I meet clients everyday who are dealing with chronic pain or disease and when they show up in my class, smiling and ready to take on the days fitness challenge, I am humbled.
At 48, I have the regular aches and pains as I inch toward the big 5, 0. I have some health issues that have kicked my butt over the last five years, but nothing compares to the student who has battled breast cancer and won, or the plentitude of broken hearts from the loss of a spouse or child. I have watched many of my students rise up from what appeared to be unsurmountable odds and return to my classes with smiles in tact.
So whenever I feel like giving up, and staying in bed, I think about all of my students and the loads that they are carrying to class. I am reminded that it is all about our attitude toward life.
We cannot change what happens to us but we can change how we react.
It may be hard to get to class but if we can just get ourselves there, the smiles around us and the laughter will carry us through the exercise.
This is when the magic happens.
We forget our troubles and concerns for just a short while and in that space, we feel lighter and momentarily relieved. Yes, I said relieved. Even when we are doing sit-ups or push-ups, our minds and hearts get a break, as our muscles meet the challenge.
Exercise makes us feel better. When we feel better, we make better choices about our food and our health in general. When we make better choices, our bodies respond and our pain is alleviated. Over a period of time, we become happier and healthier.
Magic!
See you soon,
Beth
Monday 29 February 2016
Thursday 25 February 2016
What is your story?
I am writing a fitness book and I would love to have a few sentences written by you, my student, on how you feel regular exercise has positively affected your life.
For years my students have been asking me for my workout routines, and/or a DVD that they could follow at home. Well I am happy to say that it is in the works.
What I would love is to have one or two sentences from you, telling me how you feel that exercise has changed your life. I can talk about the benefits until I am blue in the face, and sometimes I do, but there is nothing like having living proof to back up my claims.
Perhaps your balance has improved or your edurance. Maybe your flexibilty or strength has increased or perhaps you have lost 10lbs. How did these changes make your life better?
You can email me at:
betholdfield01@gmail.com
Only I will see these emails and please let me know if I can quote you. If you are comfortable listing your age I would appreciate this, as I am very proud of the abilitites of my students. My students who are over 50, 60, 70 and 80 years old are performing beyond expectation.
Even if you do not want me to put any of your words in print, perhaps just send me an email anyway to motivate me to continue on with this project. Your trainer could use some inspiration. Will you help me out?
Have a great day and see you soon,
Beth
Tuesday 23 February 2016
Do I exercise when in pain?
I get asked this question for two different reasons but the answer is always the same: you must listen to your body and above all else do what feels right for you.
Arthritis sufferers know that even when they are tired they need to move or they will feel worse. The trick for this clientele is knowing when it is a rest day and when they should push themselves a bit to workout or to do a bit more activity. So in this case, I always tell my clients to first follow the doctor's orders and then to listen to their heart. It would not be right for me to insist that this type of client force themselves through a workout, when they may be in a flare up that results in making the condition worse.
What I will tell you however is that through my reading and listening to recent lectures, working your muscles with weights, takes the load off of the joints that are in pain. Your muscles need to be strong if you have arthritis so that they can absorb the impact of daily living and not your joints. My clients with arthritis tell me how important it is to move every single day.
The other reason that I get asked if we should move when in pain, is when people have trained really hard and their muscles are so sore that they have trouble walking up and down the stairs or raising their arms etc. This type of discomfort can be normal up to 3 days after a hard workout. The key here is to know the difference between injury and muscle fatigue. If when you push on the pain point and it is extremely painful, red and tender you may have an injury. If your whole thigh muscle simply feels sore than you probably did too many squats or had not done any in many weeks or months and just getting back into the routine will be a bit painful. In the later case it is always better to be active and move those specific joints by taking a yoga class or by doing a lighter workout.
When we are in pain our body is giving us messages. We have to listen and do what feels right for us. I will say with the utmost confidence however that I have never had a client say to me, that they are sorry that they worked out!
It always feels better to move than to sit and feel miserable and focus on our pain. Just chose the type of activity that feels right for you at the time and get moving.
See you soon,
Beth
Arthritis sufferers know that even when they are tired they need to move or they will feel worse. The trick for this clientele is knowing when it is a rest day and when they should push themselves a bit to workout or to do a bit more activity. So in this case, I always tell my clients to first follow the doctor's orders and then to listen to their heart. It would not be right for me to insist that this type of client force themselves through a workout, when they may be in a flare up that results in making the condition worse.
What I will tell you however is that through my reading and listening to recent lectures, working your muscles with weights, takes the load off of the joints that are in pain. Your muscles need to be strong if you have arthritis so that they can absorb the impact of daily living and not your joints. My clients with arthritis tell me how important it is to move every single day.
The other reason that I get asked if we should move when in pain, is when people have trained really hard and their muscles are so sore that they have trouble walking up and down the stairs or raising their arms etc. This type of discomfort can be normal up to 3 days after a hard workout. The key here is to know the difference between injury and muscle fatigue. If when you push on the pain point and it is extremely painful, red and tender you may have an injury. If your whole thigh muscle simply feels sore than you probably did too many squats or had not done any in many weeks or months and just getting back into the routine will be a bit painful. In the later case it is always better to be active and move those specific joints by taking a yoga class or by doing a lighter workout.
When we are in pain our body is giving us messages. We have to listen and do what feels right for us. I will say with the utmost confidence however that I have never had a client say to me, that they are sorry that they worked out!
It always feels better to move than to sit and feel miserable and focus on our pain. Just chose the type of activity that feels right for you at the time and get moving.
See you soon,
Beth
Monday 22 February 2016
The Best Exercise
While it is true that if you have an injury, or if you are physically limited in some way, there may be 'better' exercises for you to do than others, I believe that the best exercise is the one that you will actually do everyday, or three times per week.
I love being in the gym and can be there for hours teaching or taking different classes. If someone said that the best exercise was cross country skiing or kick boxing and that nothing else can compare, I would be very discouraged, as I do not like either one of these activities. We are all motivated by different things and none of us will continue an activity that we do not like.
You have to find that one thing that you love so much, you will do it when the weather is unpleasant or you are very busy. It is so easy to make excuses for not taking care of ourselves, that we need to tap into that one type of fitness that will keep us committed. Often we are our own worst enemy when it comes to commitment, so choose an activity that you enjoy and if you have not found it yet, keep looking.
Once you have found that perfect exercise class or activity, you still need to train in a balanced way.
Make sure that your whole body is being trained and not just the muscles used in the said activity. Remember to train for strength, balance and flexibility. You need to work on all the components of physical conditioning, to be able to do that activity, to the best of your ability, for as long as possible.
This might be the one thing that is missing in your routine because you do not like to formally workout but it is very important if you want to stay healthy and avoid overuse injuries from your favorite sport.
You have to keep your health in balance, to continue to live pain free. So while walking may be your favorite activity, your muscles upper body muscles and core are atrophying if you are not training them. This fact can set you up for physical problems down the road which may take you away from walking.
Find your balance.
Have a wonderful day.
Beth
Thursday 18 February 2016
Confronting Your Issues
What I love most about yoga is how it forces us to face various issues in our lives. It is not just about sitting down and relaxing.
Yoga is not always easy.
Discovering that you cannot touch your toes like someone else your age or older, is a pretty sobering experience. Discovering that your wrists, knees or your hips are too tight to hold certain poses with any degree of confidence or comfort, can be quite discouraging. Past injuries can make certain poses completely unattainable.
Confronting these issues is part of learning acceptance, for who we are, at that very moment.
We cannot change the things that happen to us but we can change our reaction.
Instead of beating ourselves up for not being able to do perfect poses, yoga affords us the time and space in which we can learn to relax into who we are today. If we wish to improve our physical or mental state, yoga can help us to do so at our own pace, whether this means becoming more flexible or simply accepting our limitations.
Lets face it, having limited flexibility is stressful on our joints. Not being able move with ease can cause us to avoid living. Perhaps we do not participate in family activities because of various physical limitations.
This stress can erode our health in more ways than one.
I remind my students that even though we may experience challenges during certain poses, learning to simply breathe and accept, ultimately teaches us how to deal with with stress better in our daily lives.
"All that matters is our ability to breathe in and breathe out.
Yoga practice is a great place to start accepting and loving ourselves.
Have a great day.
Beth
Yoga is not always easy.
Discovering that you cannot touch your toes like someone else your age or older, is a pretty sobering experience. Discovering that your wrists, knees or your hips are too tight to hold certain poses with any degree of confidence or comfort, can be quite discouraging. Past injuries can make certain poses completely unattainable.
Confronting these issues is part of learning acceptance, for who we are, at that very moment.
We cannot change the things that happen to us but we can change our reaction.
Instead of beating ourselves up for not being able to do perfect poses, yoga affords us the time and space in which we can learn to relax into who we are today. If we wish to improve our physical or mental state, yoga can help us to do so at our own pace, whether this means becoming more flexible or simply accepting our limitations.
Lets face it, having limited flexibility is stressful on our joints. Not being able move with ease can cause us to avoid living. Perhaps we do not participate in family activities because of various physical limitations.
This stress can erode our health in more ways than one.
I remind my students that even though we may experience challenges during certain poses, learning to simply breathe and accept, ultimately teaches us how to deal with with stress better in our daily lives.
"All that matters is our ability to breathe in and breathe out.
Yoga practice is a great place to start accepting and loving ourselves.
Have a great day.
Beth
Tuesday 16 February 2016
Counting Your Steps!
I am so impressed with all of my students who have these little gadgets on their wrists or hips, that count their steps. Some of you are in teams as you try to beat others everyday and some of you are just working at it solo. In either case, I want you to know how very proud I am of your efforts and how fascinated I am when you come up to tell me how many steps my workout gives you!
I have heard rumours that my 25 minute aerobic class measures out at over 3000 steps and my hour long line dance clocks in at over 5000 steps. I just love watching you all compare your numbers and get excited about the amount that you are moving in a day.
February is a hard month to get through in Montreal. We have just come out of a deep freeze and now we are expecting 10 cm of snow and then freezing rain. Please note that I know how hard it is for you to get yourself to class. I was amazed that I had as many students as I had in class yesterday when the temperature was -25'. 18 people made it out to my Stability Ball class at nine am. Some arriving late as the car would not start. Then we were 38 in aerobics and 36 in Yoga/Stretch. Bravo!!!
You all keep me motivated to get myself out on these cold mornings. If you can make it there, so can I. Without you, I would be quite lonely.
Have a wonderful day..and keep counting and telling me your success stories. I love hearing them.
Beth
Friday 12 February 2016
What About Your Bones?
On Wednesday, I attended a moderated discussion at McGill with Dr. Lora Giangregorio, an associate professor in the department of Kinesiology, at the University of Waterloo. She was being honoured for her research into the use of exercise, in the management of osteoporosis.
"Bone disease affects more Canadians than heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined."
I was shocked to learn this fact.
The problem is that we often do not know that we have an issue with our bones, until we fall and break something.
I have been in the fitness industry, working out regularly and then teaching, for over 25 years. I have osteopenia and only found this out because my doctor ordered a bone mineral density test, as a result of my gluten intolerance. I found this out at 48 years old.
My father who died in his 80's had osteoporosis but did not know it. We found out because of the autopsy.
So just because you do not fit the standard "old decrepit person" profile, does not mean you get a free pass and can ignore your bones. You may have brittle bones because of diet, heredity or disease or menopause and not even know it.
The biggest lesson that I learned from this discussion, is that as a fitness professional who deals with the older adult ( 50 years old + ), I have to design group fitness programs that do not put my clients at risk.
Dr. Giangregorio suggests weight training exercise two times per week, so for example Tuesday and Thursday. She suggests implementing a diverse program that includes balance training to help prevent falls. If you are not in a gym yet, get going. Your bones need it!
In my humble opinion, high impact exercise that includes repetitive, rapid, loaded twisting is not safe for this clientele because we simply do not know if their bones are in good enough shape to handle it. So for example, doing fast paced cardio with weights in our hands, while lunging and twisting to the side, is better left to the younger population.
I am happy to say that I feel very confident having attended this discussion. I have always chosen to err on the side of caution with my students. While it is tempting to try some of the latest, high impact "fun" looking exercises with my clients, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt them. We stick to the basics of improving our muscle strength, our balance and our cardio, not to mention our memories with line dancing! Lot and lots of laughter helps as well.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Beth
"Bone disease affects more Canadians than heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined."
I was shocked to learn this fact.
The problem is that we often do not know that we have an issue with our bones, until we fall and break something.
I have been in the fitness industry, working out regularly and then teaching, for over 25 years. I have osteopenia and only found this out because my doctor ordered a bone mineral density test, as a result of my gluten intolerance. I found this out at 48 years old.
My father who died in his 80's had osteoporosis but did not know it. We found out because of the autopsy.
So just because you do not fit the standard "old decrepit person" profile, does not mean you get a free pass and can ignore your bones. You may have brittle bones because of diet, heredity or disease or menopause and not even know it.
The biggest lesson that I learned from this discussion, is that as a fitness professional who deals with the older adult ( 50 years old + ), I have to design group fitness programs that do not put my clients at risk.
Dr. Giangregorio suggests weight training exercise two times per week, so for example Tuesday and Thursday. She suggests implementing a diverse program that includes balance training to help prevent falls. If you are not in a gym yet, get going. Your bones need it!
In my humble opinion, high impact exercise that includes repetitive, rapid, loaded twisting is not safe for this clientele because we simply do not know if their bones are in good enough shape to handle it. So for example, doing fast paced cardio with weights in our hands, while lunging and twisting to the side, is better left to the younger population.
I am happy to say that I feel very confident having attended this discussion. I have always chosen to err on the side of caution with my students. While it is tempting to try some of the latest, high impact "fun" looking exercises with my clients, the last thing I ever want to do is hurt them. We stick to the basics of improving our muscle strength, our balance and our cardio, not to mention our memories with line dancing! Lot and lots of laughter helps as well.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Beth
Tuesday 9 February 2016
Are You Injuring Yourself?
Yesterday, I had a few clients come up to me complaining about shoulder pain and/or knee pain. Now this was in my group fitness class and I only see these clients once per week. I of course cautioned them to always listen to their body and if something hurts, to not push through any pain but to stop immediately and if the pain persists, to see a doctor.
I know that many of you go to a number of classes per week, which is fine, but if you are doing squats in every single class, you are at risk for injuring your knee. If you are doing military press every single day, you will injure your shoulder.
You must leave a day in between training muscle groups, to allow for rest and recovery and growth. If you are not affording your body the chance to heal, than you are overusing the joint and may injure yourself. If you attend my classes everyday, than I make sure that what we do on Monday is different that what we do on Tuesday etc.
There are many teachers and many types of classes. It would be impossible for all teachers, in our club for example, to know what the others are doing and to co-ordinate the muscle groups being worked. Therefore be proactive in your approach and if you see that the teacher has a muscle group planned that you did yesterday, ask for an alternative or use lighter weight or no weight or do another exercise altogether.
I hate hearing that people are developing injuries. It is part of living an active lifestyle but it can be avoided. You have to train properly. Vary your weekly workouts. Do not just choose a time slot and insist on only attending that class because of the time, no matter what the workout is. Try a yoga class or a pilates class or a dance class. This will help you to achieve balance and avoid injury.
Good luck!
Beth
Friday 5 February 2016
The Best Medicine
This week I have been fighting sickness. I had to leave work early on Tuesday because I was feeling so completely exhausted, dizzy, nauseated etc. I am happy to say that rest, fluids, good food and lots and lots of sleep allowed me to return to work on Thursday.
I just saw a meme circulating of facebook that reminds us that the best doctors are sunshine; water; rest; fresh air; exercise and diet. I would go so far as to say that keeping all of these elements in balance is what keeps us healthy in the first place. When one of the elements is off, I believe that we open ourselves up to sickness.
I did go out last weekend and I did fall out of my good eating and sleep pattern. My body was out of balance and perhaps that is why I ended up picking up this virus. I guess at the age of 48 I cannot afford to party quite the same as I did when I was much younger.
The good news is I recovered quickly. I cancelled the rest of my day the minute I knew something was off and I listened to my body. I went home.
I also wish that we all had the luxury of leaving work when we know we are sick. I know this is not always possible. The truth is we are not very effective at our jobs if we are trying to work while we are sick.
My biggest regret this past week is that there was a new lady in one of my classes and while I did greet her with a smile, I had absolutely no energy to focus on making sure that she got the most of the class. She did not return on Thursday.
Remember that I told you a long time ago to give a class three chances before making a decision about whether or not it is for you. I was having an "off" day and could not deliver my best. This is a rare event. Hopefully she will return.
Have a wonderful day and drink water!!!!
Beth
I just saw a meme circulating of facebook that reminds us that the best doctors are sunshine; water; rest; fresh air; exercise and diet. I would go so far as to say that keeping all of these elements in balance is what keeps us healthy in the first place. When one of the elements is off, I believe that we open ourselves up to sickness.
I did go out last weekend and I did fall out of my good eating and sleep pattern. My body was out of balance and perhaps that is why I ended up picking up this virus. I guess at the age of 48 I cannot afford to party quite the same as I did when I was much younger.
The good news is I recovered quickly. I cancelled the rest of my day the minute I knew something was off and I listened to my body. I went home.
I also wish that we all had the luxury of leaving work when we know we are sick. I know this is not always possible. The truth is we are not very effective at our jobs if we are trying to work while we are sick.
My biggest regret this past week is that there was a new lady in one of my classes and while I did greet her with a smile, I had absolutely no energy to focus on making sure that she got the most of the class. She did not return on Thursday.
Remember that I told you a long time ago to give a class three chances before making a decision about whether or not it is for you. I was having an "off" day and could not deliver my best. This is a rare event. Hopefully she will return.
Have a wonderful day and drink water!!!!
Beth
Thursday 4 February 2016
"I am only here because it's raining!"
My students are very active individuals. In the winter many of them are on the slopes or snowshoeing etc. Yesterday, one of my students walked up to me and made it quite clear, that she was only present because the weather was not conducive to outside fun. While I laughed and said that I was glad she was joining the class, I must let you all know that it is still important to workout formally, even though you take part in physical activities.
I lose many people every summer because of golf and then a few because of the ski season. My only fear when this happens, is the lack of stretching, and formal training that is not happening for key areas of the body such as the back and abdominals.
If you must leave us for months at a time, remember to try to do a formal workout at least three times per week, to keep all of your muscles in good shape. I am not sure why people cannot commit to keeping their fitness routines going, despite the various sports that change with the season.
I have clients who will not miss their workout even if job demands it. Those individuals make sure that their workplace honours their commitment to their health. I just wish that everyone would do this, even when they are retired.
I am told constantly that retirement gives us the freedom to do what we want, when we want. The choice is ours, no matter our age.
See you soon,
Beth
I lose many people every summer because of golf and then a few because of the ski season. My only fear when this happens, is the lack of stretching, and formal training that is not happening for key areas of the body such as the back and abdominals.
If you must leave us for months at a time, remember to try to do a formal workout at least three times per week, to keep all of your muscles in good shape. I am not sure why people cannot commit to keeping their fitness routines going, despite the various sports that change with the season.
I have clients who will not miss their workout even if job demands it. Those individuals make sure that their workplace honours their commitment to their health. I just wish that everyone would do this, even when they are retired.
I am told constantly that retirement gives us the freedom to do what we want, when we want. The choice is ours, no matter our age.
See you soon,
Beth
Tuesday 2 February 2016
New Workout Blues
It is a new month, which means new programs for all of my students. Today, I introduced the new routines to many of my classes ( each routine being different, as I teach all different levels of fitness) and there was quite a bit of grumbling going around the room.
Yes, I know that it is hard to learn new exercises but the whole point is that you have mastered the January programs and now it is time to change things around. We want to switch up the way we work out to prevent overuse injuries and to avoid the dreaded plateau effect. When we always train in exactly the same way, our bodies adapt and then we stop seeing results.
I try to build on the skills that you have mastered over the month by increasing the difficulty slightly. Your body is then forced to "work" again. You will burn more calories and increase strength and flexibility.
We are working hard on our balance so there were many reasons for the grumbling today. Perhaps you discovered areas of your physical fitness that need improving. This can make us feel a bit down but remember that we felt this way one month ago. Many of us had a month off over the holidays, so that first week back was quite challenging.
I have every confidence that you will love this new program as much as the last one.
Well, maybe 'love' is a big word.
You will start to find your comfort level quite quickly. Just remember that class is not optional. :)
Have a wonderful day.
Beth
Monday 1 February 2016
The Importance of Flexibility
I meet so many wonderfully fit individuals. Ladies and men alike who come to the gym regularly to keep their bodies healthy and in top shape. These individuals are serious about their fitness regime, but I am sad to say that most of them spend little or no time stretching or improving their flexibility.
It is so important to train all of your muscles in a balanced way.
For example, you do not train your abdominals, without also training your back. You would not just train your biceps and forget about your triceps. If you do forget to train the opposing muscle group, you can end up being out of balance and cause yourself injury.
In addition, if you train your muscles to be strong, you must also train them to be flexible. If we do not do this, our range of motion may be limited, which puts us at risk for tearing a tendon or a muscle. Simple movements like bending over to pick something up, or twisting quickly to catch a ball, can result in tears if we are not flexible. If you have ever been to a physiotherapist, you know that they often identify the tight muscle group as part of the problem, if not the main cause of the injury.
In all of my muscle conditioning classes, we have always finished with yoga postures for the last 10 to 15 minutes of class. I just did not call them by name. For the most part, I simply directed the stretch while we chatted and laughed and amused ourselves! So do not be afraid to attend my yoga classes. You will be very familiar with the postures.
I am happy to say that my new Tuesday yoga stretch at the Quanta Wellness Center is full for this month.
This class is a wonderful addition to any fitness regime as it is designed to increase flexibility and relieve stress.
I still have space available on Thursdays and I hope that some of you will consider venturing over to this lovely center. The atmosphere is quaint and calming.
Have a wonderful day everyone and get some stretching in today!
Quanta Wellness Center : 514-966-7463
Beth
It is so important to train all of your muscles in a balanced way.
For example, you do not train your abdominals, without also training your back. You would not just train your biceps and forget about your triceps. If you do forget to train the opposing muscle group, you can end up being out of balance and cause yourself injury.
In addition, if you train your muscles to be strong, you must also train them to be flexible. If we do not do this, our range of motion may be limited, which puts us at risk for tearing a tendon or a muscle. Simple movements like bending over to pick something up, or twisting quickly to catch a ball, can result in tears if we are not flexible. If you have ever been to a physiotherapist, you know that they often identify the tight muscle group as part of the problem, if not the main cause of the injury.
In all of my muscle conditioning classes, we have always finished with yoga postures for the last 10 to 15 minutes of class. I just did not call them by name. For the most part, I simply directed the stretch while we chatted and laughed and amused ourselves! So do not be afraid to attend my yoga classes. You will be very familiar with the postures.
I am happy to say that my new Tuesday yoga stretch at the Quanta Wellness Center is full for this month.
This class is a wonderful addition to any fitness regime as it is designed to increase flexibility and relieve stress.
I still have space available on Thursdays and I hope that some of you will consider venturing over to this lovely center. The atmosphere is quaint and calming.
Have a wonderful day everyone and get some stretching in today!
Quanta Wellness Center : 514-966-7463
Beth
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