Best Body Bootcamp

And the winner is… RACHEL SOMMERS!

Looking for a little more inspiration to keep you on your wellness journey?
Look no further!

Each session, our Bootcamp instructors nominate 1 outstanding bootcamper from each of their classes who exemplifies the spirit of Best Body Bootcamp. A panel then deliberates and chooses one lucky nominee to reign as the Bootcamper of the Month.

We’re a little late in getting this announcement out as our January Bootcamper of the Month Nominee not only earned herself this award but also landed herself a new job at the same time!! We had some timing issues to work out, but work it out we did, and we couldn’t be happier to congratulate her for all of her good news!

What her trainer said:

Her motivation and willingness to succeed definitely rubs off on other members of the class. She always comes to bootcamp excited and ready to work hard and you can tell that she wants to be there.

People see how hard she works and they strive to copy her. Not to mention any new member that comes into the class she is always the first one to meet them and offer them help to get through the workouts!

Mark Reisler
Bootcamp Instructor – North York

We contacted Rachel with the news of her accolade, and asked her a few questions about her bootcamp experience! Read on…

What was your reaction when you were told you were Bootcamper of the Month?

I was so excited! I had a giant smile on my face.  I never would have thought , 6 months ago, that I would ever be Bootcamper of the Month.

What was your fitness regimen prior to Best Body Bootcamp? and what made you choose/switch to Best Body Bootcamp?

What fitness regimen? I walked to the subway, but that was about it.  I recently became a lawyer, and after being called to the Bar, I had to find a job.  I decided that being unemployed could be a great opportunity to make a change in my life, and after months of walking past the posters, I finally took the plunge and signed up for my first bootcamp.  I knew I needed the personal attention, but I couldn’t afford to hire a personal trainer.

What was your initial experience like (your first bootcamp) and what made you stick with it?

TERRIBLE. I felt like I was going to die.  And that was just the fit test day!  Looking back now, I can’t believe it was so difficult for me – I could barely make it through.  I literally dreaded bootcamp days for the entire first month.  By the end of the first month, I had improved in every section of the fit test.  I think that’s what made me stick with it past the first month.  After that month, the weight and inches started to drop as well.  By the third month, the dread had been, shockingly, replaced with excitement! To my surprise, for the first time in my life, I actually looked forward to workouts (though to this day, the dread comes back on leg days sometimes).

What’s the one piece of advice you would give to a new bootcamper that you wish someone had told you

Draw inspiration from others and celebrate small successes.  It’s easy to feel discouraged at first, when everyone seems to be in such better shape – remember that they were once in your position too.

What would you say has been your biggest improvement, both physical and emotional?

I’ve lost 31 lbs and almost as many inches since August! I can’t believe how great I feel, and I’m doing things I never imagined I could do.  I plan to run a 5K with one of my bootcamp friends in the spring – I never, in a million years, would have thought that possible.  My confidence in my ability to do things has been one of the best benefits.

Bootcamper of the Month fast facts:

My first class, I could only hold the plank for 42 seconds.  Now I can hold it for 3 minutes!

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In addition to the recognition and super spiffy certificate, Rachel has also been given a 4-week Best Body Bootcamp session on us so she can continue her wellness journey and encourage others continue on theirs!

We hope Rachel’s story inspires you to continue on your journey of health and wellness and to set goals for yourself.
And who knows, maybe this month we’ll show up at your class and call YOU to the front!

We are taking registrations for the March 22nd & April 26th 2010 sessions right now!
Head on over to www.bestbodybootcamp.com to reserve your spot now!

Look for the February Session Bootcamper of the Month to be revealed next week!! (maybe it’s you!!)

Whether it’s your spouse, your sibling, your significant other or your bff, working out with a partner definitely has it’s advantages and benefits! Best Body Bootcamp co-founders Roger & Daniela Nahas know that better than anyone! Which is why Daniela thought it was the perfect topic for this week’s blog! While she is specifically referring to a couple, the same concept can be applied to a platonic partnership. Enjoy the read!

There is certainly a lot to be said about couples that work out together and make fitness a priority in their lives.

Making fitness something that you both do together could be extremely motivational, especially if one of you is on the competitive side! Not only that, but you will explore a different side of each other that perhaps you have never seen before. On the flip side, it is extremely hard to want to make a positive change in your life but have a partner that is indifferent or does not hold the same values and goals. Sound familiar?

It may be hard to find the time for quality bonding time with your partner, and often the only chance you get is at the end of the day in front of the television. Meeting for an after-work workout a few times a week could be a great way to rekindle your romance! And you might just find each other more attractive than ever!
Time to give your partner a good nudge and get them to join you at your next sweat session!

In the meantime, here are a few partner-assisted exercises that you can do together to challenge each other:

Partner Situp with a twist (great oblique exercise):
Sit facing your partner and intertwine your legs together, so that your feet wrap around each other ankles. Now both of you should lower to the bottom of the situp position. Place your hands lightly on either to the side of your head, or you can keep your arms loosely to your sides to assist you.
In unison, bring torso up to perform standard sit-up movement, each of you twisting slightly to the opposite side and reaching your hands to clap together. Make sure to pull your shoulders back and keep your back from rounding.

Partner Assisted Pull Ups (engage your core and work your back muscles):
Whether your using a pull up bar or a Gravitron machine, you can assist and push each other to go past your usual limits.
The partner performing the exercise should wrap their lower legs together so that the partner assisting can grab their legs and assist them by lightly pushing them up when they are reaching failure. To the person assisting, make sure that you are in a safe stance, feet about shoulder width apart or slightly wider, knees bent and back straight.

Partner Facing Pushup & Clap (great chest and core exercise):
Begin by facing each other in pushup position. You should be close enough that you can extend your arms and touch each other, but not so close that your heads touch as you lower.  Lower your body down in unison and as you lift back up, lift opposite arms off the ground and clap your hands together. Lower again into a pushup and this time switch to the opposite arm.

As with any exercise, make sure to use proper form and go at your own pace. Repeat these exercises until one of you begin losing your form and repeat for 3 – 4 sets.

Yours in health and fitness,
Daniela Nahas

What do you think? Are you part of a dynamic duo that is reaping the benefit of the buddy system? Share you stories with us! We would love to hear your opinions. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the motivator for another couple suck in a rut on the couch.

Until next time!
Stay Well!

We kicked off 2010 by helping you rid your kitchen of the “nasties”, suggesting better options and giving you some handy tips on where to place the items once you get them home. Now what? Well, now we go about breaking some of your unhealthy habits, perhaps teach you some new ones, and get you on track to a healthier way of eating! This exercise wasn’t just about product placement. It’s about smarter food choices, planning ahead, doing a little research, and making a few lifestyle changes for the better!

Ultimately we would like to see you all eating “Clean” and organic and for your metabolic type.  But we know this is probably a big jump for many of you, and not something that can be done over night, nor sustained if not eased into properly, so we’re going to start slow.

Lets start with a few simple things.

Keep a food journal.
Before you go about trying to change your habits, you need to know and understand just what your habits are! You might be eating all the right foods, just in the wrong combinations or at the wrong times. Maybe you eat really well all week, then blow all that hard work by getting off track on the weekends. Or maybe you aren’t eating enough! Try it for a week. (or a month) Write down everything you eat/drink, the time, and the “why”. (were you hungry? were you bored? were you upset?) This will really help you to plan and to correct your path as you move forward.

Do some research!
Knowledge is power! Don’t just take our word for it. Take ownership of your health and the food you ingest. Do some research on eating organic vs conventional. Look into eating local. Research your neighbourhood farmers markets, healthy grocers, butchers & bakeries. I mentioned eating “Clean” earlier. Just what does that mean? Well, the simple breakdown is eating whole, natural foods (fruits, veggies, proteins & complex carbs) while avoiding or eliminating “man made” foods. (over processed, high in refined sugar, high in trans fats, full of preservatives, etc…) Consuming foods in their most natural state. This isn’t a diet. It’s a lifestyle choice really. Generally people who eat “clean” cook their own healthy meals. (this means packing your lunches too!) Eating clean means knowing exactly what is in the food you’re eating. So part of your research will be to look at some of the “packaged” goods in your household or the meals that you consume regularly from your local restaurants. If you’re reading the ingredients on the package, and can’t pronounce or identify them, you probably shouldn’t be ingesting them!

Make a meal plan for the week!
Knowing in advance when you’re going to eat, where you’re going to it it, and what you’re going to eat makes it much easier to make the “right” or healthier choices. Dig out those recipe books that look so pretty but are collecting dust on your shelf, google some “clean eating” recipies. Take one meal that you always eat out, and recreate it at home. You’ll probably find it not only tastes better, but is much easier on your pocket book!

Re-stock a healthy pantry!

In addition to your weekly shopping, here are a few basic items to keep on hand!
Keep in dry storage
•    Beans, dried and canned
•    chicken, beef & veggie stock in a tetra pak
•    Flour (opt for nut or bean flours for their nutritional & gluten free punch!)
•    Herbs and spices
•    Honey
•    Oils, vegetable and olive
•    Onions
•    Pasta in a variety of shapes and sizes (again go for rice, corn or whole grain, organic options)
•    Potatoes
•    Rice & grains (like quinoa)
•    Sugar, white and brown
•    Tomatoes, whole and sauce, canned. (cooked tomatoes give you that extra licopein!)
•    Tuna and salmon, water packed

*since you’re restocking, why not make the effort to choose organic!*

Keep in your freezer
•    Boneless chicken breasts
•    Fish fillets
•    Frozen vegetables & fruits (handy in the winter when sometimes the fresh options aren’t very good as flash frozen at their peak ripeness, frozen veggies & fruits often contain higher nutrient values than what’s offered in the stores mid winter)
•    Lean beef, ground or roast

Keep in your refrigerator
•    Cottage cheese
•    Dijon mustard
•    Fresh fruits in season
•    Lemons (add’s zing to any recipe!)
•    Salsa
•    Vegetables, carrots, celery, lettuce, green pepper, tomatoes
•    raw, organic, unsalted nuts. (almonds and walnuts in particular)
•    Yogurt
Still with me? Good for you!!

This will all take a little work on your part. Ok, if we’re honest, this may take a lot of work at the beginning, but just like anything else, the rewards will far outweight the initial hardships! (just like when you started Best Body Bootcamp!!)

Good luck and, by all means, if you have any questions, please ask!

Until next time… Be Well!

Your pantry and fridge have been purged and cleaned! Now, let’s try to improve upon the functionality of these two important areas in your kitchen!

Something as simple as changing the location of food items in your fridge can have a huge impact on your eating habits! Having healthier choices prepped and at the ready, can improve not only your snack time, but your meal time as well.

Here are some handy tips on improving the layout of the inside of your refrigerator! Now of course everyone’s fridge is slightly variant when it comes to the number of shelves, drawers and doodads available. For the sake of argument, let’s go with 3 shelves, 2 crisper drawers, two door shelves & a freezer!

Image courtesy of Body & Soul Magazine

TOP SHELF:  SNACK N’ GO!

You know when the nibblies strike, and you open the door and peer inside… This is the first shelf you see. So let’s nip the sabotage in the bud right here and fill this shelf with some convenient but healthy choices. Washed, dried and cut-up raw veggies (think carrots, celery, peppers, cauliflower & broccoli spears) in airtight glass containers. (remember the one’s we suggested you stock up on last time?) Next to those, how about some cut up melon and pineapple! (very high in digestive enzymes!) Keep your berries up there too, but don’t wash them until you’re ready to eat as they are highly perishable! Add a bowl with a few hard boiled eggs and your good to go! Consume everything on this shelf in 2-3 days, then restock.
Tip: When you get home from the grocery store, wash and cut up half of your veggies right away, and place the rest in the crisper for later in the week!

SECOND SHELF: A PLETHORA OF PROTEIN!

This is where to keep the partners to your “snack n’ go” fresh food above for a well rounded snack or light meal. Here we should find yogurt, cottage cheese, hummus, & nut butters, all of which provide protein and “good” fats. This is also a good place to store nuts like Almonds (high in calcium) and Walnuts (omega-3 rich) which will last much longer chilled.

Most refrigerators have a “deli drawer”. If yours does, this is a good place to store your meats and cheeses. Opt for some hard cheeses like parmigiano-reggiano or cheddar, as well as Feta or goat cheese which are great salad add-ons! If you don’t have a drawer, keep these items in airtight glass containers as well. Out of sight out of mind, so see-thru is better!

Tip: Try to avoid the nitrate filled processed luncheon meats! Instead cut up some chicken, turkey or slices of the roast you cooked for dinner. These make for great additions to wraps and salads for lunches! Or soups & stirfry’s at dinner!

THIRD SHELF: MEAL PREP & THIRST CONTROL!

This is where you can store the components of the days dinner. Pre-cooked brown rice to have at the ready for quick stir-frys, pre-cooked quinoa to mix up into a delicious salad, & the evening’s marinating fish or meat. This is also where you want to store your eggs! Eggs need to be kept cool, so keep them in their carton and tuck them in the back of the bottom shelf. Not in the door of the fridge!
Tip: When cooking rice, grains (like quinoa) or pasta, cook a little extra to keep on hand for another day. Especially if you know you have a day when your schedule is a little tighter.

Water, Water & more Water! Keep a Brita pitcher with filled and at the ready. (though you’d be better to keep that on your counter… we’ll save this tip for another day) You can also have a few carafe’s of “flavoured” water. Adding mint, cucumber or slices of citrus & berries to the water makes for a nice treat when plain water just won’t cut it. A container of organic milk or Almond milk can also be stored here.

Tip: Ditch the pop and chemical-sugar laden drinks! And the juices! Although leaps and bounds better than pop, most juices are just empty calories without very much nutritional value. You’re better off making some freshly squeezed juice of your own for a special treat or better yet, eating the actual fruit!

CRISPER DRAWERS: YOUR OWN LITTLE FARMER’S MARKET!

This is pretty straight forward. Fill these drawers up with nutrient rich leafy greens & veggies, and seasonal fruits.

Tip: keep the veggies and fruits separate as many fruits emit gasses which can speed up the ripening of the other produce causing them to spoil faster.

THE DOOR: FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT!

This is where to keep the items that are going to add a little zing and zip to the healthy meals you’re now going to be preparing daily! Things like miso paste, salsa, marinades, fruit preserves, and salad dressings. Even fresh herbs!

Tip: many store bought salad dressings contain not so healthy ingredients. Try making and storing your own! They are so simple to make and you are only limited by your own imagination as far as flavour combination’s go! Experiment a little! That’s half the fun!

THE FREEZER: FOOD FOR LATER…

Some of the best deals are on bulk packaged or larger cuts of meat & poultry. So stock up! Take out what you need for the week, then repack and store the rest for later. It’s also good to have some frozen veggies and fruits on hand to toss into stirfrys & smoothies, especially in the winter when fresh quality can be waning.

Tip: Instead of buying over processed prepared frozen dinners, freeze a single, double or family sized portion of the fabulous home cooked meal you just made. (be sure to label and date it) Now when you don’t have time to come home and cook, you can plan ahead and take out your very own “cuisine” from your freezer in the morning. If you freeze in a multi purpose glass container, then you can come home, take it from the fridge directly to your oven. Convenient and healthy! How about that?!

So there you go! A new layout for your fridge! We’ll stop there for now and let this digest.
Give this a try over the next week and see if you find it helpful and more conducive to making healthier choices.

Next Wednesday we’re going to break it down one more time and work on the items you should be choosing to place on your newly rearranged shelves and in your pantry.

Your homework:

Well, there are a couple of things.
1) Make a list of your usual grocery shopping haul. Be honest. List the good and the not so good items. This will come in handy for next week’s exercise.
2) When you’re in the grocery store, read a few of the labels! Most of us just grab willy nilly and toss items in the cart, but have you really taken the time to look at what is in that “convenience” food you’re eating? Sometimes it can be shocking.
3) Choose one thing that you always buy “pre-made” and try making the fresh, homemade version of it. It can be as simple as replacing that store bought cash and carry salad, with a fresh salad where you have cut up and arranged everything, and made your own dressing. You will be pleasantly surprised by how much more you enjoy it and how much better you will feel after eating it.

Until next time… Be Well!

So, we’re half way through the 3rd week of January! How goes it? How are those resolutions holding up? Are you keeping up with your workouts? Eating healthier?

Sometimes the best intentions can be derailed by the simplest of oversights. Before you set off on your health and wellness journey for 2010, did you lay down a sturdy foundation? Did you start with a clean slate? Did you remove any obstacles that might get in your way in preparation for the changes you were about to make?

"Before" Photo courtesty of RealSimple.com

One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to make a change, particularly in their diet and eating habits, is not ridding their house or routine of temptations or pitfalls.

While it’s easy to avoid fast food or junk food while out and about during your day, if you have a not-so-secret stash of goodies in your pantry or a fridge/freezer filled with old food, leftovers, and not so healthy options, you risk throwing away all your hard work!

So, if you haven’t already done so since the start of the year, set aside an hour or two this weekend to thoroughly clean out your fridge and cupboards BEFORE you head to the grocery store to do your weekly shopping! I bet many of you still have a bunch of not so fresh or healthy leftovers from the holidays lurking about in there.
We’re going to tackle this in two parts! First the big clean!

Fridge:
Interior
- Remove food. Store the frozen items in coolers. Refrigerated, perishable foods generally won’t spoil during the cleaning process if left at room temperature for under 2 hours. But if you’re worried, place
-Clean crispers and ice-maker bins. Place in warm water with dish soap and scrub. (I usually do this in my tub!) Empty ice maker & trays and wash out (ice can absorb odors).
-Clean doors, shelves, and walls. Vacuum food crumbs. Wipe with a solution of two tablespoons baking soda and one quart warm water.

Exterior
- Vacuum. With a brush attachment to remove dust that has accumulated underneath the refrigerator, on its rear coils and top vents, and along the wall.
- Wipe away dirt. With a wet, soapy cloth, wash the exterior. Lots of germs can accumulate on common areas such as door handles, which can then be transferred to the interior and the food products you are retrieving from inside

Cupboards:
-Remove Food. Remove everything from the shelves/cupboards. Take the opportunity to check for expiry dates, and toss anything that is past it’s prime.
-Wipe away dirt. Just as with the fridge, bits of food particles, crumbs and spills could be lurking at the back of your cupboards without you knowing it! Don’t forget the outside of the cupboards, the doors and the handles.

"After" Photo courtesy of RealSimple.com

Once you get everything in tip top shape cleanliness wise, take this opportunity to also repackage and relabel items, and take stock of what you have and what you need in preparation for the incoming groceries!

If you don’t already have them on hand, get yourself a variety of storage containers for both your fridge and your pantry, preferably glass with tight sealing lids, such as Snapware and Glass Lock which can be found sold individually at Kitchen Stuff plus or in a handy multi piece set at places like Costco or Canadian Tire. You might also want to grab some labels to easily identify items like frozen meat, leftovers, expiry dates on transferred items, etc… something like this or these would work.  Keep the labels & pens in a magnetic basket on the side of your fridge so it’s handy come grocery day!  (there are many of these magnetic organizational baskets available at stores like Staples or Grand & Toy. Look in the locker storage section!)

Next Wednesday we’ll go through part 2 of “The Great Fridge & Pantry Makeover”. We’ll be giving you some handy restocking tips for your pantry and fridge, along with some important do’s and don’ts’!

Here’s to your health & wellness journey in 2010!!

There are many benefits to stretching. Especially if you work out strenuously, stretching is essential to preventing injury and as well as maintaining and increasing range of motion.

Stretching can also improve posture, circulation, joint stiffness and decrease muscle tension. Furthermore if you properly coordinate you breathing with stretching it serve as a way to relieve stress, by promoting your body and mind to relax.

Long stretches are great, but even 10 minutes of stretching can work wonders.

Proper Stretching Technique:

• If your muscles are cold, make sure to always warm the body up by doing dynamic stretched before doing any static stretches. Stretching after a strenuous workout is perfect because your muscles are at the ideal temperature.
• Always remember to breathe, your limbs need the oxygen! Practice controlled and steady breathing: Your belly should slowly rise as you inhale and slowly lower as you exhale. Breathing properly will increase relaxation.
• Remember that stretching should feel good. You will feel a slight strain in the muscle at your max, but there should never be significant discomfort. The more your stretch the deeper you will be able to go, but that takes time.
• Get into a stretch slowly and hold the stretch for about 15 seconds before releasing. You can go deeper into the stretch as your exhale if it feels comfortable.
• Do not bounce or jerk while you stretch. With good form, go as deep as your body will allow and just breathe!
• Make sure to always stretch both sides of the body equally, even if one side seems tighter than the other. In fact most of us have a much tighter side of the body due to overuse.

Here are a few stretches to get you started:

Downward Dog – this is a fabulous full body stretch

Begin on a mat, kneeling with the hands and knees on the floor, hands under the shoulders, fingers spread wide, knees under the hips, knees about seven inches apart, spine straight and relaxed.

On a deep exhale, the hips are pushed toward the ceiling, the body forming an inverted V-shape. Legs are straight. Arms are straight, elbows engaged, shoulders wide and relaxed. The heels move toward the floor. Hands and feet remain hip-width apart. If the hamstrings are very strong or tight, the knees should be bent to allow the spine to lengthen fully.

Avoid pressure on the wrists by pressing into the fingers and palms, directing the push upward into the hips. The head should drop naturally. The heart moves toward the back wall.

The hips move up and back. Relying on the breath while holding the posture, take a deep, steady inhales and exhales to create a flow of energy through the body.

Concentrate on maintaining a slow, rhythmic, breath. Upon exhale, release onto your hands and knees and rests. Repeat several times, until you begin to feel a change in your body.

Cat Stretch – great for stretching out the spine and a great stretch to help you be conscious of your breath.

Using a yoga mat or a nice thick blanket, begin on your hands and knees with neutral spine. As you inhale round your spine downwards, so that your belly button points down to the ground, sit bone up towards the ceiling, head and shin looking up towards the roof. As you exhale round the spine upwards, head and shin towards your chest. Let your breath lead your in the stretch. Repeat this sequence about 5 times.

Lying Glute Stretch

Begin lying on a mat or blanket. Bend knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Cross one leg over the thigh of other leg. Pull your hands through the opening created between your legs and grasp back of thigh of lower leg with both hands. For a deeper stretch place your hands just below the knee of the bottom leg. As you hold make sure that you head is relaxed on the mat. Hold for 5 counts and switch sides.

Yours in Health!
Daniela

Sugar may taste sweet, but the effects it can have on your health are far more sinister.

photo courtesy of howzey

Over the holidays most people tend to indulge in a lot of sweets. I’m not saying you should avoid sweets altogether but I thought I’d give you some insight on why we love the taste of sugar, what’s wrong with sugar, and tips to eliminate most processed sugars from your diet.

Why do we crave sugar?

We naturally gravitate to something sweet when we are really hungry because sugar digests very quickly and satisfies our hunger quickly. Studies have shown that sugar acts similar to addicting drugs like morphine to produce opioids in the brain. Opioids produce feelings of pleasure and satisfaction and can become addictive. Once food manufacturers figured this out they began producing sugar laden foods, especially foods for children. As a result, most people are hooked on sugar by the time they’re toddlers.

What’s wrong with eating sugar?

The average person now eats 158 pounds of sugar every year. If you do the math, that equals 800 extra calories per day from pure sugar. There are numerous problems resulting from excess sugar consumption. Here are just a few:

1. Obesity. Too much sugar in the body can’t be processed or utilized, so it gets stored as fat.
2. Diabetes. Excess sugar in the blood causes too much insulin to be released, which eventually leads to hypoglycemia and diabetes.
3. Poor immune function. Excess sugar depletes vitamin and mineral stores in our bodies,  weakening our immune systems, and contributing to degenerative disease.
4. Sugar can also disrupt our hormonal systems, causing allergies and many other malfunctions.
5. In addition, sugar plantations worldwide have caused widespread destruction by ruining the soil and trees of their surrounding environment.

What to do?

The elimination of most processed sugars in your diet is essential. The best way is to eat mostly natural foods and avoid processed and packaged foods that contain added sugars. You want to avoid any sweeteners, especially the artificial ones which are made of toxic chemicals that can create a whole list of other problems. Remember most packaged foods contain sweeteners along with other additives that you want to avoid. Learn to read labels; there are many natural food products that do not contain additives and simple sugars.

What’s sweet to eat?

As always, get your sweets primarily from natural sources like fruits. Raw honey, pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, molasses, barley malt, Stevia and Agave are some natural sweeteners that are okay in moderation. However, it’s not necessary to eat any natural sweeteners, as you get plenty of sugar from fruits, starches and grains in your diet.

The best advice I can give is to live by the 80/20 rule. Eat perfect 80 percent of the time, and eat what you want the other 20 percent.

Roger

Photo courtesy of Crystl's photostream

It’s January 6th. We’re 6 days into the new decade and If you’re like most of the population you are already in a tizzy.

You’re panicked and sore and hungry and grumpy and frustrated with yourself and all of the other “resolutioners”.

You’ve probably already “cheated”, “skipped”, and or “fallen off the wagon”, and have filled yourself, not only with things on your new “forbidden list”, but also with heaps of guilt.

With all of this negativity following you around, you’re probably already getting ready to throw in the towel on your new year’s resolutions along with all of those ambitious health and fitness goals you set for 2010.

Stop!!!

Sit.
Take a deep, cleansing breath.
Now exhale.

Let’s try this again!

Did you have a plan? Was it realistic? Or did you just come out of the gate swinging, all full of “I can do this!” energy, grabbing on to any and every trendy diet and exercise fad & pressure tactic being thrown at you?

If it was the latter, you’ve probably overwhelmed and discouraged yourself, setting yourself up for failure before you even started.
But don’t give up yet! It’s not to late to rethink, re-jig, and restart.

Daniela gave us some great advice before the holidays on preparing well in advance before setting your resolutions. Now our friend Leo over at Zen Habits expands on that theme and offers some great new advice for those of us looking to make some changes in 2010, be they physical, mental, or emotional.

So before you give up all together and fall back into your bad habits, it’s not to late to take a step back, clean the slate, and begin again with a more focused and realistic plan to set up some good habits.

What are your goals, resolutions or new habits for 2010?

Photo courtesy of www.traveleden.com/brighton

We’ve been getting a lot of emails from bootcampers with questions about what they should be doing while we are on break over the holidays and what they can do to protect all of their hard work while they are on vacation. Since he himself is heading south for a little R & R, we asked North York Bootcamp Instructor Mark Reisler for some tips on keeping up your fitness routine when out of your element. Enjoy!

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It’s mid December and your bootcamp sessions have finished for another year. You wake up in the morning and have an urge to work out and break a good sweat. So you go for a chilly jog or do some of the exercises you remember from bootcamp. That’s amazing that you can achieve the motivation to do this on your own!

It’s now one week later and your bags are packed and ready to go for your much needed vacation down south, somewhere warm and perhaps with a beach. You slowly start to get anxious and worried because you don’t know what you are going to do with your fitness routine while in the sunshine state or somewhere in the Caribbean or possibly even Mexico. Whatever you do, don’t panic because you’re going on vacation! The whole point of a vacation is to get away from all of the stress of your city life.

Whenever I go on vacation I always make sure never to stress myself out physically or mentally. Please don’t let fitness training take over your enjoyment of your vacation!
I personally like to focus on maintenance for my fitness routine, so here are some tips that you can use when you take a vacation:

Focus on body weight exercises. Try this routine. (these can be done in your hotel room or cabana before you head out for the day)

Wide grip push ups 2×15
Triceps dips 2×15
Squats (deep) 2×15
Front lunges 2×15
Basic crunches 2×20
Prayer twists 2×20 (back and forth count as one)

If you’re the more intense type of person here is a routine that will challenge you but not take up too much time. Circuit all the exercises and repeat the circuit 3 times;

Jump squats x10
Sumo jump squats x10
Side to side lunges x10
Side to side push-ups x10
Triceps push ups x 10
Synergistic ab twist x 10
Half burpees x 10

Whether on vacation or not, I enjoy running or jogging. I find it relaxing and peaceful. Try doing some beach running. My advice here though is to cut your regular amount of time or distance you run in half because the sand offers a much bigger challenge than you may think.

Finally, do a quick abdominal workout everyday if you can to keep those abs looking tight on the beach. Some basic abdominal exercises in the morning should be sufficient for you to maintain looking your best. Here are my suggestions:

Basic crunch x 20
Pulse crunch x 20
Full sit up x 20
V-up crunch x 20
Single arm opposite leg crunch x 20 (must do right and left side)

No matter what that, enjoy our vacation if you’re lucky enough to be going away, and hopefully we will see you all in the New Year.

Mark Reisler
Best Body Bootcamp- Yorkmills instructor
H.Ba Health Sciences,CPTN-CPT,PTS

A convoy of Best Body Bootcampers, or as we called them for our special project this month, “picker-upper/dropper offers”, descended upon the Daily Bread Food Bank distribution center at their new Etobicoke location this weekend, during an uncharacteristically quiet time on Saturday morning.

When we asked Laurie, the Daily Bread Food Bank supervisor who greeted us, if it was unusually quiet, she shook her head sadly and said “no”, explaining that while the volunteer sorting shifts have been filled quickly and covered a few times over, the donations to sort are down across the board this year. This only highlighted the importance of our participation this season.

At the beginning of the our final bootcamp session of 2009, we put out a plea to our November Bootcampers to join us in participating in a food drive before heading off to enjoy the holidays. Our small but mighty effort yielded over 460lbs pounds of food! Way to go Bootcampers! In addition, Best Body Bootcamp made a cash donation of a dollar for every member who signed up and participated in the November session.

On a more personal note…
My motivation as the organizer of the food drive, was based on my own experience.

As recently as a year ago, I found myself seeking the help of the Daily Bread Food Bank.

It is a scary, frustrating, sometimes embarrassing and very much humbling experience to find yourself needing the aid of a food bank. It is not a decision that is made lightly or out of laziness or entitlement. For the most part people who rely on food banks are people just like you, who through circumstances beyond their control, found themselves in the unenviable situation of having little to no food to provide for themselves or their families. For most the food bank is a last resort and not an easy decision to make. But I can tell you from experience it is also a most welcome lifeline in a time of desperate need.
Here are a few eye opening statistics from this year alone:

* Food bank use in the GTA has rapidly increased in the past year due to the recession.
Overall number of client visits: 1,030,568
Increase since 2008: 8%
Increase from January to March of this year compared to the same time period last year: 17%
Average per month: 85,881

* The largest portion of new clients is people who have lost their jobs or have had their hours cut.

* Being employed is not always a ticket out of poverty.
Percentage of households with at least one person employed: 30%
Average hourly wage: $10.90

You can find more statistics here

Thankfully my need was very brief, but I vowed that when I got back on my feet I would be sure to “pay it forward” as a thank you for the aid I had received in my time of need, and to help the Food Bank in any way that I could to continue to provide a safety net for others who may & will fall on hard times in the future.

I want to sincerely thank Best Body Bootcamp for the platform to carry out this task, and I especially want to thank all of YOU, my fellow bootcampers, for your generosity and for coming together as a community in such a charitable way.

If you weren’t able to participate with us last week, you can still hop on the bandwagon! Several grocery stores have donation boxes near the checkouts, so when you’re doing your shopping this week or next, toss a couple of extra items in your basket for the donation box. Many stores also have pre-made donation bags & are accepting cash donations at the checkout. You can also drop off donations at your local firehall! (which gives you the opportunity to say hi and thank you to them too!)

The Daily Bread Food Bank also welcomes and accepts monetary donations, visit their website for details on how to help out that way!

To all those who stepped up and to all those who plan to, Thank you so much! We (Best Body Bootcamp) intend on making this an annual event, so mark your calendars!

May you all have a wonderful & plentiful holiday season!
Oh, and be sure to head on over to our facebook page for the pics!

A big mess!!

Do you ever find yourself becoming all of a sudden cognitive of the abundance of clutter surrounding you? Do sit at your desk in the morning the day after a busy day at work and wonder if someone is playing a prank on you by adding piles of papers to your desktop? Do you look around at night in the middle of the week and wonder if your pets are secretly plotting against you by tearing your home apart while you’re at work?

We tackle a sometimes overwhelming amount of stress on a daily basis, via our jobs, families, money issues, etc… but many of us are unknowingly adding to that stress by not addressing the clutter surrounding us.

Clutter Stresses You!

Just sitting in a cluttered space can create stress. It’s a visual reminder of how much work you have to do! Whether it be the projects on your desk or getting your house to a state of “clean”. Working in a cluttered environment or living in a cluttered home can create constant low-grade stress and while subconsciously draining your energy. Not to mention creating an potentially unsafe and unhealthy environment.

Clutter can cost you money!

A messy, disorganized home or work space, could inadvertently cause you to lose revenue or spend money needlessly. An important message or proposal could be hidden in a stack of papers at the office. You may end up buying something for work or home that you already have, because you couldn’t find it!

On top of that, we now have the holidays fast approaching, adding a whole new level of stress to the mix. If you don’t have a handle on your work and life space now, it’s only going to be exasperated once the inlaws land on your doorstep.

The ultimate goal is that when you arrive at the office to start your day, you don’t spend the first hour digging threw yesterday’s mess, and then when you head home after a hard day at work, that you feel like you’re entering an oasis instead of a warzone!

Here are some handy tips to get you started and help you stay on track and out of Clutterville!

• Set a Schedule: Do you prefer to set aside a few hours on the weekend, or take a little time each day? Do you get bored easily with cleaning or do you enjoy focused, lengthy clean up sessions? The folks at Flylady.net recommend tackling your cleaning in spurts of 15 minutes (so you don’t get bored and don’t end up with one fabulous room and 5 wrecked ones!) You will also not burn yourself out doing something for 15 mins. If your work space is messy, take a moment at the end of each day to clutterbust, particularly at the end of the week. Mondays are hard enough without coming in to last week’s mess!

• Ask for Help!: If your home is quite messy, chances are the mess isn’t all yours. (unless you live alone, then it’s all on you!) So ask the clutter collaborators to help you tackle piles! Especially the “hot spots”

• Make It Fun: When you’re cleaning, throw on some lively music to make it as fun as possible. You might actually find yourself working faster and having more fun as you do. (you may even get a little workout out of it!)

• Reward Yourself: Set a goal. (or several smaller goals) then give yourself a reward upon completion! Whether it be taking a soothing bath in your freshly cleaned bathroom, or enjoying a relaxing cup of tea in your shiny clutter free kitchen. Acknowledge your hard work and give yourself a pat on the back!

• Hire Help: Sometimes the task of organizing, cleaning and decorating can just be too overwhelming do on your own. In that case, you might want to consider hiring some outside help, be it a professional cleaning service, a professional organizer, a gardener or a even a decorator. The initial output of money might be off-putting, but it could actually save you time, money and stress in the long run!

Homework: Go home and identify your “hot spots”! Put them on the top of your list to tackle.

Here’s to your health!

It’s a busy world out there, especially at this time of year. For many of us, our days begin and end, crushed into lines, and buses, and subways, with the rest of the “city rats” in the race to survive.
We look down, we look away, we look stressed, we look grumpy.

Sometimes though, when we  look up, we get a nice surprise.
A nod, a smile, or something like this:

Be sure to head over the the Improv Everywhere page for their story on the concept behind this exercise and execution of this morning event, as well as the first hand accounts from the participants.

More importantly, have a great weekend everyone and remember to take a moment this weekend, as you’re hustling and bustling around in the crowd, to simply look up…
you never know, you just might be surprised by what you see.