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Focus on Fitness: What will your defining moments be in the coming year?

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

Everything has a beginning and an end. Whether it’s a book, a relationship or a life, there are chapters or phases to everything. I’m thinking about beginnings and endings as 2018 quickly draws to a close. My birthday happens to fall on the last day of the year so I find it especially meaningful to examine how my experiences of the past year helped shape me and impacted my personal growth. Reviewing your own experiences of the past year can be a mechanism for moving forward more productively and with clarity.

Perhaps the most defining moment in my life this past year was when my husband and I became empty-nesters. Our youngest son made the decision to move to another city for his university studies. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: With health and wellness, not all science is created equal

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

Facts matter. I try to be a savvy, reasonably well-informed consumer. I research health claims rather than blindly accept them. Whether I’m reading about a particular diet, exercise, food or supplement, I lean in favour of claims that are backed by rigorous science. But even when there are scientific studies to back up health claims, you can’t always believe everything you read.

A recent New York Times article on nutrition research pointed out the importance of knowing who funded the research. For example, a pomegranate juice company invested $20 million dollars on research that found pomegranate juice to be high in antioxidants. However, when asked whether less expensive fruits were equally healthful, the company indicated that comparing pomegranates to other fruits was not among its research objectives. The lesson: Be wary of studies funded by a company or industry that stands to benefit financially from the results. https://tinyurl.com/y88ew8yk [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: The sweet spot between the thrill of victory and agony of defeat

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

In the opening sequence of the “Wide World of Sports” TV show – which ran from 1961 to 1998 – the announcer declared, “Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sports, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

The words “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” remind me that we often think of our own efforts and activities in terms of extremes: successes or failures. The televisions we watched in the early years of that show may have been black-and-white, but how we think about ourselves doesn’t have to be that way. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: It’s legal, so what’s the buzz about marijuana?

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

Touring Boston’s historic Freedom Trail, I heard the quirky story of a notorious American pre-Prohibition-era woman named Carrie Nation, a radical member of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union in the early 1900s. On her anti-alcohol campaign, she entered saloons and smash bottles of liquor with a hatchet.

On October 17, marijuana became legal in Canada. I’ve been thinking about Nation, clutching a bible and a hatchet, trying to impose her religious beliefs and conservative values while employing violent tactics. I decided I don’t want to be like Nation – not that I’d ever run amok with a hatchet. Rather than dwell on the negatives based on my personal opinions (e.g., I think it stinks!), I went on a fact-finding mission to learn about marijuana and its benefits. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: Too busy to exercise? Make your workouts more efficient

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

One of the most common excuses for skipping a workout or not exercising is lack of time. If you factor the travel time to the gym, preparing and changing into and out of your exercise clothes, showering and grooming, it might be an hour or more. Add in an hour for your workout and you’ve used up a good chunk of the day. Every minute is precious whether you work, have dependants to care for, errands to run, chores to do or other obligations and interests.

Sometimes less really is more. A shorter workout doesn’t necessarily mean you must compromise on its effectiveness. In fact, you can spend less time exercising and still experience the health benefits if you learn how to work out smart. Here are some time saving strategies for busy days. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: Uncover hidden obstacles and enjoy a healthier, fitter you

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

We experience many obstacles in life, including some that get in the way of our health and fitness. The first step in overcoming obstacles is to recognize and acknowledge them. While we may be able to readily identify some of our personal obstacles (e.g., those running shoes are not within my budget), others such as our own attitudes may be less apparent.

In her best-selling book, Lean In, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg writes, “Knowing that things could be worse should not stop us from trying to make them better.” Sandberg was referring to how women are treated far better in the Western world than in many other regions of the world; yet, she states that Western women should expect and demand better (e.g., equal pay, respect and high-ranking positions on par with men) rather than settle for less than they deserve. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: Ten tips to prevent exercise-related injuries

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

Whether you’re an exercise enthusiast or a star athlete, incurring injuries during workouts is not uncommon and can sideline you for weeks or months. Lifting weight that is too heavy, using poor form, or not warming up adequately are just some of the causes of injuries. Common injuries include sprains, knee and shoulder injuries, pulled and strained muscles, tendinitis, and shin splints. I’ve put together some valuable tips you can incorporate into your practice to minimize your risk of injuries. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: The state of impermanence

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

I was thinking about the concept of impermanence while running up a long, hilly country road the day after the heat wave broke in July. I noticed how more challenging the hills seemed compared to a few years ago. I couldn’t get up the bigger hills without taking walking breaks. It was my first time out on these hills this year and I felt it – a reminder that nothing is permanent. Unfortunately, the gains we make when we train are temporary. We cannot bank exercise. To maintain a desired level of fitness, we first have to achieve it. Then comes the real work, the ongoing effort.

Permanence, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is “the state or quality of lasting or remaining unchanged indefinitely.” We can become stronger, faster or leaner, but any physiological improvements are temporary unless we persist, as well as overcome natural adaptation. We must change our exercise routine in order to continue progressing. There are many factors at play – some within our control and some beyond our control – and we need to figure out how to best address them. For example, we age. That’s a fact we can’t deny. If we want to continue running on hills as we age, we may have to devise new ways to train. The methods that worked for us when we were younger may not work now. We can strive to maintain our physical and mental capabilities over time by applying different strategies, or we can modify our goals and expectations. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: The baby boomer lifestyle – Boom or bust?

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

If you were born between 1946 and 1965, you’re part of the post-Second World War phenomenon known as the baby boom. Now ranging in age from 53 to 72, this segment of the population – myself included – represents the largest demographic group in Canada. Boomers account for nearly one-third of the Canadian population.

In 1871, the Canadian life expectancy was just 40 and only one in three Canadians lived to at least 65. Today, life expectancy is 82 and nine of 10 Canadians are expected to live to at least 65. [Read more…]

Focus on Fitness: Best practices for staying in shape this summer

By :

Gloria Schwartz

Gloria Schwartz

We tend to think that unwanted weight gain only occurs in the winter when we’re less active and eating heavier meals. The summer months are also laden with traps and temptations that can just as easily lead to a bigger waistline. You can avoid the battle of the bulge while fully enjoying all that summer has to offer by implementing some tried-and-true best practices.

First, identify what you’re going to be doing this summer and plan accordingly. For example, will you be working full time or taking some time off work? Will you be travelling or taking a staycation? Think about your situation, how much down time you’ll have in the coming months and how that might impact your dietary habits and exercise routine. [Read more…]