Look where you want your wheel to go.

When I started mountain biking, I had a few memorable falls. And it took some scratches and bruises to make me realised that I was paying too much attention to the trees and rocks. And that made me hesitate. And I tried to pull the bike in a different direction. The end result was a big fall.

So I decided to chage my approach. I stayed focus on where I wanted to wheel to go. It gave the bike a general direction. And I had to be flexible and follow the bike. I did not always go exactly in the direction I planned. And I had to make decisions without hesitation.

And when I applied this to life, I remember that things won't always unfold as I plan. I have to be capable of adjusting. As long as I keep my eyes on my goal and look where I want the wheel to go.

Technology and toys won't do it.

I just read an article in Metro News this morning: "Items to add to your gym bag". This made me realize how much techie stuff and toys have inflitrated the fitness world. It doesn't matter that you have the latest double-wall, stainless steel, no toxins, earth friendly, recyclable water bottle, It will not do the workout for you. Even gym equipment is getting fancier. It still can't firm up your butt by itself. What you need is motivation and determination to work hard.

Cross-training for runners.

A runner’s idea of cross training is usually more of the same. When they run, all their movements are in the sagittal plane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittal_plane). So if the idea of cross training is riding a bike, it is more of the same type of movement. In the preparatory/conditioning phase of your plan, you should introduce lateral movement, like tennis. Or you can do circuit training that includes side lunges and lateral step ups. You will become a well rounded athlete and prevent over use injuries.

Are personal trainers worth it?

If you have never used one, you may ask the question. And if you work with a good trainer, you know the answer. So the studies from Ball Sate university just comfirmed what we know. They studied 2 groups, same program, one group exercised by themselves and the group two participants were followed by a personal trainer. And the results show that group 2 had more improvements after a 12-week strength training program. The results were due to proper execution and motivation. Also, the trainers encouraged the clients to progress in terms of weight used. I know that one by experience, most clients underestimate themselves and use weights that are too low. They tend to stick with the same weight too long.

One other benefit that I have observed. Having an apointment will decrease absenteeism. Without an appiontment, my clients can always find something else to fit in. And exercise time suffers. But when they have a schedule appiontment with me, they have to think twice before cancelling.

Can the iPad affect your sleep?

Sleep specialists are worried that one of the selling features of the iPad may disturb users' sleep. The fact that the iPad can be brighter makes it emit more blue-range light. Thus telling your body it is morning and time to get going. This will increase cortisol secretion and delay deep restful sleep. To get the most out of your sleep, you have to minimize cortisol at night and maximize melatonine. One way to do this is to dim the lights 30 minutes before bed time. If you decide to read, chose material that will not engage your brain. Also, include stretching and breathing exercises in your before-bed routine. Having a set routine will set your body for sleep.

We have a tendency to always dim the lights in our house. We have friends that always have all the bright lights on. And when they get to our house in the evening, they have a tendency to pass out on the sofa. Before I figured that one out, I thought we were the problem.

What is she going to think of your body?

Recent study findiongs from the University of Florida reports that 66% of men would choose a killer body over functional strength. What is she going to be thinking when your killer body cannot carry her to bed?

Do you waste your time?

If the main reason for not being physically active is a lack of time, why do I see so much wasted time on the gym floor. Long chatting sessions, slow cardio and inefficient program designs. If you commit some of your precious time to exercise, don't you want to maximize your return?

Do you know what is the favourite activity of Torontonians?

A recent survey reports that more than half of all Torontonians prefer the rat race to any other activity. 57% of respondents were inactive during their leisure time. And an "inactive" person doesn't walk for 30 min per day? And the main excuse was lack of time. Maybe you should throw your TV out and see what happens.

Do you want to sleep better?

Let me quote the great scientist Albert Einstein: "Insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different results" Think about that for a moment. Is there any areas where you could use a different approach? How about your sleep habits? Do you wake up fully rested or do you drag yourself out of bed? If you don't get restful sleep, what can you do to improve it?


Well, I'll give you one clue. Watch less TV and dim the lights. Especially 30 min before you go to bed. Artificial light and the reflection of the TV tell your body that it is time to be awake. And that effect takes time to go away once you are in bed and disturbs your sleep.

Also, if you fall asleep as you hit the pillow, it is a sign that you are exhausted. You need to build your sleep bank.

The Argentinian parodox

When it comes to questions of obesity in North America we always try to compare ourselves to other nations. And see how they can get away with certain habits. You may have heard of the French paradox. They drink wine and eat cheese and stay slim. How can that be? Maybe they just have less garbage in their food.

Now I have heard that the city of Austin, Texas is the fattest city. And most of the blame goes to red meat consumption. So how can the Argentinians eat a lot of beef and not have the same ballooning problems? My guess is that their beef is raised naturally and without extra hormones.

We think we are very intelligent in trying to out smart mother nature. I guess she always has the upper hand.

Slow cardio is no good for fat loss.

An article came out in the New York Times magazine last fall, (http://tinyurl.com/ylqaher). They reported a study that found that low intensity exercise did not increase fat burn post exercise. I find it kind of funny that we still see research like that. A study published in 1994 by Dr Angelo Tremblay showed that high intensity exercise was the best way to burn body fat. The higher the intensity, the more fat calories you burn after.
Slow cardio can improve your fitness level to a point especially if you are a beginner. But if you are healthy and want to lose some blubber, intensity is the answer.

We were made to move.

I just started reading "The stress of life" by Hans Selye. He is a pioneer in the research on stress and its effects. The main point is that we cannot live without a certain level of stress
He also confirmed one of my beliefs: That we were made to move. He writes "As we have so often said, living beings are constructed for work and if they have no outlet for their pent-up energy, they must make extreme efforts at adaptation... "
So choose the good stress over the bad. This is one more way to show you that physical activity is vital to your health.

What do you think of you?

Here's a big one and a lot of people struggle wit it. Write down 5 things that you like about yourself. It could be qualities, skills, personality traits, etc. Then find 5 things that you like about your body. These positive views about yourself will set up your mind to focus on what is great about you. You will feel better about yourself and about your goal of getting healthier.

Think positive.

One thing that I have noticed with weight loss clients is that they have a tendency to put themselves down. And that includes their achievement. When you lose your first 5 pounds, be proud of yourself. Don't focus on the fact that you still have a lot to lose.

So, what do you focus on? Your shortcomings and defeats? Do you wonder why it keeps coming back? Would it be so hard to focus on what is going right? You have to acknowledge your daily success. Make a list of what went well today. At home in the morning, your commute, your work day, lunch time, your workout, etc... Make an effort to write down all the good stuff that happens in the day. It will change your outlook.

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world - Buddha

What's on your mind?

No I'm not trying to copy Facebook. I just want to alert you on what you are thinking about. Your mind is very powerful when it comes to your state of wellness and health. We have all heard about miracles that have happened to people with positive attitude. Have you ever looked up the definition of think? It goes like this "exercise the mind positively with one's idea; become mentally aware". Wow, that says it all. And yes it is an exercise. The more you think positively, the easier it gets. Just like any skill.

Deflate your stress by inflating your lungs.

Imagine that you cannot breathe for 2 minutes. Your conscious of it and for some reason you just cannot get a breath in. Would you feel stressed? I bet you would. And your internal organs would be stressed also because the level of CO2 would increase. And most of us get our bodies stressed by not breathing properly. This time we are not conscious of it. But the rest of your body is.

So in order to reduce the level of stress on your body, I suggest you take breathing breaks. Every hour, you take 5 deep breaths. Breath as deep as you can by inflating your belly, hold for a second and expel. If you do this right, you will automatically feel more relaxed. Try it and let me know what you think.

What do you think is most important?

What do you think is the most important element to your health and wellness? Food? Water? Exercise? I put my money on air, or better yet, oxygen. How long can you survive without it? So why is it that most people do not know how to breath? Why do we just take it for granted and don't really focus on it if it is so important to our survival?

First we need to ask ourselves, what is breathing? If you consult the dictionary, it will tell you that breathe is "to take air into and expel from the lungs" Pretty self explanatory isn't it. And how do we breathe well? In order to get enough oxygen in and expel CO2, we need to practice deep breathing. Breathing from your belly and involving your diaphragm. By doing so, your cells will have a better environment to work with and you will feel a greater sense of wellness. My next post will be about a breathing exercise.

The pillars of wellness

I got this concept after coming across the pyramid of needs of Abraham Maslow. At the bottom, you find basic physiological needs: food, and water. And only after these needs are met can you go up the pyramid. The next level is safety, like shelter. Then you get into social aspects and intimacy. The fourth level is self-esteem and then self-actualization. When you attain that fifth level, you can be all that you can be.

So I started thinking how as humans we do not respect that hierarchy. I mean, we don't nourish ourselves well and we expect to perform at a high level. How many men have poor health and just take Viagra? We have bad sleep habits and we expect to be patient with the kids.

So what I want to do is to bring you back to your basic needs. Or more your body's basic needs. And by fulfilling those needs it will be easier to deal with the other stresses of life. If you treat your body well, it will treat you well in return. This blog is to educate and give you strategies on the 7 pillars of wellness.