No Excuses ... Take the Next Step

“I can't run, I don't have the proper shoes.” “I can't go biking because all I have is this old bike I got when I was a teen.” “I can't go learn to swim yet, I need some goggles and a membership at a pool.” “I don't want to go exercise at the gym yet, I need to lose a few pounds first.” “I don't have the time.” Have you used any of these excuses? I know I've used some of these plus many others. It's so easy to make an excuse or two or ten, however it's incredibly satisfying to move towards your goal!!

This past Wednesday I did my weekly run up Knox Mountain and saw a particular gentleman who knows what he wants and is working towards it ... I was just around the first turn on the hill and he went flying past me on his bike heading uphill then slowly came to a stop and began walking. The first thing I noticed as he passed me was that he was on a cruiser style bike. If you don't know what that is, it's a bike that's made for nice flat terrain and it only has one gear. The fact that he was biking up Knox Mountain on a one speed cruiser bike was nuts in my eyes. Needless to say I was impressed and continued to watch him proceed ahead. He would bike as much as he could, then he’d walk for a break until he was ready to hop back on his bike. At the top of the hill I talked with him a little bit at the water fountain. I asked him how his ride was. He said "It was tough. I'd love to get a bike with gears but this one will do until then." Wow! Does he ever have something to teach most of us!!

The question I have for myself is ‘how does this play into my life?’ If I want to ride my bike up Knox, learn to swim or run a marathon but instead make excuses rather than taking action, what else am I going to make excuses for in other areas of my life? From what I saw on Wednesday the man I talked to is a person that's not going to let anything get in the way of his goal whether physical or any other type.

When it comes to physical activity, what excuses are you making? I'll tell you mine. I do my best to maintain my five workouts per week and my fitness level keeps improving which is great. However, every year when it’s time for the Apple Triathlon I wish I could be a part of it and yet I always seem to come up with an excuse or two. This year my excuse was, "It's only 4 weeks away, that's not enough time to learn to swim (I'm terrible at it) or to prepare for a long distance bike ride and run. I'll do it next year." To be totally honest with you, that wasn't my excuse just this year, it's been the last 3 years! This year I even had a free entry into the race offered to me but I told them I didn’t feel I had enough time to train. The hindrance there isn't just the time I would need to train but the fact that I don't want to struggle to push myself across the finish line. So even though I'd love to finish a triathlon, the fact that I don't want to look bad doing it is a part of my hesitation. So what am I going to do about it? What is my next step to make this happen? I'm going to write it in my calendar for next year, months ahead of time so that next year I have plenty of time to train. I'll get a membership at the pool until it's warm enough to swim in the lake, bike to work as a way to train and continue with my runs. By the time the race comes I'll be more than ready to run my race well.

I want to encourage you today to consider, what is your goal? Ambition? or dream? What would you love to do that would fill you with joy? And what is your next step to take you towards that goal? It doesn't have to be a triathlon- it's based on your goals and fitness level. For you it may be working out 3 times per week, going for a walk with your family after dinner every night or even going for a morning jog. Whatever your goal, today is the day to take the next step!! Go talk to a trainer and write a 3 day routine, go for a walk after dinner tonight or go for your morning jog. It's not about going out and reaching your three month goal on day one. What it is about is getting out, having fun and enjoying the process!! If you don't know where to start, talk to me at the office or email me. I’ve been a personal trainer for years, I have the tools to get you going and I’d love to serve you.

We live in the most beautiful place in the world so let's get out there and have some fun because we're CreatedToMove!!

Weekend Warrior

After watching the inspirational football movie “Invincible” this weekend my father-in-law and I started talking sports. He was a college football player so he played sports at very high level in his younger years and after college switched to soccer. As a result of his high physical conditioning he was able to easily pick up a new sport without causing a lot of stress to his body. He's continued to play off and on over the years but at this point in time currently isn’t doing anything. He, like many of us, feels a bit overwhelmed by the busyness of daily life and the thought of adding another thing to do to his daily routine isn’t at the top of his priority list. We continued talking fitness and what he said to me really stood out. "I don't want to go push weights in the gym, that's not going to happen. I want to do something I enjoy." Read that last sentence again, "I don't want to go push weights in the gym, that's not going to happen. I want to do something I enjoy." Can you relate to this statement? What do you enjoy? This resonates with me for more reasons that just "doing what I enjoy" because I know what can happen when people only do what they enjoy.

Finding an activity that you love to do is the best thing you can do because, let‘s be honest, how long will you really stick with it if you don’t actually enjoy it? If you've found what you love to do and do it consistently, Great!! The reality for many people though is that they fall into what I like to call “the weekend warrior routine.” They abuse their body all week with lousy nutrition, poor hydration, little rest and no movement and then expect their bodies to perform at a high level on the weekend in the form of sports, strenuous yard work, etc. Though what is the result? Injury!!!

My dad was this guy until my brother and I were able to show him what he was doing to his body. Not only were we able to show him why he was hurting but also what was happening inside his body as a result of no exercise outside of playing hockey. We were also able to explain to him that your body does different things when you exercise at different intensities and so that he could see for himself we had him wear a heart rate monitor during hockey. Each shift as he came off the ice we monitored his heart rate. What we found was that his heart rate was VERY high when he came off the ice. What really caught our attention though was that when it came time to go back on the ice his heart rate hadn’t lowered all that much, which means his body wasn’t getting a chance to recover. So what was happening was that he was playing for over an hour at an intensity that should only be done for minutes. What does this mean? Every time he went to hockey he thought he was doing his body good, getting exercise doing what he loved. However, my dad was actually doing more harm than good because his body wasn't conditioned to be able to recover in time for his next shift. Does this mean that we can't do what we love because it can hurt our body? Absolutely not. What we need to do is take care ourselves the other 6 days in the week so that our bodies are properly conditioned and we won't hurt ourselves. That's what we got dad doing. He now cross-trains during the week so his body can physically handle playing hockey every weekend. The result ... more energy and less injury!!

For me personally I love playing any sport whenever I get a chance! In order to be able to so without any negative results during or after the fact, I do full-body cross training every week. As a result when I do any activities, whether it be sports, helping someone move, cleaning out a garage, cleaning the house or playing with my nieces and nephews, my body is easily able to adapt and I'm not sore for the rest of the week. That's a normal response from a healthy body. It has nothing to do with age or gender, it all depends on whether or not you move your body like it's created to.

Health and Fitness is a process. When you make small changes here and there they add up and in a short space of time you'll have made some great positive changes. If you currently don't do any type of exercise or even if you fall into the category of "Weekend Warrior" you are in the perfect position to make some great changes but remember - be careful not to do too much too fast! What tends to happen for many people is that they get motivated to start being more active again (which is great!) but do too much too soon when their body isn’t ready and they end up falling off track or getting hurt. Don’t let that be you! Now is the time to set some attainable goals and get your health back!! If you have any questions or need help making a plan let me know. Email me at createdtomove@gmail.com and I'll coach you.

How hard do I need to exercise?

Monitoring your exercise intensity is an important part of the exercise process because it plays an important role in what your results will look like. If you're like me you've been taught that in order to get a good workout you need to workout hard and sweat! Right? Wrong. Each type of exercise and the intensity you do it at plays an important part and serves a different purpose. For example endurance training vs. interval training. They are completely different ways of training and yet work so well together. If you're training for a marathon (endurance training) it'll be low speed for a long distance and therefore the way to train for it is with long, low speed runs. Interval training, on the other hand, is short, very high intensity bursts followed by long breaks. The reason intervals help with long distance runs is because you are forcing your body into an anaerobic state that causes a high buildup of lactic acid (muscle burn). By training with intervals when you get to that last 10km on your marathon you will have trained your body to push through muscle burn already and as a result you will be able to keep pushing physically.

Low, medium and high intensity exercise all have their place and one is not better than the other. During the average workout you will be working at moderate intensity meaning that it's tough but you're not sweating buckets and out of breath. There are several ways to determine how hard you are working out. They are the “Talk Test,” “Perceived Exertion Scale” and “Monitoring your Heart Rate.”

“The Talk Test” is exactly how it sounds- it's the ability to talk during your workout. The American College of Sport Medicine says “People who are able to comfortably converse during exercise are likely working out at an acceptable intensity.” If you can speak comfortably, you're probably somewhere around the low-middle range of your Target Heart Rate (THR) zone or a level 4-5 on the Perceived Exertion Scale. Experts generally suggest that you shouldn't be breathless during your workout unless it's during a short duration interval type workout and of course if you ever feel dizzy or lightheaded, you should slow down or stop your workout.

“Perceived Exertion Scale” goes hand in hand with the Talk Test. What it does is give you a scale to measure how intensely you're exercising. For most workouts you want to be at around Level 5-6. If you're doing interval training you want your intervals to be around 8-9 and your recovery to be around a 4-5. You won't want to hit level 10 for most workouts and for longer, low intensity workouts stay around a level 5 or lower.

Below are two scales to help you better understand what the different levels look like ...

Level 1: I'm watching TV and eating bonbons.
Level 2: I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day.
Level 3: I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harder.
Level 4: I'm sweating a little, but feel good and can carry on a conversation effortlessly.
Level 5: I'm just above comfortable, am sweating more and can still talk easily.
Level 6: I can still talk, but am slightly breathless.
Level 7: I can still talk, but don't really want to. I'm sweating like a pig.
Level 8: I can grunt in response to your questions and can only keep this pace for a short time period.
Level 9: I am probably going to die.
Level 10: I am dead.

Another chart says ...

0 - No exertion at all
1 - Very light exertion
2 - Fairly light exertion
3 - Moderate exertion
4 - Somewhat hard exertion
5 -
6 - Hard exertion
7 -
8 - Very hard exertion
9 -
10 - Very very hard exertion (Maximum)

“Heart Rate” is my favorite way to measure how hard I'm working because it's very accurate. I used to run up a local mountain once a week at a pace that I thought was good for me and my fitness level. However, whenever I was finished I felt like I was going to keel over. Then I learned about heart rate monitors. After learning about heart rate I bought a monitor and on my first run I had to walk most of the time because my heart rate went too high too fast. As I continued running and staying “in zone” I improved so much faster and within 4 runs I could run all the way to the top without stopping faster than before and not only that but I felt good when I got to the top!! Since then I've always kept an eye on heart rate because while the other methods are good, they're not 100% accurate.

If you do have a heart monitor there are 4 basic zones to keep an eye on which are all based off your max heart rate (MHR).

1. Recovery Zone is 50% MHR or less
2. Fat Burning Zone is 50-65% MHR
3. Performance Enhancing Zone 65-85% MHR
4. Anaerobic Threshold 85-100% MHR

Exercising in zone is very important but also very simple so don't stress over it. Follow the guidelines above and if you have any questions talk to me at the office or email me at createdtomove@gmail.com

Plan For Success

Did you know that fitness trainers are just like everyone else? We have days where we don't eat the best food, we miss workouts once in a while and face struggles just like everyone else. The other day was one of those days for me. It was my Knox run day and to be honest, I did not want to go at all. The only reason I did go was because I had possible people coming to join me on the run. On the way there, in my head, I was already planning to leave if I didn't see anyone in the parking lot waiting to join me. However, when I got to Knox Mountain I figured I was there so I may as well run and I’m so glad I did because I felt awesome after the run!

It was a perfect day for it. Slightly cloudy, so the sun wasn't hot and beaming down on me. On my way up the hill I passed many walkers and other joggers, one of which was super friendly and asked if I was going to run all the way to the top, which I told him I was. On the way back I passed him again and he asked me my time. Such a small communication but it added joy to my run which helped me keep going. On the way down I had some smiles and thumbs up from passing cars which again were subtle joy boosters.

I've been working on my running form and have a pretty strong posture as I run. I am also self motivated most of the time so I don't need much encouragement to put out a great workout. Then halfway down the hill I realized something HUGE. As I came down I realized that both times that I had a couple words with that particular gentleman and each time I had an encouraging smile or thumbs up from passers by my posture improved, my speed increased and the run became much easier because I felt so much more joy!!

The lesson that I received was that community is sooo important for us. Not only did I go to the hill because I heard I had someone to join me but those small interactions and encouragements are what made the run as good as it was. None of that would have happened without the community being involved. If I had planned my own run in some secluded area it would have been ok but not nearly as enjoyable as it was for me last week.

I encourage each of you today to find family or friends that you can do activities with because it'll make exercise more joyful and keep you accountable and encouraged. Another thing you can do is join the Cafe Docs MOVEment by emailing thecafedocs@gmail.com for more information or by joining the Cafe Docs facebook page. It's available to everyone in Kelowna and provides workouts as well as a community board so that you can join activities around town with other people or if you want to start your own group activity somewhere we can post it on the calendar.

You're CreatedToMove so get out there and have some fun!!

What Kind of Equipment Should I Use?

Knowing what type of Fitness Equipment you need can be incredibly over-whelming because there are so many options out there. Let's start with, What are your goals? and, What kind of workouts do you enjoy most? These answers will tell you a lot about the type of equipment you should be using.

The truth is that you can be effective in your workouts without any equipment at all, you just need to learn what exercises are out there for you. I was very lucky when I started exercising because while growing up my brother was really into fitness. Also my parents were getting into it but not with the equipment my brother used so as a result we had a ton of stuff. We had a boxing bag, speed bag, treadmill, exercise bike, squat rack with an Olympic bar and weights, an incline/decline bench with dumbbells, Bowflex, ab roller, balance board and push-up bars.

Even with all this equipment to choose from I only really gravitated to the squat rack and dumbbells since I enjoyed them the most and they were the most effective. The other equipment would have given me a great workout too, I just didn't enjoy it all that much. In my home now I have a TRX, dumbbells and an exercise ball but down the road I will have the Squat Rack, Dumbbells and TRX all set up because I love to use each of them. But, like I said earlier, you don't actually need any of that stuff.

The essential things that everyone needs is a good quality pair of shoes, an exercise mat and a water bottle. After those things you can branch out any direction you want. Let's take a look at some of the equipment out there and I'll let you know what I think of it....

1. Dumbbells

Pros: I love Free Weights because they make me feel incredible like no other equipment can do. The reason I like dumbbells in particular is because they allow for a more natural range of motion, they don't take up much space and they are a great single piece of equipment that will allow for a full body workout. You can use dumbbells for anyone from the earliest beginner to the most advanced athlete and everyone else in-between. It's a fantastic piece of equipment that I believe everyone should have.

Cons: The downside to dumbbells isn't as much a downside as it is more of an inconvenience. As you get stronger different muscle groups require different weights, so if you're like me and have one pair of dumbbell handles and add your own weight, this can be quite time consuming during your workout.

2. Squat Rack

Pros: This is another one of my favorite pieces of equipment. Squat Racks are outstanding, they are the best for squats, hence the name, as well as many other exercises. This equipment is great for every fitness level because of the ability to adjust the weight. The Squat Rack is great for beginners because it is a free weight so you're using many more stabilizer muscles than a machine, but not as many as dumbbells, which makes for a great progression. You can also easily adjust the Squat Rack for the most advanced. One of the bonuses to this machine, if you look at the picture and see all those little holes, those are for spotting bars which makes it impossible to drop the weight on yourself. All these adjustments are what makes this equipment for everyone from beginners to the most advanced.

Cons: The downside to having a squat rack in your home is that it is on the bigger side. It can also be time consuming in-between sets because you'll need to adjust the weight for everything you do.

3. TRX

Pros: This is my single favorite piece of equipment for many reasons. There are hundreds of exercises for every fitness level using only body weight. You can take the TRX anywhere because it literally weighs 2 pounds and folds into a little pouch. My favorite place to exercise in the spring and summer is at the Apple Bowl because I get to use the track and set up my TRX outside. It's very good for strength and flexibility training. The TRX's resistance depends on the angle of your body to determine the resistance, as a result you are always using your core muscles and your balance. For those of you who weight train, after using the TRX for some time, I was able to lift more weight than ever before while improving core strength, balance, flexibility and total body strength.

Cons: If you don't already exercise, learning some of the exercises will be difficult. I'd highly recommend hiring someone (me) to each you how to use it. It'll be worth it!!

4. Bowflex

Pros: This piece of equipment is good in the sense that you can set the resistance as little as 5lbs and go up to 410lbs very easily. On the “Bowflex Ultimate” you are able to work every muscle group in a variety of ways which is great for a full body workout.

Cons: Personally I don't like this machine. It's hard to explain, it's just the feel of the resistance, I don't enjoy it. It does take up quite a bit of space and isn't cheap, when my parents bought theirs it was $5000, now they run at $2600. If you're like me you'll probably like to know how much you're lifting and I found that what the machine told me I was lifting was way higher than I could do with weights, that told me it was inaccurate.

All things considered, I know I'm more against than I am for this machine but you can get a full body workout with the Bowflex. If it is something you enjoy, it'll do the job.

5. Universal Gym

Pros: I've used Universal Gyms and they do work great for the exercises they're made for. You have the option of lighter resistance and can quickly and easily increase or decrease the weight. These machines are great for beginners because you don't use stabilizer muscles because the machine does that for you which means that as a beginner you learn the technique easier. Doing supersets are great on Universal Machines because you just keep moving the pin to adjust the weight.

Cons: These machines are big, heavy and expensive. The one in this picture is $6000 and you are limited to what you can do because these machines don't always allow for full body workouts unless you find a really big one. I would only recommend using this equipment for a beginner who can use it at the gym.

6. Resistance Tubes

Pros: Resistance Bands are great if you are traveling or if space is limited because they're so small and portable you can take your gym with you!! It's very fast to switch from one exercise to another as well as change the resistance because all you do is change how you stand on the band. They are a great start to your equipment bag.

Cons: Bands break and usually when they do you get a pretty good whip. Personally I don't enjoy using bands. I don't mind using them during warm-up but I find them to give a very odd feeling resistance which I don't enjoy. Bands are not bad but I find other equipment to be much more effective.

7. Body Weight

Pros: Body-weight exercises are great because you can do them anytime and anywhere because you don't need anything but you!! There are many exercises you can do which give a great full body workout without any equipment or gym memberships.

Cons: If you don't know what to do this can be a little overwhelming at the start until you learn some exercises.

8. Swiss Ball

Pros: Swiss Balls are great. I use one as a chair at my desk and I use it for many exercises at home. It's great for basic and advanced core exercises. You can also use it as a bench for many dumbbell exercises.

Cons: They do pop if you misuse them.

9. Heavy Bag

Pros: Great for strength, co-ordination, balance and Awesome for Cardio!!

Cons: You can easily sprain your wrist with improper technique. If you have it attached to the ceiling in your home it'll shake the house!

10. Rebounder

Pros: The Rebounder is a great piece of equipment especially for older people and beginners. By simply "jumping up and down" you can build muscle and bone strength, flush toxins, strengthen the Heart and Lungs and the great thing is it's all low impact.

Cons: Cheap Rebounders can cause extra stress on your ankles and knees because they cause them to roll inward every time you jump. If you get the proper Rebounder you won't have a problem. Be careful jumping inside, don't hit your head.

11. Skipping Rope

Pros: Great Cardio and improves co-ordination, balance, bone strength, etc. I like to use a slow skip as part of my warm up and a fast skip as part of my cardiovascular workout.

Cons: Many people will need to ease into this exercise because it is high impact.

12. Treadmill

Pros: The treadmill is great for beginners and those who have joint issues because it does absorb some of the impact of running. For some people year around outdoor running isn't an option so this allows you to carry on even when the weather isn't so nice.

Cons: These are bulky and can get expensive.

13. Exercise Bike

Pros: If you've ever been to a Spin Class you know that an Exercise Bike is great for cardio, it is a great way to continue your cycling workouts all year, and you never out grow this machine because you can adjust the resistance. You can set it up by your TV so rather than laying on the couch you can get some cardio during you favorite TV shows!!

Cons: Even though this is fantastic cardio you are only moving your lower body so you don't burn as many calories as you would with a full body cardio movement.

14. Elliptical

Pros: I think the elliptical is a great piece of equipment for several reasons... It is zero impact for those of you who physically cannot run or are working your way towards it. Not only are you moving your legs, but you're also pushing and pulling with your upper body which means that you're using your whole body and burning more calories.

Cons: For a decent one you're looking at $1000 so wait for a sale.

15. Heart Monitor

Pros: This is not essential for anyone but can be a huge asset. When I got mine my running improved exponentially very fast because I never knew that I was going too hard. Different heart rates cause your body to do different things so knowing you're in the right zone can ensure you're on track with where you want to go.

Heart Monitors have countless functions which can make it a little over-whelming when selecting a monitor but when you select the right one it's great!! Mine is very basic. It monitors my heart rate and has an interval timer which is perfect for me because when I do my workouts I program my watch accordingly so whenever I hear a beep I switch exercises.

16. Gym Membership

Pros: For many of you this will be your best option as your entry into fitness because with your gym membership you have all equipment at your fingertips. This can be a great way to see what's out there, what you like and will even allow you to try different fitness classes. Gym's are also a great place to make new friends that will be a great asset to keep you encouraged and motivated.

Cons: Gym membership can get pricy, $400+ per year. If you're motivated to exercise from home and know what you want to do then you can avoid the cost.

There you have it, 16 ways to exercise. If you're a beginner start with the basics and branch out from there. Figure out your goals then determine what you enjoy that's going to help you get there. Don't think you need to drop ten grand so that you can workout from home, everything can be done free by using body-weight exercises. You can buy a simple set of dumbbells from $10 and up, you can buy a TRX for $150 or go for the works and fill your basement with equipment. The choice is yours.

Create Your Own Workout

Today we're going to be creating our own workout for the week so fill that water bottle, tighten your shoes and grab a towel!!

The options are endless as to how you can structure a workout but this time we're going to have an interval focus. I enjoy the interval because it's fast and simple. This template will allow for you to get a great workout, change up your exercises as you please and keep things simple.

A few things before beginning:
1. Smile
2. During the interval you need to go fast while staying in control. Ex: while doing chest if you have a 30 seconds set, your not going to pace yourself, you're doing as many push-ups as you possibly can in that time.
3. The time for each exercise is not set in stone. You want to pick a time where you can go hard for the full set. If part way through you cannot physically go one more rep that's a good indicator to reduce the time. If you are not able to look at a clock while exercising try doing a "warm-up set." Do each of the exercises and count how many repetitions you do during the time then just repeat that number every time rather than timing yourself.
4. Smile
5. In the sample sets I have you repeating 4x. That is the minimum, you can repeat 10x if you want. Personally I do 4x and just make sure to really push myself hard every set.
6. Smile
7. In the sample sets I only give you the muscle group. Go to www.acefitness.org and click on the exercise library to get your exercises. If you have other exercises in mind feel free to use them. AceFitness is just one of many great online resources.
8. During the cardio set, do anything that is going to raise your heart rate way up. Don't hold back because you have a 2 minute break after.
9. Break times are not in stone either. For some of you you may not recover in 2 minutes and may need longer. During the break you want your heart rate to come back down to near normal, If your heart is still pounding at the end of 2 minutes take a longer break.
10. If for some reason you have to miss a workout you can incorporate those exercises into another workout day. For example if you miss the last day, take the bicep and triceps exercises and add them on to day1. So instead of Chest/Back/Cardio it will be Chest/Back/Triceps/Biceps/Cardio.


Now that you know the details about your workout let's get into the routine. Below I wrote out 4 different exercise days with 3 levels. All you need to do is insert your exercise and go hard!!

1. Chest/ Back/ Cardio

Level 1:
30 seconds Chest
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Back
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
2 minute break
repeat 4x

Level 2:
30 seconds Chest
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Back
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break
repeat 4x

Level 3
30 seconds Chest
30 seconds Back
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break break
repeat 4x


2. Quads/ Hamstrings/ Cardio

Level 1:
30 seconds Quads
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Hamstrings
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
2 minute break
repeat 4x

Level 2:
30 seconds Quads
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Hamstrings
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break
repeat 4x

Level 3
30 seconds Quads
30 seconds Hamstrings
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break break
repeat 4x


3. Shoulders/ Abs/Core/ Cardio

Level 1:
30 seconds Abs/Core
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Shoulders
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
2 minute break
repeat 4x

Level 2:
30 seconds Abs/Core
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Shoulders
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break
repeat 4x

Level 3
30 seconds Abs/Core
30 seconds Shoulders
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break break
repeat 4x


4. Biceps/ Triceps/ Cardio

Level 1:
30 seconds Biceps
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Triceps
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
2 minute break
repeat 4x

Level 2:
30 seconds Biceps
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Triceps
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break
repeat 4x

Level 3
30 seconds Biceps
30 seconds Triceps
30 seconds Cardio
90 second break break
repeat 4x

The Difference Between Good Health and Exceptional Health

Why do Chiropractors always want me to do these silly exercises? They don't really do anything.....do they? This is a question that I had years ago when I first went through chiropractic care prior to learning about corrective care. While in that particular office I wasn't given personalized exercises. Instead, I was handed a whole booklet of generic exercises without any instruction on which ones to do or how to do them. So what did I do? Simple, I didn't do them and didn't think twice about it.

So how about these exercises that I'm doing now that I'm under corrective care? That's a great question and I'm going to answer it with my own personal story.

I started corrective care with Dr. Jay almost 4 years ago now and it has been an amazing journey. In my first 3 months of care, coming in 3x per week, Dr J only adjusted my neck. Three months into my care I was amazed!! From only an upper cervical adjustment my forward head posture was gone, my hips were no longer all twisted up and my shoulders were now exactly were they were supposed to be!! How could that happen from only "cracking" my neck?

So, Getting regular adjustments every week gave me great results. My body responded very well and my health went to an even higher level. But what was it that took me to an exceptional level? It was the "Spinal Reconstructive Exercise Program," aka doing the exercises the Doctor prescribed. As a result of adding this one simple thing into my daily routine my spine went back exactly to where it should be, with only one side effect I was aware of.....NO MORE ALLERGIES!!

I've told lots of you this story because it is amazing how the body can heal and restore to "normal" function. Now I want to get to the real part of this story, the part I think is really important to hear. Following what the Doctor told me to do got me the results I was here to get, no question about it. However, after I had the results I wanted, I stopped doing my exercises and I lost the curve in my spine again even though I was still getting adjusted!! Did you catch that? Doing the exercises and getting adjusted is together what it takes to get full correction. It is also what is essential to keep your correction.

The message I want to get across is to stick with the exercise routine the Doctor gives because it is absolutely imperative if you want to go from good health to exceptional health.

Step by Step to go from Sedentary to Running

I was checking out www.mercola.com and found this great Step by Step action plan to take you from sedentary to running. My advice to you if you're wanting to start running is to get a really good pair of running shoes and follow the plan even if you think you can do more. I'm the worst at this because sometimes I think I'm superman and don't need to build my body up.

When I was first introduced to running I did a group run for 1 hour which because of my fitness level I thought was easy, so I did it again the next day and again the next, then I could hardly walk for 2 months because my knees were so badly beaten up.

This myth that running will ruin your knees Is False. There are many other factors that contribute to knee issues, nutrition for example. For me in this case, it was going from never running to all of a sudden running lots when even though I was physically in awesome shape, my body still wasn't used to that repeated impact. The moral of this story is to follow the plan because it will ease your body into running without any damaging effects.


Step 1: Start walking. Try walking just 3 times the first week, and four times the second. The first week, you only need to do 20-25 minutes. Increase to 25-30 minutes the second week. After this, you can graduate to the next step, but if you’d like to stay in this step for a week or two longer, that’s OK. If you stay longer, walk 4 times the third week, 30-35 minutes each time. The fourth week, stay at 4 times, but increase to 35-40 minutes.

Step 2: Start run/walking. Do this step very gradually, just a little more each time. For this step, you’ll continue to exercise 4 times a week. Warm up by walking for 10 minutes. Then do a very, very easy run/walk routine: jog lightly for 1 minute (or 30 seconds if that seems too hard), then walk for 2 minutes. Repeat these intervals for 10-15 minutes, then do a 10-minute walking cool down. Do this step for two weeks, or longer if you like.

Step 3: Lengthen the running. Once you’re comfortable running for a minute at a time, you’re ready to start running a little longer. Continue to exercise 4 times per week. Increase your running to 1 minute 30 seconds, with an equal walking (1:30 running, 1:30 walking) for 15 minutes. Do this a couple times or more, then increase running to two minutes, with walking for 1 minute. Do this a few times or more, then increase to running 2:30, walking 30 seconds to a minute. If any of these increases feels too hard, feel free to go back a step until you’re comfortable increasing. Don’t rush it. You should stay in this step for 2-3 weeks or more.

Step 4: Follow the Rule of 9. Once you start Step 3 above, you’re basically running with short walk breaks. This can seem difficult, but it’ll get easier. Commit to doing 9 running workouts in Step 3; after that, it will get easier. The first 9 running workouts can be difficult, but after that, it almost always gets better and more enjoyable. Don’t quit before the 9 running workouts!

You’re now a runner! You might be walking a little during your runs, but there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, feel free to keep doing walk breaks as you work on your running endurance. Some runners have been known to do a marathon with walk breaks, running 10 minutes and walking 1 minute. That’s completely fine. Eventually you probably won’t need the walk breaks, but no need to rush.

Step 5: Take your running to new levels. In this step, you want to continue taking your running to new levels. There are a number of ways to do this:

• Gradually increase your running until you can do 30-40 minutes of running at a time, 4 days a week..
• Sign up for a 5K. If you can run for 30-40 minutes, you can complete a 5K.
• Once you have increased your running to 30-40 minutes at a time, designate one run a week as your “long run”. Try to increase this by 5 minutes each week, until you can do an hour or more.
• Once you’ve got endurance, you can add some hills to your program. Add hills gradually, by finding a more hilly course, and eventually adding hill repeats.
• After hills, do a little speed workout once a week. Do intervals of a couple of minutes of medium-hard running, with a couple minutes of easy running. Make these speed workouts shorter than your normal runs; if you run for 40 minutes, do 25-30 minutes for your speed workouts. Be sure to warm up and cool down with easy running for 10 minutes.
• Run with a group, or run alone. Don’t always run alone or with a partner. Mix things up.
• Find new routes. Don’t always run the same routes. Try running on a track, in a different neighborhood, on a treadmill, on trails.
• After you’ve done a few 5Ks, sign up for a 10K. Then a half marathon. Then a marathon. But do one step at a time.

Most of all, enjoy your runs!

My Favorite Way To Exercise!!

There are so many ways to exercise that it can be quite overwhelming. Do you think you should do zumba, pilates, circuit training, bootcamp, tabata or even start running? Most people want to either drop weight or gain strength from their workouts. Guess what? The type of training I'm going to tell you about will do this and more. This style of training will burn fat, build muscle, firm your skin, increase all the good hormones in your body, increase your metabolism. This will cause your body to keep doing these things for up to 36 hours after your workout! That's Nuts!! Not only will these things happen, but you will reach your fitness goals much faster than other types of workouts. So what type of exercise is it? Well...it has several names depending on who's telling you about it but they all mean the same thing. To me it's known as Interval Training, Surge Training, Burst training or Peak 8 Fitness, however, it is best known as Interval Training. It can be applied to any type of workout anywhere from running to weight training because all you need to do is change the way in which you do the style of workout you're doing.

So what is an interval? An interval is a high intensity spike in energy expelled, alternated with a time of recovery. I bet some of you are thinking that you can't do high intensity anything but remember that fitness is always based on each individual person. An Olympic athlete working at a high intensity is going to be much different than a 40 year old person exercising for the first time at their high intensity. That “High Intensity” is simply getting your heart rate into a certain zone, so don't be afraid of it. With that being said, there are a few things that will be the same for anyone who does an interval workout. First off, Your body temperature will rise and you will most likely start to sweat. Second, after each set it will be relatively hard to breathe and talk until you catch your breath. And Thirdly, lactic acid will increase which is why you feel your muscles burn.

Now the next thing you're probably wondering is how do you apply it to your workout? Well, there is one thing you need to remember when doing an interval...There is no right or wrong length of interval or rest. It's 100% individually based. If you are a first time exerciser you may only be doing a 20 second set followed by a 2 minute break while an Olympic athlete may do a 60 second set followed by 60 seconds of recovery. It completely depends on the person.
Let me give you an example of some progressions that I have done in past in my fitness classes.
Muscle groups: Chest/Back/Cardio

Level 1:
30 seconds Push ups
30 seconds rest
30 seconds Back Rows
30 seconds rest
30 seconds skipping
2 minute break
repeat 4x

Level 2:
30 seconds Push ups
15 seconds rest
30 seconds Back Rows
15 seconds rest
30 seconds skipping
90 second break
repeat 4x

Level 3
30 seconds Push ups
30 seconds Back Rows
30 seconds skipping
90 second break break
repeat 4x

This is a great workout that only lasts 12 minutes and causes your muscles to strengthen, fat to burn and so many other great benefits that last upto 36 hours after your workout!!
Here is another example, this time we're only going to do cardiovascular exercise. The exercise is a sprint(uphill) using the “Peak 8” style workout that Dr. Mercola teaches.
This is very simple to do.

Step 1: Warm up 2-4 minutes
Step 2: Start Sprinting as fast as you possibly can for 20-30 seconds
Step 3: Walk on spot for 90 seconds while breathing deeply to catch your breath
Step 4: repeat steps 2-3 eight times.

Easy eh? That's only 20 minutes!! Have you noticed what interval workouts have in common? They're fast. When you do it properly you don't need to do as much. When I introduced interval's into my runs my performance improved so much faster than with my previous method of running. Not only that but rather than feel drained, I feel energized!!
Intervals are the real deal. They're faster and more effective. Interval training is something everyone should be doing. I've had people in their teens all the way to into their 80's doing the exact same workout because it's do-able for everyone and it's effective for everyone.
Throw on your workout wear, put on your shoes, grab your water and let's go, it's a great day for a workout.
You're Created To Move!!!