Yackadactyl

Seduced by the idea of happiness ever after with my perfect mate,  I recently decided it might be fun to try one of those dating services for busy professionals. I was shocked to discover 10 dates costs $1500.00, NOT including lunch.  Yes, apparently, Mr. Right and I pick up our own tabs, individually, at the end of the first date.  And… should I meet the man of my dreams on date 2 or 3, I don’t get a refund, because as the matchmaker explained, she will  have done her job, meaning the dating service retains all the money.  Hmmmmm…

The company I contacted is selling a service; they arrange dates. Yet their marketing and sales pitch focus on how wonderful it will be to fall in love, much like we are led to believe peace, bliss and a beautiful body can be achieved by purchasing the right pair of exercise pants.  Who needs yoga or exercise anyway?  A new slimmer, trimmer you is right around the corner.  All you need, in addition to the right pants, and water bottle, and jacket, and socks, and shoes,  is the right personal trainer…and the latest piece of exercise equipment, newly released video, hot new exercise device, gym membership and…

“Benefits based’ marketing has us brainwashed into believing we can buy our way to anything, neglecting to mention the real results are only achievable with our own blood, sweat and tears, regardless of whether or not we open our wallet.  So, I say its time we become more savvy as consumers, particularly when it comes to fitness and weight loss gimics (and dating), and ask ourselves the following questions before spending our hard earned dollars.

• What am I really buying here?
• Is it worth the price?
• Can the product or service marketed provide the benefits it promises?
• Is this something that will really enhance the quality of my life?
• Do I really need this?
• Is this something I can/should create in my own life?

Besides… should a nice man appear in my life, I’d much rather enjoy a walk along the ocean, or a hike up the mountain, and even he doesn’t I can still do the same, with the $1500.00 in my pocket. 

My daughter started playing the piano in Kindergarden.  She long ago outgrew her Sears special 56 key piano, so last year I bought her a beautiful used acoustic piano.   I love the sound of music echoing through our house, and so I frequently ask her to play.  One day, she smartly remarked that perhaps I should learn.

I had to be honest.  I spend a lot of time, most of my life really, trying to convince people that bouncing on a ball, contorting on a mat,  leaping on a step, and running down the road are really great things to do.  How could I not walk my own talk?

I signed up for piano lessons in January and am proud to report since mastering “When the Saints Coming Marching In”,  I have advanced to bigger and better things.  Even still, when my teacher asked me  if I would play in a beginner adult recital at a local coffee shop,  I’m pretty sure I said, “oh God no.”

But then I heard the voice: the one I use with my daughter when I explain how good it will be for her to perform.   Trapped again by my yackadactyl flapping gums, I couldn’t say no.    I fretted and stewed and invented potential excuses, but in the end I had an absolute blast.

I met new friends in my community, who share a love of music, and heard wonderful stories about how other adults had found themselves at this recital.   One performer spoke for all of us when she sat at the piano looked towards her teacher and asked “where’s F?”

Why is it as adults we expect to be perfect the first time we try something new?   And when we’re not, we abandon the activity, convinced it wasn’t meant for us.   I can’t tell you the number of times people have told me they can’t come to my fitness class because they aren’t fit enough, even when I stress beginners are welcome.

The next time your brain begins manufacturing reasons why you can’t do something , step up to the piano (or whatever else it is you’d love to be doing), find F and take your time playing your piece,  perfect or not.   Do it again and again.  One day, without knowing it, you will gradually live your way to creating beautiful music. 

Or at least that’s my plan.   And if the beautiful music never comes at least I’ll have fun trying, without the expectation of perfection.

A job worth doing, is worth doing well. ~ lots of people

One of the most difficult things about being a Personal Trainer is going to the gym and watching people unknowingly do things that are either a waste of time, or in some cases harmful.   It makes me sad because these folks are clearly committed to creating health in their lives, but aren’t able to get a good results-return on time invested.   For a fitness yackadactyl, (creature defined by a constantly moving and well defined set of jaw muscles) this is tantamount to torture.  I almost bite my hand in order to prevent becoming some sort of unsolicited fitness fairy flitting about offering tips, and advice about how to use your time at the gym to best advantage.

I want you to get something for your efforts, so this March I am offering to makeover your exercise plan or program for FREE.  All you need to do is email me at sjloewen@gmail.com and be one of the first ten respondents.   You can include a written overall outline of what you do, and some low resolution photos of you performing your favourite exercises, if possible.  I pledge not to post any photos of you, without your consent, using them only to assess alignment of an exercise or stretch.

I will post three program makeovers (anonymously) at the end of the Month.

I’m going to admit it.  While I wasn’t a cynic when it came to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver,  I was cynical.  It seemed the last thing we needed, in the midst of challenging times, was an opulent, elitist production.  I even felt a chord of resonance when I saw the bumper sticker reading  “Health Care Before Olympics.”   But that was before…

That was before my daughter - the same girl who tells her fitness-professional-mother that she hates exercise – started attempting double axels in the living room.  Completely inspired by the unbelievable guts and grace of Joannie Rochette, she wants me to enroll her in figure skating lessons.  This is not so unlike me, who after watching Nadia Commenci in 1976, spent the remainder of the summer vaulting over a sawhorse in the back field.

That was before Clara Hughes , won yet another Olympic medal, and proceeded to donate her $10,000.00 Bronze Medal bonus to the Take a Hike Foundation for troubled youth in Vancouver.

That was before discovering how Canada’s Five Female Biathletes decided to take control and positively impact their own success through the creation of the Bold Beautiful Biathlon Calendar.

Our goal is to empower and inspire women and girls by expressing the beauty of a healthy, athletic body. The net proceeds will go directly towards funding our expenses leading up to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games

That was before Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir floated across the ice to win Olympic Gold in Ice Dance.  And as amazing as their performance was, the victory ceremony was even better.  Unlike the typical lip syncing of the Canadian anthem, complete with inevitable flub up, these two, Moir in particular, belted out every word perfectly, enthusiasm visibly oozing out of every pore.

That was before sitting on the edge of my seat, which happens to be a 55cm exercise ball, desperately hoping Canada would score in period four of the Gold Medal Hockey Game.   Thank God for Sidney Crosby from Cape Breton. 

That was before singing Oh Canada at the top of my lungs, with pretty much the entire country, during the Hockey Victory Ceremony.  My childhood memories huddled around a black and white TV with poor reception watching Hockey Night In Canada with my brothers, flooding through me.  I know its corny, and its cliche, but I have never been so proud to be Canadian.

These are the role models and inspiration for my daughter’s generation, and I couldn’t be happier about it.  I don’t support how much it costs to stage these grandiose events, but I do think they are a shining example of preventative health care through inspiring us to be more active and challenge ourselves.   And while I don’t like the name “Own the Podium”, I am amazed at the impact of investment in Canadian Sport, and sincerely hope it continues.

I’m curious.   Have the Olympics inspired you?  In what way?

There’s nothing worse than mustering up the motivation to train for a big event, only to be stopped dead in your tracks by an annoying blister. Because I have feet shaped like dinner plates, as wide as they are long, I have an extremely difficult time finding shoes to fit, and consequently have suffered more than my fair share of blisters.  

I’m happy to report I have managed to eliminate them, even during marathon training.  The trick is threefold.

• Wear shoes that fit.  I know this sounds obvious, but it took me years to figure it out.  There should not be a break-in period with new running shoes; they should feel comfortable right off the bat.  Different companies make different shoes, so don’t be afraid to try on many different models and makes. 
• Put vaseline, or Bodyglide on the hot spots on your feet before you put your socks on.  This little bit of lubricant will help reduce friction.
• Wright Socks have got to the very best running socks going.  The patented two layer system means that the two layers of socks rub together, rather than the sock rubbing against your skin.    They are expensive, but wear well, and for me have elminated blisters entirely.

February is not only about valentines (and chocolate), its also Heart and Stroke month. Inspired by Career Renegade Jonathan Fields, I’d like to share my love this month by dedicating my blogging time and energy to answering your fitness, lifestyle and weight management questions.

Ask and ye shall recieve; this is your opportunity to receive online Personal Training and Coaching FREE.  All you need to do is post your question in the comments section below, or email me directly and I will devote a blog post to you.  I’m committing to answering one a day for 28 days, so get your questions in fast, and stay tuned!

For 20 years I have preached the message, to anyone who would listen, and probably even those who wouldn’t, that we are created equally, albeit in varying packages.  I have sought to redefine fitness, proclaiming it isn’t about an unattainable perfect ideal, but rather finding your unique personal best, advocating choosing activities for enjoyment, how they make you feel, instead of how they “might” make you look.  I have vehemently exposed fitness myths too numerous to list, desperately wanting to redefine what we think of as attractive, expanding our ideals of beauty.  I have wanted us to be free to love ourselves in the moment, as we are, rather than using unrealistic fitness goals to perpetuate dissatisfaction with our current selves.

Inspired by a friend, I asked myself why was I driven beyond reason to take on such an enormous task?  The answer was a long time coming, and it didn’t come all at once, but gradually unfolded until it lay in front of me. If I could change what the world viewed as beautiful in a woman, then maybe I could change how I viewed myself, that my expanded definition of beauty might then include me…

I have since discovered, try as I may, my view of myself has not truly transformed in a permanent sense, rather has continuously ebbed and flowed.  Much like a child’s tower of blocks, my self esteem on some days is big and tall, and on other days is completely knocked down, but physical activity is now part of the self confidence building and enhancement process, not a way to berate myself.

I remember many years ago being ecstatic I would be attending the World’s largest fitness professional conference in Las Vegas, but my excitement was clouded with doubt about being at an event with 5000 of the fittest people imaginable.  Something  happened.  I met a woman in a wheelchair with a seeing eye dog, navigating from session to session, and in that moment realized how absolutely ridiculous and narcissist my worries were.

When the voice (you know the one) creeps in, planting seeds of doubt, I yell back. “I love my legs. I am strong.” I love that I can run, walk, hike up mountains, surf a wave, dance like crazy and practice Yoga. When I focus on the remarkable gift of being healthy, alive and able bodied, I truly love every inch of my body and myself.

I had a epiphany at the gym last week.  (And yes this is rare enough event, its worthy of a celebration of some sort.) While rowing away on the Concept 2 ergo meter, rocking out to U2 on my IPOD,  the bizarreness of the cool air hitting my face in a heated building struck me.  It didn’t stop there though, my thoughts kept rolling like the flywheel I was pulling on.

Not so many generations ago,  my farmer ancestors never thought about fitness.  The activities of daily life growing food provided more than enough activity.  Today I sit a desk, counting the hours and minutes until I can head off at lunch to exercise frantically for an hour, desperately attempting to combat the cumulative and destructive effects of sitting for the other 11  hours of my day.

So, as I began to look around, I wondered just how much energy it takes to fuel the treadmills, ellipiticals, stair climbers, TV’s and fans.  Why was I not running outside, wind in my hair, taking in the smell of the glorious Douglas Fir, rather than consuming massive amounts of electrical energy in pursuit of burning more energy in the form of calories?  What if we could channel the energy we create while exercising into the lights and heating/cooling systems of buildings?  What if cardio equipment could become a source of energy collection? 

I met a woman many years ago whose life “off the grid” motivated her to hook a bicycle up to a flour grinding mill.  It reminds me of being a kid and not having an electric mixer.  We’d pass around a bowl with whipped cream and take turns whipping the cream.  By the time it made its way around the family twice, (large family) it was whipped.  Yes, I am that old.

But really, what’s involved in the manufacturing all that weight training, and fitness equipment?  I love fitness toys and gadgets because they make exercising more fun and interesting, thereby enhancing motivation, but do we really need all them all the time?  In what ways can we minimize the amount of energy our fitness pursuits consume?  In what ways can we harness the energy of our workouts? In what ways can we contribute to the world through coming together to be active?

Could we, for example, volunteer to do a day of physical labour for a non profit organization, or family in need?  I’m going to start by teaching a class each week where admission is a donation to the local food bank.   What are your ideas or thoughts about utilizing our exercise energy and endeavors to create more energy, rather than to consume it?   How  can we make it about more than just fitness?

I recently heard a well known celebrity, who openly struggles with her weight, explain how she would need to work extra hard on the treadmill tomorrow to make up for the cheesecake she had consumed today.  Like her, and many of us, I often find myself  plotting how to come out on the favourable side of the calories in calories out equation.  Truthfully, I have spent an embarrassingly inordinate amount of time obsessing over this in my just-over-forty years.  The constant calculations make the eating of chocolate, or other favourite indulgences, bad, something to be ashamed of, and the subsequent exercise punishment for the sin.  This isn’t healthy.

I don’t know about you, but life without chocolate is not an option. Life is short and sensual pleasures are important.  We need to savour every bite, free of guilt.  Conversely, exercise has got to be something we love; at least if we intend on making it a lifelong habit.  (If you haven’t found that yet, we need to chat)  There is no joy in exercise penance.  An obsessive desire to get on that treadmill and pound out those calories is not going to motivate you to keep coming back for more. 

Eat healthily, and enjoy occasional indulgences, remembering its not a crime.  Exercise regularly because it feels good, and you want to, (yes this can happen) not because you are punishing yourself for what you have already eaten.

… is better than one minute in heaven.   ~The Choncords

This line from the song Business Time by the Chonchords is the inspiration for my new fitness manifesto.   And if you haven’t seen it yet, the four minutes you’ll spend laughing while watching, (clink on the link) will be the best abdominal workout you’ll get all day, maybe even all week.

Like many of you, I have struggled to make time in my life for exercise, but not anymore.  Okay, well maybe its still a challenge, but now when the voice in my head (you know the one) says half an hour isn’t even enough time to even bother putting on your running shoes, I sing over it loudly.

…15 minutes of exercise is better than no minutes of exercise.  ~Sarah Loewen

Current guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine are clear.  The many benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise can be obtained through intermittent bouts.  This means a 10 minute walk in the morning, another at lunch, and a third in the afternoon produces the same net effect as 30 continuous minutes, provided your heart rate is elevated. 

If you are struggling to fit exericise into a busy days, this can also be a welcome mental health break, leading to increased productivity. What creative ways have you devised to fit fitness into your day? Let’s make a list.  Its fitness time.