The sun is rising earlier and earlier.....

Every Tuesday and Thursday I teach boot camp at 6:30am and 6:30pm.  Thanks to the dedicated women who make it worth it to get up!  Anyway, recently we all noticed how it was almost light out when we were done at 7:30am.  How nice!  This morning as I pulled in to the parking lot I noticed that the horizon was just lightening up a little at 6:25am!  It put a spring in my step this morning and when we were done it was full daylight!  Yay!!!!  Is spring just a round the corner after all????
I need sunlight.  It makes all the difference to me when it is light out when I wake up.  Do you know anyone who suffers from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)?  Very common in countries and provinces that have few hours of daylight in the winter months.  What is one of the cures??  Find something you enjoy doing outside during the winter months.  Instead of fighting it for 3-4 months, enjoy some of it. 
My client "M" is taking on this new approach to fitness and health.  Tomorrow I am teaching her to cross country ski :).  Exercising outside is so much more fun, it doesn't feel like exercise at all!
What do you do  cure the winter blues?

I was soooo bad....

OMG - I ate sooo much this weekend!!!!  Appetizers, dinners, desserts (yes, plural)....mmmmm... oh yes, and wine.... it was so good, but so bad!  I didn't blow it all the time - I had fish, salads and left the rice and potatoes and skipped the bread.  But as we all know restaurant food is so much higher in fat and sodium than home cooking.  So why was I so bad??  All the kids were gone!  First time in I can't remember how long!  My bf and I had 48 hours to ourselves, and we enjoyed it thoroughly.  We went to Niagara over night on Saturday and out with friends last night.  We had such a great weekend.  We always have so much fun together.  Any regrets? - of course not!!!  But it is Monday today and time to get back to it.  Back to the normal and great routine of healthy small meals 5-6 times/day.  Salads for lunch, home cooked dinners and exercise of course!  No worries, it was just a weekend after all.  I always tell my clients when they are going away or a special occasion comes up not to worry too much.  You can only do so much dammage in a couple of days.  The important thing is to stop when Monday rolls around and get back to the normal routine of healthy eating, daily activities and exercise.  And there are several things you can do/avoid so an evening out does not work against what you have been working so hard to accomplish.  I'll blog more about that later....  Look for it! :)

This is why I love my job!

At boot camp on Tuesday I made my ladies run and run and run, with some fun stuff thrown in between...  They weren't happy but they did it and I was so proud of them!  Last night after boot camp one of them told me that she hated it but did it anyway, but when she left she felt so proud of herself for doing it all!  Wow!  I love that.  Guess what her next question was?   Yes, you guessed it;  "when are you doing that again?"  She wants to make sure she is there for that class.  Way to go K!  You just discovered one of the great benefits of exercise - the pride and sense of accomplisment you feel when you have pushed your body to its limits and you still want to come back for more!

I love my job!!!

It's a new year..... Welcome to 2011

...and hopefully more regular blogs from me.  This is one of my new years' resolutions!  Other ones are t be better at staying in touch with friends and the big one - grow my business!!  Hopefully the first one will help this one.  Did you make any this year?  If so, what are they? 
One of the most common new years' resolutions must be to lose weight and/or get in shape or something related to that.  By now many are already falling off.  Most likely because you aren't seeing the results you want or you don't know exactly what to do to achieve your goals.  If so, may I recommend that you hire a trainer...! ;)  Studies show that you are 80% more likely to be successful reaching your goal if you work with a trainer.  But before you do, take a look at their credentials.  Make sure the trainer is certified, insured and has a valid CPR.  Without it they can't be insured.  Also take a look at their specialty.  Many personal trainers now specialize in working with either older adults, pre and post-natal, athletic training, etc.  My specialty is working with women, especially 40+. I can help you find the right trainer for you...  I would also love to hear from you about how you found it was to work with a trainer.
Have a great weekend!

November - what a dreary and nothing kind of a month. There are no holidays, the days are getting shorter. It isn't winter yet and the really nice fall days are becoming fewer and farther between. I write this as the winds are howling outside to the point where every 30 minutes or so it sounds like someone is coming in the front door. I have now promised myself that I will stop calling out - "who's there?". Thankfully only the dog is aware of my jumpiness, or is she...? She has been sleeping soundly ever since I came home. That is what she does every day until the kids come home. Then she wakes up because there is someone to play with. Today I wish I was a dog... So I could sleep all day and do nothing! Not really, but you know what I mean. It is hard to get motivated to go outside for a walk or bike ride when there are 70km winds and a threat of rain. The days are getting shorter and shorter and with that comes our increased desire to stay indoors. This week my boot camp attendance is at an all time high. I love it! It shows how many of you realize that you have to keep doing something.
So... what can you do to stay active during this dark in between season? Taking a fitness class on a regular basis is one great way to do this. That way the weather can never be an excuse. Joining with a friend really helps with the motivation! Studies have shown that we are much more likely to stick with a program if we join with someone, plus, what a great way to spend some time with our friends - doing something great for ourselves! It can be any type of class, but I suggest at least a couple of days of the week are dedicated to a cardio focused class in order to give the heart and lungs a good workout, plus it burns extra calories and gets us moving during a very sedentary time. In addition it is very important to spend some time at the gym doing strength training to build our muscle and bone mass. Finish the week off with a yoga or Pilate's class to increase flexibility and for relaxation.

Email me if you need help or ideas fitting all this into your day/week. As a lifestyle coach I can help you find the balance you are looking for.



I'm heading out for a walk with my dog - wearing my long winter coat! Come and join me!! :)

Happy New Year!!! (And happy resolutions....)

Hello again to all of you who (don't) read my blog. But then why would you read a blog that isn't being kept up. I have been very delinquent and for that I apologize. However, that is changing as of right now. I am back and reaching out to you again. I will regularly add interesting and perhaps less interesting (but amusing) facts related to your health and fitness.

I just finished watching Julie & Julia, and thoroughly enjoyed it! And yes, of course it inspired me to start blogging again. If only I could write like Julie in the movie.....

So, it is January - the month of resolutions, promises to ourselves and of course the inevitable letdown when we do the human thing and fail. I heard or read somewhere today that the most important thing to do when you make a resolution to do something is realize you are not perfect and that there will be (many?) days when you are not true to that promise to yourself. The important thing of course is to get up the next day and get back to it. You don't have to be perfect, you just have to do the very best you can.

Good luck to all of you!!

Wouldn't it be fun if you all wrote me and told me what your resolution is. You know the more people you tell the more likely you are to succeed!! It's true! Or if you didn't make one, tell us why.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Elisabeth

168 hours in a week..... is it enough??

Time management..... It's a word we love and hate. Love it when it works, hate it when people are telling us we aren't using our time wisely. Last Monday there was an article in the Globe about how us working mom's "fritter" away our time every week. The article provoked many and I have read many of the comments, but I must admit I also found it thought provoking. It is true that I waste many hours a week either not planning things out well or simply spending too much time doing useless things. As much as this article offended many, it made me rethink my day and week a little. How can I make better use of my time? Me-time, kid-time, exercise, girlfriend time, etc. etc. I am going to evaluate what is more important to me and prioritize;

1. kids, 2. friends, significant other, 3. exercise.......
or,
1. ME (ie exercise), 2. kids, 3. ME - again....,

This is not to say I want my whole day to be structured and inflexible. I love spontaneous, long chats with my teenagers, or just reading for an hour, or lying in bed - awake - on a Saturday morning, or chatting on the phone with a girlfriend. But could I use my time better and fit more into a week? - ABSOLUTELY!! This article really hit a nerve in a lot of people. A lot of what the angry writers say is right, but I also think they know deep down they could fit more in.

The most common excuse I hear from my clients or prospective clients as to why they don't exercise more, or at all is lack of time. There is no time left in the day...

In order to fit exercise into your busy schedule it has to be at or near the top of your list. You are not doing it for me, your spouse or your trainer. You are doing it for YOU. At the end of the 'day' you are more likely to thank yourself for exercising than for keeping a tidy house. Think about how good you will feel. Think about your health, today and in the future. Think about what kind of a Grandmother you want to be......Great-grandmother?

There are so many ways to fit in exercise and a healthy lifestyle. In addition to Personal Training I lifestyle coach all my clients. Come and talk to me about how you can make this work for you.

Below is the link to the article.