Newest trend? Not for the Dynabods!!

Well I just heard what’s the newest fad of fitness trends.   Can you guess?

Single Dumbbell workouts!

Wow!  I’ve been doing it for years at my fitness classes.  All the Dynabods would agree that doing a multi-functional workout with a single dumbbell not only works your major muscle groups but also activates your core stabilizer muscles.

Single Dumbbell workouts would be considered specialized Functional Training – the meat and potatoes of my classes.    This not only improves your strength and mobility but carries over into better posture and control as you have to isometrically maintain stability while working the other side of the body. 

And for those that do make it to my classes know, you need to use a heavy enough weight to make it worthwhile. I usually only bring 5 or 10 lb dumbbells at my first class of the session and hide them off in the corner – lol.   

Most of the newbies are surprised at what they can do when they take on a “can do” attitude and stop thinking that they “can’t” do that weight.  Of course safety is always number one priority, and when using a heavier weight maintaining the load throughout the motion is much easier on the body.  With a heavier weight there is less jerking and snapping of the joints, and thus, less chance of injury.

Plus you build strength rather than just go through the motions.   I like to use the example of painting a ceiling, you can do it for a long time and your shoulder gets sore.  But you didn’t strengthen the shoulder.  It’s just like going to the gym and seeing someone grab that 10 lb weight and rattle of 20 reps while chatting to their buddy.  A total waste of time!

Use of Single Dumbbells helps your body learn to adapt. This neurological adaptation brings a natural progression of your fitness abilities.  You activate more muscles fibers while concentrating form.  It has been a staple of my workouts for years! 

If you haven’t tried Single Dumbbell training I high recommend it.  It’s a great way to stay motivated, challenged and have fun. So grab that 20, 30 or 40 lb dumbbell and try it - you’ll love it!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there!

FITNESS TRENDS FOR 2015

Well, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has announced its annual fitness trend forecast for the 2015 year.

The top 10 fitness trends predicted for 2015 are:

1. Body Weight Training

2. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

3. Educated and Experienced Fitness Professionals.

4. Strength Training.

5. Personal Training

6. Exercise and Weight Loss.

7. Yoga.

8. Fitness Programs for Older Adults.

9. Functional Fitness.

10. Group Personal Training.

Personally, I don’t call these “trends”.  For the most part all of this is essential for a proper fitness regime, and all of this is what I emphasize in my DTF classes. 

Of course a proper fitness leader will adapt any exercise or program to fit any level – be it an older adult, newbie, or a seasoned athlete.  To keep YOU motivated there has to be a balance between tried and true exercises, and all of the above so-called trends.

Another advantage of my bootcamps is that you don’t do the same exercises over and over again.  Your body is very good at adapting to workouts.   This way it is highly unlikely that you will plateau.   If you do the same type of workout all the time, you’re going to get the body you’ve always gotten.  By adding variety, you keep things fresh and challenging, you shock your muscles into improving and you never get bored. Because of this, the chances are that you will continue to exercise.

If you want to get the best out of your workouts incorporate a Dynabody Total Fitness class once or twice a week.  Add in two resistance/weight training workouts and round it out with participating in an aerobic or sports activity.  Join the “Dynabods” who already have a jump on the current “trends”.

Remember, your body adjusts to lower levels of physical activity the same way it adapts to higher levels. This is the REAL reason why people “get old” or out of shape.  USE promotes function.  DISUSE promotes deterioration.  You choose…..

CLASSES START NEXT WEEK! So register now for the 2015 Winter Total Fitness Classes.  Sessions run from  6:30 to 8:00 pm and cost is $79 each.

Register online at:

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp - Tuesday January 13th - Bannatyne School

Or cut & paste the link onto your browser:

http://localcourses.com/sjsd/Browse.cfm?cID=10944&prevCat=Top%2CFitness%2CAerobics%2CChallenging&CFID=120882655&CFTOKEN=33335302&jsessionid=9830a4ca3acc$88$8B$1

Dynabody Fitness Bootcamp - Thursday January 22nd - Strathmillan School

http://localcourses.com/sjsd/Browse.cfm?cID=12957&prevCat=Top%2CFitness%2CAerobics%2CChallenging&CFID=120882655&CFTOKEN=33335302&jsessionid=9830a4ca3acc$88$8B$1

To read up more on the ACSM Fitness Trend article, click on the following link;

http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/news-releases/2014/10/24/survey-predicts-top-20-fitness-trends-for-2015

LAST CLASS OF 2013 IS THIS THURSDAY DECEMBER 19th!

This Thursday Dec. 19^th is the last Dynabody Total Fitness Classes for 2013Come & celebrate my birthday with by working out with me! !  Join in - at no cost to you!  Bring a friend, spouse or co-worker. 

Note, we will be in the small gym at Strathmillan School 6:30pm start – South East door entrance.  

Your Brain and Exercise

With a new school year upon us, homework, school activities, computer and alone time seem to take precedent. With 16% of school children now classified as overweight, regular exercise is more important than ever. It’s surprising that current guidelines recommend that children engage in at least 1 hour of physical activity daily but only 6% to 8% of primary and secondary schools provide daily physical education (PE).

Did you know that;

- Fewer than one in four students gets at least 30 minutes of daily exercise?

- School-age kids and teens spend an average of 4.8 hours per day on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games?

Yikes! I’d like to share with you an interesting article that the CBC news (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) put out about a High School in Saskatoon that put treadmills and exercise bikes into a math classroom. Students did 20 minutes of cardio before class.

An interesting point is that this school is for those with learning difficulties, with over half the students having ADHD. They couldn't sit still, many had behavioral problems, and couldn't learn. With the cardio equipment in the classroom, most of the kids had jumped a full grade in reading, writing and math in one semester. Plus their attention span increased from 10 minutes to 3 hours!

The exercise altered their brain chemistry enough to make learning possible, AND it greatly improved their behavior. Exercise is food for the brain,” says Dr. John Ratey of Harvard University. Studies show that exercise builds new brain cells in the part of the brain that helps with memory and learning, he added.

If you want to hear more about the CBC report on exercise and the Saskatoon school’s pilot project click here Brain gains.

As a teenager, many students are overworked at school and overstressed at home. They engross their spare time on facebook, television and video games. Encouraging exercise helps to overcome the stress of growing up and adds energy, confidence and makes you feel good.

Exercise is just one part of maintaining a healthy body weight and a fit mind. Nutrition plays an important part. Did you know that certain foods help your grey matter? Eating fish helps prevent stroke. Eating steak helps to reduce brain shrinkage. Blueberries helps shield your brain from stress. And kids of all ages should stay away from diet soda – the aspartame is linked to headaches – which may increase migraines and have no nutritional value.

The best results come from a long-term strategy involving a permanent change in both eating and activity habits. It is important to make physical activity a priority for both you and you children. The more active the exercise the better. The human body was meant to move and physical activity should be part of your life.

Strive for an overall plan to increase your health, fitness, well-being and quality of life. Creating an exercise habit starts with you!