Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Getting on track with GoodLife Fitness (Giveaway - CLOSED)


Even if you aren't a fan of resolutions, each new year brings with it the possibility of gently nudging yourself in a more positive direction and contributing more of your energies to your personal wellness. Many people (including me) start the new year thinking about fitness. We all have the best of intentions when it comes to being active and staying fit. But often our busy work and home lives get in the way. 

When I look back at my activities in 2013, I see that I became more and more sedentary as the year progressed. I started each weekday walking Jolene the beagle mix to the local park. Other than that, I sat at my computer for almost the entire day, stopping only to eat.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Take Care of Yourself This Holiday Season



This is an article I wrote for a local magazine. I am reprinting it here in the hopes that it will help you to de-stress a bit this holiday season. Take a moment or two each day to take care of yourself so that you stay well into the new year.

With the holidays approaching, it might seem like you don’t have a minute to spare. There are gifts to be bought, parties to be planned and house guests arriving on your doorstep. Mix in a tendency to indulge in holiday treats and a few skipped visits to the gym, and you’ve got a recipe for a wellness disaster. Avoid a post-holiday crash by putting yourself at the top of your to-do list. Find a few minutes each day to enhance your personal wellness using these nine simple tips.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Fitness Fuel


I talked before about how motivating exercise can be. I like to exercise first thing in the morning when my energy level is highest. Unfortunately, I am not always hungry right away in the morning. So, I have concocted a pre-gym smoothie recipe to fuel my exercise endeavours. It's also great to give to the kids to prepare them for a busy day at school.

I also wanted to share with you some more songs from my workout playlist. I'm still looking for more suggestions for when I tire of these ones!

"Sabotage" - The Beastie Boys
"Everlong" - Foo Fighters
"Welcome to the Jungle" - Guns N' Roses
"Freedom" - Rage Against The Machine
"Bad Moon Rising" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
"Paint It Black" - The Rolling Stones
"Just Can't Get Enough" - Depeche Mode
"Big In Japan" - Alphaville
"Been Caught Stealing" - Jane's Addiction
"New Sensation" - INXS
"Keep The Car Running" - Arcade Fire
"Hungry Heart" - Bruce Springsteen
"Wild Flower" - The Cult

Linking up to Lifeologia's Potluck Party and:



Pre-Gym Raspberry Smoothie

by Joann MacDonald
Keywords: blender beverage breakfast raspberries
Ingredients (1 serving)
  • 1/2 cup juice (I like to mix orange and cranberry)
  • 1/4 cup almond milk or other milk
  • 2-inch chunk frozen banana
  • 1/2 cup frozen raspberries
  • 1 scoop Vega Whole Food Smoothie Infusion (for protein and greens)
  • 1 Tbsp veg DHA oil (because I don't eat fish)

Instructions

Blend and enjoy!
Powered by Recipage

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Inspired by Exercise

Exercise as inspiration? Well, sure, why not? Once we force ourselves to do it, we always feel better, right? More energetic, happier, less likely to eat an entire cake in one sitting.

Ideally I would like to take my exercise like Miss Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice…setting off for a three-mile walk to Netherfield to check on her sister, Jane. After her sisters walk her as far as Meryton, Elizabeth continues her walk alone, “crossing field after field at a quick pace, jumping over stiles and springing over puddles with impatient activity, and finding herself at last within view of the house, with weary ankles, dirty stockings, and a face glowing with the warmth of exercise.”

My neighbourhood being what it is (slightly less picturesque) I head to the local gym for my exercise. The view from the elliptical trainer is no more inspiring, though, so I rely on music for my motivation. The typical playlists found online and in women’s health magazines are heavy on Lady Gaga and the like, but that doesn’t get me going. So, I had to do some creative googling to come up with a list of songs that works for me.

Here is a sampling of what I added to my playlist:

“Nearly Lost You”—Screaming Trees
“Seven Nation Army”—The White Stripes
“Woman”—Wolfmother
“Wanna Be Sedated”—The Ramones
“Bizarre Love Triangle”—New Order
“Lose Yourself”—Eminem
“Beat It”—Michael Jackson
“I Love Rock N’ Roll”—Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
“Smells Like Teen Spirit”—Nirvana
“Super Freak”—Rick James
“Yellow Ledbetter”—Pearl Jam (for cooling down)
Let me know if you have any ideas for me. I wonder what songs Miss Elizabeth would have chosen if she had an MP3 player?