Staying Fit while Pregnant: Tips for a Safe Workout

For the majority of pregnant women (those without an underlying medical condition), regular physical activity is good for the both mother and baby, physically, mentally and socially. Women should aim to participate in some form of moderate intensity aerobic and strength-conditioning exercises in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you weren’t a very active person before you were pregnant,...Read more

Response and adaptation to training and exercise

When getting back to the grind after a good break from a long season, or when at the beginning of a new training or exercise routine, the body usually feels sore. For seasoned veterans, early season training feels very challenging; lets face it, getting back into shape can feel like a daunting task. For those trying a new training regime or a new sport, the new movements will leave you a little...Read more

High Intensity Interval Training

Many Canadians cite a " lack of time " when asked about barriers to adding physical activity into their lives. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is used by many athletes and fitness enthusiasts to reach their performance goals and enhance their fitness levels. HIIT is a type of cardio training that involves alternating bouts of light-to-moderate intensity with bouts of high intensity. HIIT...Read more

Are you working hard enough?

Any periodization training plan requires at least some measurement of work - daily, weekly or monthly. The challenge occurs when we try to balance work and recovery in the short, medium, and long term. One way to determine how hard your body is working is to measure your rate of perceived exertion or RPE. Simply put, RPE is our perception of how hard we're working based on how we feel. Athletes...Read more

Take a deep breath

Breathing is intuitive so most people probably feel it doesn't require special training to get it right. However, it's easy to form bad habits as a result of poor posture, movement patterns and even stress. For athletes, these bad habits can affect the nervous system, contribute to muscle fatigue, and decrease performance, so it's worth taking the time to learn some To learn optimal breathing...Read more

Lactic Acid De-mystified

As an athlete you probably associate lactic acid with that burning sensation you get in your muscles when you push your body to it's limits. This is a common misconception , in fact, lactic acid does not even exist in the body. What your body does produce naturally is lactate and it is considered a main energy source for hard working athletes. Lactate production in the muscles accumulates rapidly...Read more

Music for Motivation

Everyone has those days. It's filled with stress and things just dont’t seem to go your way. On those days it just seems more appealing to stay in your pajamas rather than working out. So why not use music as a motivational tool to get your body moving. The idea that music motivates you during exercise is not new, but what is interesting is that recent studies have indicated that music can...Read more

Exercising for Two!

Congratulations!!! You just found out you are pregnant and you are looking forward to all the exciting changes to happen over the next few months. But most of all you are now “eating for two” so this is an excuse to eat whatever you want whenever you want. Although this is the belief among many pregnant women it is not true. Now more than ever you should be taking care of your body, watching what...Read more

Dance for Fitness

The debate on the athleticism, physical requirements and benefits of dancing is finally being put to rest and the sport is gaining much deserved respect. Generally an aerobic exercise, regular sessions of dancing can bring well known health benefits , such as: weight control flexibility strength endurance reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease a sense of psychological well-being However,...Read more

Flock to a Turkey Trot

The thought of Canadian Thanksgiving elicits those lingering smells from the kitchen of the turkey roasting and pies in the oven. But before you eat enough calories in one meal that can last you for three days, why not take part in a bit of exercise? In true Canadian style, on Thanksgiving weekend there are many opportunities throughout the country to fit in a bit of fitness before sitting down...Read more