One time only

I was on my way to the gym at the Nordic Centre on Saturday. It is always busy there on the weekends, World Cup races, club events, mountain biking, running, always something and a lot of serious athletes. This weekend there was a trail run and I was meeting someone to pick up a package and then going to the gym. It …

Start with the why.

Thanks for the great responses to my question about exercise.  “Why do you think more people don’t exercise enough? What stops you from turning up the dial on your exercise intensity? Why is this one thing, that has more benefits than any pill you could take, so hard to do regularly?” F said I’ve got lots of ideas why some …

Get smart

When I was in university the school calendar had a joke printed inside that said, “How do Human Kinetics students study? Run extra laps? Lift heavier weights?” When I graduated from UBC one of my relatives saw my grad photo and laughed, they said “why do they have you sitting in front of all those books, you didn’t go to …

Sweat is the Best Anti-Depressant

On Tuesday morning I went to an Active Living seminar to listen to Dr. Guy Faulkner, Canadian Research Chair in Applied Public Health, talk about exercise and depression. He compared the evidence for exercise vs. drugs as anti-depressants. His conclusion? Compared to anti-depressants, when exercise is used as a treatment for depression, it is as effective, less expensive, can be …

Colour your brain healthy

Make your  brain more energy efficient. A study of 65-85 year old adults revealed how much effort it takes a vegetable deprived brain to work. It was a small study, but the results could be very useful and provide another reason to eat your fruits and vegetables. When researchers virtually peered inside the brains of older adults they saw something …

Exercise to eat less

Exercising after work may have unexpected benefits. The journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise recently reported that exercise after performing mentally stressful work reduces calorie intake later. This made me think about the running joke that my sister and I have. When I exercise, she gets hungry. It’s not that she doesn’t exercise, it is that often when …

Unplugged

  I am back from vacation. A two week fitness adventure. With a big technology break. I highly recommend it. The fitness adventure and the technology break. It seems we can’t go anywhere anymore without the electronic umbilical cord. The benefits of cutting the ties are worth the few anxious moments of being unreachable. Actually I found the unreachableness one …

5 ways to get Olympic results. Guaranteed.

It’s the middle of August, the summer is coming to an end and thankfully so are the Olympics. The Olympics are so inspiring and motivating. Except you have to watch them, and that could mean you are exercising less. However, you could use this time to think about your own fitness goals. Olympians aren’t the only ones who can benefit from …

Race Weight

I have been running more lately. Partly due to the weather, we have had a summer that has not been the best for cycling and partly because I have a half marathon to train for. I have also been thinking about weight. Mine, currently not ideal. You really notice anything extra when you run.  I live in a town that …

Five steps to improve resiliency

Five ways to boost your resilience for life-changing results. Resilient people handle stressful situations better, and they are also more successful athletes. They are more successful at behaviour change, like weight loss, and can bounce back from adversity faster. Successful professional athletes are known for their resilience. Think about it. How would you perform on the centre court at Wimbledon? …