Category Archives: Exercise

Healthy Exercise Goals

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This blog was written by guest blogger Maria Ginsbourg.Happy healthy woman

A while back, at a college gym, a trainer asked me what was my fitness goal. I told him I wanted to be healthy at eighty. He cocked his eyebrow.

“So you want to lose weight?”

“No. I just want to be healthy.”

“So toning?”

He didn’t get it, and I’m not surprised.  Our culture is obsessed with appearances. Popular men’ s magazines say Get Ripped. Women’s magazines say Lose Weight. Considering the myriad of benefits that exercise offers, focusing on appearances seems a little – dare I say it – superficial. After all, if ‘Getting Ripped’ or “Losing Weight” are our only goals, then what stops us from trying fad diets, extreme workouts, and magic pills?

What if our exercise goals went a little deeper?

(The links take you to external sites, which provide information on achieving these very worthwhile goals.)

Live Longer and  Healthier

Have a Stronger Mind & Spirit

Be healthier now

Improve your relationships

 Some people say it doesn’t matter why you exercise as long as you do it. I believe that if people exercise for the right reasons, they’re more likely to have fun, stay safe and stick to their exercise regimen.


Free Exercise Videos Online

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This post was written by guest blogger Maria Ginsbourg Exercise tv's bootcamp with Kendell Hogan

My name is Maria. This year, I decided to forgo a gym membership to save money.  When it’s sunny or cloudy, I bike, run, walk or roller blade. When it rains or snows, I follow free online exercise videos. The Internet has hundreds of them, and they help me stay fit and on budget. Here’s a list of my favorite websites:

Exercise TV

Exercise TV has hundreds of instructional videos, and they come in a wide variety: cardio, weight lifting, bootcamp, dancing and yoga.  For cardio fans, I recommend Kendell Hogan’s Explosive Cardio, Bootcamp Cardio Burn, and Power Cardio Burn. People who want a low-impact cardio routine can Walk a Mile with the always-smiling Leslie Sansone. For yoga fans, I suggest Tom Morley’s Thighs Hips and Buns Yoga, Maura Barclay’s Yoga Sculpt and Meaghan Townsend’s Beginner Yoga. Exercise TV has a number of strength training videos as well. Cindy Whitmarsh has videos for Incredible Abs and Tank Top Arms. John Spencer Ellis has a strength training video for the Lower Body.

 Yoga Yak

YogaYak has over a dozen free yoga classes, which range from 30 to 60  minutes. I often suffer from stress-induced shoulder and back pain, and so I love Michael Riel’s Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain. Diane Jacobs’ Hatha Yoga Flow 2 is great for spinal elongation.

Yoga Today

Yoga Today offers a free video every week. You have to register to see it, but the sign-up process is quick and painless. Their videos are set in beautiful outdoor locations, and the teachers often offer some words of wisdom. Their classes are often challenging and range from 50 to 60 minutes.

Baba Ramdev

Baba Ramdev is an Indian yoga guru. It took me a little while to get past the chanting, but I was in a great mood for days after doing his classes on Pranaayam (yogic breathing) and Yoga for Active Meditation. Meditation and yogic breathing help me feel more positive, patient and focused. Breathing exercises and meditation are great activities for people who want to exercise but can’t work out due to an injury.

Sadhana Vinyasa Flow

One thing that I missed about working out in a gym were the long 90 minute yoga classes. Fortunately, I found one such class online. It’s called a Sadhana Vinyasa Flow.  It’s a gentle class, in which the movement follow the breath.

YogaMazing

Last but not least, Youtube has channel called YogaMazing. The host, Chaz, creates truly interactive yoga shows. He invites viewers to submit requests  and tapes them.

Hopefully these videos inspire you to exercise.  I’m sure your body will thank you.

Surrey Holistic Weight Loss Group

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Would you like to lose weight and get healthier at the same time?  Would you like to have more energy and better sleep?  I find it easier to make healthy changes when I have someone else I can talk to who is also making the same changes.  This will be a small group of women who meet each week to learn, discuss and cheer each other on.  I will present what I know about losing weight in a healthy way and bring in some speakers to talk about nutrition, exercise and blocks to losing weight.  I will teach the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and share some healthy recipes that my family love.

Topics:  balancing your blood sugar levels, emotional eating, fitting exercise into your life, food intolerances and allergies, candida overgrowth, busy lives, listening to your body, learning to say no, importance of water, and more.

One group will meet on Tuesday nights
Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm followed by optional 1/2 hour walk
Another group will meet on Thursday afternoons
Time:  12:30pm-2:00pm followed by optional 1/2 hour walk
Cost:  free!
Location:  my livingroom in Cloverdale
Sign up by sending me an email to let me know you are interested:  coachbrenda@reachyourpotential.ca

Walking with my Puppy

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Our puppy Mylo

Our puppy Mylo

In March we got a puppy at the request of my older daughter.  Mylo is the newest member of our family.  He’s very friendly and full of energy.  To channel his energy into something less destructive than chewing all the plastic lids in the house we have been taking him on walks five times a day.  He is a Brittany and ideally could use an hour run everyday.  I’ll have to work up to that, but for now he is good motivation to walk more often than I had been.

Walking in the morning

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When the school year started I began going for a 15 minute walk after I drop my daughter off at school and before I start my first coaching appointment.  I’ve always walked my kids to school, but since it is only a block away it isn’t much exercise.  My first coaching appointment is at 9:00am so I’ve got some time between the first bell at 8:40am and when I start work.  I’m already outside anyway – why not?  Walking in the fresh air is a great way to become alert and present in the morning.  Would you benefit from a 15 minute walk before you start your work day?  Will you try it for one week?  Let me know how you feel.