Kindness Goes A Long Way

 "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." Author unknown.

Yesterday, I took the time to listen to someone who was visibly shaken by an event that had happened earlier in the day. I was in a rush but noticing that she really needed to talk, I sat down and listened intently offering any support that I could. She needed to express her feelings and in the end I gave her a hug.  She was so touched by my actions that it made me realize how this little act of human decency, is lacking in our society. Most people just want to be heard.

When we are frustrated it is easy to rush to anger, blame and shout. If I am on the receiving end, I try to look at what else might by going on in the life of that person. Most of the time, outbursts have far more to do with an underlying situation, than the situation at hand. And in the end, the contrast of the kindness that is shown to me far outweighs the rudeness.

Kindness really goes far so I am grateful and thankful for any that comes my way!

Have a wonderful day everyone.

Beth

It takes 3 classes!

It takes at least three classes to get used to a new type of exercise class.  Yesterday, I had some new people join my classes and I make sure to tell them that the first time is difficult for everyone.

It takes courage to walk into a room full of people when everyone seems to know everyone!  I am so grateful that I have caring students who take it upon themselves to welcome strangers and lend them a hand getting equipment. One of my regular students took the time to chat with one of the newcomers and let her know that it does get easier!

Stretching is so important to keep our bodies flexible, balanced and injury free. One of my students was able to touch her toes for the first time this week and another felt victorious as she was able to get her heels down to the mat in downward dog.

It takes time to achieve our goals and while I say that it takes at least three classes to feel comfortable in a class, it then takes a few weeks to start to see results.  Please do not expect instant transformations as those only happen on television. You are going to make mistakes. I still do and then we laugh together! That is just as valuable as the workout!

I am so proud of all of my students. I really am.

Have a great day! See you soon.
Beth

Yoga Stretch in May

If you have not tried my stretch class now is a great time. There is no class next Tuesday but the May session starts on the 3rd.

Last summer, I offered this course at Quanta and it filled up quickly. I anticipate this happening again so before June arrives, it is a great time to see what stretching can do for your body and mind!

The Quanta center offers a small intimate setting where I can work with small groups of 6-8 clients. If you attend any of my other classes you know that this is unique!

All you need is a yoga mat. The center offers cushions, bolsters, blankets and blocks.

If you want to drop in you must call ahead to let us know that you are coming!

If you want more information you can email me privately or read some of my blog posts about yoga. As a personal trainer, I use yoga postures to promote flexibility in the common problem areas of the body.

betholdfield01@gmail.com

Have a great weekend everyone.
Beth

Line Dance Party

If you are a student of mine and would like to have a chance to practice your line dance moves in a party setting, you are invited to attend a casual party this coming Saturday night April 23rd. It is taking place in the Beaconsfield area. 7-9pm

Please email me if you would like more details at:

betholdfield01@gmail.com

So far we will be approximately 25 dancers which will make for a lovely evening.

I will be serving tea and coffee and juice.  Everyone is asked to bring a tiny something to share.

I am so impressed with how my little line dance group has grown and improved over the years. There are about 40 level two dancers and 20 level one dancers. I started with one class and it is nice to see it gaining in popularity.

Line dance is excellent for your memory, balance and co-ordination and depending on your fitness level it is a great workout!

If you have always wondered what it is like, come and visit us Saturday night and try.

See you soon,
Beth

My Responsibility!

I am so lucky that at my classes are full. This is wonderful news for someone like myself who works so hard to create and deliver quality programming each session. Some gyms hire the teachers but also provide the programs. The teacher is simply responsible for delivering what the boss has designed.

What I am responsible for however is making certain that the room is safe for the clients and part of this is having to manage the large numbers of keen participants! In most gyms you have to pass through a turn style and show your identification to the reception desk. Our gym is very trusting and once you have paid for one of the four types of memberships, we generally trust that students will attend only the classes within the program that they have paid for.

I am responsible for checking peoples membership rights as they enter my class. Now that my numbers are growing I have to count the number of people entering to make sure that the room will be safe and effective for everyone. FYI, I have about 2 minutes to do all of this.

Should an accident happen in any class, the teacher is the one that will be scrutinised first to make certain that all protocols were followed. For example, did the clients have the proper foot wear and if not were they warned that they are at risk? Some clients forget their shoes and want to lift weights when they are barefoot. I have to make sure that they know there is risk involved. Some clients insist on chewing gum or having candy in their mouths while working out. This is a huge choking hazard and it is prohibited in our facility. I check shoelaces etc. Yesterday there was a new client doing aerobics too close to people's bags and he was at risk for tripping, so I had to tell him to move ahead.

I am there early to make sure that fire exits are clear. That the equipment is safe. That the floor is free from debris and that I have all of the equipment that I will need for all of the students who are going to show up.

All to say that my mind is on a million things not to mention delivering the program that I have designed.

So though I do my best to deliver this program with a cheerful smile on my face, if I seem a bit distracted it is because I have a concern within the room.

Ultimately we are all there to have fun, exercise and get in shape.

I love my job and my students.

Thank you to all of my students who help me out in whatever way that they can, be it putting away equipment or greeting new students.

Together we make magic happen every single day!

See you soon,
Beth

Mind Over Medicine?

I am reading this fascinating book written by Lissa Rankin, a medical doctor who believes that we can use the mind to prevent and heal disease.

For years, we have known that exercise and proper eating can help us to prevent disease and in some cases reverse disease altogether. I have had people tell me that they were able to get off of blood pressure, diabetes and osteoporosis medications simply by eating better and exercising regularly.

I therefore have a front row seat as I watch people heal themselves without medicine, so it is not a huge leap for me to consider that the mind can play a very large role in helping us to feel better.  I see it everyday when I tell people that they have to believe that they can achieve their goals. Instead of telling yourself that you cannot balance on one leg to save your life, tell yourself that you can and you will be able to improve with practice.

I have written about the power of negative self talk before.

"I'm fat."
"I'm weak."
'I'm not flexible."
"I can't dance."
"I'm old."
"I can't learn new things."
"I'm sick."
"I can't do push-ups."

These are powerful statements that make certain you are exactly what you proclaim to be.

Dr. Rankin has explains that many times patients are able to heal themselves without medication and this inspired her to leave her practice and study the power of the mind. She explains how our thoughts can change our physiology.

"It is not enough to focus solely on the body without taking into account the health of the mind."

We have made wonderful advancements in medicines and cures for all kinds of diseases and yet we are sicker than we have ever been on the whole. Why?

I ask myself this question all of the time. "If my clients claim that they are eating properly and exercising everyday, what is keeping the weight on? Why are they not improving?"

To me the answer has to be in their minds. All of the veggies and sit-ups in the world cannot cure depression. If our thoughts are full of sadness or desperation, there is only so much I can do to help.

When we are stressed our body stops the ' repair phase,' that comes when we rest. If we are never able to rest our minds completely so that our bodies can recover from the day, we stay in a constant low hum stress state. When we play out difficult scenarios in our heads over and over again, we re-live the stress and our bodies do not know the difference between the actual threat or the perceived danger. The response is the same. 'We are under attack, be at the ready!!' So stress hormones remain high and even if you are eating well and exercising, your body cannot benefit completely because it cannot rest.

In her book, Dr. Rankin suggests that as much as possible we need to choose situations that promote a "relaxation response," so that our bodies can switch into healing and repair mode.

Stress is hurting us more than we know.

If you are having trouble reaching your fitness goals, I strongly recommend that you take a closer look at your life in general. What is going on that may be affecting your health negatively?  Seek out someone to talk to and see if there may be underlying stress that is sabotaging all of your efforts.

If you are at all interested in knowing more, I recommend that you pick up with book. She gives so many wonderful ideas on how to balance our lives.

Have a great day and see you soon.
Beth

One Year Later and 10,000 views!

I started this blog on April 18th of 2015. I had no idea what I was doing when I pressed 'publish.' I was afraid of making mistakes. No one I knew personally had this kind of digital foot print, so I was jumping into the unknown and quite afraid of making a fool of myself. I wanted to be able to talk to my students, family and friends about the things that I have learned from my eighteen years in the gym.

I think that I have achieved this goal. Secretly, I wanted to hit 10,000 views before the one year anniversary and this has happened today! I am living proof in so many ways, that when you focus on making your dreams and goals come true, they do!

I live, work and play with my heart on my sleeve. It is very hard for me to hide my emotions, so though it was scary to start this blog, I knew that I just had to be myself and all would work out.

So many people have told me how much they have enjoyed reading my blog when they have been on vacation or unable to attend classes. I have received a number of emails from people who have been touched by my words. Occasionally a student will come up to me and continue the conversation that I started on my blog that morning! Those are special moments to me when I feel that I have indeed closed the gap between myself and my students.

We only have so long on this earth to connect with the special people around us.

Sharing is messy and imperfect. Do not hold back because you think you are not good enough. Yesterday, I was at a woman's circle and our leader reminded us that each and everyone of us has a gift to share. Our task is to find a way to share our talents with the world.

We all have dreams and desires to try and do things that are out of our comfort zone.  I encourage you to make plans to realize those wishes.

Get out there. Get messy. You will have so much fun in the process!

A big thank you to my daily visitors.  I appreciate your support. You keep me going.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Love,
Beth

The Key is Change!

I had a client come up to me on Monday morning and tell me that she had just read an article that said we should stop doing aerobics and sit-ups and only do high intensity interval training.

My first piece of advice is to be careful of extremes in exercise and dieting.  While I agree that HIIT is effective for many people, it is not necessarily safe for everyone.  When choosing a fitness program, I would rather than you pick many different forms and types of training, instead of looking for the magic cure.

I say this for two reasons. One you avoid injury and two you are better able to target all of the components of fitness.

What I see happening is people falling into the trap of training exactly the same way and eating exactly the same foods all of the time, while expecting their weight and body composition to change. If you want to see change in yourself, you have to change what you are doing.

So you can try interval training for awhile and if you have never done it before, you will see results. I see the most change in new clients who go from doing absolutely nothing, to working out at the gym everyday. Those individuals see dramatic changes in their weight and the way that their clothes fit, if they are watching what they eat as well.  The trouble begins when they settle into that class that they love and keep doing only that for 15 years. They plateau and stop seeing results.

I have always encouraged you to try all of the different types of classes that are offered. Listen to how your body responds to the training. Is your back hurting you? Is your knee acting up?  Interval training can be good but it can also involve many fast movements that can put us at risk if we have weak joints and muscles.

If you are stuck in a rut when it comes to your eating. Pick up a cookbook and try some new healthy recipes. I am not a vegan nor do I eat only Paleo foods but I have both types of cookbooks and I have found wonderful dishes that involve foods that I never would have tried before. I eat coconut butter, oil and flour and beverage now. I bake with almond flour and different rice flours. I eat more vegetables and fruits than I ever did before simply because I found wonderful ways to prepare them and I am healthier as a result.

Change it up people!
You will see results.

Have a great day.
Beth

Hospital Waiting Time - Use it well.

I have at least five clients at the gym who have had to alter their exercise regime to take care of loved ones.

Some people only have to miss one or two classes a week in order to drive for doctor's appointments. Others have had to drop out for a month at a time or a session at a time because they must focus all of their attention on caring for family.

I know first hand how hard it is to fit in time for ourselves when we find ourselves in this position. It can happen to us more than once in our lives and it is often very taxing and physically draining.

The good news is that if you are one of my students, you are in great shape to be able to deal with this challenge.  Remember that 'waiting time' can be used to meditate, no matter where you are. I have been in busy emergency wards, where we try to take in every single situation around us. If it has nothing to do with you or your loved one, close your eyes while you sit and wait. Find your breath. Breathe deeply two or three times. Notice the tension in your shoulders, roll them forward and backward, tilt your head side to side and pull them down. Breathe again.

If you are in my stretch class, you know that you can do many wonderful stretches in a chair or while standing that do not take up much space. Do a few squats in and out of the chair and then use the chair for balance while you do the standing stretches that you remember.

My blog from May 14, 2015, shows you three stretches that you can do right now in a chair. If you are in my class you know many more.

I spent a year visiting my dad almost daily in the hospital. The physical effects of stress can sneak up on us gradually so make sure that you are taking whatever time you can for yourself. Try to walk often if your loved one has someone else with them. Get fresh air whenever you can.

Remember that all of us are holding your spot and cannot wait for you to return. We all notice when you are away. You are in our thoughts.

Have a great day.
Beth

Secrets of a 90 year old!

My husband has an aunt in Norway who is almost 90 years old and while speaking with her daughter recently, I learned that she does exercises in her bed everyday! 

I simply could not resist asking for more information. I asked her daughter to share what her mother does with me so that I could pass it onto my loyal readers. From what I can see this workout is strengthening her core muscles and the stretches and shaking promote blood flow. 

In Inger Johanna's words ( for the most part).

This is what she does in the morning, in bed: 

She shakes her legs and then lifts her legs together up 10 cm, holds a bit and lowers - repeats 30 times.

Then she shakes her legs again.

She stretches her arms and legs, and pull the toes upward.

Then she does some bicycling of the legs.

Then she puts the legs out to the side and together again.

Then she stretches her arms 15 times up in the air, to the side and behind her head.

Then she shakes her legs.

In the evening: 

Massages the front of her ears, behind the ears, neck and shoulders.

Then she fold her hands, gives thanks for the day and focuses on the positive parts of her day!

Then she hums a goodnight song, that she and her late husband used to sing for their kids when their children were small. She then says 'goodnight' to her late husband.

Keeping a positive attitude is probably the most important part of this particular program. It is hard sometimes, especially when times are tough but if we can just focus on one little thing that has gone right in that day, we can begin to feel better bit by bit.

I have always expressed how important it is to keep moving, even if we happen to be physically limited in some way, we need to move and do what we can. 

I thank Inger Johanne for sharing her mother's secrets with us. There is always something we can learn from each other.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!  Keep moving.

Beth

What do you eat for breakfast?

After the cardio component of one of my classes on Tuesday, a student asked me quite loudly what I had eaten for breakfast that morning.

Well here it is..

Two egg omelet with baked sweet potatoes.

I begin by slicing a sweet potato into thin slices, I toss it with olive oil and bake it for 15 minutes. In that time, I saute chopped mushrooms, fresh garlic and chopped kale in a bit of coconut oil. Then I stir in two beaten eggs, with a bit of lactose free cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. By the time the omelet is ready, the potatoes are done and voila!

I also drink a homemade, hazelnut hot chocolate that I make with coconut beverage, coconut butter, vanilla, and hazelnut butter and raw honey.  I sip this on the way to work and throughout my three hours of fitness.

To be honest, having energy also has to do with getting the proper amount of sleep. I go to bed around 9 pm.

How are you fuelling your workouts?

Eating a piece of toast with a cup of coffee is not going to cut it in the long run!

See you soon,

Beth

Are You Too Old?

Ageism drives me nuts.

When people make judgements about others based solely on their physical age, I cringe.

It works both ways of course. It happens to young people fresh out of school who are looking for an employer to give them a chance, and it happens to older people who are considered to be past their prime.

I have had young people ( twenty-year olds)  leave my classes because they do not want to be seen with sixty-year olds.  It always surprises me because I really do not see age.  Funny thing is my students are some of the strongest people I know!

Today, I met three people who have just retired from their jobs. They have joined the gym in order to get fit and improve their lives. I am so happy that they now have the time to dedicate to their health.

If you are someone who is uncomfortable exercising beside a sixty year old, you had better get used to it.

As Jo Ann Jenkins says in her book, Disrupt Aging, "10,000 people are turning sixty every day and this will happen for the next fourteen years."

The population is living longer so we need to redefine age. If we are going to live well into our nineties or later we cannot start labelling sixty as being 'old.'

I prefer to look at our retirement years as the time for us, where we can redefine ourselves and our lives. We spend most of our younger years working, serving and caring for others. In our sixties, we can turn this around and rediscover who we are and decide where we want to go and who we want to become!

That being said, I always make sure that each client knows that they have to judge the safety of the workout for themselves. If you suffer with bad knees or a bad back, then you have to talk to the instructor and make sure that the class is suitable for you. If you have a heart condition, speak to your doctor and get cleared for exercise. Communicate any health problems you may have to the instructor. Do your homework about exercise options and select the safest way to get in shape and keep fit. There are so many fabulous types of classes. Explore and try new things.

I had a gentleman come up to me today and tell me that he is "old" before he even told me his name. I only see potential when you approach me. I do not judge you based on your age. I will do my best to keep you safe and you must promise me that you will stop calling yourself, 'old.'

Too many people are willing to do this for you.

Hold your head high. You're in class getting stronger, preparing for the best years of your life!

I am guessing that many of you have 30 or 40 more years to live. Taking care of yourself should be your number one priority.

Get busy!

See you tomorrow,
Beth

Are you working all 620 muscles?

There are many muscles in the human body.  We need to remember that if we are always doing the same activities or training in exactly the same, some muscles are being neglected and this can result in injury.

We usually think of atrophy as happening only when we have been inactive for several weeks or months but it can happen if we are always working the same muscle groups and in the process, ignoring others.

I am telling you this so that you realize the importance of incorporating a variety of activities into your weekly routine.

We can get injured by overusing and underusing muscle groups. We need all 620+ muscles in the body. The only way to make certain that you are working out in a balanced way, is to attend different types of classes, or ask your trainer to change the focus of your workouts.

I can tell you that as a trainer that teaches many classes per week, it is hard to satisfy everyone in a group class setting. There is implied pressure on teachers to work the main muscle groups. People want to see squats and push-ups and sit-ups in every class or they feel as though they are missing out. This may not be you, but believe me, I hear it all!

My mission is to keep each class as challenging, interesting, safe and effective as I can for the majority of clients in attendance. To do this, I change the focus of my workouts each month but remember that it is up to you to vary your own workouts. Try new classes. Tai Chi. Yoga. Pilates. Aquafit. This is the only way to make certain that you are working all of the muscles in your body and avoiding imbalances that can result in injury.

Have a great weekend and see you next week!
Beth