My latest mistake!

I learn the most about myself from my mistakes.

I usually buy natural cedar mulch for my garden every year but I was in a rush and after making a special trip, 30km away, back to the store on the same day, I came home with a coloured mulch.  I didn't even know you could buy such a thing!  That is how little I know about gardening.

Anyway, I laughed when I started putting it down.  There was no way I was making a third trip, so this year I was going to live with my mistake.  I finished laying it all down and in the end, I ended up liking it.  I never would have thought about using a coloured mulch and now I probably never go back to the plain old natural colour again! 

I also learn the most from my mistakes at work.  Often I have a new exercise or a pattern in line dance in mind.  I will have tested it out minimally beforehand just to make sure it works and then it ends up looking different once I am in class teaching.  In those moments, the magic happens for me because I discover a whole new set of possibilities. When you see me laughing randomly it is because I have made a mistake and then recovered from it and learned something new. 

It also happens that one of my students misunderstands my cues and when I look up they are demonstrating a fabulous new exercise that I had never even considered!  Those are the best moments.

With the change in our summer schedule, I had some students showing up for classes last week, expecting something else or a different teacher and I am proud to say that a number of them decided to try something new instead of simply going back home!  They all came up to me afterwards and were quite happy to have stepped out of their comfort zone.  In doing so they now have an expanded idea of what our programming has to offer.

We get stuck in ruts.
We do the same routine over and over again because it is comfortable.

Take a different approach today.

Explore the world around you...it really can lead to laughter and growth.

Have a great day everyone.

Beth

Exercising helps fight off Dementia

I have been teaching some clients in my group fitness classes for 18 years.  If they started with me when they were 50 years old ( when they were eligible to be in the seniors exercise program) that means that they are 68 currently.  Some clients began classes with me when they retired, so a few of them are now in their mid 80's.

Thankfully the changes I have seen in their bodies over this time frame have been mainly positive.  I like to tell my students that they have frozen time, that they look exactly the same as they did when they started.  I really mean this.  For the most part, their bodies move and look the same.

What I have noticed is a slight decline in cognitive functioning but out of a approximately a hundred and twenty students, I have only a handful of clients that I am worried about. I am happy to say that these few students have a wonderful circle of friends that go with them to the gym and keep them going in the right direction, literally. 

Mainly I see changes in speed.  Students who used to be able to process verbal cues quite rapidly, now take a bit more time.  This is normal aging. Forgetting our lefts from our rights etc. 

"In 2011, 747,000 Canadians were living with cognitive impairment, including dementia-14.9 percent of Canadians 65 and older. By 2031, this figure will increase to 1.4 million." Canfitpro Magazine- March/April 2013. Exercise and Dementia by Jennifer Salter.

In her article, Jennifer goes on to say, " starting at about at 40, we lose on average five percent of our overall brain volume per decade, up until age 70, when a variety of different conditions can accelerate the process. Exercise is one of the few ways to counter the process of aging because is slows down the natural decline of the stress threshold. It is actually good for cells to periodically be subjected to mild stress-this improves their ability to cope with more severe stress. In addition, exercise sparks connections and growth among the cellular network of the brain by increasing the blood volume, regulating fuel, and encouraging neuronal activity and  neurogenesis (development of new nerve cells). Regular exercise also increases dopamine levels. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that is the core of the reward and motivation systems- a lack of which causes irritability, depression, and apathy among many older adults."

I am not a doctor but I am on the ground working with people as they age and I have no doubt in my mind that exercise is the key to staying healthy mentally.  I believe that there is real benefit in group exercise classes where you have to actually follow a teacher.  It is easy to go for a walk or do the same thing that you do all of the time.  The benefits happen when you practice using your brain to complete a new set of challenges. Having to move left as a group. Having to raise your left arm one way and your right another. Having to remember simple choreography.  All of this keeps you young. I have seen it. I live this everyday with my amazing students.

Try a new class today.  Encourage some cell growth in your brains.  Do something different to keep your listening, and mobility skills sharp .

See you in class everyone!

Beth

Something unexpected

When I cut open this strawberry to make strawberry shortcake for my family last week, I was amazed to see the heart in the center.

Yes, that is me, taking the time to look at and be amused by little things like this. I posted this on facebook, with the following caption, "I love strawberries and apparently this one loves me too!"

My question to you today, is do you love yourself?

I know that you love your family and friends and pets and that you would do anything for anyone of them but are you taking care of yourself?

I have had a few personal training clients recently whose heart has been in the right place. They wanted to get fit for themselves and for their loved ones but in the end, they put their JOB first and fell out of their schedule and stopped training. 

This breaks my heart. Not because I am out of a job but because I know that they would be better at their job and in life if they learned how to say "no," when they have committed to taking care of their health.

I am a big talker I guess.  I can feel you shaking your head saying, "well that is easy for you to say, Beth, people have to work, they have to make money!"

At one point in my life I was working 52 hours per week and raising my family with my husband. I had money but my quality of life sucked. I lasted 9 months at that pace and then I made the hard choice to live with less money so that I could be healthier. You of course can change jobs to suit a less stressful lifestyle. We can downsize and not have such big bills to pay and find a job that lets us work and rest!  It is all about choices. The problem is we get stuck and cannot make the change.

Money is great but if you end up spending it, living in ill health with nurses by your side having to dress you and feed you, you may end up feeling like you missed the boat.

Life is great until you have an accident and suddenly realize that your body is weak.

There is no way around it.  You have to strike a balance between making money and taking care of your body or you will spend all of your money, paying other people to take care of you, when you are older!

I am guessing that you are planning on using your savings for something fun and not on health care and medications. No one gets a "free pass." So when you see people exercising, you need to be reminded that you should be fitting it in as well.

We have no idea what our futures hold, but we can be ready for accidents by keeping ourselves in top shape. An hour a day is all you need to devote to taking care of your most important commodity. Yourself.

Show yourself some love today...get moving.

Here is the lactose and gluten free strawberry shortcake...just for fun!

 Have a fabulous weekend everyone. See you Monday!

Beth

Quanta Wellness Center

http://www.quantatherapy.com/en/

This center just opened up in Valois about a month ago.  I encourage you to follow the link to the website for more information.

I found out about this center in a very bizarre way. An email appeared in my box from someone I had never met, telling me that she had been speaking to some of my students ( no names),  who suggested I be contacted about offering classes at Quanta.

I could have just as easily ignored that email as my schedule is very busy, however something told me to call the owner, Rachel, and arrange a meeting.

I am happy to say that I am very glad I did.  Rachel has her heart in the right place with this project. Here is a quote from the web page ( I only just read it now which makes me smile as well ):

"Located in the heart of the Valois Village in Pointe Claire, Quanta Wellness Center values a holistic approach to therapy while creating partnerships with their clients, assisting in their path of regaining better function and mobility, and pain-free living.
As daily life throws us its pressures and obstacles, most of us tend to gather this stress and hold it in our bodies. The staff at Quanta Wellness Center is a united team of highly qualified and experienced health care professionals dedicated to offering well-designed treatments based on each client’s unique medical history, personality, and specific problem area.
Our treatment programs ensure that you can continue to enjoy your active lifestyle, with an increased sense of well being, without pain and/or injury."

Anyone who knows me, knows that I hold the same beliefs and that keeping my clients active and healthy is the reason I rise out of bed everyday! What a great match.

I met with Rachel and was inspired by her desire to help the community.  I agreed to offer my Yoga/Stretch class. I prepared the advertizing and within a day I had emails from the students who had recommended me to Rachel, telling me to save them a spot! The class filled up overnight! Thanks Audrey and Joan.

My message today is about following your gut instinct.  At times it may appear to be leading you astray but more often than not, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Logic told me that I was too busy. My heart told me to go and investigate.

We had our first class of five, this past week and my students are so happy that they too followed their hearts and gave this new venue a try!

I look forward to offering more classes in the future.

Contact me if you are interested in beginner, gentle yoga classes.

Fill out the contact form at the very bottom of my blog or go to my website and contact me there.

betholdfield.ca

Follow your heart.  You will find happiness down that path.

Have a great day!

Beth

Dizziness after Yoga

In one of my yoga classes yesterday, I had a new student ask me if it was normal that she felt dizzy.

The answer is yes!

During yoga it is normal to experience some sort of physical release. As Beth Shaw explains in her book, "Yogafit," we can experience nausea, lightheadedness, dizziness, muscle cramps, tingling sensations and flatulence. I wrote a very popular blog on "Farting in Yoga Class."  Hey, it happens!

In fact, all of these symptoms can be experienced during any form of physical exercise.  This student in particular exercises regularly but this was her first yoga class so even if you are in shape, when you try something new, you can still have a physical release that is foreign to you.

When the sesations arise it is important to rest and not push yourself further. I tell students that during the class if I do anything that makes them uncomfortable to return to a resting position and just work on their breath. With continued practice, these sensations will usually disappear. As Beth explains they are often a result of a release in stress and tension.

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, many of us are unaware that stress is impacting our health and it is only when we actually take the time to slow down and remember what being "calm" actually feels like, that we notice the difference.

Also, most of us are not breathhing well during exercise or life in general. Our lungs have a huge capacity but we are only using the top third.  Learning how to breathe deeply can also bring on some lightheadedness.

The only time you need to worry about the above symptoms is if they persist. Then you would need to ask your health care professional for further advice.

I hope that this helps.

Have a great day everyone,
Beth

4 Kittens and exercise.

Altogether now, " Awww,..so cute!!"

This is one of my son's kittens. Originally, he and his girlfriend took in a stray cat and one morning they woke up and found 4 kittens in the sock drawer!  They have such big hearts that they have kept them all.

I have to admit that I have been allergic to cats since I was a little girl, so even though they are adorable, they have always represented intense suffering for me. As a result, I have kept my distance. Now however I can feel my heart starting to melt.

My message today is about transformation. It is a bit of a stretch but stick with me on this...

I have disliked cats all of my life but now I see that change is possible in the most unexpected places.

People who know me, are surprised to hear me say that I cannot wait to go and visit Josh and the kittens! 

I meet people all of the time who tell me that they "hate" exercise or they hate the "gym."

I of course cannot believe this, as I love fitness and cannot imagine my life without classes. I can't believe that they actually mean what they are saying.

Seeing this new love for cats develop in myself, I am here to tell you that you can change any beliefs you may hold about yourself.

Yes, "hating" the gym and exercise classes, may have always been your mantra. Maybe it is the little joke you make to get everyone around you laughing, so the subject changes and people stop bothering you about getting healthy. Maybe it is time to change your focus and give exercise a real try.

No, I cannot promise you that attending classes or the gym will be as much fun as holding kittens, though perhaps having a "kitten" therapy room would get more people into the building!!

I can tell you that if you give it at least three attempts you may actually begin to like that yoga or interval class. The benefits will far outweigh the initial discomfort and in time, joy will arise!

I am totally shocked that I am beginning to like the idea of cats.  I never thought that this was possible however watching my "tough guy" son, transform into a man who picks up kittens and cuddles them has opened my eyes.

Transformation is possible and healthy.

Let's start something new today.

Enjoy.
Beth

How is your state of mind?

Today's message is one that you probably don't want to hear.

How are you feeling?

Most people quickly say, "fine, you?"

Very few people actually take a second to think about or tell others how they are really feeling, and this is a huge problem when you are trying to make big changes in your body.

For the most part, weight loss is a mind game.  You have to learn to trick yourself into avoiding poor choices. You have to tell yourself you do not want that chocolate bar but a bunch of broccoli instead!

The trouble is, you can only trick your mind so much before "feelings" start to crowd back in.  You have to address the issues that are causing you to make poor choices to begin with.

I see it all of the time. Clients want to pay the club or me, and then they can say that they have a personal trainer or a that they belong to a gym.  This fact can be thrown around at parties or in casual conversation and it goes something like this: "Ya, you know I am doing everything I can. I joined the gym. I have a trainer but nothing changes!"

My question to you then is, "is your mind in it?"

I have been doing this gig for a very long time and the absolute truth of the matter is this: if you are not tuned in to your mental state. You will not achieve your goals.

I guarantee you that you cannot simply tell me you want to lose weight and expect it to happen, unless you take a really long, honest look at why you are overweight to begin with.

Yes, it has a lot to do with "what" you are eating.
Yes, it has a lot to do with "how" you are exercising.
Yes, it has a lot to do with "family history" and "disease."


But I have seen clients do all of the right things and still have troubles and then through more questioning I discover that they are sad; stressed; or even depressed. That they are very unhappy in their life. And as a result of these feelings, they have destructive habits that are sabotaging their hard work.

People fail to admit that they drink too much alcohol which is incredibly fattening and dehydrating.
People fail to tell me that they get up in the middle of the night and binge on whatever their favourite junk food is.
People fail to admit to me that they have not done the workout as prescribed because they feel so badly they gave up last week.

You have to be honest with your personal trainer and more importantly with yourself.

Oh and let me make one thing clear. We all have skeletons in our closet. All of us need to work on getting more in tune with our mental state.  

No one gets a free pass.

I encourage you to spend as much time taking care of your mental state, as you do on exercises for you body.

I am constantly reading self help books to make sure that my mind is in the game as much as my body.

You body and mind are tools.  They both need to be cared for. You invest a lot of time in your body.
Starting today, begin to invest in the health of your mind.

The self help section is loaded with resources to help you navigate the world of your "feelings."

Give it a try. You might be surprised at the results.

Have a great day everyone.
Beth

What would you tell your 5 year old self today?

I was incredibly shy as a young girl. I had absolutely no self confidence at all.  I'm amazed that I managed to get through life like this.  My memories of being young are filled with feelings of insecurity. I felt that I could never be as good as the people around me no matter how hard I might try. Maybe it was this hand made 70's outfit that made me feel this way.  Wow....good times!

The most ironic thing is that I ended up becoming a personal trainer/fitness instructor, when gym class was my biggest nightmare! I hated public speaking. I hated being up at the front of the class!

How this happened is amazing to me because I see that it all boils down to teachers!

After having my first son, I wanted to lose the baby weight so I joined a gym near my mother's home. I would then drop off my son and go there for an hour.

I had never taken any fitness classes before. I absolutely loved the positivity of the aerobics teacher.  She was engaging and friendly and she made the exercise fun. It was one hour that I could spend on me, two times per week. From there I enjoyed it so much, that I after my third child, I went to night school to become one of these wacky fitness teachers! Life takes so many twists and turns.

Looking back on my shy, non-physical five year old self, I would now say:

"keep your chin up Beth, because soon you will be able to do all of the things that you feel so insecure about.  Yes, for now you may be the last person picked in gym class. You may be laughed at for your poor gym performance however in a few years you will be the one laughing.  You will not be laughing at others but with your students as you help them to do push-ups and sit-ups and lunges. Your classes will be full because people feel good when they are in your class and as a result you have changed a few lives for the better."

Find an old picture of yourself today and ask yourself, "what would you say to that little girl or boy looking back at you?"

Realize how far you have come. You have succeeded in getting through some of life's most difficult moments.  Even if for just a few moments, celebrate your success and feel good about your accomplishments.

Have a great day!
Beth

My Website

betholdfield.ca     

Just a short note to let you know that you can contact me much easier ( no registration required) via my contact form on my new webiste.  I put up this site so that people can easily find me online. I hope to have more information on the site in the coming days. Thanks for the love everyone!

Are you breathing?

Are you breathing?

I ask my students this several times during our workouts together. It is amazing to me how many people forget to breathe while training.

My point of course it to get them to release built up tension and help them to get through the class safely and effectively.  What I do notice is that many people struggle to take in a deep breath.

Often their in-breath is very shallow. I watch as they have to scrunch up their shoulders in order to fill their lungs even just a bit. 

Try this: 

Sit tall on the edge of your chair and breathe in deeply through your nose.  First your nose may be blocked so you need to try to clear that in order to breathe properly. Try to breathe in for a count of 4 and then exhale through your mouth for the same count but this time pretend you are breathing out through a straw and control the flow of the breath.

When we practice this, we can actually improve our ability to take in more oxygen and as a result we will have more energy and feel calmer.

In class, I ask students to check in with their breath as it is an indication of how we are doing physically.  If our breath is short and choppy, we may be pushing ourselves too hard. This applies to regular life as well. We may be rushing around so much trying to get so many things done, that only someone else can see that we are out of breath.

Do you want to feel calmer?

Do you want to have more energy?

Then begin each day by focusing on your breath. Do the following exercise before you get out of bed, before the mind starts to take over and you begin to worry about the day ahead.

I want you to place one hand on your heart and one hand on your abdomen. Slowly inhale, feeling your belly rise, ribs rise and chest rise and then reverse this by exhaling until there is no more air left in your lungs. I want you to do this while counting up for 4 with the in breath and down from 4 with the out breath.  Just focus on the quality of your breath.

Eventually you will be able to increase the length of your in breath. I know this to be true because when I first started doing this exercise 4 years ago, my breath was very shallow. It felt like my chest was going to burst if I tried to take in any more air. 

Clients have reported to me that simply doing this every day has helped them to lower their blood pressure and improve their quality of life.

Isn't that what we all want?

Check in with your breath several times today. You will be happy you did.

Enjoy the sun everyone!

Beth

Don't judge a book....

When you look at the front of my home you do not see a manicured lawn. I do not have incredible gardens and a paved driveway with a stone border.

I have a very humble house, in a very humble setting.

This used to bother me, as I really would worry what the neighbours were saying about our "lack of a lawn." A wise person once said to me that "it is none of your business, what other people think of you!"  

I try to remember this as I walk through this life.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion of you. All that matters is that you live your life, being true to yourself. What is important to you is what matters.

Part of being true to myself, is caring more about my family, my health and my job and less about my lawn.  It may be full of weeds but if you look really close  ....

You will see strawberries.

Yes, they are wild strawberries and we do sit down at this time of year, in the sun and pick and eat them!  They are absolutely delicious!

As my kids were growing up, this was part of the ritual in our area.  I gave each of my wee ones a bucket and we went walking around the neighbourhood for berries of all sorts.  They grow along the sides of the streets.  Real strawberries and raspberries and blackberries. Not the tiny ones you see in my "lawn."

I will tell you though that my daughter once collected enough of these tiny berries from the grass, to make a small pie and she was so proud of herself, as it took hours to get that many tiny treasures.

So while my life is not about glam and glitter, it is about quality.

It has taken many years to get to our stage in life but I am so happy that we focused on what we felt were the important things.Our kids are thriving out there in the world. We have done our job and now we have a bit more time for gardening, dusting off after the storm and polishing up our lives.

Yes I would love to have a polished outward appearance sometimes but if I chose to worry about those things, then I would not be true to myself.

That is what makes us all different and unique and interesting.

Have a great day everyone.
Beth

Introducing one of my mentors, Shawna Lambert.

Behind that rather forced smile is one of the most amazing women I know. She's not very comfortable with pictures but she actually let me take two yesterday, after we had lunch together.

For those of you who attend my classes, you have heard me speak about Shawna. She currently teaches Physical Education at the college level however she used to train the teachers coming out of the YMCA, Group Fitness Instructor Program.

I was one of those "want to be teachers," 17 years ago.  When I successfully graduated, she gave me my first paying job, subbing for her while she went on summer vacation. Finding that first gig can be hard when you become a new teacher, however Shawna is incredibly supportive to everyone who is lucky to call her "teacher, boss or friend."

Shawna shares everything she knows and all materials that she has developed and acquired over the years in order to help all teachers be the best that they can be.  Not many teachers/bosses are like this.  I have tried as hard as I can to do this in my own work, as I see how important it is for us to be supportive of each other in this industry.

I had the pleasure of attending Shawna's fitness class just before we had lunch yesterday and I felt so happy to be back in her class, even though I ended up being her partner in muscle conditioning! I had to be front and centre with the boss...suddenly having to pull my own weight, on my first day of vacation, when really I just wanted to dance and goof off in the background. Interesting and challenging exercises were on the menu. It was tough and fun!

We all have those people in our lives who have helped us to become the person we are today. Shawna was a tough teacher. Once I had passed the course, I can remember never wanting her to attend my classes in case I let her down in some way! I am past this now...I think!

She taught us that as teachers, we don't bring our personal life into the class. We put on a smile no matter what may be going on with us outside of work, as we are being paid to serve and support our clients. She taught us to arrive at least 10 minutes before our classes, so that we can get ourselves ready and then have time to chat and get to know our clients. When I first started teaching an evening class for her, I took the time to memorize all 50 of my students names!  They were so impressed.  I do my best with names now but I have to admit that with so many classes and students it can be a bit of a problem. I do however remember faces and injuries and stories.

I can remember her evaluating our aerobic routines as newbie instructors and watching her yell at the teachers who were off of the beat. It really did feel like the army.

"You are off...start again. Again. Listen for the beat! Just do it. No..not right. Not good enough.  Fix this!"

We were all scared to death of her I think, but only because we respected her incredible talent so much. She was teaching us to handle pressure and difficult situations so that we would be able to flourish in a real class setting.  She wanted us to be successful.

Though she had a tough side, she was extremely funny while sharing her own stories of teaching nightmares and she was always the first one to laugh at anything she may have said or done that was incorrect. She leads with her heart and this is what I love most about Shawna.

Thank you so much for all you have done for me Shawna.  I am only successful at teaching fitness because of the time you took to prepare me properly!

My message for today is to reach out to those people who have played a role in making you fabulous and thank them. You will make their day and yours.

Have a great day everyone,
Beth







 

Vacation: Now What?

Vacation time is not always easy for people.

People working 9-5pm or shift work, usually cannot wait for a break in their job to sit on a beach somewhere and be completely mindless.

Retired individuals, love visiting family and friends, but they are always telling me "everyday is Friday." They do not want their routines to change.

These clients come regularly to classes and many of them do not appreciate when our gym closes for a week or two or three, depending on the time of year.

I often hear, "Why are we stopping?"

I usually laugh and express how much the teacher needs a vacation after teaching for ten or twelve weeks straight.  Of course they understand but I know where their concerns lie.

When we fall out of our routine, our fitness takes a bit of a hit depending on how in shape we are at the time that we stop.

I have some younger, working clients, who get upset because the exercise helps them to be productive at work by relieving stress.  I have other clients who are in the midst of working hard to lose weight and once their class stops they are fearful that the weight lost will come back. Some individuals use the their time at the gym for social purposes as they are alone otherwise!

Like it or not, we are off from classes this week but you can keep your fitness routine going to an extent by being active in that time slot when you would normally be in class.

I have always made it my mission to teach my students details about how and why we are doing each exercise. I am sure that you can workout on your own this week!

You can buy weights at the store for about a dollar a pound and if you sit down and really think about all that you have done with me over this past session, I am 99% sure that you can recreate the exercise keeping my voice in your head.

My yoga/stretch/relax classes can certainly do the routine with their eyes closed!  Simply put on some meditative music or use no music at all and once you get yourself on the matt, ( or the chair) it will all come to you, I promise!

Walk or dance around for a good 5 to 10 minutes before beginning any muscle conditioning or stretching session. Put on your favourite music and have fun for 30 minutes. See what you can remember.

What Beth's voice would be telling you:

How is your posture?

Are your shoulders back and down?

Is your head back, between the shoulders and not sticking out in front?

If something hurts stop and chose the easier alternative and if you cannot remember it, then try another exercise.

As you perform the exercises, exhale with the hard part.  Do not hold your breath. Breathe!

Move slowly as we do in class: "Up for a count of two and down for a count of two!"

Can you talk during the exercise? I keep you talking/laughing to make sure the intensity is not too hard. If you are unable to speak a sentence then you may be pushing yourself a bit much.

Specifically for stretching, if your breath is short and shallow, the stretch is too difficult. Your breath should be long and smooth, not short and choppy.
----------------

While we are on this brief break before the summer session starts, keep in mind that though I am not with you, I am hard at work preparing the next 8-10 weeks of classes.

Have a great day everyone and even if you simply walk or dance during the hour that we are normally together, that is better than nothing!

Keep moving.

Have a great day!

Beth

A message of gratitude.

Today is the last day of classes for many of my students.  I just want to write a short message of thanks to each and every one of you for sharing your time with me this year.

I am so proud of all of you for not missing classes, despite the weather this past winter.  I am thankful that you have made your health a top priority and that many of you build your schedules around the classes, so that nothing will conflict with your routine. 

A huge thank you as well to my line dance students who came out in droves ( 100 students at the first class)  last fall.  We split the class into two and you have all kept coming!  Most of you had never danced before and look at you now!!!  This program is here to stay. It is fun and a great workout for your brain and body!

I can tell you that I see a huge difference in the students who come to my classes regularly, versus the ones who I only see once in awhile.  This is encouraging to me because I know that my programming works, as you are all so fabulously healthy and fit.

I have been teaching many of you for 14 years now, some for 17! What is most amazing to me is how you have not aged in that time at all.  You are all a testament to the fact that exercise keeps you young in mind, body and soul.  Many of you say that you are inspired by my energy and enthusiasm but make no mistake that it is I who is inspired by your achievements.

Summer is almost upon us.  Many of you take the occasion to do a lot of travelling and visiting with friends and family.  If I am not going to see you in the summer classes, please try to be as active as possible. As a minimum, walk and stretch.

Thanks for all of your support and keep tuning into the blog.  I will still be writing everyday!

Yours,

Beth

Whether you are 50 or 70, it is never too late to start!

If you are planning on living out the rest of your life in good health, I highly recommend this book, "What Makes Olga Run?" by Bruce Grierson.

This is the story of Canadian Track and Field legend, Olga Kotelko, who took up the sport at age 77.

As I work primarily with people over the age of 50, I am deeply interested in hearing how the Boomers are redefining what it means to be a "senior citizen."

My students are so fit that I constantly brag about their abilities to younger individuals.  They are too shy to let me name them but Lady X, who is over 80, can hold a plank on her elbows and toes, using a stability ball, for 1 minute, in perfect form I might add.

I have clients well into their 70's who can Step at 128 bpm for 30 minutes while performing complicated choreography.  All of them have excellent balance and abdominal strength that far surpasses a lot of 30 year olds.

I have line dancers who can remember 64 counts of fast moving choreography, with tags and re-starts and spins! They often remind me when I have missed a move! Not to mention their flexibility!  It is amazing.

Sadly though, this is not the norm..  Most people give up on fitness altogether once they hit a certain age and that's when the quick decline happens in all aspects of health. If you are younger than 95 and feeling like you have missed your chance to be active, Olga's story will be uplifting.

Olga's achievements are unbelievable.  Bruce gives us a candid look at Olga's life in an attempt to try to figure out what exactly made her so different from the rest of us.  She held over 25 World Records in her age category and won over 700 gold medals, which according to Bruce she liked to give away to special individuals as she had "so many of them!"

Bruce lets you in on what Olga ate, how she trained and what her routines were.  It's fascinating and some of the information may encourage you to "get off your butt," as Olga would say. I do not want to give away all of her secrets, I want you to read about her life yourself.  I will tell you that Olga's main piece of advice is to keep moving.

My advice today, is to set physical goals for yourself.  Goals that will keep you motivated to get off of the couch and move.  How many times can you walk/run around the block? How long can you hold plank? How can you improve this? Set some personal goals this summer and have fun achieving them.

Olga insists that having goals gives us a reason to get outside and be with people. She lived until 95 in excellent physical health, beating records right up until the end. Olga was never a burden to anyone and is a wonderful reminder that age is just a number. It is never too late to take up a new sport or activity.

We are meant to inspire each other while we are here on this earth.

Set one simple goal today and get moving.

Maybe head to the library or the book store and get a copy of Olga's story. She has truly inspired me to live my life to the fullest.

Enjoy!
Beth

Do you see the little things?

I guess because we live in the country, my husband and I have a thing for creatures big and small.  We have a stream behind our home so we often have dragonflies flying around our garden and backyard.  Occasionally they get stuck in one of our carports and instead of letting them die, we save them. This weekend I took a picture of the one my husband rescued.  Look at that face!

Last week, when I was at the spa resting in one of the solarium areas, I heard the familiar sound of a dragonfly's wings, beating against the window pane.  There were people all around not noticing this poor fly trying to get outside.  I did not want to cause a scene or disturb people's rest, so I waited until just two people remained in the area. I approached the fly who, by this time, was frantically trying to squeeze himself through what looked like a crack in the wall.


Most people I know would smash him to bits or ignore him altogether and let him die of starvation or exhaustion but not me, I have to make his survival my goal! I do this with spiders in my house if they are small. If they are big I have to get someone braver to pick them up. I really am a bit crazy but I hate destroying life. It makes me feel terrible.  If I am teaching and there is a bug on the floor, I get so stressed because now I have make sure I don't accidentally step on him, as I care for all of the students in the room at the same time. What did I tell ya?  Crazy.

So as I stood at the spa window digging for him to come out of the crack, people were starting to wonder what to heck I was doing.  So I started talking to him.  "Come on now, I just want to help, do not make a fool of me. Let's do this together."

Well after a bit of prying, he committed to riding on my finger as I carried him away from the window. I fully expected him to freak out and head back to his hiding spot but I he stayed put. In fact, I was able to walk all around outside with him and he would not leave my hand.  I tried putting him down several times but he wanted to stay!

At this point, I could feel myself becoming red and a bit embarrassed as I walked around the hot tubs with this big bug on my hand. I was honoured that he trusted me enough to stay so long. I got a chance to take in his colours and beauty for so long. Eventually he agreed to be put down on a plant leaf and we parted ways.

The moral of this story is to listen for the little things in life.

We are so bombarded by loud noises and music and advertizing that we often cannot hear the bird singing or a dragonfly's wings flapping.  It is quite a sound. Apparently it can fly 45 mph; it can fly backwards like a hummingbird; it can hover like a helicopter and also it can also fly straight up and down and side to side.

From what I have read, the dragonfly symbolizes change and a sense of self realization. It is seen as a symbol of power and agility, prosperity and good luck.

Next time you get the chance, enjoy the presence of this amazing creature.  They really are stunning.

Look out for the little things around you today. Breathe and take in the view. We can learn a lot about ourselves and others living like this.

Have a great day everyone,
Beth

Thank your critics!

 

After successfully completing my fitness instructor training program, this was the answer I received from my first fitness boss.

" I am sorry but you are not strong enough to teach the nighttime classes!"

I was 31 and full of energy and enthusiasm. I had put myself through school in the evenings as my kids were all under under 5 years old. I needed to work at night so I could be at home with them in the daytime.

That man's words crushed me. Especially since I had been attending this small club for many years and was also helping to run the place.  I believed that I was a very good teacher up until those words were said to me and then the monster of self doubt began to grow inside of me.

We sometimes forget how powerful words can be.  I may have given up my pursuit because of the way that he worded his answer.  I wonder how differently my life would have turned out, had I listened to him and given up.

Thankfully the lady who trained me needed a substitute to fill in for her during the summer so I did get my start.  I was liked so much that she ended up giving me a class in the evenings. After teaching my first 12 week session, the class was so popular that there was a waiting list to get in!

Well over 15 years later my classes are full and more importantly my students are healthy and happy.

In retrospect, I do not hold anything against my first "fitness" boss. He was simply not good at communicating. He could have chosen a far better way to word his opinion. 

When I am experiencing one of my many moments of joy while teaching, I often flash back to that meeting and smile and thank him as because of him, I pushed myself to be the best teacher that I could be.  I also realized shortly after taking that first job, that it is not my mission to be the "strongest" person in the room. My mission is to help my students to be their best!

Follow your heart and thank your critics because they can sometimes give us that little bit of magic that separates us from the crowd.

Have a great day everyone!
Beth

What is that green stuff in your cup?

I get asked about my diet all of the time.  Primarily because over this past year my students have seen me come to terms with the fact that I have developed a serious allergy to gluten.  This allergy started appearing in 2011 and after 4 misdiagnoses, I finally know what has been causing my skin problems.

"What do you eat, if you cannot eat bread?"

"I could not do what you do, I would die without bread, pasta, cookies and cake!"

Well I am happy to report that I did not die when I walked away from all things gluten last October. In fact, I now have more energy than I have ever had and I am eating far more food than I ever did before but instead of filling up on bread and pasta and the like, I am actually eating all of the vegetables and fruit and lean protein that we are supposed to eat! 

Today's blog is meant to give you a tiny bit of insight into what I am eating and perhaps it may inspire you to try a new recipe.

Above you see a picture of my Magic Bullet loaded with fruit and spinach.

This is what it looks like when blended and below you can see what I am sipping all morning long for energy as I teach my 3 hours of fitness classes.

I began drinking this "green" smoothie last year at this time because I was diagnosed with Anemia and I wanted to start getting more iron into my diet. It may look weird but it is absolutely delicious and I am happy to report that I have reversed my anemia. Not just by adding this drink into my regime but by being on an iron supplement and watching everything that I eat, I have raised my iron back up to normal levels.  I now look forward to eating all things green!  :)

I encourage you to give this smoothie a try. I buy organic food as much as possible. No, I do not have the money to do this per say, but as I have said before, I cut back on my other lifestyle choices in order to eat as healthy as possible.

 I use frozen ingredients because fresh ingredients can spoil before I can use it all up.  Organic Spinach in leaves, not the cubes, is excellent in this recipe but I have used both!

1/2  cup frozen spinach or 1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1/2 a ripe banana or a bit more if you like
1/2 an orange peeled with seeds and skin removed but I usually use 1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of coconut water ( I use Coconut Dream beverage unsweetened)
1/2 cup or more of water depending on how thick you like it

Blend it all up and then you can add:
2 tbsp hemp seeds if you want extra protein.  ( I buy Manitoba Harvest)

Blend only for 30 seconds longer to preserve the nutritional value of the seed

Add as much water as you feel you need to get the right texture.

Enjoy!

Have a great weekend.
Beth

Thanks to my daughter!

I had the pleasure of spending the day with my sweet Sarah yesterday up north at the Spa.  For any of you who have kids it is just amazing to me how we turn around at one point and they are all grown up.

Sarah is 20 years old now and has accomplished so much already!  She has completed college and is a manager at a restaurant.  She is preparing for a trip to Europe and seems to have it all under control.

Even as a three year old she was fearless and helpful.  Here is she on one of her maiden walks down the country road to her friends house, with her little brother in tow, teaching him how to do it!

 Fyi, I was freaked out that my babies were heading off on their own but Sarah has taught me time and time again that she's "got this!" I was a bit of a nervous Mom. The first time my oldest rode his bicycle around the block by himself, I think I sat on the porch and cried and prayed he would be fine.  Now he is riding dirt bikes and all kinds of machines doing crazy stunts and having a blast...while I am not watching of course!

Funny thing is,I do not remember my parents stressing about my whereabouts at all while I was growing up. We left the house in the morning and returned for lunch and then dinner and then bedtime. No questions. No concerns.

When Sarah started college in Montreal, the big city, I was equally as afraid but now she stands before me an accomplished young woman with a passion for art, a huge heart and a joy for life that is lovely to be around.

Watching her sleep at the Spa yesterday certainly tells me that we never stop being Mom's.  To me she was three all over again, all curled up for a restful afternoon nap.  Wow, I am such a suck! 

So today's post is a big thank you  to Sarah for persisting in discovering her true self, despite any attempts made by me to sway, direct and mother her in my direction!  As parents we figure we have to drive the bus and keep the door shut at certain intersections to protect our kids.  Sarah is living proof that letting her get off at the stops of her choosing, was the smartest thing I ever did.

Bravo my beautiful Sarah.

Hug your kids today...geeze they grow up and leave us fast!!
Beth

Spa Day Anyone?

I have a favorite Spa that I like to go to a few times per year that is north of Montreal. It is called, Spa Ofuro. You can find all of the info about pricing and services at spaofuro.com.

I started going there about 8 years ago when my life was incredibly hectic dealing with young kids and ailing parents. At the time, you could go and enjoy the hot and cold baths for $25 all day long if you went during the week!  It is a bit more expensive now but it is still a lovely place to relax and they have summer specials too!

 My message today is about self care.

While travelling up to the spa on one occasion, we stopped into a Depanneur close by.  I told the cashier what we were doing and her reaction was surprising to me.

"Oh I could never afford that!"

I told her how inexpensive it was to simply sit and enjoy nature and the baths and still she just felt like she could never afford the luxury of taking time for herself.

This is a choice really.

I am not rich but we can choose to not buy fast food, soda, cigarettes, alchohol, chips and cookies and the like and before you know it, we have saved up $50 to pay for gas and a day of relaxation.

It is all about choices. Plain and simple.

I recently finished a book called "Dying to Be Me," by Anita Moorjani.  In the book she describes her battle with terminal cancer, her eventual death and afterlife experience.  Whether you choose to believe in her story or not, her message was very clear.

We come from love, we are love and we are to share and give love while we are on earth. As Anita explains, "I knew more than ever that life was to be lived with joy and abandon."

Try to do things that make you happy.  That is your mission, because if you are happier, than the people around you will benefit from your joy and it will spread to make the world a better place.

What have you planned to do today just for you?

Get busy thinking and make it happen!!

Have a great day everyone.
Beth

Stretches to help with back pain

I have a few students in my classes who struggle with regular back pain.

As I have told you before, you must address the issue by first seeing your doctor or a physiotherapist to determine what the problem may be.

Carrying extra weight around your middle can put a lot of pressure on your spine.

Sitting for 6-8 hours or more at work and in the car can compound the problem as well.

Having weak abdominals and back muscles can be part of the problem. The key is to figure out what is happening and deal with it, as it will only get worse if you ignore the issue.

If you have been cleared by your doctor and/or physiotherapist, to do exercise, then I would suggest doing the stretches pictured above. Make sure you are warm before you begin.  Move through the stretches in a flowing way. You can use your breath as a guide by exhaling while doing the first stretch, then inhale while doing the second and then exhale while sitting back, return to neutral spine on all fours before re-starting. Be sure to roll through the vertebrae one at a time, nice and slow in a pain free range of motion. If something hurts then stop and book an appointment with your specialist.

Remember that if you are experiencing back pain, stress might be adding up in your life. We all have spots where we tend to hold our stress.  Mine is my upper back and neck.  When under stress, we tense up, and get tighter and tighter in these areas.  This can lead to imbalances in the body surrounding the spine and eventual pain. Do all you can to nurture yourself with good healthy food choices, regular exercise and stretching.

Take care of your back health,  so you can continue to do all of the activities that you love.

Have a wonderful day everyone.
Beth

 

The Tau of Turning Fifty - by Jennifer Boire

 It is no secret that I love books and I love to read and when I find a good one, I like to share!

I recently had the privilege of doing a Soul Collage workshop with the author of this book, Jennifer Boire.

Jenn leads workshops that support our inner journey toward everlasting health and happiness. Jenn has a real knack for helping us to unlock emotions and understand our behaviour.

Jenn's book is called, "The Tau of Turning Fifty. What Every Woman in Her forties Needs to Know." 

It is an excellent resource for any woman nearing this time of life. Jenn discusses all of the typical challenges that women experience and offers solutions to help us learn how to cope with our changing emotions and circumstances.

Here is a list of some of the chapters, to give you a sense of what the book is about:

I Have a Self? Self-Care for the Challenged
Why You Should Practice Self Care: Preventing Burn-out
I Am So Tired, I Just Want to Sleep! Why Rest is Radical.
Transformation, Healing and Release.
Re-discovering Life's Purpose

Within the book there are places to journal, with prompting questions to help you along the way. Jenn also includes a list of valuable books and resources.

This is a book to buy for yourself or a friend who maybe needs a hand as they near menopause.  It is clever, witty and informative.

To get a copy of Jenn's book you can contact her by copying and pasting the following links into your browser. It is very affordable and worth every penny.

https://www.facebook.com/TheTaoOfTurningFifty?fref=ts

http://www.jenniferboire.com/

All the best,
Beth

Thanks to my dream ....

I think we have all woken up having had an amazing dream, be it good or bad.

This morning I am up thanks to a  nightmare I was having about being so late for my first class, that I was actually reaching for my cell phone to text my boss that I was not going to make it in on time.

Turns out that in real life my alarm had gone off but I went right back to sleep...I never do this. Ever.

I then proceeded to have a terrible dream where I simply could not get myself together on time. For people who know me, you know that "timing" is my thing!  I am never late, off the beat and food arrives at the table piping hot etc.  I am very organized so I guess when I have nightmares, time is involved!

I will spare you the crazy details but suffice it to say that it felt like it had been going on for hours, when in reality a half an hour had passed. I found myself opening my eyes in real time to get my phone to text my boss the bad news that she had twenty minutes to find a replacement for me and realized that I was actually late!  I jumped so high my husband must have thought there was a real emergency.

Two weeks ago, I was having such a bad dream that it kept looping over and over and I only snapped out of it when I heard my name being called and whoever was calling me would not stop until I woke up.  When I opened my eyes, my husband was asleep and my kids had slept out that night. No one was calling my name.

All to say that somehow we are connected to another realm through our sleep. I am guessing papers could be written about the specifics of my dreams and what they are telling me.  All I know is that I have to get ready for work so I do not make this recent nightmare and reality! LOL.

Have a great day everyone.


Beth