I miss the sunshine

As I look out my window and write this, I wonder, out loud (I have dogs and I swear they understand me lol) what did we do to deserve such a shitty winter?  We have been absolutely slammed with a killer polar vortex, not once, but twice and so much snow that even skiers are getting sick of it….and before all of this deep freeze we were nailed with a freezing rain storm that left many people without power for days.  We’re Canadian, I thought everyone liked us, but apparently we have pissed off Mother Nature and she is taking it out on us with fury.  It is as if we cheated on her with a younger hotter weather girl and she is exacting her revenge, and I love winter!

 I’m serious, I actually love winter and all of the things it brings.  I grew up skating on a backyard pond and playing hockey until the coyotes started to howl and even then we didn’t want to come in.  We (my brother and I) were fortunate enough to have large hills to toboggan down or use our crazy carpets (a thing sheet of flexible plastic with two holes for handles…and, yes, it was bloody fast.  Think of the Olympic sport, the Luge, but without helmets), we would even play summer sports outside because we had so much fun in the snow.  I even enjoyed shovelling the snow as a kid (I know, bullshit, right) and still do to this day.  There was always just something so magical about winter and the snow to me…but, I woke up this morning (at my usual time of 4:30am) to get ready for my first clients of the day to find another few inches of snow on my car and no end in sight to the snowfall and I thought, “when is this shit going to end?” 

After getting home from my morning sessions I wasn’t sure if I should start shovelling to keep on top of it or just wait for the storm to subsided when my 11 year old son said, “I love all this snow!” to which I responded by saying, “good, then you can shovel.”  I know, “what an asshole.”  I don’t want him to dislike winter; I want him to love it as much as I did/do, so I will have to find a way to make it up to him when he gets home.

I’m sad, it actually makes me sad to think that about winter, so I decided to take a deeper look as to why I feel the way I do and the answer jumped out at me…I’m NOT getting enough Vitamin D, even though I go outside often (usually to shovel) to walk or play with the dogs, to bring in firewood, the sun just isn’t shining or breaking through the constant cloud cover that we have been having.  I don’t ever remember suffering from seasonal depression in my life, but I find myself at the onset of it and need to drastically increase my Vitamin D level, so I braved the onslaught of snow and went to the health food store (it isn’t far from my house) to purchase Vitamin D drops to increase my levels and am going to be booking a time at the tanning beds to get some more artificial Vitamin D.  Don’t get me wrong natural sunlight is way more beneficial for you, but as sailors will tell you, “any port in a storm.” 

There are far more benefits from getting enough Vitamin D then just feeling rundown or having seasonal depression such as: weight management, respiratory health, skin health, reproductive health, healthy moods, eye health and proper digestion.  For more info on benefits and recommendations please read http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/04/why-this-vitamin-is-better-than-any-vaccine-and-improves-your-immune-system-by-35-times.aspx.  Dr. Mercola has quite a few articles on his site that you may enjoy as well.

So, if you are like me and suffering from a lack of sunshine and want to get a “fake and bake” do yourself a favour and make sure you go to a tanning studio where the beds are producing UVB light and if you are going to take a Vitamin D supplement then go with D3.  Ideally you would like to get 8000 IU’s daily (that is an average of course and each person is different), but don’t try and get it all at once especially if you know that you are down – meaning don’t go for a 20 minute tan because your ass will burn, that isn’t a metaphor, your ass will actually burn, be responsible and put some sunshine back into your smile J

 

How To Fix Your Health

Superbowl Eating kicked my ass!

I know that it is two days post Superbowl, but that is how bad the effects of the day had on me.  I would love to say that I ate a ton of chips and bags of chocolate, but it was so much worse than that…..every year we have a pre-game football game regardless of the weather, yet we have aptly named it the frostbite bowl, because the very first year we had it, we all froze our goody bags off.  We play 4 downs to the field and it is just touch, but our first down marker is a really, really big bottle of booze and this year it was Jack Daniels.  The reason we use the booze is because it is reward and punishment for either making a great play or for a terrible play, so there is ample opportunity to take a shot during our football game.  Apparently this year I was on fire and made a few too many good plays – 17 to be exact, k, maybe 1 or 2 bad plays in there, but either way I had 17 shots of Jack Daniels while running around and playing a “fun” game of football.  Not only that, but we managed to have 2 or 3 pre game beers and then 2 or 3 beer breaks during the game….we were working up a sweat and had to rehydrate (that’s my excuse anyway). If that wasn’t bad enough, each person who comes has to bring a hot dish of food for our Superbowl buffet (the usual, meatballs, pizza, wings, chilli etc.)  and I am allergic to onions, so that eliminates some of the items and I am gluten sensitive…meaning that wheat should not be consumed at all. 

Needless to say, after all of the booze, I was a little on my ass and needed some food in my stomach before things became problematic.  Everything had wheat, so I was stuck with either eating and suffering the consequences or not eating and suffering the consequences….so, I ate and ate and ate and then ate some more.  I am happy to say that I made it through without suffering a hangover what-so-ever, but my stomach was so bloated that I must have gained 10″ in circumference and it hurt so much.  My stomach just couldn’t handle all of that food and all of the wheat and had to take a ride on the porcelain bus in order to get some relief (in case you aren’t familiar with that term, I yaked, HARD).  My stomach is still sore two days after the fact and I have been eating nothing but fresh fruit and veggies.

The moral of the story is that sometimes it takes a day like this or an event like this to truly appreciate eating well, exercising  and living a healthy lifestyle and keep you motivated to stay healthy….and that it is ok to allow yourself some indulgences without feeling guilty for it (you just have to pay the price). Will I ever let myself fall in to this trap again?  I’m going to have to say yes….there is a Superbowl every year lol

Cheers to your health

Ploymetric Pull-Ups

After watching almost every single one of my female clients struggle, and I mean struggle with doing at least one chin-up, I decided that it was time that the family started doing chin-ups every night (almost every night). my partner, who is a very strong girl could only do one dead hang chin-up (and yes, this is the only chin-up there is, every other version is cheating) when we started, our 3 boys couldn’t even get 5 each and they are active in 5 or 6 different sports and I was stuck at 7/8 depending on my energy levels. so, every night we went into our gym and everyone had to perform 10 dead hang chin-ups before they were allowed to leave or do anything else. It was a slow go in the beginning, but after 6 weeks my partner had improved to getting 4 full dead hang chin-ups in a row and the boys could all do at least 7. My achievement was pretty substantial as well, by the end of 6 weeks I could do 10 dead hang chin-ups (palms facing face) and 10 wide grip pull-ups, so I decided to start doing plyometric wide grip pull-ups and after another 2 weeks could perform 10 dead hang plyometric wide grip pull-ups.

I wanted to share this with you to show you that dedication, perseverance and setting a goal can be accomplished quicker then you may think. So, then next time you want to achieve something, believe that you can do it and don’t stop until it’s done.

What is the best exercise for you to do?

Harvard Health publications suggest that the best exercise that you can do for yourself is “swimming.”  They suggest that swimming is the perfect exercise because the buoyancy of the water supports your body and takes pressure off of your joins so that you can move them more fluidly.  They follow up swimming with Tai Chi – a Chinese martial art that incorporates movement and relaxation and it also helps improve balance and coordination.  After Tai Chi they list strength training, walking and then Kegel exercises (for both men and women) as their top five (5) list of activities to help get you in shape and lower risk for disease.

The latest fitness buzz and trend in the industry that I am sure you have heard about is HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training and the enormous benefits it has for burning fat and getting you into shape.  The premise is that you work as hard and as intense as you can for short periods of time followed by a quick rest and then repeat the process of a pre-determined number of sets.  The result is a great short workout that reaps benefits for many hours after the exercise session is over.   One of the key features of HIIT is that the time requirement is minimal to perform a workout and eliminates the “I don’t have enough time” excuse. 

So, wouldn’t the HIIT principles contradict the researchers at the Harvard Health publications?  It is Harvard after all, one of the most respected learning institutions in the world, why would they suggest swimming, Tai Chi, strength training and walking?  Walking doesn’t lend itself to suggest that it is possible to use the HIIT philosophy and I’m not sure about you, but I don’t really want to be caught in deep water during my rest period while swimming, call me crazy!!! And, what about jogging, aerobics or spinning class or any of the other classes that they offer at most fitness centres?  I thought those burned a ton of calories as well…this is all so confusing, why can’t I just get a straight forward answer to all of this???

You can, and I’m going to tell you what the single best exercise is for you to do…

It’s running, on second thought, it’s sprinting….no, wait maybe it’s the elliptical machine.  The honest answer is that it is all of these and none of these.  Shit, I’m more confused now than ever! I thought you were going to give it to me straight?

I did!  I gave it to you as straight as possible and here is why.  I hate running for long periods of time, it absolutely bores me to tears and I only do it when I am training for something in particular like Tough Mudder.  The same goes for the elliptical.  My home gym doesn’t have a pool, so that option I out for me as well.  I do enjoy doing high intensity sprint training a few days per week…but, you aren’t me and you may enjoy running or the elliptical because it gives you time to yourself and time to think.  Maybe you have tried all of the classes and really enjoy yoga…

I have been a personal health coach for almost 20 years and this is the question that I get asked the most.  My response every time that I get asked is, “do sprints!”  I’m sure the look on their face is matching the look on your face right now, followed with, “but, I don’t think I can do sprints,” or “I hate sprinting.”  Why did you ask if you didn’t want to hear my answer???  I become a little nicer after that and ask them what type of exercises they do enjoy.  To which they reply with a various list of physical activities that they enjoy and will do and have essential answered the question on their own.

The best exercise that you can do is…THE ONE YOU WILL DO AND ENJOY DOING!

It makes absolutely no sense for me to tell someone that they have to run at least 20m/km per week if they hate jogging.  Who is going to constantly do something that they truly dislike doing?  NO-ONE, regardless of intentions or motivation is going to continue doing something they truly dislike doing.  That isn’t to say that you won’t start to enjoy things you dislike by adding it in to you routine every now and then to shake things ups a bit because you might.  But, if you stick to doing the things you enjoy doing, you will have far great success at achieving your fitness and healthy lifestyle goals over the long run.  What if you don’t like anything or don’t know what types of activities that you might enjoy?  That is easy…try them all!  Grab a friend and do anything and everything until you find something that you enjoy doing and can feel confident that you will continue to do it. 

Your success depends on your willingness to exercise and your willingness increases 100% when you are doing something you enjoy doing!

 

Remember:               THE BEST EXERCISE IS THE ONE YOU WILL DO!!!

 

How To Fix Your Health

Back on track

Finally after an incredibly long lay off from exercise and working out I brought my ass back into the swing of things.  I have been nursing a few injuries and haven’t kept up with my fitness over the past couple of months, but decided to jump back into it even though things may not be 100%…I’m an all or nothing kinda guy.

So, to ease myself back into things this was my workout.

double 35lb kettlebells – clean – 30s

                                       dead clean & press – 30s

                                       front squat – 30s

                                       snatch – 30s

                                     1 minute rest and repeated for 5 rounds

I then decided to go to the gym and do a sprint training/ab session on the treadmill

sprint for 20s intervals followed by ab move

8mph – 10 press sit ups X 3

9mph – 50 Russian twists X 3

10mph – 10 leg raise & lift X 3

not a bad start to get back into the swing of things…although tomorrow I’m sure my body will be telling me a different story

 

Favourite quotes

Going to be posting some of my favourite (yes, it is spelled correct, I’m Canadian lol) quotes today, hope everyone enjoys them.

Top ten ways to be motivated to exercise

10. Take a “selfie” ( a self portrait) in your swimmers… now place it as your screen saver on your phone Or print it and put it up whereyou brush your teeth – yup it works!

9. Book a body fat goal date … a specific goal date like a vacation to the Caribbean or a wedding can be very motivating, knowing you have a timeline shifts your glutes into gear

8. Read motivational quotes… here’s one of my favourites and a link to more: “motivation doesn’t last – well neither does bathing, that’s  why we recommend it daily.” – Zig Zigglar   http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_motivational.html

7. Buddy system… have a friend or family member workout with you. Plan walks, a jog, fitness classes or just head to the gym together. Having someone count on you pushes you to go on days you really wouldn’t go on your own.

6. Contract… sign a contract with family members to commit your health and fitness goals. Bob green and Oprah have one… here’s there sample… http://static.oprah.com/download/pdfs/health/health_200702_contract.pdf

5.Group training… team sports, boot camps, yoga classes etc… having a fun social component and scheduled weekly commitments forces you to set aside time for yourself. Very important especially if you live a busy life running around with kids all the time.

4. Youtube video clips… I love youtube motivational clips. I have a few stored on my phone that work brilliantly for me – pick two or three and save them to your phone and watch them, especially on days where you are trying to convince yourself of reasons you shouldn’t go!   http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=motivational+exercise+video&sm=3

3. Music! I use an app called itube – it’s brilliant!!! You can search, play, compile play lists crazy easy to do with this free app.  My favorite song?… The theme song from Rocky – yup I’m old –but it still works every time.

2. Hire a Personal trainer. For several reasons; 1. Accountability… a schedule appointment people rarely miss especially if they are getting billed for it if they miss!  2. Get you to your goals faster and safer. 3. Give you exciting energetic workouts.

1.Why. List your reasons why you are doing this. When we don’t want to exercise, and yes I’m guilty of it too (and I do this for a living) I look to my reasons why. Maybe for you it’s to control stress or sleep better or to create a leaner body or maybe even to keep blood pressure in check. Keep your reasons handy… I keep mine on my phone!

Diet is a 4 letter word…

Have you ever noticed that all of the really “bad” words out there all have four letters in them?   Think about it for a minute, words that we deem to be bad or offensive have 4 letters in them.  S&%t, piss, c$#k, f@&k and c#$t.  Do you see a pattern emerging because I sure do and that pattern is that 4 letter words are bad.

There are two (2) very distinct words in the English language that are far worse than any of the above mentioned when achieving your healthy lifestyle and fitness goals.  The first one is “can’t” (I will discuss this in length at another time) and this is without a doubt the worst word ever created and not just for health, but in every facet of your life.  The second word is “diet.”

So, why is “diet” such a bad word?  Let me turn that around and ask you this question.  What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “I’m on a diet?”  I’m willing to bet all of the little shoes in munchkin land that it isn’t a positive though on your part.  Odds are that a few key thoughts crept in such as, “what aren’t you allowed to eat? Good luck with that (sarcastically) or how long are you doing that for?”  Was I close?  Thought so.

This is the very reason why diets don’t work; they have a time-line associated with them and we don’t believe that they will work even if we are the ones on them.  Having a time-line for your health is one of the dumbest things/concepts that I have ever heard.  Imagine saying that you are only going to be healthy for 6 weeks and then I’m going to be fat and unable to tie my shoes again…sounds pretty ridiculous doesn’t it? Well, that is essentially what you are saying when you say you are going on a “diet;” that you only plan to eat well until you lose “a few pounds” and then you go right back to eating like shit.  Then you get stuck in a vicious circle that repeats itself over and over again.

Think for a minute about your car and that the gas that was supposed to be put in is premium.  You follow the instruction for a while, but the gas prices are so high that you start sneaking in the cheap stuff every now and then.  No big deal right?  Eventually the now and then becomes the norm and you only give it premium on occasion.  What do you think would happen to your car’s engine and performance?  You know exactly what would happen and the same thing happens to your body, but because you aren’t making a regular monthly payment on it you think it’s ok to neglect it and go on a “diet” every now and then to get it back into working order.  It doesn’t work that way and neither do diets.

There is no time-line on your health, so screw the diet and eat nutritionally dense foods regularly and fill up your tank with premium fuel.  I’m not advocating never eating bad food again because that is ridiculous and we still need to live and enjoy life.  So, enjoy the best life that you can by eliminating “diets” and fueling the tank with premium.

 

Kyle

How-to fix your health