YEGFITNESS - Nov/Dec 2018

FITNESS + NUTRITION + WELLNESS

FEATURING

2018 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

- JOHN STANTON -

PLUS

ALYSIA RISSLING, RUNNING GEAR, ACROYOGA + MORE!

ISSUE #27

Down the Path of Success

NOV E M B ER / D ECE M BE R 20 18 YEGFITNESS.CA

Running

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contents

nov/dec 18

11 THE HEART OF BALLET

32 FAMILY THAT FIGHTS

14 #IAMYEGFIT

35 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

19 HOME GYM TIPS 24 GETTING TO THE CORE OF IT 27 ACROYOGA

FEATURE

42 RUNNING DOWN THE PATH OF SUCESS 52 WELLNESS PHOTOGRAPHERS

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JOHN STANTON ON THE COVER: JOHN STANTON PHOTO BY DES ILES

We can help you tell your story.

ADVERTISE WITH US Contact info@yegfitness.ca for more information.

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editor’s note Let’s talk about it.

There’s no need to hide from it. There’s no need to be embarrassed about it. There’s certainly no shame that needs to be associated with it.

Mental health is an issue that affects us all. Whether you yourself suffer from anxiety or depression, or someone in your family or a friend from work struggles to get out of bed and make it through another day, mental health challenges are something we all face.

We recently held our first YEGFit Talk where the topic focused on creating dialogue and talking about the issues we were facing. Our panel included three brave faces who shared their souls and talked openly about eating disorders, severe depression and attempted suicides. Guests experienced the raw emotion of what it is like to deal with mental health challenges and were provided with some strategies to help those in their lives who are having their own struggles.

Mental health is something that must be talked about. It’s not a conversation that can be tucked into the closet and avoided. It can no longer be something that we don’t engage our friends in when we ask them how their day is and just expect the typical “it’s ok…”

EDITOR TJ Sadler tj@yegfitness.ca CREATIVE DIRECTOR Joel Verhagen ACCOUNT MANAGER Meaghan Becker meaghan@yegfitness.ca PHOTOGRAPHERS Des Iles Jeff Kelly Patricia Doiron EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Melissa Lilley Printed in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Mental health advocate (and YEGFit Talk panelist) Blake Loates said it best. We need to engage with our government to have mental health treated as any other symptom or injury that would be covered by our provincial healthcare. Going to counselling or seeking therapy shouldn’t be something that is only saved for those who can afford it. If you break your leg, you go to the hospital and they put a cast on it. You don’t get a bill when you walk out the door. Mental health doesn’t have the same “bandaid” approach where you come in for treatment for your broken leg and it’s fixed in 6 weeks. But if the treatment doesn’t cost anything for one, then it shouldn’t for the other either.

We’ve come a long way in the past decade when it comes to creating awareness around mental health issues. We still have a long way to go however, when it comes to creating the support systems that are necessary in our communities to help those suffering.

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No part of this publication may be copied or reprinted without the permission of YEG Fitness.

The fitness and nutritional information in this publication are not intended to replace professional medical advice. Readers are encouraged to consult a health professional before beginning or changing in their fitness or nutritional activities. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributor and not those of YEG Fitness or its employees and associates. Advertising in this publication does not indicate an endorsement by YEG Fitness.

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The Mature Athlete Does pain hold you back from doing the things you enjoy?

A sore knee or achy hip doesn’t have to limit your day to day life. If you are suffering with osteoarthritis, we want to help you take steps to reduce your discomfort, improve your strength and mobility, and live a longer, more fulfilling life. We take a holistic perspective – and give you the appropriate tools to work towards restoring your day to day life.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common type of arthritis, affecting more Canadians that all other forms of arthritis. OA is a progressive disease of the whole joint and occurs when there is thinning of joint cartilage and the underlying bone. It is commonly referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis.

OA occurs when otherwise healthy joints are exposed to heavy workloads over time OR when damaged joint are exposed to normal workloads.

The evidence shows that exercise is the most effective treatment for early OA. This applies to both the involved joint and those above and below it.

The stronger you are throughout your core/hip and feet, the better your knee will feel and work.

Maintaining an optimal weight will also assist in decreasing the stress on the joints in your lower body and improve your overall health.

Our Kinesiologist will help you with making healthy lifestyle decisions and design an exercise program.

Our Physiotherapists/Athletic Therapists can help you manage the symptoms when your OA flares (modalities, manual therapy), as well as trying to help slowdown its progression with the a targeted exercise program.

Our Physicians will examine you and may order diagnostic imaging to confirm a diagnosis. They may also prescribe medications to help manage symptoms. Medications can be topical (Voltaren Gel) or oral (Tylenol, Advil or prescription medication).

They can also perform specialized joint injections with products such as, corticosteroids, viscosupplement gel (Synvisc, Durolane or Cingal), PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and discuss the research on newer treatments like stem cells.

They may also refer you to a surgeon if your condition seriously affects your quality of life and you have advanced OA.

Our TEAM of professionals have been assembled to assist you in diagnosing, treating and slowing the progression of OA, ultimately helping you get back on the golf course, ski hill or the walking trails.

Suite 710, Hys Centre 11010 – 101 Street Edmonton, AB

Book Now! 780-453-5255 www.healthpointe.rehab

780- 455- 5068 / / w w w. o pt imize physio. c om mo bilize • s t a bilize • o pt imize

What is

Treatment

Manual Osteopaths consider the whole body to be interconnected (holistic). Following a detailed assessment an osteopath will treat the root cause of your pain by applying osteopathic techniques to regain proper function. The ultimate goal is to get your body back into alignment and ensure you are functioning at the highest level possible.

Manual osteopaths use a variety of manual therapy (hands on) techniques including joint mobilizations, muscle energy techniques (contract-relax stretching), soft tissue therapy and visceral thearpy to treat the body as a whole. Due to myofascial restrictions throughout the body, visceral mobilization is used to help free up movement in other adjacent areas of the body. After a manual therapy session your osteopath will provide you with education on how to change and improve external factors in your life, as well as teach you specific exercises and movements to help compliment your treatment.

Osteopathy?

Along with the manual therapy session, manual osteopaths look at your entire way of living and lifestyle to help you find possible external causes for your pain and give advice for longer term relief.

Techniques.

Is Osteopathy

right for me?

Osteopaths treat a variety of conditions including but not limited to the following: low back pain neck pain jaw dysfunction hip pain athletic/sport recovery breathing discomfort decreased or poor circulation muscle spasms constipation pelvic dysfunction (especially after child birth) and simply as a wellness treatment Men, women. Old, young. Office worker, athlete. Everyone can benefit from the treatments of an osteopath!

COULD CBD OIL HELP YOUR OVERALL FITNESS? THE PROS AND CONS

By Tim Gordon

You’re always looking after your overall fitness. This is the reason why you make sure that you’re at the gym at least five times a week and you’re eating the right kind of foods. And because your friends know that you’re such a health buff, they recommended you to try CBD oil to help you with your overall fitness. They have attested how this has helped them and they want you to try it out yourself. While their invitation is something that’s hard to resist, you’re still thinking of whether or not to use CBD oil.

To help you with your decision read this article first. This will give you all the information you need about CBD oil and how it might help you achieve your overall wellness goals.

Here are some of the pros of CBD oil: 1. CBD oil may slow down the brain’s aging process: When you age, how you think and behave changes. You can no longer move as swiftly as you did back when you were a teen. This is a normal change in all humans, but thanks to CBD oil, the effects of the brain’s aging process may be reduced. A study on this subject concluded that CBD oils can impact the brain’s activity and that it can clean the brain of the free radicals accumulated as you age. With this effect, CBD oil can improve your cell’s longevity and can even refresh your brain’s functions.

2. CBD oil supports the heart and circulatory system: CBD oil is made up of a compound which helps relax the blood vessels. This can result in better circulation and reduced blood pressure. This idea is still subject for further research, but it has been shown during pre-clinical tests that CBD oils may lessen risks of developing stroke, hypertension and heart attack.

3. CBD oil improves skin condition: If you’ve been having issues with dandruff, dry skin and acne, CBD oil might do the trick for you! CBD oils trigger the production of lipids in the skin which help reduce symptoms of common skin diseases. Aside from the wonders it can do to your skin, CBD oil can also improve the texture of your hair when applied daily.

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However, you should remember that CBD oils aren’t all good. If you decide to make them part of your wellness routine, you should be aware of the cons of their usage.

1. CBD oil has side effects: Sure, you might think that CBD oils can do wonders for your fitness, but you should be aware that they also have several side effects. People who have been using CBD oils for months reported that they experienced dry mouth as a minor side effect. This happens because the endocannabinoid found in CBD oils reduce the production of saliva. Aside from dry mouth, you may also experience lightheadedness and sleepiness.

2. CBD oil may require THC for best results: THC is the abbreviation of Tetrahydrocannabinol, a compound found in cannabis. Some experts believe that for users to gain the best results from CBD oils, they should use it with THC. Users are reluctant to use these drugs at the same time since there have been legal and psychoactive consequences linked to THC. If you see yourself using CBD oils anytime soon, be informed that CBD oils aren’t the cure-all for all the discomforts that you’re feeling; you need other components to reach its maximum health potential.

3. CBD oil still lacks thorough research: Many people have already attested to how CBD oils have helped them one way or another, but you should remember that all of their comments are not an assurance that they will also work for you. Keep in mind that there is still no substantial research which will guarantee how CBD oils work. Every person’s biochemistry is different so expect that how your body will react with CBD oils will different than how it reacts with someone else.

If you’re keen on your wellness, it’s typical that you would eventually look for new ways to achieve your goals. Most of the time, you become tired or bored with your usual routines which is why you’re willing to try something new. Which is why CBD oils could be something that you should consider.

Keep in mind the information presented in this article, weigh the pros and cons and you’ll come up with a better decision of whether this can help you achieve your overall fitness in the long run.

ADVERTORIAL

Financial Wellness I have played many sports throughout the years, some I found more challenging than others. One thing I have come to know, is that if you don’t know the rules of the game, it’s almost impossible to win. So how does this relate to money and finance? You see, most people are uneducated when it comes to saving money, how debt works and how to get out of it, how to properly protect themselves from financial disaster, not to mention many other financial areas. I get it, you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t understand it, so it’s much easier to ignore the topic. However, what if you understood the rules of the game and the proper “equipment” that you should use to win, don’t you think you’d be a little bit better off?

for Stay tuned Talk t Fi G E Y r ou ber on this Novem lness! el W l a ci n a Fin

In my opinion people carry too much stress these days.

Society is so fast paced, people are overworked and underpaid, and not understanding ones finances just adds to the pile. I have been in the financial business for over 10 years, however, I have a degree in Physical Education, so I have a strong belief in being physically fit and healthy. Saying that, I also believe in being financially secure and feeling good about the future. Wouldn’t it be great to improve your overall wellness? By improving your health, fitness, finance, family, faith, relationships, etc.?

It’s not as difficult as you may think.

The holiday season is upon us, so here are some quick money saving ideas:

1. Live within your means.

It’s so easy to do today, because we want the brightest, fastest, shiny-est and best! We live in a microwave society and we want it NOW. Resist the temptation.

2. Don’t carry debt on depreciating assets.

Today shopping, especially online, is so convenient, we tap and it’s ours. Which makes it so easy to make impulsive buys and carry those purchases on our credit cards for months.

3. Remember the purpose.

The holiday season is about friends and family, not about drinking Dom and having steak and lobster every night.

Save your cash by spending (time) on what really matters.

I believe when people start to workout and commit to physical activity they feel better and have more energy.

The same goes with your financial life, once you start saving money, and understand a little bit as to how to win the game, then you just feel more secure and confident about the future. I would love to hear any comments or questions you may have.

Jarek Chin 780.281.1881

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@jarekchin jarek.chin@gmail.com

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10 Reasons Spinning Is One Of The Best Workouts Ever

Moderate effort means you multiply those 60 calories by 7, for a total of 420 calories burned per hour. Go at a hard effort, and you can multiply it by 10, for a total burn of 600 calories per hour (remember, this is a rough calculation for a woman weighing 150 pounds).

By James Fell

6. It can give you a great looking butt and legs When you’re going hard, mimicking hill training, it goes beyond aerobic training and makes the larger muscle fibers work, developing excellent muscle tone. Though cycling is waist-down exercise you’ll still want to do something for your upper body.

Sign up for an indoor cycling or Spinning class this winter to keep in great shape, shred calories and burn fat at a highly effective rate.

I live in Calgary. My bike is in the shed, and it’s going to stay there until this snow is gone. And though I’ve shared my opinions about hating indoor aerobics, cycling classes are the one exception I make when it comes to this.

Spinning is a popular brand name and though all Spinning classes are indoor cycling classes, not all indoor cycling classes are Spinning classes…are you with me? This winter give your body the exercise it deserves by adding these intense workouts to your routine. Here’s my 10 reasons why: 1. They’re more fun than most classes Okay, this is just my opinion. Also, I’m a terrible dancer, so Zumba would be a major challenge for me. Still, I’ve experimented with quite a few fitness classes, and I’ve found that indoor cycling is always the most fun, has the highest energy levels, and the most passionate participants. Feel free to disagree in the comments but it’s one of the toughest workouts you can get.

2. It has practical applications Being in good shape from other fitness classes can certainly make your cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility better, which all transfer over in a positive way to daily living. But indoor cycling classes make you a better cyclist. If you like hitting the roads and paths in the nicer months of the year, indoor options can keep you trained.

3. They’re full of other eager exercisers You often have to get to classes early to get a good spot, or one at all.

This is a good thing. It’s motivating to know that you have to be on time or you’ll miss out, and who wants to be in a class that’s half empty? When the class is full of hardworking people, who all really want to be there, it makes it more fun.

4. Everyone has their own space In a crowded fitness or yoga class, where people are dancing around or stretching to high moon, you can run into one another or have people’s toes far too close to your face. Put dumbbells into the mix, and it’s a recipe for a personal-space disaster. With indoor cycling, everyone has their own bike, and you never crash into your fellow exerciser. Things can get sweaty however so having a towel on hand is a good idea.

5. It burns a lot of calories The number of calories burned depends on your body weight, so let’s do some quick math. This is rough, but if you take your weight in pounds, and multiply that by 0.4, that’s how many calories you burn per hour just living. If you weigh 150 pounds you’ll burn 60 calories an hour on the couch. Trade that couch for a stationary bike and the numbers go way up.

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7. You train the mid-range energy system Uh, what? I hear you say. Weightlifting trains for short-burst power, and steady-state aerobic training is cardiovascular exercise. In cycling classes there are lots of periods of one or two minutes of massive effort, which trains the mid-range (glycolysis) energy system or the sugarburning range. This is great for getting quick results. I find this type of interval training also great for downhill skiing.

8. You can make friends “It is consistently the same group of people coming to my classes,” says Chelanne Murphy, who teaches indoor cycling classes at World Health Club in Calgary. “Some of the people have been in these classes for 10 years and have developed close friendships as a result.” When something becomes fun you’re much likelier to stick with it, and that’s what we’re working towards.

9. The instructors are awesome Maybe not all of them are awesome, but I’ve found indoor cycling attracts a certain breed of instructor who treats every class like a performance and it becomes almost like participatory theatre. They make it as fun as they possibly can and it’s one of few classes I’ve been to where people are encourage to hoot and holler.

10. No one knows how hard you’re working Don’t be intimidated if the classes you see are filled with very fit people.

Everyone’s got to start somewhere and the joy of cycling is you work at your own pace – only you know what tension your bike’s at. Be careful that you don’t keep the tension so loose that your legs whip around too fast – that can cause injury – but know that you get to decide how much you crank the bike tension based on what you feel you can tolerate. No one else will know if you’re dogging it or pushing to the wall.

If you’re a beginner, look for shorter or beginner classes to ease your body into this vigorous workout. Arrive early and get help setting your bike up.

As I’ve noted previously, stay away from any instructor who has you doing upper body exercises or midsection twists while on the bike.

Proper cycling technique is about focusing on pushing the pedals and maintaining good form.

PLACES TO GET YOUR SPIN ON IN THE EDMONTON AREA 1. CycleBar - Windermere

4. Tru Ride – Southside

2. Hive Fit Co – Downtown

5. XTHERAPY – Downtown

3. Spin Unity – Sherwood Park

6. YEG Cycle – Whyte Ave + Downtown

Athleticism is the Heart of Ballet

By Melissa Lilley

B

allet originates from the 15th century during the Italian Renaissance; eventually making its way into France and Russia as a performance art. It is a highly technical form of dance that boasts many subgenres based either on geographical location which include the French, Russian or Vaganova, Balanchie from New York; or by style, Classical, Romantic, Neoclassical, and Contemporary. The basic foundations of ballet have also been integrated into almost every other genre of dance.

Each ballet production aims to appear graceful and effortless. As casual observers, we are granted the privilege of seeing a grand jeté or pas de chat after hour upon hour of rehearsals. Audiences get to see the polished choreography and the pretty package of a dancer in a flawless costume; an intricate production created for the audiences viewing pleasure. The final product is a true work of art. But what many people don’t realize is the amount of athleticism that goes into the production or the years of training each dancer has gone through before they place their perfectly pointed feet on stage. Or how much blood, sweat, and tears has gone into that particular performance or career. Their feet firmly planted in first or fifth position.

Being able to plie with precision takes a number of years of practice. Most ballet dancers begin training before the age of 10. Dancers performing professionally spend most of their youth training with a school. During this time, dancers often spend eight hours a day (or more), six times a week training.

Grand Prairie-raised dancer, Kylee Hart, began her dancing career at six-years-old. Most of her formal training was completed at the Grand Prairie Dancer’s academy under the direction of Nancy-Marie Rigler. Hart underwent years of training before ultimately realizing that ballet could be a career; it wasn’t until she was 12-years-old that she realized that real adults were taking their passion for ballet and turning it into legitimate careers. Once Hart graduated, she went on to join the Goh Ballet Youth company in Vancouver. Finally, in 2014 she became a company dancer with Ballet Edmonton. Hart’s journey to become a professional dancer has necessitated hours of dance and choreography training that allow audiences to see the not just the grace, but the strength and power required to train at a professional level.

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“Part of the magic,” Hart says, “that it does look easy going to see a ballet is a magical experience that transports people into this other world – keep the mystery alive.”

Hart says that the biggest misconception is that ballet is just tutus and tiaras. Ballet productions contain their fair share of glitz and glamour but behind all of the polish is years of grueling training.

During their formidable training years, most professional dancers will train eight hours a day, six days a week. On top of that there are also rehearsals for upcoming productions and some form of cross-training.

Hart, like many other dancers, cross trains with Pilates to stay strong and flexible. She credits her long, mostly injury-free career to her Pilates training. In addition to Pilates, Hart maintains strong cardiovascular health through swimming; which she says is a great low-impact activity that compliments the high stress placed on her body from dancing.

Like any other athlete, ballet dancers put their feet through hell.

Hours in pointe shoes—those shoes that help dancers stand on tip-toe for long periods of time—often result in black toenails, blisters, and swelling. Like the perfect plie, pointe shoes must be earned. Dancers must train consistently for three years before they can be considered ready. They must also be able to hold 16 relevés (rising onto or standing on toe toes or balls of one or both feet) on centre, or during half or full-pointe. Imagine training for three years just to advance into a specific pair of shoes!

Another misconception about ballet is that the dancers maintain their svelte figures by restricting what they eat. Which simply isn’t true. Athletes need to nourish their bodies in order to be able to endure the rigorous training schedules they follow. “I can’t imagine not fueling my body for training,” Hart says, “We (dancers) are able to get away with eating much more food than the average person.” She goes on to say that she notices an immediate decline in her performance if her body isn’t fueled correctly. This is often accompanied with a mental fog that makes it difficult to nail down choreography. One of Harts go-to breakfasts is scrambled eggs, which gives her enough energy and sustenance to keep her dancing until lunch time.

There is no doubt that ballet is as demanding physically as it is beautiful to watch. Dancers undergo years of rigorous training, sacrifice time with family and friends in order to maintain the mystery and the grace that is necessary for each successful performance. As an observer it’s easy to forget that each dancer on the stage has spent years upon years of their life preparing to be performance-ready. Hart hopes that ballet can be conveyed as both powerful and graceful. Not delicate as some of us may believe the dancers to be.

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PHOTOS BY DES ILES

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Nicknames: Riz or Rizzo

Bobsled Pilot with a side gig as a speaker/host/ambassador

ALYSIA RISSLING

1. It's Sunday morning, what are you most likely to be doing today? Making pancakes, sipping a pumpkin spice latte, and watching football!

2. If you didn't do what you do for a living, what would you love to do?

I would LOVE to be a sports broadcaster. In my future life I plan to be reporting the highlights rather than just watching them.

3. What music is on repeat on your playlist when at the gym or training?

Whatever the latest EDM or Hip-hop music is.

I always need high tempo music at training to get me fired up.

4. If you could attend one concert this year, who would it be?

I’m dying to see Kenny Chesney…why doesn’t he ever come to Canada?

5. What's your favourite thing about YEG? The river valley <3 I love going on walks or bike rides especially with all the fall colours.

6. Where is your dream vacation destination?

I think my next big trip will be to South America. Argentina, Chile, and Columbia are on the list!

7. What is your most memorable experience from bobsledding?

This one is easy… competing at the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. From walking in to the opening ceremonies to competing it was the best month of my life!

8. What is at the top of your bucket list?

To become a World Champion!

World Championships for Bobsleigh are in Whistler this season ;) 9. What is your favourite TV show?

I’m patiently waiting for Season 8 of Game of Thrones! I feel like never get here. I also still watch Grey’s Anatomy after 14 years.

10. What ritual/superstition do you have just before heading down the course? I don’t have superstitions in my sport because there are too many variables out of my control (example: weather), but I do have a few rituals.

Just like my days as a basketball player at U of A, I still have an energy drink before every competition and I still always put my left shoe on first. At the start line I tap my toes side to side while waiting for the track to clear, then take a big breathe out before snapping my visor down and walking to my push bar.

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ADVERTORIAL

At Rao Dermatology, our philosophy is that beauty is about to be comfortable in your own skin and body. Fashion is a trend, but beauty leaves within a person. Please remember you are beautiful!

Liposuction: YES or NO If someone having trouble losing fat from stubborn areas such as the stomach, thighs, love handles, buttocks and chest, liposuction procedure could be the best option for them.

What is “Liposuction”?

Liposuction is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that sculpts the body by removing unwanted fat from specific areas, including the abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, knees, upper arms, chin and neck. With tumescent liposuction, a solution with a volume of approximately one to two times the amount of fat to be removed is first injected into the treatment area. This helps to expand and loosen the fat cells for easier extraction.

Through a tiny incision, a narrow tube or cannula is inserted to vacuum the fat layer that lies beneath the skin. The cannula is pushed and pulled through the fat layer, breaking up the fat cells and suctioning them out.

The suction action is provided by a vacuum pump.

This basic technique of liposuction is used in all patients. However, as liposuction has been developed and refined, variations have been introduced. Individuals considering liposuction may feel overwhelmed by the number of options and techniques being promoted.

Physician-patient dialogue is paramount in this process: candidate evaluation, understanding patients’ goals and setting expectations is key. This can be supplemented with adequate patient education regarding preparation for surgery, the details of the surgery, potential risks and complications and the expected postoperative recovery period.

Rao Dermatology offers complimentary consultations to the residents of our community to proper educate and answer their questions.

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Frequently Asked Questions: Is Liposuction right for me?

If person is in good health and believes she/he can benefit from liposuction, then liposuction can be an ideal option. It is imperative however, to be able to manage expectations. The procedure has been proven very successful and has provided significant improvements.

However, it is not a quick fix for much larger health issues. Consultation is always required.

Abdominal Liposuction vs. Tummy Tuck?

A tummy tuck, also known as abdominoplasty, removes excess fat and sagging skin. On the other hand, if there is a solely fat excess with minimal skin laxity, then this is within the realm of liposuction. Additionally, liposuction is a safer procedure, which has made it the more favourable and common option for fat removal.

Is Liposuction a weight loss remedy?

Liposuction is not a substitute for weight loss regimens. Instead, it is a procedure intended to sculpt your body and eradicate problem areas.

Liposuction can be a gateway to further weight loss. As such, when you engage in proper diet and exercise after recovery, you are likely to see weight loss results at a much faster rate.

Call 780.437.7189 or Email us at info@raoderm.com for more information.

How To Make This The Winter You Finally Stay In Shape

By Sarah Freeland It's one thing to go for a run outside or play in a pick-up soccer game on a warm summer day. But it's quite another to get outside in the winter, when the wind chill makes you gasp and it's dark long before you leave the office.

Hack your motivation If working toward a goal isn't the right motivation for you, there are other things that help get you up and moving on those cold, dark mornings.

It's tempting to stop working out sometime in November as the holiday season sets in. Then before you know it, it's February, and no one wants to go outside after they've been cozy and lazy for the past few months. It's hard to motivate yourself to even walk to the gym by then.

Arranging meetups with a friend helps ensure you won't skip your workout.

"Iceman" — could help him unlock new levels of fitness.

On an individual level, he found that a regular routine of immersion in cold water and winter running (along with some breathing exercises) led to measurable physiological improvements, documented by a sports performance scientist.

Some scientific studies indicate that cold

The thing is, this lapse has a serious detrimental effect on fitness. Within one to three months, you can lose all the endurance or strength you spent the spring, summer, and early fall developing.

"You're not going to lose a ton of fitness in a week or two, but three or four weeks, it gets bad," John Honerkamp, a coach with the New York Road Runners, previously told us.

Whether you just want to stay in shape, or are thinking of picking up a new fitness habit for the New Year, know this: It's worth it. Exercise is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug — its wide-ranging benefits include heart health, lower cancer risk, and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression.

So here's how to make this the winter you stay fit.

First, pick what works for you The best workout is the one you enjoy enough to keep doing consistently. Some people love running, others hate it. Some prefer weight lifting, soccer, or rock climbing. According to generally recommended guidelines, you should ideally do both aerobic activity and strength training, with a mix of vigorous and moderate exertion. But a number of fitness experts say the best path is to simply choose whatever activity you can realistically stick with.

Once you choose your workout, pick a goal.

Maybe it's training for a marathon or triathlon, or learning to climb to a certain degree of difficulty. Setting goals and working to accomplish them sets you up for a life-long fitness habit, according to Dr. Steve Graef, a sports psychologist at Ohio State University.

"If people engage in these types of challenges, doing something they never thought was possible, [they] continue to do that, continue to have check ins over the course of a year, over the course of their life," said Graef. That's how you turn fitness into a lifestyle.

"I used to meet a buddy of mine at 4:30 [in the morning] in Central Park," Honerkamp said. You don't want to leave a friend waiting alone in the cold.

Getting competitive can help, too. According to a study of almost 800 people conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, competition is far more effective than social support or individual motivation at getting people to work out more. So when you set your goal, consider recruiting a friend and challenging each other to push harder.

Embrace the cold There's nothing wrong with working out indoors. But winter offers another opportunity for getting fit through the cold itself.

Focusing on diet and exercise alone may not be enough to achieve true fitness, according to a a theory investigated (and experienced) by journalist and anthropologist Scott Carney in his book "What Doesn't Kill Us: How Freezing Water, Extreme Altitude, and Environmental Conditioning Will Renew Our Lost Evolutionary Strength."

This theory suggests that along with diet and exercise, our bodies might need some environmental stress — like exposure to cold and hot temperatures — to reach our full potential.

Carney embarked on a journey to see if "environmental conditioning"— guided by Wim Hof, a Dutchman who goes by the nickname

exposure could play a role in weight loss and help counteract the effects of type 2 diabetes.

Push yourself — but go easy sometimes, too Working out involves pushing yourself, but that doesn't mean everything has to be hard.

Little things can make it easier to get yourself out the door. If you're trying to work out in the morning, put your clothes and shoes out beforehand, and even sleep in your base layer if that'll help, Honerkamp said.

And if you feel like you aren't getting anywhere, it's okay to switch up your training plan. For a while, researchers thought some people were "nonresponders," meaning their bodies didn't respond to certain types of exercise. But a recent study found that while some people don't respond to some types of training, switching up their plan (from endurance training to high intensity training or vice-versa) helped them improve.

Finally, listen to your body to avoid injuries.

It can be easy to push yourself too hard and tear something when you're trying a new routine, Jason Barone, regional clinical director of Professional Physical Therapy, previously told us.

"It's good to push the body, but you need to listen to it as well," Barone said. "Be aware of warning signs ... don't push through pain, that might mean you need to take it easy."

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The 7 Must-Have Pieces of Fitness Equipment for Home Workouts As the weather gets cooler and the days shorter, it gets easier and easier to forgo the trip to the gym to just curl up on the couch at home. But don't let your fitness suffer—it's easier than you think to turn your living room or even that small studio apartment into a workout studio. It may not have all of the topof-the-line equipment and floor-length mirrors for your postworkout selfies, but your home can transform into a gym with a few pieces of equipment. We've rounded up the best at-home workout gear so you can still get in a quick but effective sweat session, without even leaving the house.

1. Adjustable dumbbells

Your gym's mile-long rack of dumbbells is great, but there's no way you have the space for it at home. Instead, tone and strengthen your muscles in your apartment with these adjustable dumbbells, which come with a storage rack that's easy to slide under the bed or behind the couch after you're finished.

2. Mini resistance bands

Resistance bands are the ultimate at-home workout accessory—small and portable but mighty effective. Instead of the longer versions, these mini bands provide three levels of resistance for mobility exercises, stretches and more.

3. Yoga mat

Tired of sliding around on your hardwood floor or slippery carpet? With a no-slip yoga mat, you can be confident in your poses or give yourself an extra cushion while doing planks, push-ups or floor stretches.

4. Adjustable kettlebell

Kettlebell workouts are a great way to get in a quick total body workout. This one item is actually seven kettlebells in one, so you can adjust the weight from 10 to 40 pounds depending on the exercise.

5. Soft medicine ball

Don't risk a broken TV or coffee table by tossing around a traditional medicine ball. This soft one still provides the weight—you can choose balls from four to 40 pounds—but is made of durable leather, so you can (gently) throw it against the wall or tap it on the floor while doing trunk twists.

6. Weighted jump rope

Take the old-school jump rope to the next level by adding a bit of resistance to get your heart rate pumping in half the time. Make sure you clear the area of any breakable items, just in case you sway right or left while jumping. To up the intensity, add in high knees, double-unders or criss-cross your feet in between jumps.

7. Foam roller

Sometimes it's hard to get motivated for a high-intensity session at home. Instead of lifting weights or toning your abs, take a day to recover and prepare your muscles for your next intense workout at the gym. The rigid foam roller has three different pressure zones to help ease muscle soreness and increase flexibility in your hamstrings, back, quads and more.

All you have to do is lay down in front of the TV and get rolling!

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Why you should follow the Mediterranean ‘diet’ – and how to do it

By Brittany LeBlanc

No doubt you've heard about the Mediterranean diet.

It's long been reported to be the optimal eating plan for preventing a wide range of diseases including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and cancer.

Rethink meat. If you eat red meat (e.g., beef, pork, lamb), treat it as a condiment rather than the main attraction of a meal. Instead of a 10-ounce steak, enjoy three ounces of meat grilled with bell peppers, mushrooms and onion on a skewer or stir-fried with lots of vegetables.

If you're wondering, though, if trendy new diets such as the keto diet, for instance, are a newer, better option than the Mediterranean diet, the answer is a definitive no.

Include fish, especially oily fish such as salmon, trout and sardines, in your diet at least twice a week. Eat chicken or turkey twice a week.

The latest resounding endorsement for the wellresearched Mediterranean diet came from a panel of 25 esteemed researchers, doctors and dietitians who recently ranked it the best "overall" diet for 2018.

Increase plant-based meals. To reduce animal protein and saturated fat, plan at least four meatless meals each week.

The panel scrutinized 40 popular diets to determine the best in nine categories, including heart health, diabetes prevention and weight loss.

The Mediterranean diet received more than one accolade.

It was also named the number one plant-based diet, the best diet for healthy eating, for heart disease and for diabetes, and the easiest diet to follow (there's no formal plan or tracking).

The diet is nutritionally complete, safe, helps promote weight loss and can prevent and manage heart disease and diabetes.

What does the Mediterranean diet look like?

The Mediterranean "diet" is an eating pattern traditionally followed by people living in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea including Italy, Spain, France, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya.

Eating this way means including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, pulses (e.g., beans and lentils), nuts and seeds in your diet every day. The main source of fat is olive oil, high in monounsaturated fat and a good source of vitamin E and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products (yogurt and cheese) are eaten several times a week, while small portions of red meat are limited to twice a week, at most. Sweets are enjoyed as occasional treats.

Researchers believe that it's the combined protective effect of the Mediterranean eating pattern that counts, not its individual foods.

Seven ways to "Mediterranean-ize" your diet The following tips will help you add fresh flavours and tastes to your diet while increasing your intake of heart-healthy fats, fibre, antioxidants and protective phytochemicals.

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For lunch, try a whole wheat pita stuffed with bell pepper, tomato, cucumber, arugula and hummus or tahini sauce.

Add white kidney beans instead of ground meat to marinara sauces.

Batch cook whole grains. Barley brown rice, bulgur, whole wheat couscous and farro add fibre, protein, B vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals to the Mediterranean diet.

Make a quick salad by mixing leftover cooked grains with roasted vegetables, lentils, fresh herbs and a vinaigrette.

Or, toss leftover whole grain pasta with tuna, red kidney beans, chopped vegetables and dressing.

Eat vegetables with every meal. Aim for at least one serving (one-half cup raw or cooked or one cup of salad greens) at each meal, including breakfast.

Add baby spinach and mushrooms to an omelette, greens or pumpkin puree to your smoothie, and shredded carrot or zucchini to muffin and pancake batters.

Snack on fruit and nuts. Eat fresh fruit with a small handful of walnuts, pecans or pistachios for a midday snack. Or, top Greek yogurt with pomegranate seeds, toasted sliced almonds and a drizzle of honey.

Change your fats. Make olive oil your principal cooking fat.

Swap olive oil for butter in baking; you'll need less oil than butter. If your recipe calls for one-quarter cup of butter, for instance, you'll need three tablespoons of oil.

Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of 410 degrees F, so it's suitable for sautéing and baking.

Add herbs and spices. Flavour grain dishes, salads, soups and dressings with fresh or dried herbs and spices instead of salt. You'll also add polyphenols, potent antioxidants thought to boost brainpower and guard against cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

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Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce! A mix of quinoa, cucumbers or kale or spinach, feta cheese, kalamata olives, and pepperoncini!

INGREDIENTS Roasted red pepper sauce: 1 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained 1 clove garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste) juice of one lemon 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup almonds

Learn more at yourpartnerinwellness.ca ABC 83939 2018/09

For the Mediterranean bowls (build your own bowls based on what you like): cooked quinoa spinach, kale, or cucumber feta cheese kalamata olives pepperoncini thinly sliced red onion hummus fresh basil or parsley olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper INSTRUCTIONS 1. Pulse all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth. The texture should be thick and textured.

2. Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

When the quinoa is done, build yourself a Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl 3. Store leftovers in separate containers and assemble each bowl just before serving, especially the greens and the sauces, as those will get soggy when stored with all the other ingredients.

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Getting to the “Core” of it.

By Tony Nguyen and Ty Khan F.R.E.E. Fitness Inc. Everyone wants a six pack, right? But does owning a six pack really mean having a strong core? As personal trainers, we often see people working out their “core” by performing a sit-up or crunch. Don’t get us wrong, a sit-up or crunch has its place in the fitness world; however these moves can be overemphasized in workouts. Flexion movements at the waist, such as sit-ups or crunches are often part of an “ab workout”. These movements typically target your superficial muscles that often contribute more to your aesthetics or six pack as opposed to actual core strength. So what exactly is your core?

Your core provides the base for you to hold force, initiate movement and do work. To have a strong core, you must correctly perform core exercises that strengthen the deep internal muscles surrounding your back and abdomen. These muscles are your powerhouse muscles.

They allow you to squat, lunge, push, pull, rotate, and lift. To target these muscles your body’s alignment needs to be addressed. This alignment is known as Stable Core Position (SCP). This position is achieved when, 1. Rib cage is pulled down and braced. Imagine bracing your stomach to receive a punch.

2. The pelvis is stacked over your knees and ankles.

3. And the spine is neutral.

Your SCP is crucial because it allows you to move properly and safely when holding force and initiating movement. By having a weak or unstable SCP, you put yourself at a disadvantage because energy is lost through your mid section with various movements. This can result in losing the ability to move efficiently.

Have you ever injured yourself while picking up an object? Unfortunately, most of us have, and it typically occurs when your SCP is out of alignment, unstable or weak.

Below is a series of core exercises to help us mitigate injuries, perform better, and look great! Make note of the progression from the start to finish.

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1. Front Plank (Static)

Three sets for 30 to 45 seconds each - Shoulders positioned above elbows with forearms flat on the ground - Hold a straight line from ankles, knees, hips, shoulders and head - Rib cage is pulled down, pelvis stacked, spine neutral (SCP) and glutes are activated(bum muscles)

2. Dead Bug (Movement #1) Three sets of 10 per side - Lay on back with shoulders retracted (shoulder blades squeezed together) and arms positioned straight above - Line knees up with hips at a 90-degree angle - Rib cage is pulled down and spine is neutral (press your lower back flat against floor) - Lower opposite limbs (arm and leg) to the ground and return to starting position, switch sides and repeat.

3. Bird Dog (Movement #2) Three sets x 10 per side Positioning: - Start on all 4’s (knees and hands) - Stack shoulder above elbows and wrists - Hips positioned above knees, knees in line with feet and toes downwards - Rib cage pulled down, pelvis stacked, spine neutral (SCP) - Reach opposite limbs outwards (arm and leg), and return back to start position, switch sides and repeat.

Question to ask yourself: 1. Can I maintain SCP while reaching my extremities outwards? Yes… let’s rotate!

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4. Cable Core Rotations (Rotation)

Three sets, 15 rotations per side Positioning: - Grip handle firmly with both hands - Shoulders, elbows and wrists in line with cable - Rib cage pulled down, pelvis stacked, spine neutral (SCP) - Hips stacked over knees and feet - Rotate torso away from cable machine while keeping arms straight; return to start position, switch sides and repeat.

5. Single-Arm, Overhead Carry (Dynamic)

Three sets, 20 metre walk per arm Positioning: - Stack dumbbell over head in line with wrist, elbow and shoulder - Position opposite arm to side - Shoulders retracted (pulled back) - Rib cage pulled down, pelvis stacked, spine neutral (SCP) - Walk forward

Now try focusing on maintaining your SCP during your workout and your everyday life. This will reduce your chance of injury, allow you to move more freely and on top of it all, look and feel great!

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Build Trust, Community And Muscles With AcroYoga

By Colin Bacsik Solid Base Acro

mybalancedbox.com

P

ractically everyone has done acroyoga. A family member takes you for an airplane ride on their feet, you climb up, and next thing you know, you’re flying. Remember how much fun that was? Barrel of Monkeys fun! All you need is two people and a floor. Though it may look like you need to be a ninja to do acroyoga, the truth is that just like anything else, everyone starts at the beginning. Acroyoga is so fun and addictive, you’ll find yourself wanting to get into better shape in order to achieve more advanced moves. When you’re focused and present and the progression of your practice it’s easy to forget hard you’re actually working. Eventually you will be surprised at just how agile you’ve become.

At its most basic level, acroyoga involves, a “base” and a ‘flyer”, though often a third or “spotter” is present to keep everyone safe.

Beginners learn to safely enter seemingly precarious poses and postures. These postures flow and transition together in a repeated sequence. The moves are continuous, with no clear beginning or end. Performing these loops, often referred to as “washing machines,” can be a whole lot of fun. Acroyoga works the core, and develops better proprioception as you learn to balance and be balanced, hold body shapes, and move slowly and predictably. It enhances experience through physical skill and creativity.

Because acroyoga involves others, interaction is important.

Trust, compassion, and communication are cornerstones of the practice, just as much as physical fitness. The “yoga” part doesn’t just refer to the look of the poses. The practice is an excellent way to examine yourself, connect with others, and respond rather than react to things as they occur. It helps to develop a sense of community.

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Acroyoga – or “acro” as it is often referred – includes different definitions, styles, and opinions that can be confusing at first. Yet the benefits are similar no matter your level or approach. The higher your skill level, the more ways you have to express yourself, whether it’s flashy hand balancing, slow core-focused strength moves, or dance inspired flows. Things really get exciting as the level increases, moving towards dynamic standing style acrobatics – think circus and cheer.

The practice challenges your physical, mental, and sometimes emotional edge.

With competent instruction, in a safe and consensual environment, participants learn to move, climb, and balance on and with each other. This builds genuine connection with health and strength, the true goal of any athletic pursuit.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

www.desilesphotography.com

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A Newbie Experience @desilesphotography

By Cassie Peake I was introduced to Acro Yoga about a year ago through The Great Canadian Fitfest, after attending their interactive Fitness Expo the year before. A few months following the expo, the Founder of Fitfest and I were in touch, and after a while of chatting, he offered me a job with the company. From there I met a lot of really cool people and gained a ton of fitness connections, thus beginning my exciting journey of trying out numerous, new physical activities and that’s when I discovered Acro!

Right off the bat, acro meetups were somewhere where I felt like I could just be myself. Every time I’ve gone to a meetup to practice and play around, or what we call a “jam,” the environment has been non-judgemental and very accepting. The Acro community is such a great thing to be a part of because of this and because there are lots of experienced people (and other newbies!) who are willing to work with you, wherever you are at.

P H OTO G R A P H Y

Although it may help, you don’t have to be flexible, extremely fit, or even necessarily very graceful to start, because the people you work with initially will be experienced enough to help you feel confident and work up to bigger and better things.

I love doing acro because not only is it a fun way to stay fit and improve flexibility, but you will also never get bored because there are always new things to try and new ways to push yourself and your partners to do even better!

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Reasons to Practice Yoga This Winter

By Meg Stevenson – Navina Yoga Does this winter’s abrupt arrival have you feeling slightly less motivated to stay active already? Although many of you runner’s, cyclist’s, and other fitness enthusiasts continue through the winter, many will find themselves packing it in for the season and need to plan how to keep moving through the colder season. Yoga is a great compliment to any fitness routine at any time of the year as the benefits are so nourishing for both your body and your mind but practicing during the winter months specifically offers a couple of added benefits. If you are looking for a way to stay active this winter here is why yoga is such a great substitution, so great that it may just likely became a part of your regular routine.

Many classes in the city are offered at temperatures from toasty to hot making yoga a comforting escape from the cold temperatures.

Finding a space that feels like your oasis is extra incentive making it easier to brave the cold. Even if you prefer room temperature classes, be sure to find a space that makes stepping out of your comfort zone as comfortable as possible. Couches get at least 50 per cent cozier in the winter months so set yourself up for success by creating conditions that offer the least amount of resistance!

The cold temperatures naturally draw us into a retractive state. We contract and draw in, our shoulder’s scrunch up and this is usually met with a very hesitant breath. This reaction alone nuzzles us back into our cozy state. Instead of rolling out our mat and doing something that makes us feel good we curl up for the night. Often adding some comforting food to go with it. This is not to say that you should never curl up and get cozy by the fireplace, you just want to be sure that you are continuing to make your health a priority. If you’re not careful, you can begin to create a cycle of more resistance and you can find yourself in a slump that can be categorized as the winter blues.

The more you practice yoga the more acquainted you become to meeting states of restricted breath. Sometimes the restriction is physical and results from tension or tightness in the body. Sometime the restriction is from an overactive mind struggling to stay present.

Either way, in yoga we meet it breath. Developing the ability to stay with your breath immediately opens you up to a space of expansion instead of contraction. The effects can start small and you simply start meeting the cold air with breath. With more practice it gets better and you may start to find yourself breathing more through the inevitable frustrations of life. This alone can change your life but there are great physical benefits that come along with this too.

Being consistent with your yoga practice over the winter months will allow you to experience the physical benefits of increased flexibility and a stronger, more stable body. Not only will this significantly reduce your risk for injury, but it will keep you moving in a much more optimal and efficient state. This way you can progress both quicker and safer within a short time frame. The best part is with less tension in your body, you are left with less aches and strains; combine this with progress and it might as well be a recipe for happiness. Whether you are looking forward to golf or football, if you practice yoga to pass by the time until you can get back outside, it will make for a much easier and enjoyable transition!

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ADVERTORIAL

5 Things You Didn’t Know About Reiki One of the treatment options we get asked about most is Reiki. Rooted in Chinese medicine and Christian healing, it wasn’t until the mid-nineteenth century that modern Reiki was introduced into western societies. The term Reiki refers to “Universal Energy of Life Force” and is paramount to the practice, which follows that Universal Energy is inherent in all life forms. During Reiki treatment, the practitioner acts as a facilitator for healing energy to travel from the practitioner’s hands to the recipient’s body and to the areas that need healing most. There is no manipulation of the patient’s body or energy field during the treatment. The practice of Reiki falls within the eastern side of Park Integrative Health’s healing modalities. It’s considered one of our gentler forms of therapies that provides healing and relief through compassionate touch.

Studies on Reiki have increased in recent years, and while the practice has gained in popularity, we still get many questions about the benefits of Reiki and what patients can expect, so we put together a list of the top five things you might not know about this healing practice: 1. Patients remain fully clothed during treatment. Unlike other healing or pain relief treatments like physiotherapy, massage, or acupuncture, during Reiki, patients remain fully clothed, regardless of areas they may want to focus on for healing. Patients can expect to lie on a treatment table and experience non-intrusive touch from the healer’s hands, which will be placed above various locations on the body.

2. Reiki helps boost the immune system. Just in time for those winter months to hit YEG, which means cold and flu season is upon us, Reiki is an excellent way to help boost your immune system to ward off sickness. By working to reduce stress, anxiety and negative energy in the body, Reiki boosts the positive healing energies, which helps prepare the brain to repel disease, improve the health within, and diminish susceptibility to getting sick.

3. It helps with pain relief. One of our most common requests for Reiki appointments is for reducing pain and inflammation in the body. Through the transfer of energies, Reiki helps to restore balance within the body and encourages your system to improve vital functions, including digestion, cell regeneration, breathing, and sleeping — all things that are crucial to reducing and eliminating physical pain and improving your body’s natural healing abilities.

4. It’s incredibly relaxing. At Park Integrative Health, Reiki takes place in a quiet room that enables clients to feel calm, peaceful, and still.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with our busy daily lives, so the experience of laying still itself is relaxing. Some practitioners will play soft, gentle music intended to help calm the mind to increase relaxation. Reiki also does not involve any pressure points or physical manipulation, relieving potential patient anxiety about experiencing pain during treatment.

Ultimately, Reiki is meant to be an enjoyable, positive experience that leaves patients feeling relaxed and re-energized.

5. Results and experiences are unique. There is no right or wrong way to experience Reiki.

Some people feel sensations of energy transfer, others might feel a light tingling, and some may even nod off from the feelings of complete relaxation! Some patients will not experience anything for a few treatments, while others will feel the effects right away.

As we move into the winter season, we encourage you to try Reiki as a new way to treat pain and inflammation in your body, help with sleep and relaxation, and enable a successful transition from fall to winter athletic activities.

If you have any questions for our Reiki practitioners, would like to learn more about the practice, or are interested in booking a treatment, we encourage you to get in touch with our clinic by phone, email, or better yet, drop by for a visit!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy winter season!

Unit 970, 3890 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, Alberta T8H 0Z9 (780) 570-8480 pihealth.ca @parkintegrative

Our Hours Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. – 8:30 P.M. Saturday – Sunday 8:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.

Park Integrative Health

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A Family That Fights Together, Stays Together

By Mackenzie Swanson Maddy Swanson, a 19-year-old female boxer pursuing her dream in going to the 2020 Olympics, is a woman of immense willpower. Starting boxing at the age of 15, Maddy has not had as much experience as those who started from a very young age. However, she proves herself to stand with the greatest by pushing herself on the daily with training and implementing monumental self-control.

Swanson. Swanson is both her coach and father figure.

Benny has been a pivotal in helping understand who she wants to be inside the ring and in everyday life.

“Every single day I go to the gym, no matter if I’ve already trained five times that day, I still want to push myself even harder,” says the young boxer. Preferring early-morning workouts, “I usually like to set my alarms for really early in the morning. But I believe that before that alarm even goes off, my motivation is truly what gets me up” she says.

Describing her dad as a man who will do anything for his fighters and his family, Benny has been a natural idol for Maddy. Before becoming the proud owner of Panther’s Gym, he grew up in a poor neighborhood and being involved around a lot of drug and alcohol abuse. Now Benny serves a great role model for Maddy.

But perhaps what is most unusual about Maddy Swanson isn’t how hard she trains or the strict diet she consumes, but who is her in her corner of the ring, and in her life at home. Her Dad is former professional boxer, Benny

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“I feel like he is the one person that knows me best and knows how to push me and when to push me,” Maddy says. “He is an overall amazing dad and coach, and I would never wish for anyone else.”

“I cannot say I would be as outgoing or as knowledgeable about life, or have the morals and values that I do without the help of my dad. I’m so thankful I got to grow up with someone as educated and supportive as him.”

Like any relationship, Benny and Maddy’s was fraught with turmoil during Maddy’s first year of high school. Maddy had fallen hard under the influence of drugs and alcohol abuse as a way to seek attention from her parents. Little did Maddy know, that these choices would make a big impact on the choices she made further down the road. Eventually, the constant drug and alcohol abuse caused Maddy to fall into depression. Eventually getting so severe she would be bedridden for months. “I spent most of my days doing a lot of research, trying to figure out what was going on,” says the former boxer and Maddy’s dad, Benny Swanson. “That’s terrifying as a parent, you know? But I strongly believe in the idea that everything in life happens for a reason and sometimes you have to go through struggles to get to where you are today.”

At only the age of 15, Maddy came to a realization that would soon be the best decision of her life. She told her dad she wanted to start boxing to escape her depression and to help her get back to herself. Turning her addictive personality into something positive, Maddy soon fell in love with the sport and it only grew from there.

“Do I wish she would have picked to play a less violent sport? Of course I do,” says Benny. “Every parent would be scared to see their own kid get punched in the face. But I don’t think I would choose anything else for my daughter because it’s what she is destined to do.”

Maddy is now focusing on her training to win Nationals in April of 2019. With her dad by her side, Maddy is unstoppable.

Maddy has sacrificed many things to be successful; spending her days and nights training in the gym. Laser on her goals Maddy says, “I feel like no one is ever fully ready for anything in life. But I feel like as I get older and more experienced, I’m going to feel a lot readier for whatever comes at me. And to win nationals would definitely be a high moment in my life and 100 per cent worth sacrificing the things I did.”

Maddy and Benny’s story inspires many to go for their dreams and to be themselves when sometimes it feels easier to try and fit in. The pair believe that staying true to yourself and following your passions is all that matters. As Benny says, “I’ve had a lot of jobs, made great money, owned a lot of stuff and I can honestly say my most fulfilling moment, second to having my family, is when I first bought Panther Gym. Making barEly any money and going through plenty of struggles, it didn’t matter because it has always been my lifelong dream to own a gym where people could feel accepted and get the support they need.

That place has given me so much pride and feelings of accomplishment, and it has truly shown me that the only person you have to look at in the mirror is you, so make sure you live with no regrets and you chase your dreams.”

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ENTER TO WIN HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE PRIZES THIS DECEMBER. Follow our 12 Days Of YEG Fitness in December to win these and more prizes starting December 1. Just follow us on social to enter. Share with your friends for extra chances to win.

Commuter Style Meets Function Equipped for the open road, dressed for the job, this bag has the performance you need while shifting through lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environments. The slide hook provides secure closure, and the multi-level system lets you adjust your capacity. A quick-entry zip lets you grab things on the go, while another side pocket tucks away last-minute items. Lumbar support and a removable sternum strap keeps you carrying comfortably all day long.

$249 Bellroy www.bellroy.com

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Performance Style Feel fast and free in these barely-there, sweat-wicking run tights. Made with Nulux™ fabric that is quick-drying, sweat-wicking, and offers lightweight coverage. Their reflective detail helps keep you on the radar in low light for those early morning runs on the streets of YEG. This anti-stink long-sleeve layer comes with running (and sweating) in mind. Silverescent® technology, powered by X-STATIC®, inhibits the growth of odour-causing bacteria on the garment.

$138 lululemon Fast & Free Tight 7/8 $78 lululemon Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve (Breeze) www.lululemon.com

Après Skiing at Its Finest A cozy outfit for that cup of hot cocoa by the fire or to throw on after your weekend yoga class on Whyte Ave. By optimizing body heat with a lofted construction through insertion and weaving, New Balance created a fabric construction that produces lofted fabrics that have heat retention qualities as an alternative to fleece and quilted insulation. Complete the look by slipping on the FuelCore NERGIZE women’s training shoe. Modern style meets comfy cushioning in this all day, every day kick.

$89 New Balance Heat Loft Funnel Sweater $99 New Balance High Rise Transform Printed Tight $89 New Balance FuelCore Nergize Geo Metallic

www.newbalance.ca

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Enjoy The Scents of The Season ‘Tis the season to feel all the feels. Open up to a new feel each day with this limited edition essential oil collection and diffuser ornament that invites you to embrace every moment. Simply remove the cork cover and add 15-20 drops of your favorite Saje Diffuser Blend into the ceramic diffuser. The essential oils will diffuse through the porous ceramic and infuse into your space.

$109 12 Days Of Wellness Calendar www.saje.com

Blend Your Way to Health Explore how easy it is to make healthy, whole-food recipes at home. From appetizers to smoothies, the 48-ounce container is ideal for blending medium batches for small family meals. Ten variable speeds allow you to refine every texture with culinary precision, from the smoothest purées to the heartiest soups. With the Pulse feature, layer coarse chops over smooth purées for heartier recipes, such as chunky salsas or thick vegetable soups.

$449 Vitamix E310 www.vitamix.com

Blow Away the Competition Spacious design for the times when you need to pack all your gear for the gym or a weekend out of town for the next race. Carry it as a duffle, wear it over the shoulder or use it as a backpack. The scuff proof design features a thick EVA foam bottom and side panels for protection. Multiple pockets and compartments store your tech, shoes and gear giving you the flexibility to pack all of your gear.

$250 RYU Competition Duffle 65L www.ryu.com

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Mix Up Your Fitness Routine Fitset is a custom pass for people to discover, book, and sweat in studios and facilities across the Edmonton area – all from a digital platform online or on their phone.

Whether a spin class in the candlelight, a challenging boulder climb, or a restorative yoga class, Fitset connects variety-seekers to unique fitness experiences. With a hard working customer service team, and growing community of users, Fitset is the most impactful way for sweat seekers to cross-train and enhance their physical wellness. starting at

$45/month www.fitset.ca

Enjoy Those Holiday Parties SoCIAL LITE Vodka cocktails are naturally refreshing and naturally guilt free. These lightly carbonated cocktails deliver a crisp, clean taste without any sugar, sweetener or artificial ingredients. At 80 calories per can in our vodka sodas and only 100 calories for our spiked iced tea, it’s the perfect drink for any occasion.

Pricing varies by product. Available at most Edmonton area liquor stores. www.sociallitevodka.com

Train Harder. Recover Faster.

NormaTec delivers a powerful compression massage that helps athletes recover faster. The NormaTec recovery massage increases circulation, and reduces pain and soreness. It can be used for a pre-workout warm up, or as a post-workout recovery flush to rejuvenate muscles.

TheNormaTec PULSE Series benefits all types of athletes, from pros and Olympians, to triathletes, runners, golfers, and everyone in between. It is just like having an on-call massage therapist, and it is the absolute perfect holiday gift for anyone serious about fitness. Crush your goals this year and up your game with the ultimate athlete recovery system.

$1295USD NormaTec Leg Recovery System www.normatecrecovery.com

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Smashing The Stigma ICE Cannabis Athletica is a fitness brand intent on smashing the stigma of the lazy stoner. Based out of Calgary, it is our goal to shed light on the benefits of integrating the plant into an active lifestyle, to optimize that connection, and to re-define society’s expectations of what it means to be a modern cannabis user. We design athletic apparel for the cannabis consumer who values health & wellness, style & sophistication, and are grinding daily to accomplish their lofty goals. Born to smash outdated stereotypes, ICE is here for your journey to become the happiest, healthiest, and best version of yourself possible.

$58 Hollow Out Leggings Scarlet Red www.icecannabisathletica.com

Track Your Fitness Achievements Understand your health and take action to improve with Fitbit Charge 3—an advanced health and fitness tracker that uses 24/7 heart rate & personalized insights to reveal what's below the surface. Charge 3 tracks activity like steps, distance, floors climbed, active minutes and calories burned to show how every part of your day impacts your goals.

Choose from 15+ exercise modes like run, bike, swim, yoga, circuit training and more, set a goal and get real-time stats during your workouts to keep getting better. Know how long you’ve been active or inactive throughout the day and get personalized reminders to fit in a few extra steps if you’ve been sitting a bit too long.

$199 Fitbit Charge 3 www.fitbit.com

Get Your Beauty Sleep The Endy Pillow was designed with your personal comfort preferences in mind. Freely adjust the amount of bamboo charcoal memory foam to achieve your perfect balance of comfort and support. Simply use the mesh pouch provided to store your extra foam. The 3-layer Endy Pillow combines the supportive and breathable qualities of bamboo charcoal memory foam with the plush feel of down. Its core of high-density shredded memory foam for support and comfort and advanced microfiber fill has the plush, silky-soft feel of down. The pillows also have a soft, machine washable cover that maximizes breathability. starting at

$80 The Endy Pillow www.ca.endy.com

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Make Gravity Your Friend Weighted blankets have been used in niche medical communities for many years, but only recently have the measurable health benefits for all started to emerge in new scientific studies. To put it simply, the findings have been amazing: weighted blankets have been shown to help people fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. Without a prescription, therapeutic training, or changes in their routine.

If you have trouble sleeping or problems with stress and anxiety, the Gravity Blanket can help you. The Gravity Blanket uses the power of "deep touch pressure stimulation" to simulate the feeling of being held or hugged. This has been shown to increase serotonin and melatonin, the hormones responsible for calming relaxation, while decreasing cortisol, the hormone responsible for stress.

$249 The Gravity Blanket www.gravityblankets.com

4 PHASES OF ROWING CATCH

DRIVE

- VERTICAL SHINS - TALL TORSO 1 O’CLOCK POSITION - STRAIGHT ARMS

- LEGS EXTEND (SIMILAR TO A DEADLIFT, PUSH FEET INTO FOOT BED) - TORSO MOVES FROM 1 O’CLOCK TO 11 O’CLOCK POSITION - ARMS PULL HANDLE STRAIGHT BACK

RECOVERY

- EXACT OPPOSITE SEQUENCE OF THE DRIVE - ARMS EXTEND HANDLE STRAIGHT BACK TOWARDS FLYWHEEL - TORSO MOVES FROM 11 O’CLOCK TO 1 O’CLOCK POSITION - LEGS BEND UNTIL SHINS ARE VERTICAL

BOOK YOUR FREE NO SWEAT INTRO SESSION AND ROW WITH US THIS WINTER 40

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FINISH

- FEET FLAT, LEGS STRAIGHT - TORSO 11 O’CLOCK POSITION - HANDLE PULLED TO BOTTOM OF STERNUM - ELBOWS STRAIGHT BACK, WRISTS ARE FLAT

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018

INFO@CROSSFITARMOURY.COM CROSSFITARMOURY.COM 780-691-7817

Keep on running!

But be Smart About it!

By Margie Ritchie As a runner turned triathlete, I learned a few things to help me stay healthy and running. Namely, preventative exercises that help to maintain good form and function.

As always, consistency, in anything, is the key.

Whatever distance you are training for it’s good to have a coach or a training plan. A good coach will review your training plan regularly and give advice about adjustments when as necessary. Whether you’re training with someone or alone there are a few things to keep in mind.

Keep a log and keep it simple to view cumulative data liker weekly mileage or changes in pace so you can see anything might indicate overtraining. Data that should be included is, distances or exercise duration, intensity or perceived effort, injury, fatigue level, sleep duration, and motivation. How did you feel? Review data weekly or monthly to see if training volume needs to be adjusted.

Warm up! Regardless of the length of the run. It is better to do a good warm up routine with great form and a shorter workout than skipping the warm up and going into a hard workout and potentially getting injured.

Vary your training surface. Run on pavement, grass, trails or running tracks. Keep your muscles and neuromuscular system challenged so to prevent an overuse injury. If you are running on an uneven surface you will need to slow down and keep scanning the ground for safe places to land.

Vary your training intensity. Incorporate aerobic, long steady-state running, tempo training, speed work, hill work, and fartleks into your routine. You can even incorporate a bit of each type into one workout as long as you warm up appropriately first.

PHOTOS BY VIVID RIBBON PHOTOGRAPHY

Vary your training type. Cross train with another sport you enjoy. Know that if you choose a sport with major stopgo activity or rapid changes in direction like soccer or volleyball an appropriate strength training and warm up for those activities will be vital to prevent injury.

Strength training. As we age, strength training is a key to being able to continue running. Running is a very linear activity using muscles in one plane. This can lead to overuse injury and imbalances in other stabilizing muscle groups of the hip, butt and core. Old injuries can affect your running gait creating more imbalances.

An assessment by a physiotherapist, athletic therapist or kinesiologist can bring these to light. Make sure you understand the correct way to do the prescribed exercise so that it is effective for the targeted muscles. Then it’s your job to do the exercises regularly! Incorporating them into your warm up so you don’t forget about them. Yoga and Pilates, are other ways to stay strong and flexible.

Rest days. This could be the priority for those who have a competitive mindset. Make sure you incorporate rest days in your training schedule and take them. Try not to make these days when you have to cram in chores like house or yard work. An easy walk is a good option on these days.

Recovery. Along with rest days, make sure you are getting adequate sleep every day. This is when our bodies’ recover the best. And is essential for muscle, nerve and brain health. Good sleep hygiene like going to bed and rising at the same time or limiting caffeine before bed is crucial to proper rest.

And finally, listen to your body! Sometimes it just feels like work when you set out on a run. Sometimes you may feel over tired or just “off”. Your body may be telling you it’s time for a rest. Do your warm up routine, see how you feel. If you don’t feel better after maybe repeat the warm up and then leave it at that. Running smart is about responding to what’s happening now. Not being rigid in your training. Remind yourself that quality training is better than quantity.

Hopefully these tips can help you make smarter decisions in your training!

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John Stanton

Running Down the Path of Success

By Melissa Lilley

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On any Sunday, in any weather condition, you can find an intrepid group of runners meeting at the Running Room. Starting at 8:30 a.m. sharp, this group of passionate—or crazy, depending on your definition—people meet to start hitting the pavement. The spirit in the room is not unlike your friendly neighbourhood bar or coffee shop. Most people know each other, either by name or by their running gait. If they don’t know you yet, it doesn’t matter, they’ll still act as though they do. This tight-knit community meets every Sunday and Wednesday. There’s no charge, all you need is a pair of sneakers and a willing attitude. The only form of separation between each person is the distance that each group is running. The groups represent every ability, from full marathon to beginner 5 km groups.

The running community has flourished in our winter city over the past few years largely due to the strong, hearty pioneering spirit of Running Room founder, John Stanton.

Stanton, like so many other runners, picked up the sport to improve his health. He was challenged to participate in a two kilometre race with his youngest son. Initially, Stanton was intimidated by the sport and often ran under the cover of early morning darkness for fear of being spotted by his neighbours. Slowly, but with drive and ambition, Stanton worked his way up to longer distances, eventually becoming an accomplished

marathoner and triathlete. Like any runner, his enthusiasm for the sport could not be contained. People around him took notice. Eventually, training alone under the guise of the dark mornings alone no longer mattered to him, and he formed a running group. Unlike the other running groups in the city, Stanton’s group was largely made up of everyday people, with varying abilities who just wanted to run. No pretensions, no bells and whistles. Just running. The group met every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in a rented room in a house on 110th street near the Running Room’s flagship 109th street location. This is how the store earned its name. Stanton’s no muss, no fuss attitude towards running stripped the sport of its pretentions and encouraged people to get involved without having to worry about being at the back of the pack and prevented people from not running because they didn’t look the part.

Initially, the Running Room was created to fill the need for a store that simply provided the necessary gear, namely shoes, for anyone to begin running. In the beginning, all the store sold was shoes. Today, you can walk into any of the 100-plus stores and get outfitted for running in any condition. The success of the Running Room is far-reaching, employing over 1,300 people across the United States and Canada. Stanton credits the success of the Running Room back to the community itself. In the early days, the only advertising he did for the store were branded t-shirts that he and his son would wear when they participated in races. Most

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of the business grew from within the running community through word-of-mouth. No hashtags and no fancy ad campaigns needed. The Running Room sets itself apart from big-box sporting goods stores primarily through the locations running clinics that utilize the famous 10 and 1 method—alternating between 10 minutes of running and one minute of walking—which makes running accessible to everyone. The programs are adapted from teacher’s lesson plans and tailored to fit any distance. In addition to the community and the running plans, a large part of the Running Room’s success is credited to the company’s triple-win approach: a win for the company, a win for the consumer, and most importantly a win for the community. All of the races hosted by the Running Room have a charitable aspect to the, most notably, the Breast Cancer Run which is now known as the CIBC Run for the Cure.

Stanton’s triple-win strategy is just that. Thousands of runners can attest to the benefits of the Running Room’s business model. It’s more than shoes and charitable causes. It’s about the far-reaching benefits provided by a sense of community and a healthy lifestyle.

These intangible things simply aren’t found inside the walls of many of the big-box retailers.

The consistent experience found in stores from Edmonton to Ottawa make the Running Room unique. The staff is happy to see you and full of knowledge. If you happen to pop in on a Wednesday evening or Sunday morning, no doubt the run club members will treat you like one of their own. These interactions are becoming increasingly rare in our digital age, where people are connecting through screens and not face-to-face communication, these human connections found within any Running Room is something that cannot be replicated or substituted by a digital program. A digital program isn’t helping anyone get out of bed before 8 am on Sunday to get in a long training run. Especially not in -30C.

“Running,” Stanton says, “Is the great equalizer, allowing the university professor and the university student to relate to one another over a common goal.”

It’s these relationships, forged in the frozen winter mornings and dog-days of summer, that has made the Running Room and its programs ubiquitous amongst thousands of runners today.

Get Moving, Girl!

By Michelle Lindstrom When Physical Education becomes optional in Alberta, which is after Grade 10, 90 per cent of girls opt out of it. The delivery of sport and physical activity for female adolescent students needs to better-support and encourage them to stay active now, and for life.

At 42, I don’t remember a time I didn’t want to run, hit a ball, or try to make the perfect play. Physical activity was just always a part of my life and I thought that was the norm for everyone.

Growing up with British immigrant parents, we—my parents, older sister, brother, and I—moved around a lot while my parents navigated a new country, finding their niche.

I lucked out with a few coaches, phys. ed teachers, and active parents who made me believe that quitting was not my best option. And so, I kept playing sports into adulthood, yet found it was always with the same small circle of girls within a larger community of guys in the co-ed sports I played.

Like my female peers, carving time out for physical activity got harder with age due to other commitments: work, boyfriend/spouse, home ownership, babies, additional schooling, new hobbies, and so on.

In Canada, studies show that only 16 per cent of adult women participate in sports.

By Grade 7, I attended six different schools around Edmonton, Fort McMurray, and one year in England before coming back to Canada.

Our transiency created a longstanding “new girl” identity for me, although I fought the unsolicited label at each new school. Being innately shy, I couldn’t force anyone to notice me or accept me; I had to find another way to earn my sense of belonging.

For me, that “other way” was through sports and physical activity.

In elementary, when my family moved around most, there weren’t any organized school teams to join—other than in England when I somehow made the netball and rounders teams and fended off my “new girl with weird accent” status.

But throughout my elementary Albertan experiences, instead of organized school sports, I felt included during intramurals, physical education class, and recess time with jump ball, jump rope, soccer, football, tag, you name it, I was in.

Physical activity eliminated awkward silences and “you’re not from here” stares. Someone just brought a ball outside, kicked it to a classmate, and game on. Everything and everyone fell into place.

But there were enough moments along the way to shake my sense of belonging and self-confidence. As an athletic kid, there were times in elementary that I could kick a ball harder, throw a ball farther, or run faster than boys and they hated it—making sure when I messed up that everybody heard about it. And for girls, the hate for my abilities turned into hate for me. It crushed any self-confidence I had. I was just trying to belong.

Junior high stepped up the insults as it was mandatory to change clothes for phys. ed. class in a locker room full of body-shamers. I already had body image issues and didn’t need any help pointing out my physical faults.

Then, as Grade 9 approached, my closest friends and softball teammates stopped registering in community sports. My pool of girls to play sports with dwindled.

I see it’s not that different now, decades later, as I witness my daughters’ experiences in elementary and junior high school.

There are many things along a girls’ fitness journey that challenge her level of enjoyment and commitment: body and clothing shaming, intimidation by classmates and coaches, untrained phys. ed teachers, laps as punishment, little skill development for various ability levels, and little sport variety before Grade 11.

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To make things even more challenging, if a girl hasn’t participated in sport by age 10, there’s only a 10 per cent chance she’ll be physically active as an adult.

“Stats show that we are losing our girls at a higher rate than we’re losing our boys to sport and physical activity,” says Brian Torrance, director of Ever Active Schools (EAS), a provincial initiative that assists in creating healthy school communities and student development.

“In terms of the female sport system, we don’t have enough leaders. We don’t have enough coaches. We don’t have enough women that sit on sport boards so there’s less confidence for girls to participate in sports,” Torrance says. “We need people to change the way they’re delivering and teaching sport and be more specific to supporting the female student and our female athletes.”

Torrance’s team at Ever Active Schools, is one of many making a dent in the approach to youth sports and physical activity, which will benefit all genders throughout their educational careers.

Taking the focus off of competition and drawing it more towards the less obvious products of physical activity—mental well-being, boosted immune systems, increased energy, justice (when involved in something positive there’s less time for something negative), sense of belonging, and more community engagement—would have reduced pressure on my 12-year-old self who felt she had to constantly prove her abilities rather than just enjoy the game.

ADVERTORIAL

This is Your Brain on Exercise!

Physical Activity and Mental Wellness

By Cory Donald R. Psych.

I remember the first time a friend told me that her morning run was as good for her mind as it was for her body. Indeed, the mind/body connection is reinforced every time we find ourselves feeling great following a workout – wherever it takes place. Without question, the chemical release that occurs as we exercise, and following our fitness endeavours, serves to steep us in a chemical tea of contentment, accomplishment and peace. Following physical activity, we think clearly, are more optimistic, grateful, positive and motivated. We FEEL good. We’re primed for change. It’s awesome.

In 2011, I had the great fortune of attending a conference in San Francisco, California where Dr. John Ratey presented on his 2008 book, SPARK, which, through its elucidation of cutting edge research, likened movement to medicine and espoused the importance of exercise for mental wellness and focus. All that are active intuitively understand this connection. Fast forward to present day, and the exercise / mental wellness link is less cutting edge but no less exciting. It seems almost universally accepted that mental and physical wellness are inseparable, and that exercise is a positive component of a comprehensive holistic wellness plan.

What is newer, is the increased focus on neuroplasticity. The clearing of our minds that occurs during movement and exercise can also provide the perfect opportunity for us to ‘rewire” our brains. Research in the area of neuroplasticity posits that, as we do and think differently, we change the physical structure of our brains. While exercising, we often find ourselves more open to possibility and creative thinking. For many, this creates a golden opportunity for new ways of thinking and ultimately, new ways of being. Exercise as a catalyst for neural change – how cool is that!?

So, lace up your shoes, slip into your swim suit, clip into your pedals or grab your dancing slippers… whatever it is that you do to move, get up, and get out there. Your mental health belongs to you. Perhaps, feeling a little better, a little stronger, a little more confident and creative exists on the other side of a workout!

Cory Donald is a Registered Psychologist and the founder of FORWARD Psychology & Wellness in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In addition to traditional office-based therapy, FORWARD combines the benefit of movement and talk therapy by offering year round, outdoor Run and Walk therapy. Therapy on the move!

Run & Walk therapy does not require one be an athlete, an elite runner or walker – the focus is on the therapeutic component, and appropriate pace is mutually determined. For many, leaving the office and moving mindfully outdoors, working through challenges and developing solutions collaboratively, fosters growth, change, balance and accomplishment.

www.ForwardPsych.com

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ADVERTORIAL

How to Hire the Right Personal Trainer With all the mix of private personal training studios, corporate gyms, and online coaches it can be a bit overwhelming trying to decide who to trust with your health and fitness goals. Fortunately, I have created this brief guide to help you feel more confident in choosing a personal trainer. Here are the top four things to consider, in my opinion:

Personality

Your personal trainer is someone you will be spending a lot of time with so first and foremost make sure he/she is someone you can get along with! Having a trainer you can consider a friend makes it easier to motivate yourself to get to the gym, especially when that friend knows how to help you.

Knowledge

Education does not always equal knowledge. Make sure to ask questions about specific areas that you struggle with to ensure your trainer has the right knowledge to help with your specific goals.

For example, a trainer who has lots of education in powerlifting may not be the best fit for someone looking to lose 5-10 pounds and live a healthier lifestyle.

Track Record

One of the best ways to determine a personal trainer’s credibility is to look at their past results.

Client success stories can usually be found on a trainer’s Instagram account, or you can ask them about previous clients with similar goals to get an idea of how they will help provide your specific needs. Lastly, a good trainer will present themselves as a healthcare professional.

Professionalism

Personal trainers are professionals, and the great ones they will act it. Punctuality, scheduling, and communication are signs of professionalism. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend $500 to be wondering when I’m training next week or what time my trainer will show up!

In conclusion, the right personal trainer is the one that you enjoy being with, has the ability and experience to help with your specific goals, and operates as a professional.

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If you want to learn more about how I can help you with your health and fitness goals, send me an email at bizeaunathan@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.

Nathan Bizeau Certified Personal Trainer Member of F.R.E.E. Fitness Inc. Nathan.bizeau

5 Fitness Hacks That Will Make Your Results Soar

By Greg Matthews I fear not the man that has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick, 10,000 times.” – Bruce Lee In terms of fitness, it is not how much but how well we move that determine our results. If you want incredible fitness results, then you’ll have to do things the right way, every time.

After so many years of my life revolving around health and fitness, I’ve come across a few patterns. I’m very curious about why people do what they do. Specifically, why do some people achieve results effortlessly, and others struggle?

For many, health and fitness is a goal – they follow a diet or adhere to a fitness regime to achieve a certain look or feeling. Personally, I feel heading down this route only leads to trouble. It’s all too easy to become obsessive about any goal.

If we crave and desire an outcome too badly, we almost always get into trouble. For my fitness friends, this looks a lot like overworking – working out when not properly rested or nourished, or generally pushing it too far to the point of injury.

quality of our exercise is the start of the effect. Therefore, if we want to reap a rich harvest later on, it’d be wise to be fully prepared when sowing (exercising).

To do this, I reference what I call the Hierarchy of Health. In simple terms, I break down aspects of healthy living into an order of importance. Here’s what it looks like in order: sleep, nutrition, no workout, energy builders, stretching, core function, functional exercise. To understand this is simple, if you didn’t get quality sleep then do not work out. When you miss sleep, your body is in an already bad state of stress. To workout would not help or heal your body, it would only break it down more.

If you got great sleep but are undernourished and went to do heavy lifting, you will also be putting a stress on your body. You see the pattern?

Exercise is a stress on the body. It’s supposed to be a good stress. When we follow this hierarchy of health we can stay in tune with our body’s energy levels so we can determine our optimal output during exercise, which will give us the most input (energy, vitality, strength, etc.) from an exercise.

2. Get outdoors

Exercising outdoors is possibly the greatest life hack I’ve ever come across for dramatically increasing your energy, vitality and health. Here are just a few of the many reasons to take your workouts outdoors for an ideal experience. First off, you will be incredibly more oxygenated exercising outdoors. One of the most important elements of a workout – if not the most important – is the breath.

Here’s what you need to know:

Not only does the breath govern our entire system as the ultimate regulator, our breath is what controls how oxygenated our bodies are.

The more oxygen we have in our bodies, the higher our blood pH, and the more resilient we are to disease, free radical damage and aging. Because exercise can cause these things if we do it in excess, getting an oxygen overdose will dramatically reduce the negative side effects. This leaves us to reap the rewards with minimal side effects.

1. The Hierarchy of Health

3. Show some skin

As you can see, this is no way to go about achieving maximum results with your fitness goals. By staying in tune with your body, expanding your mind, keeping it natural and having a whole lot of fun, you can dramatically improve your output with ease.

If you don’t already know, we make our gains not during exercise but during rest time. Exercise is where we plant the seed, and during sleep and restfulness we reap the benefits. Of course, this means that the

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staying young. However, just take your workout outside for a treatment on the house courtesy of Mother Nature. Then you have the sun working in your favor – that is, if you work out on a sunny day. Even so, the sun is still making its way through the clouds and you’ll notice the difference.

In short, the sun is the source of life for this physical planet. It is for you, too. We can survive without food and water for days. If the sun vanished, we’d vanish in no time flat. In particular, the sun is a source of vitamin D3, which is not just a vitamin but also a hormone. Getting ample amounts of it from the sun is like hijacking your hormones for the better. Vitamin D has pain-killing properties, which make those harder workouts much easier, helping us to push it in a workout without really pushing it too far.

It also increases fat metabolism and improves our ability to metabolize energy. We are essentially absorbing the sun’s energy without any digestion! Forget drinking an intra-workout drink to stay energized, just hook yourself up to the sun’s lifeline for the ultimate boost.

4. Less is more

That’s right, less is more. This universal truth applies just about everywhere. Why does it seem so hard to grasp, then? Well, take a look around; we live in a society that overvalues paper money and material possessions. No wonder so many people don’t understand, we’re on an elusive chase for fulfillment through a game of numbers. Here’s a secret no one told you: numbers never end. The same goes for fitness. The reps and hours can drag on; however, there always hits a point of diminishing returns.

There is a sweet spot for everything in life, and it’s just about finding it and residing in it. Essentially, for fitness it’s always better to under-train than over-train. Why? Simple, the under-trained athlete or person is going to have reserves of energy. The over-trained will lack staying power for the long haul. Additionally, over-training always suppresses the immune system.

Surely, you can overdo it and see some sort of physical gratification, otherwise known as the pump. However, fitness without health is a

fragmented equation that will only result in infections, chronic fatigue and a very short-lived fitness experience. Work out and train to live, otherwise, what else are you doing it for?

If you work out too hard and too much, to the point where your body stops moving, then you likely weren’t working out with the best intentions.

Applying this to your routine is as simple as not over-stressing about it.

Instead of taking on your fitness routine as if it were a race, switch your mindset to that of an artist. When you’re moving, imagine you were designing the most beautiful body, from the inside out. Take it one piece at a time, giving your full attention to the process. Be consistent, and most of all, enjoy yourself — which brings us to the last tip.

5. Keep it fun

If you really wish to get amazing results from your fitness routine, I suggest letting go a little. You can either have fun or struggle, there’s really no in between. And despite what the programming of your mind says, you can have fun. Who says it has to be fun to have fun? We decide what’s fun. When we do, our brain is flooded with feel-good, healing neurotransmitters that make exercise that much more effective.

Throw the “no pain, no gain” mentality out the window and you’ll start to have a lot more fun when you move your body. Try new workouts, get friends to join you, explore new spots, whatever you have to do to make it fun. Your body will thank you with a more effective workout, faster healing and, of course, the immediate gratification!

I leave you with a question: what are you training for? Really think about it. Do you want to just look a certain way or do you want to be able to use your body to its fullest potential? If you set your intentions on the latter, you may find it much easier to produce optimal results.

Rather than a hurried, sloppy final product, adopting these principles will guide you down the path toward a fine-tuned, peak-performing body that you can enjoy for a lifetime.

SculpSure helps you safely reduce stubborn fat in problem areas.

Hemingway Medical Spa offers cutomized treatment plans to compliment your health and fitness routine. Call us today for your complimentary consultation.

6905 – 172 Street NW info@hemingwaymedicalspa.com 587.521.0667 www.hemingwaymedicalspa.ca

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ADVERTORIAL

Ketoadaptation In Winter Time

Winter is coming! Winter in Edmonton is particularly challenging when engaging in endurance exercise! How can being ketoadapted help you do your best training and best competitions ever? First, what does being keto-adapted mean? When you are keto-adapted you are using fat as your primary fuel source instead of carbohydrates. Most of us following a standard American diet, eat somewhere between 200-300 g of carbs/day. We are coached to carb-load before competition and to replenish carbs during prolonged training and races to keep us fueled. Ketones are a completely different fuel than glucose. Basically, severely restricting carbohydrates in one’s diet (< 20 g/day), while eating an abundance of healthy fats (~ 70%) and moderate protein (2025%), results in unlocking internal fat stores, which are turned into ketones. Muscles, your heart and your brain love ketones-but it takes time to convert to premium fuel from regular! Ketones are anti-inflammatory and reduce injury (always a concern in cold weather exercise) as well as speeding up recovery.

There is a lot of interest and emerging science in competing while in a keto-adapted state. For instance, recently 4 amateur, fat fueled keto-adapted British rowers smashed an endurance race record by rowing across the Atlantic in just over 29 days – five days quicker than the previous record! The London-based team was among 25 teams racing the 3000 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua in the Caribbean. They were expecting to take 40 days to complete the row – but their families had to re-book flights to greet them as they progressed so far ahead of schedule! While they were not rowing in cold weather, it shows the advantage of not requiring frequent repetitive fueling with carbs and the more rapid recovery of keto-adapted muscles.

As our amateur athletes showed, we are still being surprised by the results and the science of optimal performance. We would all like hard and fast rules to follow as a keto-adapted athlete. There are some guidelines, but currently keto-adaptation is more about listening to our bodies. Certainly, a solid piece of advice is don’t change things on race day!

Emerging science suggest the best strategy is live by the adage “train low and compete high”. It turns out that regularly exercising in a glycogen depleted state literally changes the metabolic machinery in muscle cells creating extremely efficient mitochondrial batteries. In cold weather, another advantage of these metabolic power houses is that they produce extra heat to help cope with, and indeed, enjoy winter training. When preparing for a high intensity training session or race day, you can train yourself to “compete high” by adding in carbs with your usual protein and fat. Meals before the event should be small and light. Protein is also a very important part of the diet, pleasantly satiating and muscle building. It requires experimentation and self-awareness but the journey can be fun and open new possibilities! Winter is a great time to play with it!

Blair O’Neill is an interventional and preventive cardiologist practising at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute specializing in low carbohydrate lifestyle counselling. Barbara O’Neill is an RN and certified heath coach focussing on helping clients achieve optimum health on a low carb lifestyle.

Check out their website, www.Ketocule.com.

@ketocule

Ketocule

info@ketocule.com

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Wellness Photographers

Let’s face it. Photographing landscapes is quite different than photographing people. The subtleties of a portrait are difficult to capture the emotion of the subject. The lighting and depth of a landscape make it a challenge for the photographer to draw a person’s attention to the focus of the image.

Shooting wellness photos are a far more difficult challenge as they often involve capturing both the rawness of the subject and also the surrounding detail to make the image stand out.

We’ve put together a sampling of some of our favourite fitness and wellness photographers each with their own unique styles. Whether you’re looking for a casual lifestyle shot, or an edgy industrial fitness photo, these are some of the best the city has to offer.

Anthony Do Anthony Do, an Edmonton-born Photographer and Videographer. His freelance business originated while living abroad in New Zealand and Australia. His work has gained international exposure from features in a few major publications. Anthony's photo and film portfolio have a specialization in the Fitness, Automotive, Wedding and Fashion industries. Anthony seeks out elite brands around the world to collaborate with; leave his unique and energetic stamp on each project.

Currently, you can find Anthony Do scaling and focusing his creativity in the larger Canadian cities: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto.

Jillian Schecher As a Brand Photographer & Joy Coach, Jillian works with heart based business owners helping them share the brilliance in their business. Digging deep with her clients in order to bring more joy to the world, Jillian creatively supports fellow entrepreneurs in a wide variety of niches who are interested in mindfully building their brand with intention.

Dave Laus After an active 15 year career as a police officer, Dave Laus resigned from the Police and followed his passion for photography, specializing in the Fitness and Commercial Industry. Dave has become one of Canada's most published fitness photographers, shooting covers and editorials for various magazines local and internationally. He operates his studio, StudioTwo22 in Toronto, Ontario, which is attached to a gym facility, Optimum Training Centre, which he co-owns with his wife, Fitness covermodel and mother of 4, Nichelle Laus.

Emilie Iggiotti Emilie Iggiotti is a portrait photographer from a tiny French island in the Indian Ocean, not far from Madagascar, called Reunion Island. A world traveler, she studied in Versailles, France, lived in Normandy, Paris, Montreal, and now, Edmonton. While she originally studied literature and law, the legal industry lacked the creativity and connection that photography affords her. Not only that, but she found herself in photography. She found her vision, her voice, her passion, and her purpose. She found her place in the world, where she fit, and how she can make change. Her work as a lifestyle and portrait photographer, focusing on women, allows her to shape the way her clients see themselves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which is an invaluable gift.

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Chan Rin Chan Rin has done commercial, lifestyle and fitness photography for many years now and for the past 4 years, he was the Director of Photography for YEG Fitness. He considers himself fortunate to have photographed numerous professional athletes and local businesses within this time. When it comes to fitness photography, he has always said there are rarely any genuinely flattering images of people working out or training if it's shot as is. Anyone who works out knows that there are various facial expressions or awkward exercises during real training that no one really wants to see of themselves. His approach to fitness photography is finding the balance in authenticity in the movements in real training and trying to make it look great for aesthetics for a magazine or for marketing. Accomplishing this is easier said than done and you'll only get better the more you shoot it.

Des Iles Des is known for her work in building content libraries for fitness, lifestyle, and event photography. Often knowing her subjects at events she brings a spark of intimacy to how she shoots.

Genuine smiles, real moments, and true story telling through images. She has also partnered with business and entrepreneurs, aiding them in growth of their work by translating their voice through image.Â

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JANUARY 10-12, 2019 JASPER, ALBERTA

January 10

FROSTY'S CROSS COUNTRY (XC) RACE

January 11

FROSTYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PRO RIDE

January 12

FROSTY'S XC ENDURANCE RACE (MAIN EVENT)

TOTAL CASH PRIZE

$5,000

Ami Stuart

Register Now!