5 Great Reasons your Mental Health Needs Fitness…

One of the biggest reasons that I started exercising over 20 years ago now – wow time flies! – and one of the biggest reasons that I continue to exercise is, my mental health.

As a kid I used to suffer from depression, anxiety, and serious lack of confidence and this followed me to my adolescent years…because heck being a teenager is not tough enough!, and that was a tough place to be in.

Most people don’t believe me when I tell them that I was a kid who hated sports and exercise, but it’s true. In retrospect this may have been from being told that I was uncoordinated that way, but that’s another story. There was a time in my life I couldn’t even do a single pushup on my knees or run for more than 5 min before feeling like I was was going to vomit. Yup! I was out of shape!

I fell into exercise in high school because I was uncomfortable in my body and I wanted to lose some weight. It started with running and then (some as some of you will remember) Billy Blanks Tae Bo!:) Yup, that become my after school addiction. And somehow I managed to keep my exercise addiction going  for the past 27 years – give or take a hiatus here and there.

The way I exercise and my mindset around it has definitely changed since I was a teenager, but the one thing that remains the same is that I always feel better, both physically, mentally, emotionally after I move my body.

I tell you all of this because if you have not yet discovered the amazing benefits that exercise can have on your mental health, I want you to know that it is a tool that we all have at our disposal to be more confident, more productive and happier in your life.

These are The Top 5 Reasons your Mental Health Needs Fitness:1. 

  1. Exercise helps you cope with stress. 

“It forces the body’s physiological systems — all of which are involved in the stress response — to communicate much more closely than usual: The cardiovascular system communicates with the renal system, which communicates with the muscular system. And all of these are controlled by the central and sympathetic nervous systems, which also must communicate with each other.”  

Source: https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/exercise-stress

  2. Exercise release happy chemicals called endorphins. Quite simply this is the reason you always feel great after a workout.

“Endorphins are chemicals produced by the body to relieve stress and pain. They work similarly to a class of drugs called opioids

In the 1980s, scientists were studying how and why opioids worked. They found that the body has special receptors that bind to opioids to block pain signals.

The scientists then realized that some chemicals in the body acted similarly to natural opioid medications, binding to these same receptors. These chemicals were endorphins.”

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320839.php

   3.  Feeling stronger physically translates to feeling stronger emotionally.

Exercise makes you push past your comfort zone in ways that you may have trouble doing in your day to day. When you realise that you can run farther or faster than you ever thought possible, or when you are able to lift heavier than  you thought, or perform and exercise that you once thought you could never do, that is a great confidence booster! The more you push your body past limits you once had for yourself, the more you are able to do it in the outside world.

One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s greatest efforts.” Albert Einstein.

During exercise you are challenging yourself, which leads to inevitable success when we practice repeatedly. When we believe in ourselves and our abilities we can go beyond what we had once imagine, and exercise is a great place to test the grounds for this.

   4.  Exercise keeps your brain healthy.

“Exercise boosts your memory and thinking skills both directly and indirectly. It acts directly on the body by stimulating physiological changes such as reductions in insulin resistance and inflammation, along with encouraging production of growth factors — chemicals that affect the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance, survival, and overall health of new brain cells.

It also acts directly on the brain itself. Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in people who don’t. “Even more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions,” says Dr. McGinnis.

Exercise can also boost memory and thinking indirectly by improving mood and sleep, and by reducing stress and anxiety. Problems in these areas frequently cause or contribute to cognitive impairment.”

Source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-can-boost-your-memory-and-thinking-skills

   5. Exercise helps us sleep better.

When we sleep our bodies not only recover physically, but also emotionally. If we are missing out on critical sleep then it can take a toll on our emotions.

There is evidence that exercise helps us not only fall as sleep, but also have better quality sleep. Just be careful that you don’t exercise strenuously too close to bed time, as this may disrupt your natural circadian rhythm and affect your ability to fall asleep. https://thesleepdoctor.com/2017/05/22/benefits-exercise-sleep/

Bottom line, we were meant to move, we were not meant to sit at a desk all day. Although we may feel intimidated about starting a fitness routine, know that it is an essential part of being healthy and we all have the choice to either act before we have have no choice to take action or take action on our own and reap the benefits of taking preventive measures to stay healthy both physically and emotionally.

Much love,

Daniela

PS – If you’re ready to take action on your fitness goals, with support and accountability, click to get started on our next challenge. 

 

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KARSTEN DICKIE

Hey BBBC family! My name is Karsten Dickie and I am a coach at King West Best Body Bootcamp.

Growing up I was very involved in sports. I played competitive volleyball, basketball and hockey. I was always fascinated with how the body works, nutrition, strength training and anything that involved athletics. Applying my knowledge I noticed improvement of my health, energy and body transformation which then had me hooked on weight training. That’s when I knew I wanted to help impact people’s lives and share my knowledge about exercise, mobility and nutrition to help achieve their goals.

I received my diploma from Algonquin College for Fitness & Health Promotion and I have been doing group training for six years now. Additionally, I’ve trained hockey teams, volleyball teams, large event groups, and one-on-one training.

I’m passionate about enhancing the health, fitness and overall well-being of clients. With my skills and knowledge, I help clients achieve their goals in and out of the gym.

Outside of training I like to do yoga, read, play team sports, and spend time with my friends and family.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Algonquin College Fitness & Health Promotion
CanFitPro PTS
Lucas Parker Barbell Cycling
CPR/AED2

ANDY RANDHAWA

Hey there!
I’m Andy Randhawa, the newest addition to the Best Body Bootcamp family.

You can’t hear my accent while reading this but I’m Australian.
I grew up playing a lot of sports like tennis, basketball, boxing and footy (Aussie rules football) and competed professionally in tennis.

I have transformed bodies for over 12 years and also helped them show it off on stage.

I have an extensive knowledge about training and nutrition which I can apply to my clients to bring them closer their goals.

When I’m not making people sore or make them complain while training I spend my time doing filmmaking, videography and hanging out with friends (I need new ones in Canada).

Look forward to making you get your dream body.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Diploma of Fitness
Bachelors of Exercise Science
BoxFit Level 1&2

DANIELA NAHAS

My journey in fitness and health began about 15 years ago. Before that, like many of you I struggled with yo-yo dieting, and doing countless hours of cardio just to stay looking slim. Boy I wish I could talk some sense into my past self! But health is a journey and I am so grateful for all of my experiences, which have shaped what I have to offer our members today.
Over the years I have experienced first hand the life changing benefits of incorporating the right kind of exercise into my life. That motivated me to become a personal trainer 15 years ago, and it still continues to motivate me today. I want everyone to be able to to experience what exercise can do for their well being, self confidence and physique.
I used to struggle with my nutrition in a big way, so I completely empathize with you, if this is the hardest part for you when it comes to seeing long term change. I once struggled with eating disorders, followed by any years of a very negative relationship to food, even during my initial years as a personal trainer.

It occurred to me one day that I could not help my clients make changes and make better choices, without first focusing on myself. It was through completing my Holistic Lifestyle Coach Certification that I was able to change my relationship to food and be able to genuinely help clients get closer to their goals.

My increasing passion for nutrition and health led me to become certified as a Health Coach. As a health coach, I am able to help my clients delve deeper into your relationship with food and their health. What lies beneath our patterns and habits is fascinating and when you can tap into that it can have an incredibly powerful impact on our lives, and bring about real change!

These days I leave most of the bootcamp training to our awesome trainers, but I continue to share my passion for nutrition and fitness in our private member facebook group and work on our ever evolving member offerings.

My other passion? I am the luckiest mom to a 9-year-old boy. He keeps me on my toes and I must admit has helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. Together with hubby Roger Nahas, we like to spend plenty of time outdoors, along with the latest family hobby – board games.

When I get me time, I like to do yoga, read, cook, and spend time in nature.

I look forward to having you join us!

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Health Coach Certification – Health Coach Institute
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Human Kinetics Exercise Anatomy
SPI Advanced Training for General Fitness
SPI Technical Aspects of Strength Training
SPI Nutrition for Sport and Performance
Emergency First Aid & CPR

ROGER NAHAS

My journey in fitness and nutrition is a little different than most. You see, I’m a former fat kid! The kid who was a total introvert! I was always the guy who was too embarrassed to take his shirt off at the beach! But I remember the day everything changed for me – I looked in the mirror and wasn’t happy with what I saw. I made the decision to change my body and my life. It was 1999 and I took a before pic and measurements and body fat and I entered the Body for Life Challenge. Over the next 90 days, I completely changed my eating habits, and worked out regularly. I actually was awarded the Canadian Grand Champion for my age category!

I was no longer the fat kid. I looked forward to getting to a beach so I could take my shirt off and I became more outgoing and fun! After seeing the difference it made in my life I decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping people realize the amazing benefits of optimal health and fitness.

I started out as most trainers do in your typical gym. After years of working in a gym setting, I was getting disillusioned with how Big Box Gyms operated. I wanted to train people functionally and to make their bodies strong in the movements they used in the real word. I wanted to make working with a highly trained instructor more affordable, and I wanted to make fitness fun because let’s face it; if you are having a blast, it makes it that much easier to stick to it. The result was the launching of Best Body . I have to tell you that although I looked great in the after pic above, the food and exercise plans I followed to get that after pic, hurt me in the long run. It made me look good from the outside but my body was breaking down on the inside. The way I was working out and what I thought was healthy eating was in fact hurting me in the long run. I was over training, taking longer to recover from my workouts, I tore my rotator cuff and had gut issues. Nothing I could do was helping and then I was introduced to a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach who helped me. Turns out I was stressing my body beyond repair and then giving it food that wasn’t helping but was actually stressing my body even more. He made me look at my body and the food I put into it in a totally different way.

That lead me to complete my certification as a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach and we pass that knowledge on and encourage holistic nutrition to our members.

In addition to running the day-to-day operations of Best Body Bootcamp, I also work with individual clients doing fitness training as well as holistic nutrition and lifestyle coaching.

When I’ve got a bit of free time, I spend as much of it as possible with my wife and son, I bike year round, play hockey, practice Tai Chi daily, read & take courses.

I hope to see you soon so we can transform your body and life!

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

C.H.E.K Golf Performance Specialist
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute
C.H.E.K Golf Performance Specialist
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute

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I’m very pleased with Best Body Bootcamp. The workouts are great, the staff is very helpful and positive, and the gym itself is clean and modern. The best part is that the program actually works!

Colleen Cavanaugh