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Laughter is Truly the Best Medicine

Laughter truly is the best medicine! A good laugh can both change how you feel and affect your biochemistry. One cannot experience humour and feel depressed, anxious or angry at the same time. In those moments of experiencing humour, other feelings dissolve, providing a respite.... as well as hoping that those other feelings can be reduced or eliminated.

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Train Your Brain

Some days your brain just seems to take a vacaton. You lose your train of thought, stumble over your words, draw a blank. Here's a heads-up: The right kind of food, exercise, and mental stimulation will get your brain running on all cylinders.

Just like your abs, pecs and biceps, your brain can be trained to work more efficiently. If you do the right things all day long, you will be able to concentrate better, feel better and sleep better.

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Home and Away

When confronted with incorporating workouts into a stay at the summer cottage or other vacation away from home, with a little imagination, you can give your body an amazing workout with little or no equipment. There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do to target all muscle group for a stay-fit summer workout.

Here is a sample vacation workout that should take you less than an hour. Perform one set of each exercise.

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Max factor

Are you getting the most from your workout, or are you cheating!

Are you cheating on your workout? Do you take time to stretch after workouts? Are you scrupulous about form and technique? Do you lean on stair climber handles?

These are some of the most common errors exercisers make. Not stretching enough tops the list.

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Making the Kick Stick!

According to studies on behavioural change there are a number of characteristics that separate those who succeed with sticking to a health and fitnes program and those who do not.

A right attitude is key for long term success. Those with the right attitude buy into the "Four Rules of Success". You must be ready to accept these rules without exception if your goal is to stick to a fitness program.

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Get the Most From Your Time

Time is a precious commodity that we never seem to have enough of, especially when it come to our workout. Wouldn't it be nice to get maximum benefits for the time and energy we spend working out?

Knowing the secrets to performing an exercise correctly, ie: shifting your alignment, modulating your speed or focusing on proper technique while maintaining neutral spine will burn more calories, build strength and avoid injury.

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The Absolute Truth

Judging by the number of times I'm asked the number one fitness question, "how do I firm my tummy?", I'm beginning to think that ab anxiety runs right up there with death and taxes. Maybe that's why there are so many myths about how to tone your midsection.

But beneath all the get-fit-quick schemes and goofy ab-gadgets are truths that can help. There is alot of research and expert advice that will not only debunk abdominal myths but let you know what does work!

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Fighting The New Battle Of The Bulge

The battle of the bulge is ongoing. Roughly three out of four adult Canadians have a bulge of abdominal fat that's enough to raise their risk of heart disease, according to an international survey released last month.

Over the past few years, doctors across Canada and the U.S. have warned we're facing an epidemic of obesity. Surveys claim that not only are one-third of all adult Canadians overweight, but we're raising a "future fat generation." According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, 25 per cent of all Canadian children - one child in four - are obese and the numbers have doubled during the past 20 years.

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Moderation - Take It To Heart

Scientists have long known that moderate alcohol drinking can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, until recently, there has been little information available about the role that specific drinking patterns play in this relationship. Recent research from the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that drinking frequency is far more important to heart health than the amount or type of beverage.

The research showed that people who consumed alcohol at least 3 days per week had about one-third fewer heart attacks than did non-drinkers. Interestingly, the results were similar for those who drank less than 10 g of alcohol a day and those who consumed 30 g or more.

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Goals Determine Exercise Routines

Q: Should I do my cardio first or weight train first?

A: It depends on your goals. Currently, no research shows that strength training immediately before a cardio workout increases the amount of fat used during the cardio workout, or visa versa. However, if strength training is done first, it is possible that muscle fatique could cause a decrease the intensity for the cardio workout leading to fewer calories burned. If the primary goal is to increase aerobic endurance or lose weight, then you should perform cardiovascular exercises first. If the primary goal is to increase muscular strength, then you should perform strength training first. Basically, in order to get the most out of your workout, you should perform the most important type of exercise when you are less fatigued. For those who want to lose weight and increase muscular strength, alternating the order of the workout during different cycles of training is one way to satisfy both goals.

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Vacation Exercises - Maintain Your Fitness Level

Q: I'm going to be at our cottage for the next month. Can you suggest some muscle conditioning exercises that I can do to maintain my fitness level while away from the gym?

A: Your exercises choices are limitless. For the lower body stationary and/or walking lunges, wall or regular squats are all great choices because they are so effective and efficient. They target all your lower-body muscles and train your balance as well. For the upper body push-ups and dips are an excellent start. By purchasing an exercise tube with handles, your choices are so much greater. The tube can be wrapped around a pole, fence or bedpost to perform back rows, chest presses and overhead tricep extensions. You can also sit and wrap the tube under a chair and perform overhead shoulder presses and overhead tricep extensions. You can stand on the tube and perform bicep curls and lateral shoulder raises. The band can also be used for added resistance when doing your lunges and squats. Your abdominal work and core exercises can, of course, be done anywhere.

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Managing Stress Can Help You Lose Fat

Q: I read that it's hard to lose weight when you're stressed out. My job is extremely stressful and although I eat pretty well and exercise, I just can't seem to lose any weight. How does stress affect my weight loss?

A: There has been alot of research recently measuring stress horomones and how they affect our fat cells and fat metabolism. Dr. Pamela Peeke, a leading researcher in this area, has found that our body interprets any kind of stress as physical stress and immediately responds by using the "fight or flee" response.

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Frequently Asked Questions In Fitness Facilities - Part 2

Every day I am faced with a multitude of fitness related questions on topics that range from losing weight to rehabilitating injuries.

This article will address some of the more popular questions clients have been asking, provide information for others as well as dispell some myths.

Q: When is the best time to stretch, before or after a workout? A: It is not a good idea to stretch before exercise. That's when the muscles and tendons are cold and vulnerable to pulls and tears. It's important to perform a five to 10 minute lower-intensity warm-up such as walking, easy cycling or low-impact movements before you do any type of stretching.

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Frequently Asked Questions In Fitness Facilities - Part 1

Every day I am faced with a multitude of fitness related questions on topics that range from losing weight to rehabilitating injuries.

This article will address some of the more popular questions clients have been asking, provide information for others as well as dispell some myths.

Q: When is the best time to stretch, before or after a workout? A: It is not a good idea to stretch before exercise. That's when the muscles and tendons are cold and vulnerable to pulls and tears. It's important to perform a five to 10 minute lower-intensity warm-up such as walking, easy cycling or low-impact movements before you do any type of stretching.

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Functional Training

The term "functional training" or "real-life strength" has been a bussword in the fitness industry for several years. Functional training at it's best is when we look at the body and use it the way it is meant to work - as a unit, not as individual parts. It refers to the wide range of movement activities that we perform daily. These movements consist of anything from walking to sprinting, lifting to squating, pushing to pulling, bending and twisting, climbing and lunging.

Originally, functional fitness was used either for post-injury situations - helping people get back to doing "activities of daily living" ie: putting a box up on a self, getting up off of the sofa, going up and down stairs or for "sports specific" training ie: being able to perform better at a specific movement in sports.

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