Why & How I Got Started on Being Healthy:
I can absolutely credit my father for sparking my interest in being healthy. I still remember when he bought a Nordic-track Trainer system and set it up in our living room. And years ago, before blending became so popular I remember he purchased a Vitamix and made banana shakes for breakfast every morning. From there, I joined the YMCA in high school and worked out on a regular basis, eventually understanding the connection between my body and overall health. I realized that I was much happier and energetic on the ways when I was active. This set the tone for an interest in exercise sciences where I attended York University for Kinesiology and became a Personal Trainer.
My Favourite Activities:
Over the years the style of my daily exercise has changed from going to the gym and using equipment to working out at home using my own body weight and minimal mobile equipment. Some of my favourite activities are swinging a kettle bell, doing yoga, body weight training (with band or ball), running, jump rope and biking. I am always conscious of what type of work-out I am doing and what parts of my body are benefiting. It is important to be aware, as you always want to vary your exercises. The body gets bored after a while with the same activities and likes to be challenged. Change feels good for the body. Typically, I workout in the morning. When I wake up I get a sense of what sort of activity my body is craving, whether its running or strength training, and I go for it, making sure that I target all areas of my body. The bottom line is I like to have fun while I am working out, so choose things that you love and Make Fitness Fun!
What I try and do is vary things up so that everyday is different. Ideally I like to strength train 3 times a week and cardio 2-3 times a week. This doesn’t mean I spend long sessions with either of these. I am a big believer in short, fast intense workouts that are effective. So I will either go to the gym and grab a few pieces of equipment and do short bursts of fast movements with weights or a kettle bell, even rubber bands. Then on my cardio days, I will go for a run, either a longer steady pace of 30-40 minutes or a quick fast run for 20 minutes. In the winter months, I love going to spin classes or you can find me on a treadmill doing high low speeds for a short duration. At home I often will do a few movements including yoga, floor exercises or jump rope. I like to mix in yoga sessions as well, my goal is to aim for once a week just to help balance everything out and get my stretching and flexibility in. At the end of the day I try and get my heart rate up and my body sweating. This new formula has helped me to achieve much better results in terms of body composition, leaning out and maximizing my strength and endurance.
Foods I Eat to Fuel my Workout:
In the morning before working out, I like to have an elixir, like a green powder with coconut water (right now I’m using Sunwarrior’s Ormus Supergreens and Coco the Drink Coconut Water). I always make sure that I am properly hydrated for my workouts! To find out what else goes into this elixir, you’ve got to listen To this episode on the Ultimate Health Podcast!
Sometimes if I end up working out later in the day, my lunch will contain complex carbs like a hearty quinoa salad, sprouted wrap with hummus, gluten-free pasta or a thick energizing smoothie. It all depends on how I’m feeling and what I’m craving. Essentially, the goal is to make sure there is enough nutrients in my blood stream to sustain me. That being said, I don’t want to eat too much or it can affect my performance and lead to cramping and discomfort. This tends to happen if you workout right after you eat a hearty meal, as your body will be too preoccupied with digestion, not leaving enough time for it to bring oxygen to the rest of your body.
Foods I Eat after my Workout:
After a workout my favourite go-to is a nourishing plant powered smoothie loaded with protein, greens, superfoods and fruit. Don’t underestimate the power of a smoothie in a blendtec with the right ingredients you can make a hearty and incredibly filling treat. Sometimes if I feel like changing up my after-workout snack, I’ll have a bowl of oats filled with plant-based protein, superfoods and maybe some honey or maple syrup (this is usually a go-to in the morning). Whatever it is, I make sure to have protein like beans, tempeh, plant-based protein powder like Sunwarrior, hemp seeds and almonds. And I always combine it with some sort of carb like fruit, quinoa, sprouted grains and of course lots of vitamin rich green veggies. This ensures that I am loading my body and my blood with a whack load of essential nutrients!
Recommendations for how you can get started:
Find some form of activity that you enjoy and that makes you feel good. It’s not about pumping iron at the gym or running marathons if that’s not your thing- do what’s right for you. Have fun exploring all the different realms -just do it!
The only way to reach your goal is to follow through and be consistent. And remember you don’t have to work out for hours on end, long gone are the days of pushing yourself through hours of training to get results. It can simply be done in 15-20 minutes of high intensity. As long as you are getting your blood flowing, raising your heart rate and working up a sweat your making a difference in your body. If weight loss is your goal then high intensity workouts is the best way to achieve it!
Always remember to have fun!
You too can strive to be Purely Fit. Grab a copy of my favourite ebook to help you get there!
