Broga /Jock Yoga / Jo-Ga?

While driving home yesterday, I heard a discussion on the radio about yoga classes designed specifically for men.

One of my male clients actually brought me a clipping from the newspaper highlighting this new trend.

I am all for it!  Anything that gets men into fitness classes is a positive step in the right direction.

Typically men who make it to the gym, hide out on the machines. I see many guys peeking into my classes out of curiosity but these 'jock' types laugh when I ask them to join the class.

If my class was only for men, maybe they would feel more comfortable giving the experience a try.

Working out alone in the gym has it's advantages. You can exercise on your own schedule. You can work at your own pace and you can do it without engaging with anyone if you wish.

From my point of view, 'jocks' should add a class or two to their routine. It would open their eyes to new exercises and they would receive professional instruction on how to do the exercises safely.

If the class was just for men, these 'jocks' would build a community of support which makes the experience really enjoyable.

The instructor being interviewed said that his classes for men are less serious than typical yoga classes and the focus is on strength, instead of stretch. Men typically do not want to spend time stretching or meditating but once they are in the class enjoying the pump of it all, a teacher like myself can start to sneak in small snippets of tradition.  It is a win win situation for everyone involved.

Love it!

Have a great weekend.
Beth

Working Hard: Mentally vs Physically

There is a time to work hard physically at the gym and then if you are lucky there are classes that challenge your brain!

Line Dance is definitely a challenge for your brain. Once you know the steps it can be a wonderful workout but it is not meant to be like an aerobics class.

When you are in my aerobics class, the goal is to improve our cardiovascular system. I intentionally keep the steps simple because I want you to perform at your highest level, while paying attention to your posture and your intensity level. If you are stumbling through the class, trying to keep up to the teacher, you may find that the only thing you get out of the class is frustration!

The best part about line dancing is the way that it forces you to think! To get the steps for each dance you have to memorize the choreography and how it works with the music.  Once you have that dance under control, each time it comes up, you feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment and joy as you move smoothly around the dance floor.

The next challenge that arises in line dance is the similarity between the dances and how you cannot let one blend into the other!

This summer I had to teach my level 1 and level 2 classes together. To keep everyone interested, I chose to teach dances that were slow love songs. This way my level 2 students were able to learn some new routines, while my level 1's had a chance to keep up due to the music being slow.

Yesterday, for the last two minutes of class, I pulled out an old slow song that my level 2's knew very well at the end of last session. I did not teach it but went over one wall to jog their memory. I was trying to give them a moment to stop thinking and enjoy a moment of success from their past!  Well, unfortunately, the dance was similar to one that I had just taught both levels ( which I thought was a good thing) and most of the students were blending the two together for the first four walls! We persisted and about half way through the song, we were all on track with the dance.

As much as you can find moments of joy in dance class, you really do have to keep thinking.  It is such a wonderful hour of exercise for the brain.

Have a great day,
Beth

Tapping to Ease Anxiety

This post is for anyone who has ever experienced a panic attack or anxiety.

This spring when I was feeling overwhelmed, I stumbled upon a video on YouTube that claimed 'tapping' could relieve my anxiety.

I was all alone and had nothing to lose by trying, so I decided to follow along with the leader and see if the EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) could help me out.

The general idea is that we tap into our fears and through the EFT process we release emotional and/or physical responses. We tap on acupressure points along the body, while repeating affirmations about the anxiety, followed by statements of self-acceptance. 

Honestly, the science behind it is a mystery to me but my anxiety subsided. I felt relaxed and completely calm.

I now use this technique often, though I have not done it in public. It does look a bit bizarre to people watching.

Tapping is so effective that I have considered teaching it to my students in my Yoga/Relaxation classes.

The video is 9 minutes long. We all have 9 minutes to help ourselves feel calmer. 

It feels a bit silly at first but it does work.

I hope you give it a try and if it interests you, explore further!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tkTUO_s9A4

Let me know if it works for you!

Beth

Is Relaxation Hazardous To Our Health?

I finally have proof that though I can teach fourteen hours of fitness a week, for twelve weeks straight, and never miss work, I often get sick when I stop!  Many fitness instructors I know have experienced the same thing. Many people get sick in the middle of vacation and feel cheated.

According to Marc Schoen, PHD and author of "When Relaxation is Hazardous to Your Health,"a phenomenon called, the "Let Down Effect" can result in us getting sick once we eliminate the stress of work or a big project.

When we are under stress, our body is equipped to fight for survival but if we come to a screeching halt, and drop onto the couch for days, Dr. Schoen claims that this can "lead to biochemical changes that can result in a weakened immunity." (http://marcschoen.com/the-let-down-effect/)

I am happy to say that I have been quite healthy this summer because I kept five classes running, but even this small change, resulted in a calf injury. I stopped my daily routine of stretching because I was not longer teaching yoga everyday.

The best advice that I can give to avoid getting ill on vacation, is to keep doing a small portion of your fitness routine daily or weekly. It is so tempting to give in to our desire to do absolutely.

Many of my students continue to walk and stretch when they are cruises or tropical beach vacations. 

When I know that you are leaving on vacation for a few weeks, I tell you to walk and stretch daily and then I did not follow my own advice!

I look forward to getting back to our workout schedule in September but until then, lets keep active together.

See you tomorrow,

Beth

August Classes!

I'm happy to announce, that I will be offering classes to my students during the weeks of August and September, when our gym is closed.

I'm renting a hall in the Village of Pointe Claire.

Please email me for more information if you would like to join us.

betholdfield01@gmail.com

The classes will run from August 16 to September 8. 

Weekly class schedule:

Tuesday                 Thursday 9 am       Step                        Step 10 am     Line Dance            Yoga Stretch 11 am     Core Abs/Back       Chair Strength/Stretch

Once I hear from you, I will send you the complete information regarding pricing and location.

Have a wonderful day and see you soon!

Beth

Blog on Pause!

Thank you for tuning in daily to see what little snippets of wisdom I have to share.

During the month of July, I will be creating a new website that will still feature a daily fitness blog, but the site will be divided into sections to reflect my diversified interests.

Many of you know that besides sweating alongside you in the gym, I also love to write fiction, poetry and cook. I am currently working on three writing projects. A fitness guide, a novel and a gluten free baking book.

My hope is that the new website will offer those in my different communities, one place to experience all that I have to offer. Each section will feature a daily or weekly blog post, so if you love waking up to my fitness ramblings, you will still be able to do that!

I will not be publishing a blog for this month, as I must dedicate all of my free time to completing the new website.

Many of my students are currently on summer break from fitness, so it is a good time for all of us to get outside and enjoy this lovely weather!

You can still reach me by email and there are close to 300 posts that you continue to enjoy from this past year!

See you at the gym or in August on my new website.

Beth