I Was Forced To Write This😼

My cat got a blanket for Christmas. Actually, I got a heated blanket from my brother, but Beau thinks it's his. 

Beau is thirteen, missing one eye and blind in the other, but he still finds things to make him happy. And this blanket - OH how it makes him happy! 

What I like about cats, and I think Beau is extra-special this way, is that they find the little things in life to take joy from. 

For this and about ten thousand other reasons, people should be more like cats.

Oops I did it again!

I'm back! 

A situation is unfolding in my life that is teaching me SO much, I had to share.

I did something a little bit mean. And just before I did it, I thought 'should I?'. And I knew the answer was no but I did it anyway. In my defence, I was a tiny bit drunk, but I wish I could take it back.

I think I hurt someone's feelings - NOT my intention - I was just trying to be funny, but I'm pretty sure it's because of my silly action that now I'm on the hotspot.

What am I taking from this? First, I'm going to apologize. Second, I realized that every time I do the slightest thing that could be taken as mean, and behave in a way that I know to be contrary to my true self, it comes back to bite me in the ass, harder than I think I deserve. EVERY TIME.

The universe is trying to tell me that I need to be true to myself and my mission to make the world a brighter, not darker place. What you put out, you get back.

And now I am at peace.

Sleep Hygiene

PThe other part of my talk was on sleep hygiene. Sleep is when our brains and bodies rest and repair. Adults need 6.5-8 hours a night. More is not good either, unless it's catch-up, because the lymphatic system becomes sluggish and this can increase the risk of certain cancers. 

Before sleeping: 

Get up at the same time every day.

Get outside during the day and get some exercise. Let your body know it's daytime.

Go to bed at the same time each night - and with a soothing routine beforehand, if possible. Dim the lights, listen to soft music, or read.

The bedroom should be for sex and sleep only. Keep it cool and dark.

Avoid:

Bright lights before bed. This includes computers, phones, TVs and actual lights. They confuse the brain into thinking it's daytime.

No drinking two hours before bed. This seems self-explanatory, but I'll also add no alcohol to this rule. It may help sleep come on but it dehydrates the body and that can wake you up.

Meditation can help if you have trouble falling asleep, and it can be as simple as counting your breath.

Sweet dreams!

Are you ready?

Okay, so it's been awhile. And I'll tell you why. My mother, who was bipolar all her life, committed suicide by stepping in front of a train over a month ago. 

It's sad, tragic, and has been very stressful on my family. But I like to try to put a positive spin on things, so in pointing out the positive aspect, I'll say this - I won't go out like that.

Two weeks after I heard the news, I gave a talk on the importance of exercise and sleep in terms of mental health. It was hard, but I wanted to help. Exercise, for me, has literally been a life saver. I had a few episodes in my late 20s when I didn't want to live. It's not that I wanted to die - it was just that living held only pain for me  and I needed a way out. 

I've done the medication thing, which proved to be disastrous for me, but what helped me cope daily was using my body for work, feeding myself good food and getting my rest. 

Nearly a third of mental health patients (bipolar, anxiety, depression) don't respond to medication. Exercise can be as effective as meds as they change brain chemistry by stimulating the pituitary gland to release endorphins - that's right, the feel good hormones. You're also taking an active role in your own recovery, which further boosts self-esteem. Cardio - the term we apply to steady-state exercise where the heart rate remains elevated - is the fastest producer of the runners' high, but any moderately intense excercise counts. Riding a bike, using the elliptical, walking the stairs or just walking, are all examples. Weight training, which I think everyone should do, can also give that high feeling. For me, there's something very cathartic about abusing inanimate iron. 

What about yoga? Well, in a word, perfect! It combines strength and flexibility and the meditative aspect cannot be beat for calming and entering a frazzled mind.

What I learned through this group meeting, and through my recent loss, is that stuff can happen at any time, and you have to be ready. If you have certain tools in place - like nutrition, exercise, rest, support - you'll be better able to cope when things happen. 

Perfect Opposites

I started working out to maintain a healthy body weight and accidentally became a bodybuilder. Not like those huge dudes who look deformed, but pound for pound, I'm stronger than many men and most women.

So what is a bodybuilder doing in yoga/hot yoga classes?

Because they're perfect opposites! Weight training movements are all about contracting - in other words, shortening the muscle, while yoga is about lengthening the muscles. 

When I weight train, I'm fierce, almost angry, even though I LOVE how I feel. I take out my anger on the iron. And talk about solitary - I put on my iPod and focus and prefer not to be bothered.

In yoga class I could not be more different. I feel calm, at peace, and connected with my classmates.

It's good to use your body in different ways. I'll always be a bodybuilder, but doing other activities helps me to be better at the one I love most!

Exercise Presciption

I've been asked to speak at a course on the topic of exercise and mental health. I can't believe I haven't touched on this yet - it's so important!

I'll admit that I started working out for vanity. But what I learned was that as much as exercise is good for your body, it's also good for the soul. 

Of course, there's the endorphin rush. But there's also the focus that brings you into the present, new neural pathways forming with new movements, and the general awareness that you're taking control and actively trying to improve. 

Exercise is as effective as medicine, or more so, in treating depression in many cases. And it's natural and free.

Sometimes when you feel bad it can be hard to even move, but if you force yourself, you'll be glad you did. And if you're already perfectly happy, a workout still won't hurt!

Gratitude For A Gift

I'm pretty bummed out these days. My poor kitty is totally blind now, since his left eye went bad 10 weeks after we took out the right one due to glaucoma. For that and some minor personal medical stuff, I've been wallowing in self-pity, guilt, and general depression. 

But tonight I reconnected with a client I haven't seen in over 4 years, who has since developed a brutal, rare autoimmune disease. It has turned her life upside down. Not that I derive pleasure from the suffering of others, but while she sat there telling me all the things she had planned and now cannot do, I started feeling kind of small.

 Who am I to be sad and blue when I still have my health? Without that, everything is harder. Some things are no longer achievable.

It helped to remind me that I'm supposed to be thankful every day that I'm healthy. I was taking my health for granted, forgetting what a gift it is, and I'm ashamed of myself for that. It could change in the blink of an eye and then I'd be sorry I wasn't grateful before. Lesson learned.

Pick-up Line

I've been riding in the city for over 20 years, and in that time, I have noticed that certain drivers can usually be counted on to behave like cretins, especially around cyclists. 

Taxi drivers are the worst. Bus drivers also appear to resent those of us who prefer 2 wheels. I've been hit by 2 cabs and shoved into traffic and cut off by buses too many times to count.  I'm not saying all cab drivers or all bus drivers are out to get me, but I take extra care around them and I'm never surprised when they refuse to share the road.

The latest group is drivers of pick-up trucks. Again, not everyone who owns that type of vehicle is dangerous driver, but all that towing power and hemi-this and that seems to appeal to the kind of man who takes very stupid risks and it is only because I am such a good cyclist that I haven't been taken out by one of these morons yet. 

What is it? I don't know, but I can't help thinking, 'Big truck, small dick'. Maybe that's why they're so angry?

No Limits

I was working on the squat press yesterday when a member came over and asked me "What's the highest number of plates you've done?" (45 lb plates)

I answered, truthfully, twenty. Yes, 900 pounds, plus an estimated 50 - 60 pounds for the weight of the apparatus. 

She was blown away. Her trainer had her up to 270 and she thought that was extreme. I assured her it was not.

What I learned from my trainer and my own journey, is that women underestimate our strengths, as does society at large.

 I have been accused of using steroids in the past to achieve some of my heaviest weights and my physique. (I have not, and would not EVER cheat like that and destroy my body in the process.)

I told the woman "Don't let yourself be limited by conventional wisdom or 'science'. 

The human body is capable of feats previously thought impossible, and now that it is common for women to weight train, we're killing it and proving a lot of people wrong.

For example, a new client asked me, "is it true that women can't do chin-ups?" To answer I did a chin-up right then and said      "No."

I'm not saying every woman should go out today and try for chin-ups and 900-pound squat presses, especially without proper progression, but don't let anyone convince you that you can't do something because you're a woman. 

The weaker sex? I think not.

Never Too Late

One of the cleaners at my gym started working out recently. She comes in half an hour early and exercises during her break. Now she also does yoga. And she loves it!

This woman is 64, a breast cancer survivor, and besides her day job, spends her afternoons caring for two young grandchildren. 

She's a perfect example of 'never too late'. She's also proof that exercise can strengthen and tone at any age. The best part, though, is her excitement - she's doing something new and positive and it's just for her. 

I love it!

Hope I Die Before I Get Old

I train a diverse group of clients - men, women, and even a 12 year old girl. My oldest client is 66. This woman is the youngest senior if have ever known, and I want to be like her when I grow up! 

Some people get old long before they should. Why? Certainly there may be factors beyond their control - disease, life circumstance, or injury, but the number one reason I think people get old (and I'm not talking about age) is that they slow down.

Our society has this warped idea that past a certain age, you just don't do certain things. People let the number attached to their life limit them, and that, to me, is crazy. 

Signs on some rides at amusement parks say 'You must be this tall to ride', and sometimes they warn you not to ride if you're pregnant or have back issues. But never have I seen a sign that says 'You must be this young to ride'.

So keep moving. Keep having fun, and going on adventures and trying new things. That is truly the answer to staying young.

Shame

I don't watch TV, so it was news to me that Dove has changed their campaign to apparently insinuate that any body shape is fine. Even, so I'm told, to make thin unpopular.

Don't get me wrong - I am all for accepting that most women are size 14 or larger, and debunking the myth that thin thighs and large breasts is the only look going.

BUT. 

But this backlash is going too far. Instead of finding ways to clean up our health, we are instead working around our fat, making it okay. We build bigger seats, use vanity sizing (calling a size 16 a size 12), and now I hear that there is such a thing as 'skinny shaming'. Girls and women with normal bodies are being attacked for NOT being fat!

Besides the backwardness of this, my concern is about the health of our young women. Type 2 diabetes is no longer called adult-onset because 10 year olds are developing it. Obesity in youth is a huge issue, and I know from experience that they are setting themselves up for either a lifetime of fighting the fat, like myself, or a miserable, unhealthy existence topped off by a horrible, painful death.

I don't know how to get an entire continent off sugar. But I do know this - we have to do something soon or we will certainly start to see children dying before their parents. And it's preventable!

Water Babies

I went for my first outdoor swim on Monday night, and it was fabulous. The water was warm, it was sunny and I could watch my shadow swimming on the bottom of the pool. 

I never understand people who say they don't like to swim. The way I figure it, we crawled out of the ocean eons ago, but I feel drawn to water because something about it is comforting. 

We spend the 9 months after conception in amniotic fluid, which is basically sea water. An infant dropped in a pool not only knows how to swim, but how to hold it's breath. Our tears are also like sea water. 

So, as much as I believe we are meant to walk since we evolved to be bipedal, I also believe we still have the innate ability to swim. And what could be better? A refreshing, zero impact workout that works the whole body and the cardiovascular system.

So go and get wet!

Adapt-able

Sorry it's been awhile - my cat had an operation to remove his eye, so I've been preoccupied. He's fine - thanks for asking - but it made me think about how we can adapt.

I used to see a guy in my neighbourhood riding a bike with one leg. I think that's cool. And then you have quadriplegic artists who paint by mouth and myriad other examples of people who have adapted to pretty serious 'disabilities'. 

The difference is mental. Cats don't care if they look different - all they care about is can they still do what they want and if not, how can they find a new way? People need to think this way as well. If we focus on what we ARE able to do, we'll accomplish much more than worrying about what we can't do.

Carb Up

For all my previous competitions, I've done the whole carb-cutting thing. It works, but then...

Both Alex and I agree that there seems to be a rebound effect that causes not only some pretty major weight gain, but also an imbalance in hormones that leads to all sorts of other crazy side effects.  You also feel like crap and look depleted and stringy. 

I now know that for me, just eating clean and working hard is the way to go. Before my first show ever, I was 10% body fat before I carbed down, and looked far better a week after the show!

So, when a new client who wants to train for the stage voiced her concerns about the diet, I was able to confidently assure her not to worry. 

If you need more proof, just look at how many people have gained all their weight back and then some almost immediately after doing the Atkins' diet... 

Moderation, I hate to say it, is the way to go. 

Mother

Happy Mother's Day! I don't have children, but I do enjoy nurturing my cats and the people I care about. I think we all have a little mother in us. Let's all take care of each other - that is the point of life!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

In any relationship, there may come a time to end it. As a personal trainer, I have found that people are too squeamish to say they're going to move on, either to another trainer or something else completely. They say 'I want to keep seeing you, I'll call you' or some such variation, and then they don't. Any personal trainer worth their salt will not take it personally (pun-ny!) if a client is simply honest. 

The same applies in other relationships. It may be uncomfortable at the time, but it is much kinder to tell the person you're ending it. That way, you're off the hook and the other person isn't left wondering. In the long run, being honest is just better.

Too Much of a Good Thing

There are a couple of women at my gym whom I have noticed working out every day, and for up to three hours. 

This is not only unnecessary, but actually detrimental. Unless you consume carbs and protein during the workout, you go into a catabolic (muscle breakdown) state after an hour or so. It also doesn't work to do the same workout every day - the body is too smart, and it adapts.

If the goal is to burn fat, the best way to do it is to do weights to build some muscle, and at another time, some intense cardio that uses the muscles you've built. 

I can't believe I'm giving this away, but there it is. You're welcome.

 

Just Try

If you had told the 20-year-old me that I would one day be a bodybuilder and personal trainer, I would have laughed. I was obese and miserable, and far from a jock. 

I fell into training by accident. I was yo-yo-ing up in weight once again and figured I would have to be more active. Imagine my surprise when I realized I liked it. A lot. And I was good at it. I understood it and it interested me. When I started doing yoga, the same thing happened. 

You never know until you try. Maybe you have a hidden talent. If there's something you've always wanted to try but been afraid to fail, try anyway! In bodybuilding, as in life, you grow when you fail. Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want, and that's the worst that can happen!

Fascia Television

'Posture is a manifestation of emotion.'

This quote came from the woman who taught a course in myofascial release techniques that I took with some colleagues last fall. 

Fascia is in fashion - at last! It's a connective tissue that surrounds every cell, every muscle spindle - every part of our bodies. It holds us together. And it's very sensitive to emotion. 

For me, my aches and pains are largely due to fascial tightness or spasms. I have a sensitive nervous system, and if I don't face and deal with emotions, I end up with physical problems. Backaches, kinks in my neck - the list goes on. 

Yoga is excellent for releasing fascia, especially yin/yang hot yoga. I often finish these classes in tears - but I don't feel sad, I feel relieved, lighter. 

We, as a society, try to bury our emotions and hide from our problems. It doesn't work. You either end up like me, with mysterious physical issues, or you take it out on the world. 

I'm not saying you should honour every emotion as it arises because this would be inappropriate. But journaling, talking it over, and some physical release will go a long way. You have to take care of your body AND soul.

Mind Games

"You're crazy! I can't do that!"
I cannot tell you how many times I hear this from clients.
"Just try," I tell them, and 95% of the time, they can do whatever it is I've instructed.
I have noticed that many people - women and gay men in particular are apt to underestimate themselves when it comes to training. It's as if they've bought into the myth that we must be weak and/or inferior.  We tend, also, to notice what's negative - what we don't like about ourselves, what we don't have or can't do.
So I've taken on another role, both in my work and in life - that of cheerleader. Focus on what you can do, what you do have, and life becomes sweeter.
It takes a little practice, but work at it, and you may find you're patting yourself on the back more often, and celebrating little victories. And if you come upon something you can't do, make it a goal and develop a plan to get there.
We are more powerful than we realize, but only if we tap the most important muscle of all - the mind.

Bike Safe

I see the craziest things when I'm riding. Yesterday, I was stuck behind a guy riding erratically on Pape, and as I finally passed him, I realized he was playing with his iPod. Listening to music while riding is one thing, but one hand and both eyes busy on something other than riding is nuts!

Today I saw a girl chatting on her phone while riding. It's not just their safety I'm concerned about, but mine as well. If I try to pass them and they suddenly swerve because they're not paying attention, I could be pushed into traffic. 

And on my ride today, I witnessed a woman driver on her phone blocking an intersection, halfway through the turn and oblivious to the cars lining up behind her.

I love my phone, too, but there is not one thing more important than my safety, and everyone should feel the same.

Hopefully No One Is Watching

I've often been asked why I don't go to the sculpting and cardio blast and other such classes at the gym where I work and the reason is this - I suck at choreography. 

And because I'm a trainer, everyone thinks I can do it all, AND they'd be watching. In yoga classes, this is not a problem - I've been practicing for years. But I occasionally take barre/ballet classes closer to home, and I'm terrible at the footwork. I'm the loser in the back row going the wrong way and almost crashing into other participants.

If I can power my way through something, then I've got it made. But dance is much different, and I cannot convince my body to do what my brain and the teacher want.

So that's my dirty little secret. I hope it serves to show that trainers aren't perfect, and maybe you get a little boost because you can do something I can't!

Not So New

I remember looking at stability balls and thinking 'wtf?'. They looked to me like those giant rubber balls with the handle that kids straddle and bounce around on. I always wanted one of those. Weird new trend, I figured. 

Not so much, it turns out. The Swiss Ball, or balance or stability ball, was invented in 1963 by an Italian man, for use in physical therapy. 

The TRX suspension training system? Yes, it was developed by Navy Seals, but in reality, they're just portable gymnastics rings. 

Medicine balls go back even further. Their prototypes were in use by Persians and Greek wrestlers 3,000 years ago. 

Kettle bells were originally a standard 35kg weight used by Russian farmers in the 1700's to weigh crops, but turned out to be a useful way to demonstrate strength at festivals.  

And dumb bells? They're so named because villagers noticed that the guys who pulled the ropes to ring the big church bells were in great shape, but it would have been rather annoying to have bells ringing all day, so they wrapped the clapper to make it dumb. Talk about your functional training!

I just think it's funny that so many things we think are new are really not. And that so much of the cool stuff takes so long to reach North America, where we think we know it all. 

Hard Work or Hospital?

One of the other trainers at my gym asked me today, 'What do you think of CrossFit?'.

"You mean besides the fact that it's killing people?" I asked. 

We laughed, but it's true. People are ending up in the hospital with a potentially fatal kidney disease called rhabdomyolosis. Look it up. 

Others are simply hurting themselves, trying to get more reps per set, regardless of form. 

Intense circuit training is fantastic -  I do it myself. But I know how to do the exercises properly, and I know when to stop and rest.

Once again, we have a fitness fad that people are lining up for without really knowing the facts, and people are getting hurt in their rush to get fit.

My advice is this - let any new fad sit for six months or a year first. If it stands the test of time, get some training and go ahead and try it.

How many times have we seen the next great machine (vibration plates, for example) or stylish new regime promising to get us fit fast, or even better, with no effort? 

So far, I believe we are still waiting for the miracle that will replace good old-fashioned hard work and clean eating.

One Easy Step to a Bad Back

Do you ever use a kettle bell? If so, do you know what you're doing? 

I ask because I see a lot of members using kettle bells improperly. I watched a couple yesterday trying to do a synchronized routine (they were NOT in sync), and one of the moves was supposed to be a clean and press. Their form was so bad, I'd be surprised if they are not both injured today.

Yes, kettle bells are totally cool, and it's a great way to mix strength training with cardio...BUT using them incorrectly is a guaranteed way to mess up your back, tear a rotator cuff muscle, or even hurt another person. 

I learned how to use machines by reading the instructions and by reading up on what I was trying to do. But kettle bells don't come with instructions. If you're tempted, get a personal trainer or take a class, but don't think you can learn it on YouTube. You Can't!

Quick and Dirty

Spring is really here!  I can tell because it's been raining hard for 12 hours and the cat is giving me that 'can't you fix this?' whine.
When the weather gets nicer, though, we may not want to curl up with said cat, or spend much time at all indoors. So make your workouts quick. I find that a shorter, intense workout not only gets the work done faster, but it seems to shock the body into growth. Olympic lifts like the clean and jerk have me huffing and puffing, sore all over, and the workout is done in half an hour!
Or use a kettlebell. One of my favourite fast fat burning tools, a few sets of giant swings with a kettlebell and you've worked your whole body.
So get in there! And get outta there!
Enjoy the summer - when it gets here, that its!

Workout Fun

I train a 12 year old girl. Some people thinks that's crazy, but I love working with  her. Because she's too young for traditional weight training, I've had to come up with creative routines. We bounce on the BOSU, skip rope, run suicides and, best of all, we do 'the dogsled'. I put a giant rubber band (meant to used for assisted pull-ups) around her waist, I sit on a towel, and I make her drag me across the floor. Then I drag her. We laugh like crazy, and her mother thinks it's hilarious. But my point is that it's FUN.

Working out doesn't have to be weights. It doesn't have to be tedious. The human body is designed for movement, and I find great pleasure in exploring my capabilities, going beyond what I thought were my limits. It feels good to move, and if you can find something enjoyable, you'll stick with it. Like swimming. It's cardio, it's strength, and it's zero impact.

Find something that feels good and do it. It will keep you young and healthy, and your body will thank you for it.

Share the Love

I'm going to get hippy-dippy - brace yourselves!

About a year ago, I discovered my purpose in life, and that is to lift other people up. To make people happy, and feel important, and like themselves more. I think that is everyone's purpose, and perhaps the reason do many of us are insatisfied is that we live in a society where the abundance mentality has been forgotten. There is enough for everyone. Unhealthy competition just pits us against each other.

It can be hard - I won't lie. But when I send someone home after a session feeling better about themselves, it's all worth it. It's so much easier to share love than spread hate.

Love Your Work

I wanted to expand on yesterday's post and touch on the subject of work. Most of us have no choice, but since becoming a personal trainer, I have learned how important it is to love what you do. It's good for the soul.

Furthermore, a job in which you help people is incredibly gratifying. In 17 years of working in bars and restaurants, I never had the amazing sense of helping to improve lives the way I do now.

It sounds glib, but if you have a job you hate, you MUST find something else. It will be worth the effort; I promise!

How to Stay Young

Tonight I had a session with one of my favourite clients. He turned 50 this Saturday, and he is a walking example of age-defiance. He's very fit, very strong, and he eats mostly clean. But all this aside, it seems to me that the people who seem youngest are the ones who retain a certain playfulness. 

I have several other clients who stay active and continue to play and laugh like kids, and I plan to take a page from their book. We are all just large children, after all!

Listen to the Music

Yesterday I went to visit my brother, and his roommate gave me a bunch of songs that I haven't heard in some time but love. 

I now find myself looking forward to tomorrow's workout even more than usual. Music helps drive my workouts. It's proven that fast-paced tunes help your energy, while on the flip side, slower music helps you to be calm. I usually wind down by stretching, listening to Enya (don't tell anybody) or even classical music. I think the iPod is one if the greatest inventions in recent history!

If you don't listen to music while working out, I'm stunned! You should try it!

The Human Machine

I just watched a Ted Talk by Hugh Kerr. He lost both legs to frostbite while climbing, and now has the most amazing bionic legs I have ever seen - they appeared to move as normal human legs.

Cool! I am all for ending disability, but what I took issue with is his prediction that in the future, we will all be wearing bionic exoskeletons to enhance human experience.

Maybe I'm biased, but I think we should try to make our natural human bodies work as well as possible by natural methods. The human machine is a miracle, and I think, if anything is 'lacking', it's because we misuse it. 

We don't even understand it yet, and I feel as though trying to improve it may lead us down the same path as GMO foods. That seemed like a good idea at the time, but now we're saddled with the unforeseen consequences of messing with nature when we didn't really need to in the first place!

Wear It Well

Seven years ago, I hit a pothole and fell off my bike. I landed on my chin and broke my jaw in four places. It messed up my teeth, but I survived. 

If I hadn't been wearing my helmet, I might not be here now. No one looks good in a helmet, but no one looks good in a coma, either.

I see too many people wearing their helmet wrong. It should not be worn like a bonnet, with the entire forehead showing. Unless you plan to fall backwards, this is useless. Properly worn, the front edge of the helmet should be two finger widths above the brow. Even if you do fall backwards, your head will still be protected. As an aside, ALL cyclists should be wearing helmets. The risk is too great not to.

Happy cycling!

Ah, Spring!

At last! Here comes the rain again, to wags away the crud at the side of the road (what IS that, anyway?) and feed the trees. But with rain comes a drop in barometric pressure. This is why so many arthritis sufferers feel worse in this weather; in fact, much research points to the fact that higher pressure is needed to keep things from swelling, and that all the 'itises' get worse when it rains. I know for me this is the case. My tendonitis, arthritis and headaches get worse in this weather. 

My simple solution is to use ice or a topical ice salve to keep things from swelling. It helps a lot, and it's easy. Why suffer if you don't have to?

Have a Heart

On Sunday during the CPR course, we talked about what causes strokes. Stress is a big one. We all have stress in our lives, and some of it is okay, but much of it is not. Many people also create more stress by how they deal with it. For me, yoga and exercise are key. But when an incident occurs (often  this is a driver behaving recklessly and endangering my life), the instant reaction is important. In my twenties and thirties, I would swear, flip the bird, and remain angry and indignant for hours afterwards. I took thing like this personally. First off, the driver wasn't cutting off Allison, they were cutting off a cyclist. Secondly, my reaction made me more upset.
Stephen Covey, in his wonderful leadership books, reminds us that while we do not always have control over things that happen to us, we have freedom to react how we want. It takes practice, but I have learned, for the most part, to shrug it off. I don't know what that person may be going through - perhaps they are racing to the hospital. And if they are just a jerk, well, I'm glad I'm not like that, and I won't let it ruin my day. This has made me a MUCH calmer person.
By the way, this has helped me maintain a VERY healthy blood pressure and heart rate, which is part of the reason I look like I'm in my thirties, not nearly 42😃

Sugar, Sugar!

Yesterday I took a CPR certification course at the gym. I didn't realize it wasn't re-certification, so I only brought a little snack. Turns out, we were there for four hours, and I didn't bring enough food, and ended up having a low blood sugar attack.
If you've never had one of these, you're lucky! I get shaky, sleepy, irritable and a little stupid. This is due to hypoglycaemia. Upon eating again, I feel better, but only a little. The effects of the attack last until the next day, after a decent night of sleep.
To avoid this, small, frequent meals are necessary. This helps blood sugar stay stable, and prevents conditions like hypoglycaemia. See earlier post to understand why I have it...

Whole Body, Whole Brain

I do a lot of compound movements when I train, and I train most of my clients the same way. A compound movement is one in which more than one muscle group is working at a time. For example, a squat works the entire lower body, plus the arms and core muscles. I also use combination movements, like a lunge with a shoulder press.
Many of my clients complain "but I'm not coordinated!". Well, GET coordinated! The 'choreography' that everyone whines about has two functions - one, to burn more calories, and two, to make the workout more efficient. What's more, performing these exercises uses many parts of the brain. I'm working out their bodies and their minds!
So, if you hate Turkish get-ups, do them anyway. It's good for you - ALL of you!

Have A Heart This Spring

It's spring! Today. A lot of people go into panic mode around now, realizing summer clothing may be a bit tight. What to do? Exercise non- stop until June? Starve?
NO! Just change up your workouts. If you've been doing the same old routine all winter, or longer, try something new. Muscle confusion is the name of the game. Our bodies adapt very quickly to specific routines. If you've been lifting weights all winter, why not try a cardio class? And hot yoga is especially good at this time of year, not just for the stretching, but it is an excellent way to detox for spring.
When it comes to fat/weight loss, the best advice I can give is to get your heart rate up. Running, cycling, stair climbing - either at a sustained pace or in intervals. It doesn't even need to be traditional cardio. You can turn a weight routine into a cardio session by keeping moving so the heart rate stays elevated, or perhaps add a minute of skipping rope in between sets. It's not too late! Get that heart pumping and do what your body is made to do - MOVE!

Cyclist, Not Psycho!

Some people call me crazy because I cycle all winter. It's not that I love winter riding - I don't. But I do hate taking transit, and I don't drive. I'm smart about it. I have two sets of lights and all kinds of reflective gear, and I don't ride through snowstorms if I can help it.
I think I'm a careful cyclist. I have a rear view mirror and I try to be predictable; riding in a straight line a few feet from the curb if there's no bike lane. And STILL, I am honked at, sworn at, and given the middle finger on a nearly daily basis.
What gives? Am I any more 'in the way' than I would be in a car? If we counted how many cyclists there are in this city and added that many cars on the road, I truly think traffic would be much worse. Cycling is Eco-friendly, great exercise, and often faster than transit.
I know there are some cyclists who give us all a bad name, dodging in and out of traffic and so on, but most of us, for the sake of our own safety, try not to be stupid.
So give us a break! Read your driver's manual and learn the rules concerning cyclists, and maybe don't risk our lives to save 10 seconds.
Thanks!

Mia Is Not Your Friend

Do you know what bulimia is? Are you sure? I thought I did - it's binging on food and then throwing it up, right? Well, yes, but there are a actually two types. There's purging and non-purging bulimia. In non-purging bulimia, a person binges but instead of vomiting, they abuse/use extreme dieting and exercise and possibly abuse laxatives and fat burners to try to compensate for the binge.
I was surprised by this, especially since, under that definition, I was bulimic for four years! As a personal trainer, I have every reason to stay thin - I am the product I'm selling. But as a food addict since the age of six, it was very hard to break old habits. I would pig out on weekends (once I ate so much I threw up and then ate more), and then spend the week dieting and exercising like mad. First off, this is horrible for one's health. Spiking the blood sugar and then letting it drop gave me hypoglycaemia and messed up my hormones. And it doesn't work! By my frequent calculations of calorie intake and expenditure, I should have been able to maintain a trim 145 lbs, but it doesn't work like that. Second, it's a vicious cycle. Giving in to sugar cravings only led to more, to the point where I lived for my weekend binges and even dreamt about food.
Once I realized that I had a real problem, I took steps to remedy the condition. I went as long as I could without a binge, even attending Overeaters Anonymous meetings, and if I did slip, I was kind to myself and instead of beating myself up and starving as long as I could after a binge, I just started all over again. And this did work. After two weeks of clean eating, I not only started to drop weight, but I began to have more energy, and I came out of a 35-year fog.
If you think you might have an issue, I encourage you to read Anne Katherine's book, The Anatomy of a Food Addiction, and perhaps seek help. It has made a world of difference to me, and I believe it can help many others. The most important thing I learned was that I am NOT a weak, stupid pig. I have a true addiction that left me unable to control myself in spite of many negative consequences.
I do still occasionally pig out, but the difference now is, I ENJOY food rather than USE it. And you can too.

Hippy Hippy Shake

Do you have lower back pain? I did. For three and a half years I suffered, annoying my doctor with repeated requests for various exams. I even took part in a back pain study, where I finally got an answer. It was my tight hips; specifically my TFL and psoas muscles. I cycle year-round, and I had developed the habit of sitting cross- legged. In fact, sitting in general can cause this issue. And we are a society of sitters - in cars, at desks, on buses - we sit WAY too much.
So get up off your butt and stretch! The classic quad stretch works on the psoas, as does a runner's lunge, and for the TFL, a spinal twist. These are both yoga moves, which should be held for a minimum of 1 minute, but as many as five.
If you have mysterious lower back pain, try these stretches - I hope they help!

Party Pooper

Happy St. Patricks Day!
Now I'm going to poop on the party! If you are trying to lose weight, the very last thing you should be doing is...drinking! Sorry, but it's true. Alcohol has zero nutritional value, but does contain calories. It also turns quickly to sugar in the body. Your liver, in order to rid the body of this foreign substance, ignores all else and works overtime. This is why heavy drinkers often end up with liver problems.
And while your liver is busy cleaning out the alcohol, anything else you've ingested sits and waits. And weights, if you catch my drift. Certainly, some drinks are worse than others - a sugary, fizzy cooler is worse than, say, a Guinness, but in general, alcohol should be enjoyed in moderation.
If you must drink (as sometimes we all must) make sure to drink water as well and eat beforehand.
Cheers!

The Personal in Personal Training

Yesterday I got my hair cut. My stylist, Shannon, has lost over 100 pounds in the past few years and has become a bit of a fitness junkie. She takes classes, but says she's never pursued personal training because it seems to her that the trainers at her gym spend a lot of time chatting with clients.
I can see why this would be off putting, and maybe the trainers at her gym are lazy. BUT there could be something else going on. I told her that not every client needs a butt kicking. I have many clients with serious conditions or injuries. I don't put these people through intensive bodybuilding or cardio circuits, because my mantra is 'do no harm'. I have heard far too many stories about clients injured by over zealous trainers. I use yoga and Pilates for some clients because their goal may be to improve balance and flexibility. I also employ fascial release techniques and facilitated stretching with nearly every client because EVERYONE sits too much. Some people just want to maintain their level of fitness. And, honestly, some just need an objective sounding board and can afford to pay someone to make a necessary hour more pleasant.
One more thing - if you've noticed a trainer working with a client for a time and they don't seem to be improving, understand that we cannot control what a client does when they're not with us. I give homework and programs to be done on days when we are not together, but I cannot force people to do them. Like the woman who said to me 'Why am I not leaner? That's what I pay you for!', some seem to think having a trainer should work like a magic pill. But if I tell you you can't drink 3 glasses of wine every night and you do, is it my fault you aren't losing weight? I fired that client, incidentally, and she is now making life hell for another trainer😈

Being Angry Burns Calories...I Hope!

Okay kiddies, it's pet peeve time!  Last Friday, my 10 am appointment at the gym (not 3 Monkeys!) was late, so I called her. She said she had had an accident in the parking lot, so I told her I would wait until 10:30, which I did. She later asked if she would be charged (the club I work at, and most others, has a 24-hour cancellation policy), and I told her I would try to get it comped. But I had to think about it. It is up to the trainer whether we charge or not. Depending on the client and their previous behaviour or the circumstance, I often choose not to charge.
In this case, however, my previous appointment had finished at 7:30 am, so I ultimately killed three hours waiting.  Assuming I had charged her, she went into the gym, complained about me and asked for another trainer. She also cancelled our appointment for today late last night.
Many people are unaware of this, but trainers are paid by the session. If I am at the gym and not with a client, I am not being paid and it is my time. It seems a lot of people also think we make a lot more than we do. A senior trainer makes about 2/3 of the rate on a client they have signed up themselves and about a third of the rate when the gym 'gives' us clients.
Let me be clear - I LOVE what I do, but I do need to be paid. The reason for the cancellation policy is the same as your doctor - it's a slot that could potentially be filled by another if there were enough time to find someone. In our case, it is also to protect the trainer, who, as in my case, made all my plans, packed my lunch and even what to wear based on the sessions I had on my schedule. It is also to discourage clients from cancelling, because like I said yesterday, you have to show up to get results!
I know you're wondering, did I charge her for today? Damn straight I did, and wish I could retroactively nail her for last week as well😈

All You Have To Do Is Do It

For anyone wondering why I call myself Miss Abs, it is because when I transformed my body from160 lbs of mush to muscle machine, I got a six, then 8 pack, and people at my gym who didn't know my name called me Miss Abs.
But before I earned the name, I worked really hard for many months in the gym and in the kitchen.
I bring this up because there are many people who, just about now, are trying to get a six-pack of their own before summer.
GREAT! But...a word to the wise - don't expect results tomorrow! It seems to be human nature to be impatient, to want a quick fix, to want what we want now. Far too often, I see a new gym member toiling away in the gym every day for a few weeks...and then they disappear. You can't do it all in a day. The body needs time to adjust, especially for those of us who are not first-timers in the gym. That kind of overload can lead to a state of overtraining, which leaves you unable to train for some time and can lead to illness. So be patient, and be persistent, and keep the diet on track. It will happen.
One of the many things I love about training is that, with the right program, frequency and intensity, results are guaranteed. You just have to do it!
So, like spring (?) your fitter body is coming - it just takes time. Don't give up😊

Hi, it's me!

HI!  I'm a personal trainer with a journalism degree, so I have decided to marry my two loves and blog about fitness.
But wait, there's more!
From time to time, I might just write about pet peeves, interesting facts, or events in my life.
For example, today, I am very unhappy to look out the window and see more blowing snow. Sigh.  I know winter doesn't really end until May but SERIOUSLY?