Fitness

Author: Amber French

This pose is my personal fitness goal for the first quarter of 2015. I have been trying to do a headstand for two years. I mastered “tripod” headstand your knees rest on the back of your arms and you work to get your feet of the ground) pretty quickly and then nothing for two years. January of this year, I posted a picture of a girl doing a headstand on my office window, for all the world to see, and proclaimed it my Personal Fitness Goal for 2015. By the end of January I had done my first assisted head stand and by mid-feb I could transition from tripod into a full fledge headstand!!!!!

Now remember I still have a “big” girl in my head that comes out to play every once and awhile. So convincing my brain that I can balance my entire body weight on the backs of my triceps and eventually all that weight is being held up by the palms of my hands….and my neck, well that was a very hard sell.

This is a pose that reminds me how far I have come and how much further I can go. I was literally paralyzed anytime I tried to raise my legs up off my elbows. I would think “come on legs, straighten, push my feet towards the ceiling” and nothing would happen. Literally nothing.

I convinced myself my lower half was too heavy to lift straight up toward the ceiling. That was my story and I was sticking to it.

If you have a great yoga instructor, you will hear time and time again that fear is the only thing holding you back.  What they are trying to tell you, is your body is capable of any pose, it is just our fear and self-doubt that makes achieving the proper alignment seem impossible.

Physiologically, I knew this to be a fact. What happens to our muscles when we think we are going to be injured, is our brain sends a signal to that muscle and the muscle surrounding it to protect, protect, protect. Muscles translate that command into one thing…CONTRACT.

Try this, stand straight upright, staring straight ahead. Take a deep breath in and as you exhale try to touch your toes. If you get “stuck” about half way, breathe. Think about your hamstrings (visualize the backs of your legs), breath into your hamstrings and relax. Wait for your muscles to stop contracting and feel them relax, as you relax they relax. You will immediately get closer and closer to those toes.

It is totally crazy that once you achieve a new skill liking getting those heels towards the ceiling, you can do 95% of the time. That is proof positive that it was only fear holding you back. Once you have done it once and lived to tell the story, you can replicate it time and time again. If it were a physical inability to do a headstand you would have to work on it until you built up enough strength to support your own body weight.  Completing a new exercise once doesn’t build your strength enough to be able to do it every time/multiple times. BUT if you could never do a headstand, or crow, or wheel and can miraculously do it every time after the first, know that was fear holding you back.

I also love headstand because it literally changes your perception. Have a problem? Stand on your head and think, how can I “see this problem” differently??? Sound crazy? It is!! Cause it works!!!

Maybe don’t do it in the ladies washroom (especially if you are a man) during break time, then again maybe that is the best time to do it!!

Stand on your head, crush your fears and change your perception.
Namaste,
Amber

About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.

You can follow her @TheVeganHouse

Author: Amber French

If you have a child in sports you know how expensive it can get. Hockey can cost thousands, Dance costumes can come in at 200.00 apiece and even soccer has become quite expensive. Yet we hesitate when it comes to spending money on ourselves. Even when we don’t have kids spending money on our fitness goals can become a low priority.

Knowing where to spend your money can ease some of that burden and have you prepared to get your body moving when the inspiration strikes.

Fitness Gear falls into two categories. Must have (shoes and sports bra) and would like to have (lulu’s and arm band for your IPhone). Take your list and divide it into your needs and wants based on your activity of choice, biggest bang for your buck and you’re your fitness goals.

Tip #1 Get clear on your fitness lifestyle.
You do not need high end runners if you get inspired to move doing Yoga and Swimming. And conversely you don’t need to spend upwards of 100.00 on a yoga mat if you occasionally drop into your friendly neighbourhood yoga studio. Sometimes when the fitness bug bites our natural reaction is to jump in with both feet. Which can translate into new runners (indoor and outdoor) 5 pairs of lulu’s a new yoga mat and low, medium and high impact sports bras (in three different colours). Fun, but can be a big waste of money.

Tip #2 Do your homework
Reach out to others doing the same activity as you. Ask questions about the equipment they use and what they feel are the must have’s. Taking to other athlete’s (that’s right, that’s what you are) may even lead to good leads on helpful retail stores or killer sales or equipment swaps.

Tip #3 Buy what works for you and ask about the return policy
If you find out the yoga mat you thought you had to have gets dangerously slippery the second you break a sweat or you shoes don’t have the right kind of support and leaving you with aching shines after your first run. Make sure you are clear on the store’s policy.

Tip #4 Invest
Shoes, equipment and apparel can literally make or break your fitness routine. It can take you from another attempt to a full blown lifestyle. Nothing derails your good intentions than ill-fitting garments and subpar equipment. Spend the money to give yourself every possible chance, once you have determined your needs and are happy with your choices. Continue to invest in yourself. Good equipment is not only necessary, but it can be a great motivator or reward.

Figure out what you actually need, set yourself up for success and reinvest when you need to.
My list of must haves

Good, flexible, mild support runners that breathe – took me a long time to get it right, because I was buying whatever was on sale!!

High impact sports bra – I even wear it for low impact sports like yoga. I was wearing three bras at once and suffering some good chaffing until a running buddy pointed out that that cost of my three bras was more money than the best sports bra in the store.

Good Running Sock – blisters are not necessary, the right amount of padding and quick dry socks make a BIG difference.

Yoga Towel – I sweat a lot and the towel allows me to focus on my pose more and slipping less.
Be smart and invest in your goals!!!

Author: Amber French

As a fitness professional we have very specific criteria for measuring your fitness and prescribing specific exercises based on the outcomes.

We look at areas that measure your cardio levels, body composition and core and muscular strength. We can also test your vertical jump and flexibility. Most fitness centres and personal trainers have a battery of tests that they used based on their training to measure your fitness base line.

Determining your base line is very important. It gives you an accurate picture of your areas of strength and areas that need improvement. But more importantly it gives you a solid factual reference point to determine if you are indeed improving your physical fitness or maintaining the status quo.

But how do YOU gauge your fitness level and what deems a person fit??

Most people base your fitness levels on your appearance. However I have assessed many individuals who look thin but their body fat percentage comes in at almost 45 percent over their overall weight!!! Yikes!!!! That means their fluids, organs, bones and muscles combined are almost the same mass as the body fat they are carrying around!!! Also, many “skinny” individuals can’t touch their own toes!

The most fit people I have worked with focus on overall fitness and health, no one component or measurement is more important than the other.

Flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and FUNCTIONAL muscular endurance are the main physical areas we should focus on. Set yourself up for a lifetime of tying your own shoes, managing the stairs in your own house and being able to paint a wall without ending up on muscle relaxants for a week.
Your workouts should be full body. Focus on big movements with weights that cause fatigue (that can be body weight as well) and repetitions that ingrain the movement into your muscles memory. Endless hours of chest press and bicep curls aren’t going to protect you from a heart attack. At the other end of the spectrum not stretching properly after a run or strenuous hike day after day can lead to shortened hamstrings and sciatica issues that will lay you up and derail your fitness plans quicker than anything.

Aside from rotating your activities and concentrating on ALL areas of your body you need to mind your nutrition and your emotional fitness too. You can’t have a clean engine no matter how pristine the exterior if you fill it with dirty oil and subpar gasoline. Our bodies are no different. We often look at people that pass away unexpectedly  and say “but he was at the gym all the time” but if they followed their workouts with heavily processed foods containing lots of chemicals, sugar, bad fats and oils all the weight lifting in the world can’t protect the heart or brain from heart diseases or stroke.

Similarly if we don’t practice Emotional Fitness (lowering stress levels, taking care of our needs and taking the time to decompress) all the healthy eating and exercising in the world cant repair that sort of damage.

So where does that leave you?

Answer these questions honestly…
•    DO YOU move your body 30 minutes every day?
•    DO YOU eat unprocessed foods and the majority of your plate is compressed of fruits and veg?
•    DO YOU take time out for yourself each day (even 5 minutes)
•    DO YOU sleep well?
•    DO YOU manage your stress and consider yourself calm more often than stressed??

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, remove the “DO YOU” re-read the question and discover my secret tips and advice!!! All of those areas are important and each can only progress so far if you ignore the others.

If you answered “yes” to all, find a certified professional to determine your base line and watch as you pinpoint the specific areas that you can improve upon. Then set yourself some BIGGER and BADDER “fitness” goals in all areas of your life.

Amber

About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.

You can follow her @TheVeganHouse

Author: Amber French

My husband can run. he is fast, he can trail run, road run, train for marathons and pick it back up (like riding a bike) when he hasn’t run in months. It is very annoying.

I run, sometimes. I have trained fairly diligently, raced quite a few times and watched my endurance increase with every run. I can logically put in the mileage to meet my predetermined goals, but the running itself never seems to get easier. Sure I am not as out of breath, I can go further and further each week, but mentally the running never gets easier.

I truly believe if you don’t run (and become comfortable with it) as a child it becomes somewhat of a handicap later in life. I absolutely know it has nothing to do with weight and body fat percentage. I have watched MANY overweight men and women become great runners with great Personal Bests and killer distances.

I feel myself enjoy running more when I run regularly and I am aware of routes I enjoy and which I loathe. I used to hate hills, but now I love them (mainly because EVERYONE is slow on a hill!!)
But after years of running solo, in packs, with and without a goal. There are a few things I have learned and believe to be true.

Here is what I know:

I know that running only is not good for you. it is a strenuous exercise that should be paired with a lot of stretching and other activities that give your muscles time to repair. it is actually hard on the face on your neck and skin (especially if you run in extreme temps)

You can do it wrong (very wrong) get the guidance of a well-established running group, if you aren’t a natural).

If you don’t stretch you are screwed……

You can’t run well and safely without a strong core (front and back)

Shoes Matter….a lot. Invest in your self and know your feet. You can learn more about your posture through your feet at places like Northwich Physio or any other foot doctor/physio therapist close to your location.

Don’t run through an injury

Walk breaks increase your mileage, your overall distance and your joy

Walk breaks do not ruin your run, they count

Anyone can run

Children should run everywhere. They already do it (we train them to slow down and be more careful)

A weak bladder can make you run faster

Don’t always increase your mileage

Just Run…it will be ok

Here is what I believe:

Nothing gives you the sense of freedom like running.

Running alone is therapeutic

Running in a pack can solve the problems of the world (If you’re in Canada, check out www.runningroom.com for group runs – they offer a lot of free ones for beginners too!)

Running can mend a broken heart

Running feeds your soul

Listen to your heart when you run, there is some good stuff in there

Gauge your distance on how many questions you need answered that day

Running is the best way to discover a new neighbourhood

Running strengthens friendships

Just Run…it will be ok

If you have a runner in your family learn from them don’t compare yourself to them. In fact don’t compare yourself to anyone (including yourself) every run is different every time you run it. Don’t forget to be thankful you have a common interest.

If you don’t have an amazing athlete sitting on your couch find a running buddy, who knows the two of you may change the world one km at a time.

Just Run,

Amber

 

About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.

You can follow her @TheVeganHouse