Winter is coming. Why exercise? Why now?

winter exercise tying shoelace / Pexels
winter exercise tying shoelace / Pexels

Winter is coming. Why exercise? Why now?

With a second wave of COVID on the horizon, now is the time to get into that winter exercise routine. As we move into the fall and temperatures drop, many of us will be forsaking our daily quarantine walks and wondering how we will make it through the winter. If you have been healthy, it’s time to lock down your exercise routine and recommit to yourself. So, let’s use this fall as your time to honour your goals. 

Starting from what feels like from scratch can be daunting, but here are some things to keep in mind:  

Forget about numbers

Some people have lost weight during this pandemic, others have gained. In the end, it doesn’t matter. If there was ever a time to ditch the scale, it’s now. You don’t need some artificial set of numbers driving your output and your effort. Every workout that you participate in means that you aren’t sick and are healthy enough to be exerting effort. Whether it’s a walk with a friend or an all-out sweaty virtual power yoga session, the time you put in is your time. 

Focus on what you like

Forget about what you “should” be doing. Now is not the time to try boxing if you prefer a low impact weight session. But winter exercise can be a time to experiment. Maybe you’ve always wanted to try a boot camp class but were too afraid of looking like a complete novice. Take advantage of at home apps and classes to find something new. There is a bonus to learning on your own — you don’t have to compare yourself to anyone. You can play, replay, slow down, or speed through routines until you find one you like. 

Exercise makes you happy

You may hate it when you’re in the middle of a workout, but science tells us that exercise relieves pain and stress. Physical activity also stimulates the release of dopamine, endorphins, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These brain chemicals play an important part in regulating your mood. With all this uncertainty, who couldn’t use a brain boost right now?

Exercise builds community

When I opened TrainingSpaces over two years ago, I knew this wasn’t going to be an ordinary studio. I was passionate and focused on inclusion. I strongly believe that no matter your size, background, or experience, exercise is for everyone. Just showing up makes you an athlete — and every single person who walks through the doors of TrainingSpaces is valued. Clients and trainers alike, we are all striving towards our own goals. In this time where we’ve seen so much isolation, anxiety, and depression, having a safe space where you can work out is essential. Seeing a friendly, supportive face is what so many of us need right now. 

I hope to see you back either in the studio or hear about your successes as you continue to train virtually with your trainer. 

Pandemic blues: Opening up and ramping it up again — slowly

Laura Rantin working with a partner.

Laura Rantin working with a partner.

Opening up and ramping it up again — slowly

Been a rough few months, hasn’t it. The news and effects of the pandemic are everywhere, from the local to the global. We’re fortunate in that Canada, for whatever missteps it may have made, seems to be handling it better than other places, judging by the numbers. It’s easy to cite clichés, but the fact is — it could be worse. As you know, we had to take the difficult decision in April, after modifying our routines, to close the studio down. It wasn’t easy on anyone — on our friends, on our trainers, or on our clients. We kept in touch with all of you as best we could, but we’ve never had any reason to think it wasn’t the right thing to do.   Fast forward to August 2020. What with most people observing the precautions (masking up, social distancing, regular hand washing, etc.) and exercising regular gym etiquette and simple common sense, it’s possible that we may have turned the corner on this pandemic thing (touch wood). We’ll need to hedge our bets, of course, and watch what happens when and under what conditions the kids return to school. And of course there are things beyond our control. But for now, with a cautious optimism, we’re opening up again — slowly and carefully. We’re retaining some of the safety measures we implemented in the spring, of course. One trainer at a time, more frequent and upgraded sanitizing, and plenty of wipes and towels. To be sure, all our trainers are briefed on these new procedures. We’re also doing temperature checks and online screening, as well as maintaining 15-minute intervals between sessions. It means that the studio won’t be operating at its former capacity for some time, but naturally we’re putting the health of our trainers and their clients first. If you’re been feeling cooped up at home, if you’ve been craving exercise, if you’ve been pining for the guidance and personal attention of your favourite trainer, now’s the time to call in and book an appointment. Questions? You know where to reach us. See you soon!

Self-care is about self-preservation, and self-isolation whenever necessary

Self-care: man receiving aromatherapy treatment / Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Self-care: man receiving aromatherapy treatment / Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

Self-care is about self-preservation, and self-isolation whenever necessary

As you may have noticed, we’ve been resurfacing previous blog posts when circumstances make it impossible to generate new content every week. Self-care may seem like an odd thing to be thinking about in these turbulent times, what with its connotations of laxity and self-indulgence. But that’s just one way to think about it. The preventative measures currently being urged upon us — social distancing, self-isolation and the like — are all about taking care of ourselves initially. We need to stay healthy in order to help the people around us — so self-care morphs into a broader sense of concern, support, and responsibility for the greater good.

This post originally appeared July 29, 2019. Stay safe.


With all those instagram posts tagged #selfcare and showing lovingly curated avocado toast and bubble baths, it’s easy to mock self-care as a millennial trend. However, the fact is that self-care isn’t just about getting massages and meditating in the sunset.

Self-care is how you take care of yourself. It’s the daily process of making sure you prioritize your emotional and physical needs. It’s how you manage demands on yourself and your time — from work to friends and family to ensuring you get in that workout. It is not selfish. It’s putting on your own oxygen mask before helping those next to you.

Self-care is not just about your mental health. It’s also about caring for your physical self, by eating healthy, taking adequate sleep, caring about your hygiene, exercising regularly, etc.

Sometimes it’s easy to know what we need. However, some of us are so depleted and disassociated from ourselves that we don’t even know where to start. Unless you are really good as establishing boundaries, shutting down technology, and saying “no,” you may need help acknowledging that you need to find time for yourself in your schedule.

Do you regularly:

  • Skip meals when you are busy
  • Use food to cope with stress
  • Cancel workouts to meet work deadlines
  • Automatically say “yes” to requests without thinking about how it will affect your schedule
  • Multitask when eating — working or watching TV, checking emails, or reading
  • Feel guilty if you are not productive

If you’ve said “yes” to any of these, it’s time for you to incorporate self-care in your routine. Easier said than done, right? There are many small ways you can start appreciating yourself immediately. Look for small ways you can include self-care in everyday life.  From getting up a little earlier to go for a run to spending time on the weekend preparing meals, these are not tasks but ways to show you that you value yourself.

We need to condition ourselves to take breaks and moments for ourself. The idea that lunch is for wimps that fuelled the 80s culture should be left in the 80s. Being overscheduled and always on doesn’t lead to more productivity. It leads to burnout, heart attacks, and unhappiness.

Anxiety in the time of pandemic: fighting coronavirus with safe exercise, social distancing, and self-compassion

Capturing the anxiety of the moment / Image source: goodhousekeeping.com

Capturing the anxiety of the moment / Image source: goodhousekeeping.com

Anxiety in the time of pandemic:
fighting coronavirus with safe exercise,
social distancing, and self-compassion

The way we manage our lives is changing.

With social distancing in full effect and with the status of how we should manage ourselves changing hourly, this is a difficult time. Add to this general uncertainty about future plans, and COVID-19 can feel like an unstoppable force. We have to think about every move we make, adding extra effort and anxiety to decisions that were once automatic. While those on the front lines fighting the disease are juggling parenting, exposure, and unpredictability, the rest of us are trying to manage the best we can. 

But let’s be honest … this is a crazy time. We try to act as if everything is normal, that we’ve chosen to have a staycation and that we’ve always had the CDC on our list of browser bookmarks. We look at information from around the world and try to filter it down into how it can affect our lives. What does this news report mean? 

Living at times like these is hard. I know that you’ve seen memes about how our grandparents fought in wars and we’ve been asked to sit on the couch, comparing their sacrifice to our daily reality. And yes, that is true. But the fact is that it’s still hard. 

Some of us like change. We can easily manage shifting schedules and we make last-minute plans without thinking twice. But there are many of us out there, myself included, who find change difficult. There’s lots of psychological research tying our ability to cope with change to a stable childhood environment. But there’s also psychological research that aligns one’s inability to embrace change with brain chemistry. So, there’s no right childhood or wrong childhood that explains why you’re anxious. Maybe you can pinpoint an experience and maybe you’re just born with it. 

Anxiety targets everyone in a time like these — both planners and procrastinators are victims. The planners can’t make plans or find comfort in solutions. The procrastinators don’t want to think of the future. No matter who you are, no matter your past coping strategies, no matter your mental health status … you are going to be affected by a world in flux.

But before we all crawl into bed for the next three to six months and abandon hope, there are small acts of self-care and personal kindness that can make things a little easier. Now is not the time to revolutionize your diet and cut calories. It’s time to slow down and make meals. You probably have more time to try out recipes and explore different types of cooking. 

It’s also time to do exercise that you love. While you can feel safe running outside, it’s time to do more fun runs and less high-impact stressful training…unless you love high-impact stressful training. Just like you might turn to comfort food, you can also turn to comfort exercise. 

And it’s also time to embrace self-compassion.You need to acknowledge what you can control and what you can’t. If you need help, ask for it. FaceTime a friend for a good gossip session or just to check in. Refill your prescriptions so you aren’t worried about running out. Subscribe to virtual zoos on instagram to be inundated with cute baby animals.Get off Twitter or Facebook and limit the amount of time you read the news.  

Nobody wins by being “strong” at a time like this, because being strong doesn’t mean shutting down. Instead, it means opening up, admitting vulnerability, and asking for help. 

COVID-19 got you working from home? You can still work out

Woman meditating in bedroom / Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

COVID-19 got you working from home? You can still work out

With many offices and schools closing to slow down the spread of COVID-19, we are entering a new phase of how we combat the disease. While words like “pandemic” seem scary, we all need to find solutions to keep ourselves mentally and physically fit in this uncertain time.

Here are some suggestions on how to make the best of the current situation:

Build a routine

As much as we might like to think of ourselves as spontaneous, routines are extremely beneficial. They create structure in our lives, reduce the need to plan, help us prioritize, and work towards our goals. Routines also reduce stress and allow us to manage times of unpredictability. While many of us have routines centred around going to work, there is no reason why you can’t maintain a routine from home. It may be a little more difficult at first, but plan out your day. How will you break it down? Having set times to eat, stretch, exercise, and walk away from the computer will make you more productive.

Get dressed

While it might be tempting to stay in your pyjamas all day, you have a job to do. Treat your home office like you would your physical office.

While you might choose to wear something a little less formal and more comfortable at home, changing into a different outfit will have you feeling more professional. Or maybe, you want to put on your workout clothes … which leads me to …

Keep your workouts

Whether you’re scheduled to head in for a session at TrainingSpaces or picking up a fitness class, keeping active will help combat the general feeling of lethargy that you may face while working at home. Without the pressure of commuting, you actually have the luxury of using that time to exercise. Exercise will continue to give you that shot of energy and endorphins that we all need at times like this.

Try something new

This is a great opportunity to download a new fitness app. If you are concerned about leaving your house, there are a number of free apps that can keep you on track. For example, the entire suite of Down Dog fitness apps are completely free and cover a range of activities from barre to introduction to yoga.

Go outside

It can be tempting to hibernate and not leave the house without a real destination if you have no particular place to go. However, fresh air is essential. Evan a quick walk around the block in the middle of the day can break up the monotony of staring at your computer screen.

Eat properly

While it may be easier to pop a frozen meal in the microwave, you need to prioritize proper nutrition when you’re at home. A balance of protein, carbs, and fat will keep you focused and stop you from snacking on empty calories. Whether you’re coming from an office with lots of free snacks or you keep your cupboards full of high-calorie treats, food shouldn’t be an excuse to take a break. Be mindful of what you’re consuming — you’re in control. Find another way to take breaks that won’t have you heading to the kitchen.

Meditate and stretch

When things feel overwhelming, there’s always time for meditation. As we adapt to different desks, there are bound to be some new (or existing) aches that become aggravated. Take the time to wrap up your day with some gentle yoga or stretching to combat poor desk setup. Find a guided meditation podcast or app (like SimpleHabit or Calm) that focuses on breathing, slowing down, and grounding you in the present. Free versions of these apps should take you through basic breathing exercises and quiet your mind with breathing and relaxation.

So these are just some things you can do to maintain your energy and focus when working at home.

Pease take a moment to review how we’re handling COVID-19 to keep you safe and healthy.