Tech Bytes: Takin’ Care Of Business And Your Health

TECH BYTES Building Mental & Physical Resilience To Stress

By Dr. Derek Anderson

We hear it all the time. That stress impacts our performance, personal relationships, and decision-making.

That everyone should have a long-term strategy to help deal with stress, just as you would create a strategic framework for your business.

Instead of avoiding stress, why not meet it head-on and make your body more resilient?

The key to determining how resilient you are to mental and physical stress is by using specific physiologic measurements.

The best metric that captures this is your Heart Rate Variability (HRV).

HRV is a measure of how efficiently your body can toggle between the two parts of your nervous system: the parasympathetic nervous system (allows you to digest your food, recover, rest, etc.) and the sympathetic nervous system (gears your body up for stress by increasing heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, etc.).

Having a higher HRV means that your body can quickly bounce back and forth between these systems and, ultimately, be able to handle higher stress loads.

A lower HRV can indicate that your body is working harder than it should at rest due to various factors, such as fatigue, lack of physical fitness, stress, dehydration, poor diet, or illness. A lower HRV makes it difficult for you to respond to the impending physical and mental hurdles, robbing you of focus and performance.

There are three ways to raise your HRV through fitness. 1. Dosing exercise correctly — if you want to build yourself into a force, progressively increasing the amount of exercise tailored to what your body can handle is extremely important. 2. More frequency, less intensity — less intensity more often will allow you to create a change with less overall stress on your system. 3. Vary your workouts — create a more profound impact on your body by varying your intensity and activities based on your body’s current state.

As entrepreneurs and business owners, our lives are dedicated to our businesses.

That said, we must ensure that we are operating at our optimal performance to see the same successes in ourselves that we expect for our businesses.

Taking care of your health means taking care of business! “Tech Bytes” is powered by WEtech Alliance (WEtech-Alliance.com). The guest columnist for this issue Derek Anderson, Doctor of Chiropractic, is the owner of Ignite Health, a clinic/gym hybrid that uses chiropractic care, RMT services, and fitness coaching to meet patients’ wellness objectives. It is located at 1825 Manning Road in Tecumseh and online at: IgniteHealth.ca. Dr. Anderson resides in Tecumseh with his wife, two children, and their goldendoodle, Rio.

WINDSOR | CHATHAM | STCLAIRCOLLEGE.CA |

FEATURE STORY By Dave Hall

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going!

How the local fitness industry stayed in shape during and after the shutdowns

When COVID-19 forced the closure of businesses across the region, including fitness clubs and gyms, the industry quickly pivoted and began offering online classes and outdoor workouts to their members.

For club owners and personal trainers, keeping their members and clients connected and working towards their fitness goals became even more important without the daily face-to-face contact.

One such club is MOVATI Athletic, an Ontario-wide chain with its roots here in Essex County, which recently opened its 17th club at 650 Division Road in Windsor.

It also has clubs at 400 Sandwich Street South in Amherstburg and at 313 Main Street East in Kingsville.

MOVATI, founded by existing partners Chuck Kelly and Rick Quesnel, started out in Windsor as Total Fitness 23 years ago and has since grown across the province.

“I am excited that we have had the opportunity to be able to come back to Windsor where it all began and show our members what an incredible product we have to offer,” expresses Quesnel, MOVATI’s Vice-President of Construction.

The new Windsor location — which encompasses 70,000 sq. ft. and was built by Fortis Construction Group Inc. at a cost of $20 million — includes all the features available in the company’s Greater Toronto Area and Ottawa clubs such as spa-like amenities, six boutique-style fitness studios featuring a Hot Yoga Studio, an open-air Sky Studio, a Cycle Studio and multi-purpose studios.

There are also two pools, a private women’s only area, the latest in studio fitness programming and state-of-the-art strength and cardio training equipment.

The club, which has about 2,400 members, has a two-storey atrium lobby featuring a modern décor, a café, lounge with a view of the adjacent family pool, and an outdoor patio.

There’s space on the main floor called MOVATI Fuel for multi-purpose training and a roster of personal trainers on staff.

Mitch Mayville, an area native who moved back here from Ottawa to become

MOVATI Athletic is more than a gym. Vice President of Construction Rick Quesnel can attest to that as he stands in the “Cycle Studio” where the lights, colour, sounds and big screen TVs create an exceptionally unique, motivational experience. Photo by Rod Denis.

the club’s Personal Training Manager, says the club worked one-on-one with members from home until the club opened August 21.

“Making that connection is very important in helping our members reach their fitness goals,” Mayville emphasizes. “The best trainers aren’t always the most energetic ones, it’s the trainers who can connect with their clients who can make a difference.”

Mayville adds trainers can change a person’s lifestyle and those who can get clients into a gym, when they otherwise might not want to be there, are the ones who will be successful. In turn, that success rubs off on their clients.

“We’re constantly trying to find a way to utilize what we offer to meet our client’s needs,” he states.

MOVATI bills itself as more than a gym and believes it can deliver a personalized fitness experience in a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.

“We have a phenomenally hard-working team that ensures all facets of club operations are addressed on the highest level and they challenge one another on a continual basis to make sure we stay on top of our game,” adds Quesnel.

All of the recently-mandated protocols are in place, including a sign-in desk, cleaning, sanitizing and scrubbing of the club and its equipment after every class, spacing of machines and reduced fitness class sizes so that members can practice physical distancing.

Air filtration systems were upgraded in all of MOVATI’s clubs, cleaning is done between classes and after-hours, using hospital-grade disinfectants, and sanitizing stations are set-up throughout the club for easy access by members.

General Manager Dean Kissner invites the community to stop by the club and experience the MOVATI difference. You can read more about their services and classes on: MovatiAthletic.com.

While MOVATI may be the newest and largest addition to the fitness club sector locally, there are many other gyms

across the region that also offer premier services and personalized programs at affordable prices.

Biz X magazine has put together a small review of a handful of health clubs to help readers make their fitness and wellness selection.

Garage Gym

When COVID-19 forced fitness centres to close their doors, Tony Smith, owner of two Garage Gym locations with his wife Dani, shifted their focus to online in-home instruction to keep their clients active.

“We were closed for six hours then went online and now every class we run is online,” explains Smith. “It’s very useful and convenient for our at-risk clients and also for parents who want to work out during the day, but can no longer bring their children with them.”

The online app, available on the gym’s website, provides a live feed into the gym and is also popular with shift workers who can now work out at home.

“We’re also able to watch our clients working out and we can make suggestions if they are doing any of the exercises incorrectly,” adds Smith.

And the fact that instruction and workouts

From left: Casey Wright, Head Trainer; Nikki Paltridge, Trainer/Director of Sales; Garage Gym owners Tony and Dani Smith and Stephanie Crawford, Trainer/Assistant Manager invite you to enlist in the Garage Gym Army in Amherstburg or Kingsville. Just make sure your brain can push your body well past your perceived limits! Their entire team aims to help their members achieve results beyond what they ever thought possible. Photo courtesy of Ryan Ouellette of Lomer Photography. remained virtually seamless during the first four months of the pandemic, meant that their clients stayed active and continued using their memberships.

With the gym using mostly free weights, Smith says he was able to lend all of his barbells and dumbbells to clients so they could work out at home.

Now that the gym has re-opened, class sizes have been reduced from

M E N T A L H E A LT H & ADDICTIONS

P. 519.254.2112 F. 519.254.0093 probgamb@hdgh.org gamblerhelp.ca

20 clients to 15 and the gym shuts down for 30 minutes between sessions for a complete cleaning. Clients are not able to share weights anymore, in order to prevent any incidental contact, and weight stations are further apart than they were before.

“It’s labour intensive, but it’s what we have to do to keep our clients and ourselves as safe as possible,” explains Smith, who has 13 employees including five who work full time.

Personal training sessions are available by appointment.

The gym has two locations, the first at 227 Sandwich Street South in Amherstburg, which opened six years ago, and a second at 17 Chestnut Street in Kingsville, which opened three years ago.

Membership fees range from $155 to $185 monthly, which includes unlimited group classes as well as live online instruction.

Working with a personal trainer is extra.

For further details on pricing, services and trainers, visit: TheGarageGym.net.

True Fitness

In addition to physical fitness, members at the two True Fitness locations are encouraged to work on their mental health as well, according to owner Luis Mendez.

Luis Mendez, President and CEO of True Fitness, specializes in weight loss and weight management programs. Building, toning and recruiting lean muscle also fall under his area of expertise, as do power training methods for strength training and sport specific training. Photo courtesy of True Fitness.

“This current health situation has thrown so many curveballs at people who are suffering financially, and at parents who have home-schooled their children, while also working from home that it’s not surprising mental health is a big issue right now,” comments Mendez. “But, if you can put all that aside for an hour or so and work on reducing stress, then you can start to worry about how you look naked in front of a mirror.”

In order to keep members and staff safe, Mendez has added a host of new protocols, including more hand sanitizing stations; a check-in table to facilitate contact tracing; key fobs so the gym can only be accessed by members; traffic flow arrows to keep people moving in the right direction; the use of masks where physical distancing is difficult; six feet between workout stations; and regular full-gym sanitizing and cleaning.

The gym, which has 750 members at its two locations, also focuses on personal one-on-one training, by appointment.

The 4897 Tecumseh Road East location opened seven years ago, while the downtown 443 Ouellette Avenue location opened three years ago.

Membership rates are $34 monthly or $29 monthly for seniors for a one-year commitment, which provides 24-7 access to both locations.

Log on to: TrueFitnessWindsor.com for more information.

Riverside Family Fitness

Owners Joey and Julie Flores weren’t able to offer online classes during the COVID-19 shutdown because membership fees are based on facility visits, according to Julie.

“But, as soon as we were given the green light to begin preparations to re-open, we reached out to the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit and have followed their suggested protocols to the letter,” she explains. “We took every second machine out of service, marked the floor to help people maintain social distancing and we require everyone to wear masks when they are moving around the facility.”

The owners also purchased two cleaning machines — including one hand-held unit — that are used to completely disinfect and sanitize the club and its equipment every two hours.

“As a result of taking the safest approach possible for our members, we have seen a great many return and we have also signed up a large number of new members,” she says. “I think people feel comfortable when they see others wearing a mask and it’s the safest way to make sure the virus isn’t spread among our members.”

For now, the club’s steam room and sauna remain closed, but the pool is open.

The Flores offered free six-month holds on memberships so members wouldn’t lose any time while the club was closed during the pandemic.

Membership fees are $19 on a bi-weekly basis and allow access to all the amenities in the 15,000 sq. ft. club at 6700 Wyandotte Street East, which previously was home to Precision Fitness and many years ago, Vic Tanny’s. The couple have owned the business for almost six years.

Refer to: RiversideFamilyFitness.com to view photos of the facility, videos and more.

Fury Training Grounds

Keeping training sessions fresh and different virtually every day is the best way to keep fitness aficionados from getting stale and skipping workout classes, says Fury Training Grounds owner Jennifer Cassidy.

“You will never do the same workout two days in a row or even three or four,” stresses Cassidy, who opened Fury in March 2013. “Nobody knows what they are going to face and that keeps them coming back.”

Fury was launched in a small space at the old Essex Kinsmen Club before moving to a 4,000 sq. ft. location at 26 Fairview Avenue West in Essex on May 5, 2019.

“As we kept adding members, equipment and services, we needed more space,” Cassidy points out.

Now, Cassidy is able to offer five workout classes a day plus yoga, spinning classes, boot camp workouts and cross training sessions with the help of two instructors.

The club also has a variety of free weights, barbells, bikes and rowing machines.

“We care about our members to the point that if a regular misses a couple of classes, I will make a wellness check phone call to make sure everything is okay,” states Cassidy. “We’re a close group and we care about each other’s health and wellness.”

During the closure caused by COVID-19 restrictions, Cassidy offered free online workout sessions to help keep members active and in touch with their trainers.

“Everyone was having a tough time back then, including our clients and staff and it was a great way to stay connected,” she says.

After battling through some initial bureaucratic red tape, Cassidy re-opened for outdoor boot camps in mid-July, before opening the doors again a month later.

“We have all the sanitizing equipment in places, our floors are marked, our members have to sign in and they each receive a small basket with hand sanitizer, disinfectant and paper towels,” she explains.

Membership rates for full club access and unlimited boot camp workouts are $40 a month and $75 a month for full access and unlimited cross training sessions.

There are additional fees for use of personal trainers as well as yoga and spinning classes.

Go to: FuryTrainingGrounds.com to see how you can be inspired!

Shred Shop Inc.

When Sawyer Telegdy was forced to close the doors of her seven-month-old fitness centre in March, she immediately pivoted and rented out all her free weights and movable equipment to members and made it all available for curbside pickup.

“We also live-streamed classes on Zoom and provided fitness tutorials so our members could continue training at home,” she informs Biz X. “We hosted online nutrition seminars and added a wine and social component on Friday nights to keep everyone in touch and connected.”

Telegdy says more than 50 percent of the membership responded to her initiatives.

Once the region moved into Stage 2 of the province’s re-opening plan, and in preparation for Stage 3, Telegdy launched parking lot workouts in early August before re-opening on August 15.

Since re-opening, class sizes have been reduced from 24 to 16 members and the break between classes has been extended from 15 minutes to 30 minutes to allow for a thorough cleaning of the building at 815 Erie Street East, which houses the Shred Shop as well as Elevate Health Boutique.

“I think there was a pent-up demand for activities and once we re-opened we have been extremely busy,” adds Telegdy.

The club has about 230 members and all memberships were placed on hold until the club re-opened.

Some memberships held by potentially high-risk members remain on hold until they are comfortable returning.

In addition to a variety of free weights,

Shred Shop owner Sawyer Telegdy works on a kettlebell routine with member Savannah Dupuis at the gym on Erie Street East. Photo courtesy of Katie Meloche/Wren Photo Studio.

the equipment also includes kettlebells, tires and yoga balls.

Membership rates are $175 monthly on a one-year commitment or $215 a month with no commitment and that includes access to the all facilities as well as yoga and Zumba classes.

To see a schedule of classes check out the website: ShredShop.ca.

LaSalle Fitness

Management at LaSalle Fitness offered outdoor classes and shared videos during the lengthy closure before welcoming back members in mid-August.

“We have found that people have been anxious to get back into a fitness routine and once we opened again, we have been very busy,” indicates Manager Daniel Hong. “We have all the social distancing rules in place and we have spread out our equipment to make it easier for members to stay apart while they are working out.”

The club offers 75 minute workout

blocks and then staff spends 15 minutes or so sanitizing the entire gym, as well as wiping down all the equipment before another workout block starts.

Hong adds: “We have found that our members are so encouraged by being able to work out and train again that we have had no complaints about the new rules. It’s for everyone’s benefit — staff as well as our members.”

In addition to regular weight training, the club offers aqua-fit classes for beginners and advanced participants for a high-energy buzz designed to increase your heart rate and challenge your entire body.

There are also aqua-arthritis classes and full cardio workouts in the pool.

As well, there are personal training sessions and high-intensity spinning classes, again for beginners an advanced members.

The club, located at 5841 Malden Road, has been in business for many years under a variety of owners, according to Hong.

Membership rates are $30 a month on a one-year commitment, $40 a month or a six-month commitment or $50 a month for pay-as-you-go.

For more information, visit their website: LaSalleFitness.com.

Impact Health And Fitness Centre

Owner Faith Monaco offered free online classes on Facebook during the COVID-19 mandated closure and then staged outdoor classes in the parking lot with a variety of equipment, including spin bikes.

“Our classes have been full since we re-opened because I think a lot of people were going stir crazy,” Monaco believes. “We have all the social distancing rules in place and we do a regular complete and thorough cleaning of the club.”

Impact Health and Fitness Centre, which encompasses 15,000 sq. ft. and has 600 members, includes free weights, 15 treadmills, tires for resistance training and separate rooms for female members and group classes. It is situated at 88 Talbot Street East in Leamington.

There are also lockers, a protein shake bar, saunas and a large warehouse/garage-style room with free weights and a variety of challenging pieces of equipment for serious weight trainers.

Monaco reports there were a few membership cancellations as a result of the pandemic, but she has also picked up 60 new members since re-opening.

The club also has a stock of extra masks, microfibre cloths for wiping down equipment and extra sanitizing stations. The showers at the gym are open, however, the sauna remains closed for now.

Membership fees range from $39 a month to $432 annually. For a breakdown on pricing options, see: ImpactHealthAndFitness.ca.

Staying Fit For Life

As you have just read, the clubs we profiled here have a lot to offer and the choice is up to you to decide which business you visit. Yet, even with all their different amenities, they each share one common goal — getting you off the couch and into the gym to help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

So,whether you like to lift weights, exercise on a treadmill, swim, take a yoga class or just work out at your own speed, local fitness centres can keep you motivated, offer training and companionship, plus they're a great place to be to relieve stress!

We all know exercise gives you more energy and being physically fit can combat many health conditions and diseases. With all the viruses in the world we must fight these days, it’s more important now than ever to look after your body! So what are you waiting for?

Staying Organized With Cas "Clutterbug" By Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh

How did shopping at the dollar store change the life of Cassandra Aarssen and help her go from “clutter queen” to “home organization leader” with her television show on HGTV?

Aarssen admits she struggled with clutter and mess for the first 30 years of her life and describes herself as a “super slob” who has tried hundreds of times to get organized.

She felt like a hamster on a wheel, living in a constant cycle of clutter, until she finally beat her demons.

One trip to the dollar store to buy a bunch of dishpans to organize was the catalyst that changed her life.

“I had bins for paid bills, important documents, and instead of dressers, bins labelled PJs,” she recalls. “I realized I organize differently than traditional methods of one size fits all.”

She continues by stating: “The real change came when I started thinking outside the box, quite literally. I struggled with detailed organizing systems, like filing cabinets, containers with lids, or systems where I had to stop and think about putting an item away.”

A macro organizer, she uses large categories with fast, simple systems, like lidless containers, adding, “Micro organizers prefer a detailed system with lots of categories andmultiple, smaller containers.”

Eventually, her home became organized. Then she started helping others discover their organizing type and develop systems that work for their style.

“I discovered that there are four different organizing styles and systems, which I called ‘Clutterbugs’ — Butterfly, Cricket,

Cassandra Aarssen is the Host of HGTV’s “Hot Mess House,” a Social Media Influencer, Author and Creator of “Clutterbug”. Photo courtesy of Lively Creative Co.

Ladybug, and Bee,” she notes.

This became the basis of her business, Clutterbug Organizing Services which includes a YouTube channel, Blog, Podcast, four best-selling organizing books and a show on HGTV called “Hot Mess House.” (HGTV.ca/shows/hot-mess-house)

“I’ve had theprivilege of helping hundreds of thousands of families from all over the world discover their organizing styles and get organized for good,” she shares. “None of this happened overnight, it was a slow growththat started from my struggle (turned passion) with the life-changing power of organizing.”

Aarssen’s advice for young leaders and entrepreneurs is to“Do what you love and the money will follow.”

She outlines that: “The greatest power of social media is connecting you with billions of people from all over the world,” adding “You only need a small percentage of those people to share the same passion as you, to turn your hobby into a profitable and thriving career. It takes time to grow a following and create ways to monetize, but if you love what you do, it will never seem like work.”

Her role model and inspiration is Peter Walsh,the “King of Organization.”

“Ten years ago I was drowning in clutter when ‘Clean Sweep’ came on TV,” she admits. “Walsh and his words ofwisdom and advice inspired me to give organizing one morechance.”

Aarssen believes a good leader is humble, relatable, and honest, and someone who can inspire, educate and entertain.

“They show us what to do instead of telling us,” she states, pointing out “I prefer gurus who have struggled and overcome challenges and can inspire me to do the same thing.”

Her most asked question is: “How can I get my spouse to help around the house?”

There is still an expectation that women are in charge of cleaning and organizing everything, which can cause negative and resentful feelings about housework.

She does housework and organizes for herself becauseshelikes a clean home and it makesherlife easier.

“I focus on what I can do without putting expectations on others, which leads to disappointment and resentment,” she reveals.

Once she started being grateful, her family saw the benefits and wanted to help.

What’s next for Clutterbug?

Aarssen hopes for another season of “Hot Mess House” on HGTV and the continued growth of her brand. She loves people sharing Bee or Cricket organizing tips with others and wants the Clutterbug Organizing Philosophy to be around long after she is gone.

Curious about your organizing style? Take the free Clutterbug quiz at: Clutterbug.com! Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh is an award-winning leadership consultant with over 30 years of experience; past principal and Chief Communications Officer, author and business owner. She isthe founder of Girls Rock Windsor, recipient of the prestigious Athena Leadership Award and is the Director of Public Relations at Music Player Magazine where she mentors interns worldwide. If you know a leader in the community to profile here in this column email: Sherrilynn@BizXmagazine.com.

Dealing With A Flat Or Low Slope Roof? Trust A Professional!

By Dave Halliday

Maybe it is the small commercial building that you purchased as an income property. It might be your office. It may even be that unconventional addition at the rear of your house, but one thing is for sure . . . you need to have confidence in the low slope or flat roofing system that may be protecting your investment and property.

The first step towards peace of mind that you’re getting a high quality and reliable flat roof installation, is dealing with a recognized, professional roofing contractor.

We are blessed in this region with many such qualified and reputable roofing contractors.

We at Biz X were able to discuss some of the finer points of low slope roofing with Steve Zold, Owner of Riverside Roofing Inc., located at 1340 Matthew Brady Boulevard in Windsor (see them online at: RiversideRoofingInc.com).

Riverside Roofing has been installing roof systems in the region since 1948 and Zold has 53 years of professional experience to share with us.

He opens by informing us that: “Over the history of our company, at some point, we have worked with Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Windsor Salt, Nemak, and both the Public and Separate School Boards.”

He adds, “We have also installed roofing for numerous other owners of industrial and commercial buildings.”

Due to these amazing references, reliability and experience, we decide that Zold is the perfect person to answer all our questions on the matter at hand.

A single ply TPO roof replacement may be the perfect option for your peace of mind. Photo courtesy of Riverside Roofing Inc.

What types of services should a professional roofing contractor be

capable of providing? “Roof system analysis and maintenance are key components to providing quality service to a client,” states Zold. “These functions provide the basis for the decisions the client must make. Whether it be targeted repairs or complete tear-off and re-roofing, your roofing contractor must have the expertise to carry out what is required.”

What are the signs that your existing low slope or flat roof is experiencing

issues? “Visual indications of cracking and blistering are the typical early warning signs of an issue,” Zold indicates, adding, “Active leaking is always a bad sign and

hopefully issues can be identified long before it comes to that.”

What should one expect from their prospective roofer prior to starting the

work? He replies: “In order to protect themselves the client should ensure that the roofer is fully insured and has all of the required safety certificates up to date and in-place.”

Are there things the building owner can do to help guarantee the longevity of the roof system they have in place?

“Carrying out scheduled inspections of the roof system, in both the spring and fall, is highly recommended,” says Zold. “Removing debris from the roof and clearing roof drains to ensure efficient drainage is always a key contributor to the overall reliable service life of your roof system. Water ponding should be avoided.”

Should a reputable roofer offer follow

up service on a roof installation? “Yes, that is one of the key benefits to obtaining the services of a local, qualified, roofing contractor,” he stresses.

Last question. If you were to reroof Riverside Roofing corporate headquarters, which system would

you be likely to install? Zold answers: “I believe I would go with a 60 mil TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) due to the simplicity of the application and the longevity of the membrane.”

So whether you choose to go with a traditional built up roof system, a two ply modified bitumen application, or a singleply application, we can guarantee the end result will always be better if you start by consulting a roofing professional.