What's in a Drink?

Healthy Living Magazine Article-What’s in a drink?

Water or Gatorade? Coffee or tea? Energy drink or vitamin water? Juice or milk? Which beverages should we be reaching for to quench our thirst and which drinks offer the most health benefits? Many of us don’t realize the number of hidden calories, sugar, additives and chemicals that are in the liquid calories we are consuming on a daily basis. What we choose to drink can have a profound impact on our health and body weight, so it’s important to know “what’s in a drink?”!

A substantial proportion of Canadians’ daily calories come not from what we eat, but from what we drink. This is particularly true for children. According to results from the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), beverages accounted for almost 20% of the calories consumed by children and teens aged 4 to 18! This surprising statistic reminds us just how important it is for us to make healthy choices with every gulp. As a country, we now consume an enormous amount of liquid sugar amounting to an average of 300 calories per day! Every time you reach for a soda, sports drink, fruit juice or other popular beverage, you consume calories derived entirely from sugar. Most of these sugary beverages contain the equivalent of 11-12 teaspoons of sugar per bottle! Would you ever put 12 teaspoons of sugar in your coffee or on your cereal?! Of all the steps that you can take to improve your health, dumping unhealthy sugary drinks from your diet offers the single greatest return for your efforts.

Consumption of sweetened beverages such as soda, sports drinks and energy drinks are on the rise and are sadly now the number one source of calories in our diet. Sugary beverages have been linked to weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. In a report from the well known Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, researchers tracked the drinking habits of over 51,000 women from 1991-1995. Study subjects who increased their intake of sugary beverages, such a pop, sports drinks or fruit juice to one or more per day gained over 10 pounds during the four-year study!

Energy drinks are the fastest growing U.S. beverage market with 30-50% of youth reporting that they regularly consume these highly caffeinated, sugar-laden drinks! An average energy drink has 50-200mg of caffeine per can, which is up to 2 & ½ times the Health Canada recommended daily maximum caffeine intake (of 85 mg) for youth aged 10-12. Widely available in convenience stores, gas stations and grocery stores, “energy drinks” are often seen a convenient thirst-quencher often substituting sports drinks. Indeed, energy drinks should not be confused with sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade. Sports drinks rehydrate the body and replenish electrolytes. Energy drinks on the other hand, may mask signs of dehydration because of their caffeine content and they also lack electrolytes. Notably, energy drinks also carry considerable health risks, including irregular heartbeat, nervousness, anxiety, agitation, irritability and insomnia.  But before you reach for the sports drink as an alternative everyday pick-me-up to energy drinks, think again.  You should be saving the sports drinks for athletes or for when you’ve had a hard-core workout! Sports beverages are designed to give athletes carbohydrates, electrolytes, and fluid during high-intensity workouts that last an hour or more.

Leslie Beck, registered dietician and leading Canadian nutritionist, in her book Foods That Fight Disease makes a case for how easily liquid calories can lead to weight gain. She says that research suggests that we don’t register the calories we drink as well as we do the calories we eat. Therefore, liquid calories add to rather than displace food calories, resulting in an increase to our total daily caloric intake. To prevent consuming too many calories from beverages, she recommends limiting beverage calories to no more than 10% of daily caloric intake, which equates to about 200 calories if you follow a 2,000 calorie diet.

There are many options for what to drink, but without a doubt, you should make water your beverage of choice. It's calorie-free, and it's as easy to find as the nearest tap. Water is the body’s most important nutrient, second only to oxygen as a substance necessary to sustain life. The body uses water for just about all of its functions since every cell in the body relies on water to carry out its functions, including regulating temperature, transporting oxygen and nutrients through the blood, as well as digestion and absorption of food. Fluid lubricates joints and moistens tissue in the eyes, mouth and nose. With such an important role in our body’s functions, you want to be sure that you are consuming enough water for maximum health benefits. Recommended intake of water is 9 cups per day for women and 13 for men to replace what the body loses through breathing, sweating and excreting wastes. Hot, humid weather and physical activity will increase your body’s demands for water.

Find regular, plain water unsatisfying? Before you gulp down a bottle of Vitamin water or artificially flavored water as an alternative, think again. A 591 ml bottle of Vitamin water contains about 33 grams of sugar almost as much as a 355 ml can of Coke, which contains 39 grams. The added vitamins in Vitamin water don’t do any actual harm, but here’s the problem. It confuses consumers into thinking that this beverage is a “healthy’ choice, when in fact it has plenty of added sugar. As for low-calorie waters flavored with artificial sweeteners, these may actually promote weight gain! Laboratory studies have found that artificial sweeteners can interfere with the body’s natural ability to use sensory cues to gauge caloric consumption. Translation-artificial sweeteners can actually incite hunger! Instead, try flavouring your water by adding a squeeze of lemon to your glass or a splash of cranberry or orange juice. Television personality and author Jamie Oliver suggests mashing up a handful of strawberries or raspberries with a fork and adding it to a jug of water. Another suggestion he offers is adding slices of cucumber or orange segments to your jug of water.

Even though water is your best choice, you can also meet your body’s hydration requirements by drinking milk, soy beverages, coffee, tea, vegetable juice or small amounts of fruit juice. A smoothie can also go a long way towards satisfying thirst as well as daily requirements for fruit and milk! See below for our list of “Ten Healthy Drinks” and “Banana Berry Wake up Shake” smoothie recipe. In summary, you are what you eat...and what you drink. Making healthy choices with every sip can offer you the single most important step to improving your health and wellness. Now that’s easy to swallow!

Real Men Do Yoga

In Canada, as many as 27.7% of yoga practitioners today are men and the trend is growing! Studio owners are seeing an increase in the number of men rolling out their mats to join in a practice that is making them stronger, more flexible and less prone to injury. Once deemed the domain of their wives and girlfriends, men, too, are becoming aware of the many benefits of yoga practice. Male athletes are turning to yoga to give them a competitive edge in sports, to prevent injury and create muscular balance, and regular Joe’s see yoga as a way to build a little Zen in a busy, over stimulated “vida loca”!
Men have typically shied away from yoga classes, most likely intimidated by the flowery metaphors, use of Sanskrit language to describe postures and the slower, meditative pace of the classes. Today, many studios are catering more to men by offering Power Yoga, Men Only, and Bikram (hot yoga) style classes that offer a more intense cardiovascular workout or bigger sweat!  And there’s no doubt that reaching out to men is good for business in an industry that is booming and continues to grow. In 2008, Americans spent $5.7 billion on yoga products, equipment and clothing, an 87% increase over 2004, according to a study from Yoga Journal Magazine. Nearly 14 million Americans report that a doctor or therapist has recommended they practice yoga, excellent advice for many type-A, workaholic men needing a little Yin in their lives!
Yoga has become the new form of cross-training for men who are active in other sports and want to improve their mental stamina, flexibility and overall muscular balance. Jocks are discovering that yoga is the secret to avoiding injury in their regular sports and activities. Many sports teams that have traditionally taken their training to the gym are rolling out their mats to discover that yoga can alleviate tightness, and prevent injuries and structural imbalances that plague their game. Yoga can also give them the mental focus that translates to a better head-game, and breathing techniques that help them find calm in the chaos of a competitive game scenario.
Craig Donovan, Head Coach of the Junior “A” Stouffville Spirit hockey team attests to the fact that yoga improved his players’ game. Last year, the team attended yoga class every second Wednesday at The Fitness Institute as part of their training. “No doubt, it improved their overall fitness,” says Donovan. “They weren’t sure what they were getting into at first, but then they looked forward to it,” he says. “The guys’ reaction initially was that it was going to be easy, but when they did the workout, they found it to be very intense. They were exhausted by the end of it.” says Donovan.
Yoga’s focus on core training and flexibility is what athletic coaches like Donovan are recognizing to be essential for their players’ game. In the past, hockey players focused more on traditional gym workouts, doing exercises simply for strength such as bench presses and biceps curls. “Twenty-five years ago, it was all about being big and strong,” says Donovan. “Training has changed a lot. Now the focus is on core and joint strength,” he adds. That is why this year, the team also incorporated functional training into their program, using medicine balls, resistance and agility training exercises through the Gary Roberts High Performance Training Program. Today, it’s not about being big and strong, but instead about being light and strong.  That is why trainers and coaches like Donovan recognize yoga and functional fitness as an integral part of training high performance athletes.
Fitstudios Wellness Center in Markham, which specializes in functional, integrated training for its’ clients through group “Boot Camp” sessions and one-on-one personal training recently hired two qualified instructors to teach yoga classes. Fitstudios owner and President, Adam Theodorou, is an ex-bodybuilder and is at first glance not a guy that you would guess is practicing yoga! The truth is that Theodorou built his training business on what he defines as the three pillars of fitness: stability (core strength), strength and mobility. He defines mobility as “maintaining or improving range of motion and mechanical function of our body parts. Theodorou feels flexibility training is highly important, which is why he promotes yoga and flexibility training for his clients. “The majority of people spend most of their day in a seated position and have tight medial gluts, hips and hamstring muscles,” says Theodorou. For his clients who are regularly doing intense boot camp workouts, yoga is also a nice compliment to their training to help increase blood circulation and to relieve sore, tight muscles. Theodorou recommends practicing yoga once a week minimum and adding a 15 minute cool down mobility component to each workout. So, for those of you who skip the stretch component of your workout, think again! You are missing a key component of your fitness that promises to keep you mobile and injury-free over time!
Lorne King, trainer with Advantage for Athletes, an 8,800 square foot modern training facility in Markham, with 30 qualified personal trainers, agrees that yoga training is excellent for his male clientele, 50% of which are athletes. Advantage for Athletes, which specializes in “three-dimensional training”, a training method that encourages an integration of muscle movement on multiple planes, now offers yoga classes twice per week. Unlike working on machines which works only one muscle group, three dimensional training works the whole body, much like yoga. He’s found that there is an increasing demand from his athletes for yoga for this reason. His male clients are much more interested in yoga than they used to be. What’s great about yoga says King, is that “it’s portable, low-tech and can adapt to any fitness level. My clients like how it can improve their focus, flexibility, and even improve their game,” he says. King says that for most men, it really is an eye-opener. “They are surprised as to how hard it is!” he says.
For A-type, desk-bound guys, the yoga studio offers a retreat from stress and anxiety related to work. Jeff Carew, a Stouffville resident and president of one of Canada’s largest call centers has discovered not only how great a workout yoga can be, but also how excellent a stress reliever  it is. “I had an enormous amount of stress in my life last year with work. When I started yoga, the first few classes were foreign to me, but I started to really enjoy it and felt calmer,” says Carew. Jeff started attending yoga classes on the suggestion of his wife, Jackie, who kept telling him how intense yoga is. More at ease at the gym with his routine mix of cardio machines, spinning and weight lifting, Jeff was sceptical at first. His impression was that yoga was just a stretch class, but after one class he says he was proven wrong. Today, Jeff says that he still goes to the gym, but has shifted his schedule from one to three yoga classes per week and spends less time at the gym. “When you go to the gym, you’re looking to get bigger biceps, but in yoga, it’s more about how your whole body feels and less about how you look,” says Carew. “And the gym was not a stress-buster for me, not like yoga,” he adds.
 For Jeff, yoga has had multiple benefits, including better self-awareness, greater stamina and focus, less stress, more energy and a greater sense of calm. Jeff says when he leaves a class, he feels like he’s worked his entire body. He loves how his yoga practice is a combination of strength, flexibility and balance and that it really challenges his core stabilizer muscles. But what he really finds refreshing about yoga is that there is no ego. “It’s just me and my mat,” says Carew. “No one is judging you at yoga. It doesn’t matter if the person beside you is 17 or 70,” he says. Jeff’s advice to other men is to try a five class pass and experience different instructors and classes before passing judgement that it’s not for “real men.” Most importantly, he advises to put ego aside and enjoy the ride!
Every year after the age of 35, we lose 1 percent of our flexibility. By age 65, this translates to our bodies being 30 percent less limber unless we practice flexibility training. According to Tony Horton, creator of the P90X series, which has sold over 20 million DVD’s to date, “flexibility is the fountain of youth.” When asked if he could only do one form of exercise for the rest of his life, what it would be, Tony answers, “yoga.” “You can be strong and you can be fast and you can look good in your clothes, but if you want to get your mind, your spirit and your body in a place that is going to take you to the end of time, you have to do yoga, says Horton. At 50 years old, he says, “I’m Gumby.”  “If you want to be the Tin Man in 20 years, go right ahead. Because if you don’t do yoga and you keep exercising, something is going to break; your elbow, your knee or your back,” he says.
Lisa Moine, owner of Moksha Yoga in Stouffville has witnessed a 20% increase in male attendance to her studio since she opened her doors two and a half years ago. Usually, guys come to try a class because it’s been recommended by their doctor, she says, or by their girlfriend or spouse, who raves about its’ benefits! Lisa highly recommends yoga for men, “It is a distressing process. Once you implement yoga into your everyday life, you’re happier, you have more energy and less stress,” says Moine.  Flexibility for guys is terrible she admits, which makes yoga great because the poses are challenging for men and gives them something to work towards. “The really nice thing about yoga is that the ego seems to disappear, “she adds.
A woman’s only studio in Toronto, called Vital Steps, with a primary focus on customized training for women, now too offers a male only yoga class on Wednesday nights. Certified personal trainer and programming and marketing manager, Michelle Gillis-Saltzman says that pro-athletes credit yoga with improved performance and less injuries and that she is seeing a major shift in men’s interest in yoga. “Yoga forces men to slow down and breathe and to focus. It is a compliment to everything else they are doing,” says Michelle. “A lot of men don’t want to spend time stretching, “she says. “Yoga is great because simultaneously you are doing functional training, working core, upper body and leg strength and stretching,” she says.
So guys, do you think you are man enough to try yoga? Certainly, we are seeing the trend towards more men discovering the amazing benefits of yoga, including improved mental stamina, reduced stress, improved flexibility and reduced injuries. With more and more men rolling out their mats, yoga can no longer be deemed your girlfriend’s workout! It’s for real guys, wanting to get real about being flexible, having amazing core strength and a balanced state of mind!

Women & Weights: Fact or Fiction

Women are notorious for focusing on cardiovascular conditioning and for putting strength training on the back-burner. Afraid of building bulky, “masculine” muscles, and guilty of choosing weights that are too light and ultimately ineffective, women are missing out on a key component of fitness. The latest guidelines for strength training from The American College of Sports Medicine, the world’s largest sports medicine and exercise science organization, recommends that adults train each major muscle group two or three days each week. For women, strength training is especially important as a way to reduce body fat and maintain bone density. Regular strength training can reduce symptoms of arthritis and diabetes; it can control blood pressure and reduce the risk of falls and injury. Research also shows that strength training can also ward off depression, improve self-confidence and slow the aging process. In fact, it’s never too late to start. Numerous studies confirm that gains in strength can be achieved at any age and that seniors can achieve strength gains equal to their younger counterparts.

With so many good reasons to lift weights, why do women still fear that they will develop unattractive, bulky muscles from strength training? Perhaps, it’s a product of media influences. Women see images of body builders in fitness magazines and on television and believe that lifting weights will make them look “ripped”. Barb Armstrong, Fitness Supervisor for The Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville Lebovic Leisure Centre, is familiar with the phenomenon of women avoiding heavier weights, fearing they will develop big muscles. But she reassures us that this is a misconception. “Women see female body builders and athletes who are developed, but don’t understand that these athletes are doing sports-specific training,” she says. “To get that way their training probably consists of 15 hours of cardio and 10 hours of strength training per week,” says Armstrong. “They aren’t doing health and wellness training; it’s their job,” she adds.

In fact, it is very difficult for women to build “bulky” muscles like men, because of the hormone testosterone, which is responsible for building muscle mass.  The truth is that an adult male naturally produces about ten times more testosterone than an adult female. Women who do achieve a high degree of muscularity, mostly female bodybuilders, are often using anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs, as well as adhering to a very strict diet and grueling exercise routine to get results.

As we age, both adult women and men lose about one half a pound of muscle mass every year, increasing to about one pound of muscle mass every year after the age of 40. This is known as sarcopenia.  The rate of muscle loss may even be greater in some adults, depending on alcohol use, activity level, genetics, diet and smoking. We can slow the process of aging, however, by continuing to do resistance training exercises which increases our ratio of lean body tissue to fat. Because muscle is metabolically active, the more you have, the higher your metabolic rate. Translation: you burn more calories even at a state of rest. “Strength training is the biggest bang for your buck,” says Armstrong, “because your increase in caloric burn is 24/7.” Women who exclusively do cardiovascular training burn both muscle and fat for fuel. In order to prevent loss of muscle tissue and to get the muscle engine burning, women need to include resistance training in their fitness regime. When you do a cardio workout, your caloric expenditure is restricted to that particular workout, say 350 calories; however strength training results in an increase in metabolism, meaning an increase in calorie burning all day, every day. Armstrong’s advice then for women trying to lose weight is; “instead of cutting calories dramatically, raise your metabolism so that you’re burning more calories,” she says.

The revised ASCM guidelines also include a whole new component of fitness called “neuromotor exercise”, also known as “functional fitness training”. This category of fitness emphasizes incorporating exercises that involve balance, agility, coordination and gait training, proprioceptive exercise training and multifaceted activities such as tai chi two to three days per week. Adam Theodorau, founder of FIT Studios in Markham and FIT personal trainer, bases his whole business philosophy on integrated training, “FIT” in FIT Studios, meaning functional, integrated training. “More and more people are doing functional training,” says Theodoau, “not just lifting dumbbells.” Theodorau’s integrated approach to training involves clients doing load bearing exercises with bands, straps, cables and body resistance training. His boot camp programs are designed to train clients’ coordination, speed, agility, balance, strength, flexibility and core stabilization. Theodorau’s belief is that this kind of functional fitness training is more effective than one dimensional traditional training, which isolates one muscle on one plane of movement, such as a bicep curl machine. “People tell me that they get better results in ten weeks of training at FIT Studios than they did in 10 years of doing aerobics,” says Thoreau.

Jane Wiseman, Can-Fit Pro Personal Trainer and RET (retired nurse), also subscribes to this philosophy. A personal trainer in Stouffville and Toronto, Wiseman says, “From a functional point of view, real life involves heavy lifting”. Balance work and proprioceptive work are important,” says Wiseman who trains her clients mostly with free weights. Proprioceptive work is defined as exercise that challenges muscles, tendons, and supporting joints to respond to stimuli. Asked how she challenges misconceptions about strength training with her female clientele, she answers that she uses education and models effective and safe exercises to her clients. “I remind them that they lift heavier groceries than weights,” says Wiseman. “They carry cases of pop and big bags of salt out of their cars, then come to the gym and pick up three pound weights, “she quips. Her philosophy is all about exercising for quality of life and that’s what functional fitness is. “We don’t do fitness to make the cover of Muscle Fitness Magazine; we exercise for health and fitness, for quality of life,” says Wiseman.

Due to our society’s misconceptions about resistance training, many women erroneously choose very light weights and instead focus on toning and aesthetics rather than strength training. The problem with this approach is that muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, there will be no reason for the body to change. An average adult female should choose a weight that allows them to complete only 8-12 repetitions, aiming for 2-3 sets and working towards muscle fatigue at the upper limit of the range. “Commonly, we see people doing 2 sets of 30 repetitions,” says Armstrong. “If you are doing more than 15 reps and it’s feeling easy, this has no effect on strength. A 2 pound weight will do nothing for strength,” she says. However, it should be noted that a beginner or older exerciser will see strength gains initially with lighter weights. They should select lighter weights initially, but remember to increase resistance as they get stronger.

It’s never too late to start either. Older adults can quickly rebuild muscles that have atrophied from years of sedentary living. Research has repeatedly shown significant increases in muscle mass and resting metabolic rate in seniors who do regular resistance exercise. One large scale study of 1,132 participants conducted by Wayne Westcott, Ph.D., fitness research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, MA., strength training consultant for numerous national organizations and author of 20 books on fitness, confirmed that seniors can achieve strength gains equal to their younger counterparts. Various subjects in the study, including younger adults (21-40 years), middle-aged adults (41-60 years) and older adults (61-80 years) all made similar improvements in bodyweight, percent fat, fat weight and lean (muscle) weight after 8 weeks of basic resistance exercise.

 Many older adults who are inactive and looking to get moving may think that a pair of walking shoes is a wiser investment than a set of weights, but the opposite may actually be true according to fitness experts. People who have been sedentary for long periods are at high risk for falls because their muscle tone is weak, flexibility is often limited, and balance may be precarious. Strength training is the only type of exercise that can maintain muscle and metabolism as we age, and should therefore be the essential component of every senior fitness program.

Strength training has many other redeeming qualities. It is known to reduce symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes and osteoporosis, a common issue for aging women. It is well known that weight training can increase bone mass, which lowers the risk of developing osteoporosis and fractures. Strength training adds more weight to the skeleton by building muscle; this stimulates the bones to strengthen and grow to bear the heavier load on the muscles. “Women need to lift weights to combat osteoporosis, to build density,” says Wiseman. “You don’t get stronger muscles by doing cardio every day,” she says. 

Also, since proper strength training doesn't apply stress directly to joints, it is ideal for people with arthritis; in fact, rheumatologists often recommend it. Although strength training cannot reverse arthritic changes, it can help alleviate symptoms of arthritis by strengthening the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that surround joints. A high level of body fat, in particular abdominal body fat, decreases the body’s sensitivity to insulin, one of the major causes of type 2 diabetes. Women who do regular strength training can reduce body fat, and increase muscle which is metabolically active, thereby reducing their risk of developing diabetes.  

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) in Canada and The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S., both recommend adult women do strength training on two or more days a week with exercises that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms). For the biggest gains in metabolism, try to target major muscles, such as quadriceps, hamstrings, glutial, chest, back and abdominals. The bigger the muscle, the bigger the impact will be on your metabolism.

While society’s focus is typically on fat loss (one out of two American adults is presently on a weight reduction diet plan), more emphasis should be placed on muscle gain. As Barb Armstrong suggests, “Dieting by cutting calories alone is a losing battle. We need to make our bodies energy-efficient machines,” she says.

For Jane Wiseman, “it’s all about deprogramming already held beliefs.” When Wiseman started weight training, her father said, “Oh my God, you’re going to look like a man!” She says,” Now, this generation, boys don’t blink an eye at women in the gym lifting weights with them. It’s not shocking.”

So, this winter, trade in your two pound dumbbells for five, eight or fifteen pound weights. And trade in your misconceptions and fears of building big, “masculine” muscles for an educated knowledge and understanding of the many benefits of resistance training. “Misconceptions are really a result of lack of education,” says Theodorau. Of course, you have to build slowly, but to elicit a response in the muscles, it’s essential to continue to add more resistance, otherwise the body won’t further adapt. It may be the most important step you take towards your health and fitness this year. Still not sure where to start? Consider hiring a personal trainer or talk to your local community or fitness centre about designing a personalized resistance program for you. Don’t weight!

Sidebar:

American College of Sports Medicine Revised Guidelines-July 2011

Guidelines for Strength Training:

·         Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.

·         Two to four sets of each exercise will help adults improve strength and power.

·         For each exercise, 8-12 repetitions improve strength and power, 10-15 repetitions improve strength in middle-age and older persons starting exercise and 15-20 repetitions improve muscular endurance.

·         Adults should wait at least 48 hours between resistance training sessions.

·         Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise.

More tips:

·         Perform a minimum of 8 to 10 exercises that train the major muscle groups, including legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and abdominals.

·         Be sure to hydrate

·         Perform exercises through a full range of motion

·         Perform exercises in a controlled manner

·         Maintain normal breathing

·         If possible, exercise with a training partner; partners can provide feedback, assistance, and motivation

SNAP Stouffville/Uxbridge - Baby's Work Out!

SNAP Stouffville/Uxbridge - Baby's Work Out!

The Path to Bliss!

“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy; One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.” Gretchen Rubin, Author, The Happiness Project.

The search for happiness is an elusive quest that many philosophers, scientists, authors, religious leaders and yogis have strived to identify and impart to others. “Bliss”, defined as “perfect happiness” or “joy” is a state of being that many of us seek, but we are not always sure where to look. One place to start searching might be “Bliss”, California. You can probably count on great surfing, beaches, warm weather and sunshine, but actual bliss... not guaranteed!

Instead, we might look to the research from one psychologist, Martin Seligman, who identifies five precepts to happiness:

1. Pleasure (tasty foods, warm baths, etc.),
2. Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity),
3. Relationships (social ties have turned out to be an extremely reliable indicator of happiness),
4. Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and
5. Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals).

Another famous psychologist, Abraham Maslow developed The Hierarchy of Needs in his 1943 paper entitled The Theory of Human Motivation. His theory states that if we first meet our basic needs for physiological well-being, safety, belonging, and self-esteem, we can evolve to our full potential as human beings. This higher state, which he calls, “self-actualization,” is Maslow’s definition of “bliss.” It’s the state of becoming everything we are capable of becoming.

While we all may define happiness in different ways, there are common threads among many theorists. Most experts on the topic agree that close relationships are key to happiness and that exercise contributes greatly to an improved state of mental well-being and lowered incidence of depression. Gratitude and a positive outlook also contribute greatly to overall happiness. Grateful people have been shown to have greater positive emotion, a greater sense of belonging, and lower incidence of depression and stress.

Eoin Finn, declared “Blissologist” and yogi from British Columbia, defines his five steps to “bliss”as:

1.       Yoga-to relieve stress and make us fit!

2.       Meditation-to cultivate patience and calm mind.

3.       Nature appreciation-be blown away by life’s miracles

4.       Food appreciation-eating foods that are fresh, healthy and free of chemicals

5.       Gratitude- creating an attitude of gratitude because state of mind is everything

Anyone who has experienced a yoga class with Eoin has encountered “bliss”. You leave wanting to bottle up his joy, his laughter and gift for connecting with others through yoga and loving kindness. His passion for yoga and for life is infectious. Through his 30 day Blissology Project, Eoin challenges you to cultivate a life of love, joy and happiness. Through yoga practice, meditation, nature appreciation, food appreciation and gratitude, Eoin will guide you to live to your fullest human potential possible and begin to create what he calls an “upward spiral.” Many of us are living life in a downward spiral of stress, worry and tension. Instead, he says, “we need to create a positive upward spiral, where our habits affect our attitudes, attitudes shape our actions, and our actions are what shapes the world.” You can learn more about the Blissology Project at www.blissology.com.

Fitness Instructor Job Review

Fitness Instructor Job Review

Is your fitness instructor a Diva or Dynamo?

You put your health and wellness in the hands of your fitness instructor every time you take a class. You look to them for their knowledge and experience and you trust that they are leading you through a safe and effective workout. But, how do you know that you are in the hands of an experienced professional who has your best interests in mind? Let us put your instructor to the test and see if they make the passing grade on our fitness instructor job review. Using five key measures of success, we’ll rate your instructor on the safety of their class, their “star power”, their passion for the teaching, how they connect with their participants, and whether they “walk the talk.”

First let’s look at the “nuts and bolts” of what makes a good instructor. Safety should be the first consideration. A basic requirement for instructors teaching group exercise is a recognized accreditation. Recognized certifying bodies include, Canadian Fitness Professionals (canfitpro), Ontario Fitness Council (OFC), or American Council on Exercise (ACE). Certified instructors are required to have CPR and 1^st aid training and to renew their certifications on a yearly basis. Most recognized fitness facilities require both a recognized instructor certification and an up-to-date CPR certification. Ask your facility what is required from their instructors so you know you are in safe hands.

A good instructor will offer modifications for different levels of ability or injuries and alternatives for special populations, such as seniors or pregnant participants. They will circulate the room and correct form and technique. Your instructor should also be teaching the class listed on the schedule, not doing whatever suits their fancy. If you came to class expecting Gentle Fitness and they are teaching Boot Camp, this should definitely raise a red flag!

Today’s fitness enthusiast is more knowledgeable and better educated about health and fitness than ever before, which in turn means that they expect more from their fitness provider. It’s the job of your fitness instructor to meet this need by being up to speed on current trends and information. An instructor who has a true passion for their job will make a dedicated commitment to continuing education. It’s how they stay current and offer variety in their routines, keeping every class fresh and fun! We asked David Snively, who has been a leader in the fitness industry for over 20 years and has hosted two successful workout television shows, including “Great Shape”, and “Caribbean Workout,” what he believes makes a great instructor. David told us, “In my opinion a great instructor has a strong commitment to ongoing and never ending continuing education.” With over 20 health and fitness certifications, David is one of the premier fitness experts in the world. He is also a strong believer in his own continuing education and spends as much time as possible taking courses and internships in all related fields of health and fitness. Truly, becoming a great teacher means being an enthusiastic student.

 If you leave your fitness class feeling inspired, energized and positive, then your instructor has already mastered this next criteria. We call it “the party experience.” Each class should feel like you’re a guest at a party. The mood should be upbeat, you should feel welcome and your “host” should take care of your needs. An instructor who can create an environment where you feel confident and successful has true “star power.” In an industry that is notorious for its “hard-body” preoccupation, sometimes it’s hard to find authenticity. We’re not talking about ego when we say “star-power”, but instead about confidence, a positive attitude, being approachable, and motivating! This is the kind of instructor who creates laughter, energy and a “goose bumps” experience for their participants. Sharon Mann, internationally renowned fitness expert and presenter, co-producer and host of “In Shape with Sharon Mann” says, “A great instructor makes their participants feel confident. If they’re confident, they’ll come back,” she says. Kimberly Spreen, industry presenter and fitness director for Life Time Fitness/Life Power Yoga in Nevada believes that attitude is the key to “star power.” “Attitude is contagious.” Kimberly asks, “Is theirs worth catching?”

Another measure of success is whether your instructor “walks the talk.” Listen to the messages that they are sending. Are they preaching the merits of life-balance or are they a cardio-junkie? Does your instructor share articles with the class on healthy living or do they talk about their next bodybuilding competition? Beware of the instructor who is competitive with class participants or who exercises to obsession. Instead, gravitate towards instructors who congratulate you for taking the time for improving your health and fitness and who exhibit a healthy life balance.

David Snively believes, “A great instructor is interested in optimizing overall health and well being, continues to learn ways to enhance lives with how we eat, drink, think and move, and shares this valuable information with passion and respect. I also believe a great instructor models this behavior and thought process in their own life journey.” We look to our instructors for inspiration and to model a healthy lifestyle. Beware of empty promises for quick weight loss schemes or products and realize that the true path to health and fitness is comprised of many small steps in a positive direction.

The beauty of group exercise is that it is about creating community. A great instructor will work this to their advantage by welcoming new participants, introducing them to regulars, getting to know people’s names and by making an emotional connection with the class. Instructors who excel at this create a non-intimidating environment where nobody is judged and people can be themselves.

Bonus marks goes to the instructor who takes time after class to answer questions, who offers to share information with you regarding an injury or who takes time to review choreography. Ask your instructor if he or she has a Facebook or Web page listing their class schedule and/or their exercise philosophy. Many instructors are doing this now and it’s a great way for them to connect with their fitness community.

So, did your instructor make the grade? If your instructor truly shines, tell them, even share this article with them. Better yet, write to us and tell us why your instructor is a dynamo! If your instructor is a flunky, consider taking action by sharing this article with your facility’s fitness or group exercise director. After all, it’s your workout, make it the best it can be!

Bonus marks goes to the instructor who takes time after class to answer questions, who offers to share information with you regarding an injury or who takes time to review choreography. Ask your instructor if he or she has a Facebook or Web page listing their class schedule and/or their exercise philosophy. Many instructors are doing this now and it’s a great way for them to connect with their fitness community.

So, did your instructor make the grade? If your instructor truly shines, tell them, even share this article with them. Better yet, write to us and tell us why your instructor is a dynamo! If your instructor is a flunky, consider taking action by sharing this article with your facility’s fitness or group exercise director. After all, it’s your workout, make it the best it can be!