Workout Wednesday - "I Have Been Changed For Good"

Concentrate on the correct movements each time you exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all the vital benefits of their value. Joseph Pilates

I love pilates. This method of exercise offers a no/low impact workout that challenges core, hip and houlder girdle strenth, helps improve posture, improves mood, and promotes body awareness.

Pilates is sometimes a tough sell to todays' fitness enthusiast who believes that only high intensity, hard core, burpee including, vomit inducing, dripping sweat kind of workout are the best (or only) way to maximize your precious workout time. And those kinds of workouts definitely have their place(you know how I love them) but a knowledge and regular practise of the Stott Pilates Method is likely to enhance your ability to participate more fully in other forms of movement - running, sports, dance, fitness, and more! The more you practise, the more you are aware of how your unique body responds to movement and how that applies to your workout, or for your better health. You will notice a desire to correct your posture at daily activities, an ability to control your breath more efficiently, better sleep, and more. With a focus on functional core strength, stability and mobility, STOTT Pilates applies all the most current research into human movement to make each movement unique and easily modifiable to fit your individual needs. In short, STOTT Pilates is AMAZING and I fully recommend it as part of your fitness program!

A Short Biography Of Pilates Founder, Joseph Pilates (Excerpt from About.com)German born Joseph Pilates was living in England, working as a circus performer and boxer, when he was placed in forced internment in England at the outbreak of WWI. While in the internment camp, he began to develop the floor exercises that evolved into what we now know as the Pilates mat work.

As time went by, Joseph Pilates began to work with rehabilitating detainees who were suffering from diseases and injuries. It was invention born of necessity that inspired him to utilize items that were available to him, like bed springs and beer keg rings, to create resistance exercise equipment for his patients. These were the unlikely beginnings of the equipment we use today, like the reformer and the fitness circle.

Joseph Pilates developed his work from a strong personal experience in fitness. Extrememly unhealthy as a child, he studied many kinds of self-improvement systems. He drew from Eastern practices, and was inspired by the ancient Greek ideal of man perfected in development of body, mind and spirit. On his way to developing the Pilates Method, Pilates studied anatomy and developed himself as a body builder, a wrestler, gymnast, boxer, skier and diver.

After WWI, Joseph Pilates briefly returned to Germany where his reputation as a physical trainer/healer preceded him. In Germany, he worked briefly for the Hamburg Military Police in self-defense and physical training. In 1925, he was asked to train the German army. Instead, he packed his bags and took a boat to New York City. On the boat to America, Joseph met Clara, a nurse, who would become his wife. He went on to establish his studio in New York and Clara worked with him as he evolved the Pilates method of exercise, invented the Pilates exercise equipment, and of course, trained students.

Exercise Of The Week - The Hundred


The Hundred exercise in Pilates got its name because you hold the exercise for 100 beats. It is a great exercise to come early in a series because it gets your whole body warm, possibly even breaking a sweat. The Hundred gets your breath going strong and your blood moving. In addition, it is an excellent exercise for increasing torso stability and abdominal strength. You may have some difficulty keeping your head up for so long. Drop your head to mat and continue the exercise in this manner if your neck feels strained.


1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and up in the air, your knees and hips forming 90-degree angles.Your back should be in Neutral Spine. If this position feels like a strain on your lower back, try keeping your feet down on the floor for now.
2. Inhale: Reach your arms straight up to the sky.Your palms should be facing forward.
3. Exhale: As you reach your arms back down to the floor, lift your head and roll up to the Pilates Abdominal Position (similar to an abdominal crunch) with your shoulder blades just off the mat.Think of squeezing a tangerine under your chin on the way up. Your palms gently slap the air in a percussive rhythm.
4. Inhale: Inhale deeply for 5 beats (keep the rhythm with your arms)
5. Exhale: Using percussive breathing, exhale for 5 beats (saying shh, shh, shh, shh, shh).Percussive breathing is forced exhalation using the abdominal muscles; think of forcing the air out in short percussive blows.
6. Hold the position and continue pulsing your arms for 10 breaths.Remember that 10 breaths is 100 total beats (5 for each inhale and 5 for each exhale).

Mindful Mondays "Money Changes Everything"

Money has been on my mind a lot lately and I am offering this blog post this week as I believe that money is a great source of stress & anxiety, marital/relationship conflict and can completely derail our efforts to be whole and healthy. We live in an age of instant gratification and thus many ppl today subsist in a life mired by debt, living what I call a "plastic existence" where they owe/spend more than they make, but have mobile phones, cars, computers, tablets, eat out at restaurants, or choose prepared items, take weekend vacations, in short, have everything they need and much, much more. I have spent/am spending a lot of time this year learning about properly budgeting and managing money. This is something I have traditionally left to my husband, but it is not his strength either.
Some of the best tips I have learned/used in better managing our finances (and thus stress levels!)

1. Write down everything you spend. Like for real - everything. For at least a month - then review. I guarantee there are lots of ways to pare down some of your necessities.
2. Don't buy/spend unless you have the cash in hand. Credit is useful for credit ratings and points ONLY!
3. Allot money from each pay cheque for "emergencies" and "fun stuff" and don't touch it unless absolutely necessary. And no, a bag of cheetos is NEVER an emergency, and fun stuff should be saved up for things/activities that have importance and are worthy of the effort it took to save.
4. Say NO to family and friends who are in different financial situations than you are. A meal in, or potluck, or picnic is just as much fun as a fancy restaurant, and will cause less resentment in the relationship. The bottom line is, you do not have the money, let's get creative and have fun doing something that costs little or nothing.
This is a fun one to navigate at Christmas!
5. Be tough with yourself and be straight about what is need and what is want.
6. Write down your priorities - be honest about what is important to you/your family.

We wrote down our financial priorities last week, here they are in no particular order:
- fresh, healthy, home cooked food
- dental, prescriptions, other emergency health care expenses
- children's education savings
- retirement savings
- yearly vacation
- time (and yes, time is money) in my industry, I have to make do with less money/more sacrifice to have time with my family. This is also my reward - time with people I love, rather than the fleeting gratification of a new lipstick or other physical item that I don't really need.
- date night
-emergency expenses (vet bills, car repairs, home repairs)

We avoid after school activities like dance/hockey with the children and instead do a community program. We rarely eat out. We covet our scene points for date night free movies. We support local business and try to buy quality items over cheaper dispensible ones. We never impulse buy anymore.

Are we financially healthy? Nope - but we're working hard way towards it. Best of all, we almost have our plan ready, and it is not constantly weighing us down, bickering and stressing constantly over money. It's like so many things in life..financial issues don't solve themselves, but the process can be satisfying and hopefully lead to independance and success!
Get away wolves - you aren't welcome at our door!
FIND YOUR CORE

Fuel Up Fridays - "I Want Candy"

Boo! What was that you ask? That was the voice of the gazillions of empty, hidden, sugary calories sneaking up behind you the week after Halloween - and landing squarely on your hips! Halloween is one of my favourite events - it's lighthearted and fun, all about the costumes and community bonding time together. The frights, the haunts, the howls! But there is a dark underbelly to all of this. The candy. The candy that sits in your bowl, calling your name every time you walk by it, mindlessly grabbing a "Fun Size" chocolate bar, realizing after 20 chocolate wrappers gather in your sweater pocket and your pants feel tighter that this size isn't quite so "fun" after all. Here are my favourite tips for avoiding HCT (Halloween Candy Traumatization) so that you can enjoy the little ghouls and goblins!
1.Start at the store. Avoid buying the Halloween candies you love. After the big night is over, I won't have a bunch of leftover candies that I know I will eat.
2.Out of sight, out of mind. Avoid setting the big bowl of Halloween loot on the kitchen counter where you can easily walk by and eat several pieces without even realizing it. Put the candy in the pantry or cupboard, and instead put sliced fruit or veggies on the counter.
3.Help friends & coworkers too. Avoid bringing all your extra candy to your workplace. If you really want to get rid of the candy, just throw it out. Yes, it may be wasteful, but it's better than you and your coworkers being "Waist-FULL".
4.Be real. Allow yourself some treats, but do so in moderation! Make a deal with yourself about how many treats you will allow yourself each day and account for those calories in your daily calorie plan or workout schedule.
5.If you do go overboard on Halloween treats, DO NOT beat yourself up about it! Avoid the negative thoughts about yourself. It doesn't mean that you are "weak" or "worthless". Avoid the all-or-nothing talk, like "I should just start my diet over again after the New Year." Try to stay on track. Just own it, move on, and stay focused one day at a time.
6.Use physical activity to help you through the Halloween munchies. Stay on track with your workouts/movement - your body will seek fuel to help it through - not empty nutrition like offered through mounds of candy.

If all else fails - use this handy CHART and before indulging decide whether it is worth all the burpees :) All times are extremely approximate, as are not based on YOUR individual statistics - but you get the point I think!

Candy Corn, 22 pieces = 140 calories - 10 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Fun Size Bars of Chocolate= 70-100 calories each - between 5 - 7 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Peanut M&M’s –2 Fun Size Packs = 180 calories - 12 Minutes of vigorous burpees
M&M’s – 2 Fun Size Packs = 140 calories - 10 Minutes of vigorous burpees
York Peppermint Pattie – 1 pattie = 70 calories - 5 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Milk Duds – 1 treat size box = 40 calories - just under 3 Minutes of vigorous burpees
SweetTarts – 1 treat size pack = 50 calories just under 4 Minutes of vigorous burpees
1 Tootsie Pop – 1 pop = 60 calories 4.5 Minutes of vigorous burpees
1 Tootsie Roll – 1 small roll = 13 calories just under 1 Minutes of vigorous burpees
Twizzlers – 1 treat size pack= 45 calories just over 3 Minutes of vigorous burpees

Gives it a whole new perspective, doesn't it?

FIND YOUR CORE - and Happy Halloween!

"Let's Get Physical" Workout Wednesday

It's workout Wednesday! I'll be sharing my thoughts on different workouts, movements and exercises, and my favourite tips to maximize your exercise efforts. Today I am going to share a little bit about my fitness journey over the last 8 years. After 2 children, postpartum depression, a flatlined thyroid gland and a whole lot of extra cargo (mostly on my hind end, wish I could've kept a little of that!) As I had always been an active (though klutzy and useless at any team sports. Okay, any sports)person, and had always eaten fairly well and hadn't been overweight before the thyroid issues and the french fry binges that followed it, I knew once my thyroid issues got treated and levelled out that I would have some work ahead. Back to healthy, whole foods, watch portion sizes and get moving. I started with cycling, riding around my block on a second hand kijiji BMX, inspired as my children learned to ride theirs to dust off my cycling skills. From there I found a big hill and rode up it, then coasted down. Repeat. You get the picture. I rode the snot out of that BMX. Riding that bike gave me the confidence to try a spin class, and the rest, as they say, is history! Moral of the story - when starting (or restarting!) an exercise program, or riding your bike, or walking/running, start off in small, manageable bites and work your way up in time, intensity and difficulty. Work within yourself, build up confidence and strength. Give yourself every opportunity to succeed! My Favourite Tips for Getting Moving: a) Plan, Plan, Plan. Know when, where, and what you will be doing. If you have no idea where to start, consulting a personal trainer is a great resource to guide you. b) Respect Yourself. Honour your commitment - if you were meeting a friend, trainer or co-worker you would make sure to follow through on plans you make. Don't sell yourself short by copping out on your plan - make a date with yourself! c) Love Your Workout. Find out what you like. If you like it, you will stick to it - and the most effective exercises are the ones you actually do. d) Be Positive. Try not to allow negativity to seep into your plans. Anticipate the good feelings you will have after your workout - the increased energy, the strong body, better sleep, improved posture, lower blood pressure - well, you know there is SO many positives - and that they all outweigh the effort it takes to get these benefits!

"Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going" unknown

EXERCISE OF THE WEEK - PLANK A great all over strengthener - focusing on CORE stability. Start by holding 20 seconds, and build up as you get stronger!

"You Have To Accentuate The Positive" Mindful Monday

"The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive - Eckhart Tolle

We all think negative thoughts. Even us super positive people (and yes, I am this way constantly) have negative thoughts. Sometimes, if you are like me, the primary victim of your negative thoughts is yourself. Other people direct their negative cells toward others. Still others just take an Eeyore outlook on life. "Oh well. Nothing good ever comes to me anyway" Some lucky people have all those negative voices in their heads and more. These are your cup half empty people for sure. You are what you think. This means that what you express in the form of words, emotions and thoughts will be expressed in reality. Not only do negative thoughts create negative energy, but they will also keep you from experiencing the present moment. The more negative thoughts you have, the stronger they become. It may be a difficult task to stop your negative thinking, but there are many tools that can help increase your ability to think positively! ! Once you create the shift from negative to positive, you will create a much more positive life for yourself. You deserve a happy existence. Here are some ways to shift the negative into positive: (excerpt from Chanel Mulcahy, Truestar Blog) 1. Stop, breathe, and connect. Be aware of the thought, embrace it and let it go. As you breathe in, allow a positive thought to take place of the negative one. Even if you do not believe in this positive thought, the more you think about it, the more you will make this positive thought a reality. 2. Smile. Even if you have to force it. (author's note) otherwise known as "Fake it till you make it"!! 3. Give back. Take the attention off of yourself and do something kind and selfless for someone else. 4. Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude. This is the secret to positive thinking. Any time you feel you cannot get rid of your negative thoughts, list five things for which you are grateful. 5. Surround yourself with positive people. Positivity brings about positivity. If each day you allowed your thoughts and words to be filled with positivity, you would feel better, perform better and create more positive opportunities. My favourite is number 4. Practise being thankful It's not as hard to be positive when you realize just how much you have to be grateful for! Mindful Monday - FIND YOUR CORE!