Merry FITMASS Challenge

Did you know that ParticipACTION has released its 2025 Report Card on Physical Activity for Adults,

and only 46% of adults in Canada meet physical activity guidelines.  32% of adults meet daily step

recommendations, a decline from 49% in 2021. More than 58% of people spend more than 8 hours

being stationary!  Physical inactivity cost the Canadian health-care system $3.9 billion annually.

To help change this the Manitoba Fitness Council has created the Merry FITMASS Challenge!

Buy a Merry FITMASS t-shirt or tank top from the MFC Store to receive one free entry into the challenge. 

The challenge runs December 8–20, 2025 featuring a different daily activity each day.
Not only do you get a high quality shirt are at cost, but you join in on a fun challenge that helps

keep you active! 

Perfect right around the holidays.  Let’s put the FIT into Xmas!
Here are links to the MFC store;

https://manitobafitnesscouncil.ca/Sys/Store/Products/403600

https://manitobafitnesscouncil.ca/Sys/Store/Products/403599

https://manitobafitnesscouncil.ca/Sys/Store/Products/404986

Junk Volume and the Grey Cup

 Happy Grey Cup!

“Junk Volume” does not refer to the amount of beer, chips, pizza and wings you consume while at a Grey Cup party.  

“Junk volume” refers to any training that adds fatigue without adding meaningful muscle-building stimulus.  This is a common phenomenon that I’ve seen time and time again.

Junk volume can be you doing extra reps in your workout where you feel productive but in reality, your muscles have already received the growth signal they need..  These reps past failure eat into recovery and joining health.

The most common case of Junk Volume is not working hard enough.  This is when you don’t use enough weight, or intensity to see hypertrophy gains.  Basically you are just “painting the ceiling” - getting sore with no muscle gains.

The worst case of Junk Volume would be over-training.  Overtraining can occur when you work out without allowing enough recovery time between sessions. After a certain point, too much exercise can be harmful to your health and hinder your results.  Those that over-train have the problem that they don’t realize it.  Recovery falls behind adaptation, performance drops, fatigue increases, you stop building muscle and start digging a recovery hole.

Doing junk volume doesn’t mean you’re being stupid or lazy – it just means you need to be more efficient.

To avoid Junk Volume, understand that the goal is NOT to do as much as you can handle. 

The goal is to do as little as necessary that gives you MAXIMUM RESULTS. That’s smart training, and it’s how you avoid turning productive work outs into junk.

Lest we forget - Remembrance Day November 11th

Take the time this November 11th to join in a Remembrance Day ceremony. 

Many young men & women died so that you and your family could live in freedom. The least we could do is brave the weather for an hour (or at least watch a ceremony) to commemorate the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  We will remember.

 In honor of Remembrance Day, there will be no Fitness Classes that day.

Pickleball...Dragon Boat.... Are you getting it?

 I was speaking with my cousin Jason over the past weekend. He had placed second in a pickleball tournament in Calgary. He is also a personal trainer.  During our conversation he mentioned that  a lot of participants were out of shape and worse, there were two heart attacks. Every time that we meet our discussion always seems to come back to the same thing. Most people just don't get it. They don't look after their bodies and then try to do things outside their limits.

Years ago I was part of a dragon boat race team at work. This was for a huge dragon boat race here in Winnipeg where hundreds of people participated to help raise funds for cancer. At the time, I was shocked at how many people in these boats were out of shape, you could see they never really did any form of exercise but were there for a good cause. With these races, you are paddling at 80- 100% of your maximum heart rate.  Halfway through one of the races, a person had a heart attack.  If you are not used to it, the end result could be fatal as was the case that day.

If you want to enjoy these activities, that's great. Participating and being with other people is a good thing. This is a great way to connect with others  and does wonders for reducing mental stress and well-being.  However, if you do not take care of your body - nutritionally and physically you are going to run into problems especially in later life as chronic symptoms creep into play.

That that is why it's important to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Exercise should be enjoyable and uplifting. If you haven't done exercise in a long time, you can start with walking, hiking, swimming, move your way up to biking and running to keep your heart and brain healthy.

Just as important is resistance training - one of my passions.  Resistance training reduces bone loss, maintains muscle, increases balance, and decreases the risk of falling.. People that have been taking my fitness classes come in all shapes and sizes. Some show up with  bad knees, sore back, shoulder injuries etc.  Of course I would modify exercises for them when needed.  The thing is that they make the point of coming. 

Exercise increases endorphins which significantly elevate mood. It's an amazing power that promotes overall health and wellness. The more you exercise, the better your body feels.

Exercise creates discipline. Any repeated behavior that requires initiative, implementing stamina and inhibition of laziness (which comes naturally to us), can help bring lasting good habits.

If you've been inactive for a while and are resigned to limitations of midlife life, you need to challenge those assumptions. Don't settle for outdated expectations of normal living. Don't blindly accept inactivity and decline. 

Need a little push?  Join my Dynabody Fitness Classes!

Fix Your Posture

 Many people who workout fail.  They try to get into “shape” by simply lifting weights with, or without, intention. Maybe they break a sweat and feel tired, and the next day they are sore and think, “Hey my muscles are sore, I must of done a great workout”  Well, the reality is, it’s usually not the case.  

To really build muscle and be strong, you must lift heavy, and yes, you will have sore muscles.  But the problem is that most people do exercises with incorrect form which creates the same soreness.  Before you can lift heavy you must have proper posture - doing an exercise incorrectly could have dire consequences.

For example, if you can’t do a proper squat, you are seriously putting yourself at risk of injury.  When doing a barbell squat, you need to lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground while keeping your feet flat on the floor.  The bar path should remain vertical over your midfoot throughout the movement. This ensures a full range of motion and maximizes muscle engagement.

Posture can only be corrected if you are aware of YOUR posture and what is “good” posture.

Proper form  (or lack of) is something that I always watch for in participants at my fitness classes.  To read up more on posture check out my blog;  Dynabody: Posture

To have good posture it is essential that your back, muscles and joints

be in tip-top shape.  Exercising regularly incorporating functional strength, core training and stretching is essential.  If you're not doing any type of rotation every day, you're not working your core muscles to their benefit, and your spine can be compromised.  And, if you are not breathing deeply during exercise you are not using your intercostal rib muscles efficiently,  which again affects the spine and your posture.

To fix your posture, improve your rotation, relieve stress and improve your back, muscles and joints, join me and the dynabods in the upcoming Tuesday and Thursday Fitness Classes which start October 2nd and 7th, 2025 at Strathmillan and Bannatyne Schools (6:15 pm) 

To Register, contact the St. James-Assiniboia School Division Continuing Education office

204-832-9637 or email: continuinged@sjasd.ca to register or email: dynabody@gmail.com for more information.

Wellness Retreats this Summer

 Silent Relax Retreat

Let nature embrace you as you go within for a silent practice in a sacred space.

Dates: August 15th, 16th, and leave on the 17th. This is a 2 night retreat.

Women’s Rest and Renew Wellness Retreat

Enjoy having time aside for yourself torest and renew.

 Dates: August 29 to Sept 1st. This is a 3 night retreat.

The Wild Within: Lakeside Outdoor Skills Immersion Retreat

Friday Oct 3: 5 pm arrival to Sunday October 5 at 2pm

 This is a retreat partnering with Backcountry Women. It’s about connecting, rejuvenating, and having an unforgettable time surrounded by the calm and beauty of nature.

Location: Sioux Narrows area

Contact: Tonyacoaching@gmail.com and get more information or register from the website: www.tonyabeveridge.com/retreats/

101 Year old's Advice to Longevity

 Dr John Scharffenberg, a 101 year old nutrition professor at Loma Linda University in California,  revealed his advice for prolonging health and promoting longevity.

Born in December 1923, the doctor still lives an independent life, travels the world, drives by himself and remains mentally sharp. This centenarian nutritionist is a living and breathing example of the potential health benefits that can result from following his seven lifestyle habits.

As expected, Not smoking, abstaining from alcohol, cutting out meat, and exercise are just a couple of the main habits.

As Dr. Scharffenber states “Even though I'm a nutritionist, I think exercise is even more important than nutrition”

The doctor adds that he believes the most important life stage to exercise is during mid life, from the ages of 40 to 70. “That's when you need it, because that's the time when people usually relax, have more money, buy more food, sit around more, eat more... and that's the wrong way to go.”

Even if you are overweight, if you exercise, you will live longer than a person of normal weight who does not exercise.

I totally agree with his statement.  The one thing that most people don’t realize is that by exercising regularly, you improve your quality of life along with life span.  Science has proven that doing both cardio and resistance training improves your biological markers.  That is, you can be much younger than your chronological age. 

One of the best examples of this was Jack Lalanne who lived to 96.  Ever do a “jumping jack”? He was a pioneer in physical fitness and followed similar lifestyle habits.

So if you feel “old” no matter what your age, you can do something about it to act and feel younger!

Read up on on the 102-year-old nutrition professor lifestyle habits here:102 year old Nutrition Prof's lifestyle habits  *1

Or check out this youtube video:

Viva Longevity - 100 Year old Nutrition Prof

*1 Ref: By SHARON HUNT FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 22:49 EDT, 28 April 2025 | Updated: 03:24 EDT, 29 April 2025