don't have enough time for a full 30-45 minutes of lifting.

-Compound exercises are more fun because you are moving and doing more at once.

Examples of Compound Exercises

A compound exercise is any movement that involves more than one muscle group. Where as an isolation exercise is only working with one muscle at a time, like a bicep curl.

A bench press is compound because it works your chest, shoulders and triceps. You can get creative with your exercises and try some of these compound movements:

-Squat + Shoulder Press

-Lunge + Triceps Overhead Extension

-Squat + Calf Raise

-Using a medicine ball try a Squat + Bicep Curl and on your way back up raise the ball over your head.

-Lunge + Shoulder Press

-Walking Lunge + Medicine Ball twist for obliques

-Step up + Bicep Curl

-Step Up + Shoulder Press

-Step Up + Lateral Raise

The possibilities are endless!

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The Muscle to Fat Myth

Does muscle turn to fat if you stop working out?

It's a common misconception that it does. Fortunately our bodies are not alchemy geniuses. Muscle cannot change in to fat.

A lot of people will say "but look at ex-bodybuilders/power lifters/athletes. They got fat!"

That may have become heavier and less defined but I can guarantee you that their muscle cells did not actually change in to fat cells.

The myth probably stems from athletes eating way more calories than the average exerciser. (Think of Michael Phelps and his 10 000 calories a day!) When they were training, they either burned it off or fed their muscles for strength and growth. Problem is, if you are eating 3-6000 calories a day still, when you are not working out hard anymore, your muscles will shrink and you start putting on fat.

Remember that to lose or maintain weight you need to burn more calories in a day than you consume.

When you give up on lifting your muscles deflate (muscle cells get thinner) and your metabolism slows down. So it's not hard to see why it appears that muscle is turning to fat. It's still a bad thing of course, to have less muscle and more fat but that's exactly what it is, less and more. Not some kind of freaky transformation.

If it worked that way, I'd be worried what else would make the switch. Beauty marks in to pimples? Body hair in to cellulite? Ah the horrors!

So don't worry, as long as you maintain muscle mass and don't overeat on a daily basis, you won't turn in to a puddle of jiggly blubber.

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Skinny Bitch In The Kitch

It was my birthday on Friday and my brother gave me a bookstore gift card. In my opinion, the only books worth keeping (big library fan here!) are fitness and nutrition books. I bought a fantastic cookbook called Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap and Start Looking Hot by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin.

The cookbook has some delicious sounding recipes. Everything from big breakfast burritos, killer sandwiches to decedent desserts. They are all big meals but at the same time healthy and balanced.

This book also happens to be vegan. Don't be put off by a lack of meat in some of your meals. Vegetarian and vegan meals are incredibly filling, nutritious and tasty.

The recipes are awesome for women, men, meat eaters and vegans. The meals are not very different than the stuff you would normally eat. Mac n' cheese, Sheppard's pie and brownies but...Not crap, as advertised.

My only complaint is some of the recipes require too many ingredients that are hard to find or too expensive for my liking. I'm a big advocate for eating healthy easily, without draining the bank account or scouring the city's health food stores. The upside is that a lot of ingredients are used in different recipes. It may be a bit of a splurge at first, but I'm sure the initial cost and hassle is worth it.

Try some new twists on well loved meals. Pick up this book for some tasty, bitchin' cuisine.

Eat Healthy!

Keen On Kale

Kale is form of cabbage that is from the same species as the notoriously healthy broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Health Benefits of Kale

-Anti-Inflammatory

-Anti-Oxidant

-High in vitamin C

-High in Vitamin K

-High in beta-carotene

-Rich in calcium

-Contains Fiber

Kale has great flavour and a lot of culinary versatility. It can be used in soups, salads, stews, baked food, stir fried or juiced.

Try replacing half of the lettuce or spinach in your usual dishes for some kale. A new taste on old favourites!

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