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

Posted on April 6, 2020April 6, 2020 by Sol

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

Posted on March 23, 2020March 22, 2020 by Sol

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

Posted on March 16, 2020March 15, 2020 by Sol

Woman meditating in bedroom / 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.

Data-driven performance tracking: a review of some of the latest technology

Posted on March 2, 2020March 1, 2020 by Sol

Data-driven performance tracking: a review of some of the latest technology

Have you heard of the quantified self movement?

Even if you aren’t aware of this term, you are probably taking part in it by tracking performance. If you have an AppleWatch or a FitBit, you are using data to improve your performance. Even charts where you write down your workout stats (how many reps, at what weight) are routinely used to track progress. Without these benchmarks, it’s difficult to quantify if our workouts are as effective as we would like.

As technology improves, there are more tools to track our body, mind, time, environment or whatever. It’s easier than ever to track a life. But which tools are worth the investment and which will become fads?

Let’s look at a few of the most popular ways you can track your activities.

AppleWatch

The AppleWatch has come a long way since it was first introduced. While not strictly a fitness device, it is extremely popular for capturing your fitness habit.

Pros: You can track activity through the Workout app which has built-in activities categories. It’s also a fairly accurate heart rate tracker that you can use to ensure that you’re working hard enough.

Cons: The AppleWatch does not come with the ability to track sleep. You can download sleep-specific apps but results may vary. Also, if you do not start the Workout app, the watch does not measure your activity. The AppleWatch’s value outside of fitness tracking is fairly limited. Once the novelty of sending email replies via Siri wears off, you’ll find the range of activities you can perform on a wristwatch fairly limiting for the $500+ you spend on the most basic model.

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So, there’s a lot to consider when looking to technology to measure and track our progress. Collecting data about yourself and your workouts can lead to a better understanding of where you’re spending your time and explain why (or why not) you’re progressing. While technology can provide you with specific stats, so can a notebook from the dollar store. You can also take pictures of your cardio machine displays. No matter what your budget, you can start keeping track of your fitness journey.

With weight training, it’s not how much you lift or how many reps, but how hard you work the muscles

Posted on February 24, 2020February 23, 2020 by Sol

woman athlete weight training / Image source: Leon Martinez/pexels.com

With weight training, it’s not how much you lift or how many reps, but how hard you work the muscles

This post originally appeared March 25, 2019.

Lifting weights is an essential part to achieving any fitness goal — and this includes losing weight. Once my clients embrace the benefits of weight training, they begin researching how they should lift weights. Apart from queries about good form, the most common question I get about weight training is: should I lift heavy or should I lift light?

And believe me … everyone has an opinion about this. Websites will debate this in forums with the bodybuilders encouraging people to lift as much as they possibly can with holistic fitness forums praising lighter weights at multiple reps. But I am going to set the record straight.

You might have heard that lifting heavy weights for a low number of reps builds muscle, while lifting lighter weights more times tones them. But what is muscle tone? This is just an expression to describe how firm a muscle looks. But the fact is that your muscle tone doesn’t change — exercise or not. The way your muscle looks depends on two things: the amount of fat that covers it and the elasticity of your skin. So your goal shouldn’t be toning your muscle. It should be reducing the amount of fat that covers the muscle. Muscles closer to the surface, without a barrier of fat, will be more visible — and look more “toned.”

But really, it’s not about how much your lift. You can lift heavy or you can lift light. What really matters is how much effort you put into the exercise. Regardless of how much weight you feel you should be lifting, the real key is to fatigue your muscles by taking each set to the point where you can’t do any more with good form. How hard you work is what it’s all about.

This means you have to get uncomfortable and challenge yourself through using a heavier weight or performing one or two more reps. Light weights will be effective in the beginning, but this will eventually wane. It can be hard to force yourself out of your comfort zone, but without gradually increasing weight or reps, your progress will stall. By lifting heavier weights, you build more muscle, and more muscle leads to a faster metabolism. Stay in the comfort zone and get used to being comfortable. You need to challenge yourself for real progress.

How hard you work is the secret to maximizing weightlifting efficiency. Forget heavy versus light. Like most things in life, with weightlifting what you put in is what you get out.

How accurate are the calorie counters on fitness equipment?

Posted on February 10, 2020February 9, 2020 by Sol

How accurate are the calorie counters on fitness equipment?

I don’t know if anyone accepts cardio machine calorie counters as 100% accurate. They are only a guide, based on assumptions and formulas of averages. However, there is an emotional connection to seeing our effort displayed numerically.

When you begin your cardio machine workout, the machine will probably ask you to enter in your current weight and gender. Based on these answers, it will estimate how much effort is required to burn calories. However, several essential factors are not part of this equation, including fitness level, body composition, muscle mass, body size, and age. Without these details, your calorie count is one-size-fits-all.

But are all cardio machines created equal when it comes to caloric misrepresentation? A recent study named the elliptical the least accurate when it comes to calorie counting estimates. Most machines overestimate your burn by almost 40%.

Stair steppers are also guilty of inflating effort because most people lean on the display. Stair steppers can decrease your total calorie burn by as much as 50%. Even if you stand up straight and avoid placing any pressure on the machine frame, most stair steppers are overestimating your total burn by about 20%.

But there is good news. Experts agree that the calorie counters on treadmills are reasonably accurate, especially if you have entered in your weight and don’t use the handrails. Using the bars, especially on higher inclines, can throw off your reading by as much as 40%.

Stationary bikes often calculate based on technical data like METs (metabolic equivalents) and watts (which measures power outputs). Stationary bikes are the most accurate of all cardio machines, with an overestimation of only 7%.

Cardio exercise is essential to a balanced fitness routine. It strengthens your heart, boosts your mood by releasing endorphins, helps sleep, reduces joint stiffness, and may help manage high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. When using a cardio machine to calculate effort, it’s best to use the number on the display as a guide. A couple of weeks ago, we talked about heart rate training and advised how you can make the most of your workouts by working in the different zones to assess effort. By applying this approach to your cardio workouts, you can maximize your time. By not using handrails, making your program instead of using presets, maintaining proper posture, and doing interval sprints, you can use these machines to your advantage.

It’s often hard for us to separate ourselves from the bright displays that reward us for our efforts. However, if you don’t have a heart rate monitor and are using calorie counters on your fitness equipment, you may be overestimating how hard you are working.

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Monitoring your heart rate is a great way to gauge exercise efficiency

Posted on January 27, 2020January 27, 2020 by Sol

Monitoring heart rate is a great way to gauge exercise efficiency / Image source: James Martin/CNET

Monitoring your heart rate is a great way to gauge exercise efficiency

When we’re exercising, we want to make the most of our time. No matter what the activity, you want to feel like you’re putting in the right amount of effort to reach your goals.

The easiest way to measure exercise efficiency is through heart rate training. For all the exercise trackers out there with their different modes, the most important feature you can use to quantify your workout is a heart rate monitor. Calorie counters are nice but often inaccurate — and I’ll tackle this in an upcoming blog. If you know your heart rate, you can maintain a proper level of intensity and adjust throughout your workout.

To train successfully based on your heart rate, you need to know the maximum times your heart should beat during an activity. The best way to do this is to take 207 and subtract 0.7 times your age. This is called the theoretical maximum heart rate (MHR).

You can take this number and apply it to the different heart rate zones, depending on the activity.

Low intensity, the “fat-burning zone”, is 50% to 70% of your MHR.
Moderate intensity is 70% to 80% of your MHR. This would be when you’re putting in effort but are not uncomfortable.
High intensity is 80% to 90% of your MHR. This is where you’re pushing the anaerobic threshold. At this intensity, your cardiovascular system can’t deliver oxygen to your muscles fast enough.
Maximum effort is 90% to 100% of your MHR. Very few people can maintain a heart rate here — even highly trained athletes.

Depending on your goals, you may spend time training in different zones. If you’re running a marathon, you need to keep a steady pace. This translates to time spent in the Zone 1 and Zone 2 because endurance is key. If you are training for a 5K or doing intervals, you want to spend more time training in Zones 3. In this situation, short bursts of intensity will propel you forward.

But what about the “fat-burning zone”? If you want to lose weight, shouldn’t that be what you should aim for? Does this mean low intensity exercise is superior to high intensity activities? Zone 1 is only called the “fat-burning zone” because the body relies more on stored fat (versus carbs) as its primary fuel source when you work at a lower intensity compared to a higher intensity. Performing aerobic exercise at a low intensity is not a better way to lose weight than more intense physical activity.

No matter what you do, it is recommended that we spend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week to stay healthy. Heart rate training will ensure that you are working as efficiently as possible to meet your fitness and health goals. It can take the guesswork out of your workout.

Let’s never do that again: a decade of bad decisions

Posted on December 30, 2019December 29, 2019 by Sol

Let's never do that again: a decade of bad decisions

As the 2010s come to a close, itu2019s easy for us to look back on the way we lived. In the present, the decisions we made in the past can be questionable u2014 especially when it comes to advice about health and wellness.

Ah, wellness. Thereu2019s a word weu2019re going to ban from our vocabulary the moment the clock strikes midnight on New Yearu2019s Eve.

While u201cwellnessu201d may have started the decade as a way of optimizing our fitness routines, exploring alternatives cures, and investing in self-care, it has bloomed into a pseudoscience that promotes the myths of the diet industry. In the eyes of wellness, we need to invest large sums of money into dangerous, unproven cures and techniques that look great on social media and do nothing for our bodies. The wellness industry, from essential oils to extreme diets, prioritizes thinness as an outward display of health.

In the final days of 2019, letu2019s say NO to the irresponsible trends of the past decade.

But if we are rejecting so much, what should we be embracing? Here are some suggestions:

Nobodyu2019s life magically changes at the stroke of midnight and weu2019re all trying to get better. Letu2019s make positive steps by removing lies, hype, and hatred from how we get healthy this year and celebrate that we have as we get stronger, smarter, and kinder in the new year.

We Wish You a Merry Fit-Mas — 2019 Edition

Posted on December 9, 2019February 2, 2020 by Sol

We Wish You a Merry Fit-Mas — 2019 Edition

Last year we provided you with some fitness gift guidance as we headed into the holidays. Here’s our revised list as you prepare to pick up presents for your loved ones.

Tech gadgets

Nobody ever unwraps fitness technology and asks for a gift receipt. There are so many options available for the tech-loving fitness buff in your life. From smart watches to clip-on trackers, these devices track data and allow you to see trends.

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So, there’s our annual rundown of fitness-inspired gifts to keep everyone happy and healthy well into 2020!

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Is it OK to exercise when you’ve got a cold? Well, yes — within reason

Posted on November 4, 2019November 3, 2019 by Sol

Exercising with a cold? bare feet sticking out from blankets/ Image source: pixabay.com

Is it OK to exercise when you’ve got a cold? Well, yes — within reason

Last week’s newsletter listed one of the unexpected benefits of exercise as being able to fight off colds and flu. But what if you succumb to one of the many viruses that are going around? As the weather changes, it’s rare that any of us aren’t affected by seasonal colds and the flu. But should you continue your exercise routine when you find yourself coughing and sneezing?

Experts generally divide colds into two categories: those with symptoms above the neck (runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat) and those with symptoms below the neck (cough, shortness of breath, chest congestions). If you have a cold that’s primarily located in your head, then you are safe to exercise. If you have any of the below-the-neck symptoms, you should put off exercising until you feel better. Additionally, you shouldn’t exercise if you have a fever, body aches, or fatigue.

There are few studies that say that a workout can actually help you heal. If you have a head cold, you may even feel better following your workout. Exercise opens up your blood vessels and lifts your mood. Many people also feel exercise alleviates congestion. If you are inclined, and your symptoms don’t interfere with your heart rate or your ability to control your breath, you can keep working out throughout your cold.

If you decide that you want to exercise, there are some routines that are better than others.

A workout where you’re breathing heavily, sweating, working hard, and feeling uncomfortable creates a stress response in the body. When we’re healthy, our bodies can easily adapt to that stress. Over time, this progressive adaptation is precisely what makes us stronger. But when we’re sick, this type of stress can be more than our immune systems can handle.

If you feel like sticking with your cardio routine, I recommend decreasing your intensity. Working out on a stationary bike, elliptical, or even running at a slower pace can still be beneficial. You can still strength train but gear your workout towards more comfortable, lighter weights. Stretching, yoga (but not yoga in a heated room), and pilates are also fine if you’re struggling through a cold.

And no matter what you do, make sure that you wipe down that equipment well to stop spreading your germs to your fellow gym-goers.

If you feel like you would be better off curling up with a book, Netflix, and a cup of soup or tea, then you may not want to push yourself. But a cold is not an excuse to give up on your routine and your goals. There’s nothing wrong with staying active as your body fights off a head cold. It can boost your mood and even help you heal. Still, this is a time when you need to listen to your body and not follow any rules that aren’t your own.