Exercising in summer months

I am susceptible to heat illness and (unfortunately) I am still learning that it isn’t as straight-forward to manage as going out early/late in the day and drinking enough water. A couple of weeks ago I went out intending to do a long, slow distance run early in the morning (about 7am). It was about [...]

Why strength train?

Strength training is not just for guys wanting to bulk up. It is important for everyone, regardless of age. Incorporating regular strength training into your fitness program will increase your lean muscle mass, which in turn will allow your body to burn calories more efficiently which will result in a reduction of body fat. As [...]

Are side stitches ruining your run?

‘Side stitches’ can wreck a running session and if you’re a beginner runner, they can put you off of running completely. What they are A side stitch is a sharp pain which usually occurs on the right side under the lower edge of the ribcage. Stitches usually happen on the right side because the organs [...]

How to know when you need a rest and a little bit about overtraining syndrome

As I discussed in an earlier post, rest and recovery is essential in any training program. Rest days are when the real results of your hard work take place: muscles repair and strengthen and energy is replenished. A well designed program will include rest days and modified workouts/cross training, as well as changes in intensity, time [...]

Post-exercise recovery

What happens during recovery Including recovery time in any exercise program is important because the body uses this time to adapt to the stress of exercise—repairing damaged muscle tissue and replenishing depleted energy stores. If the body is not allowed enough time to repair and replenish, muscle breakdown will continue and in extreme cases overtraining [...]

I’m already warm!

One of my teenaged clients got a little exasperated with me one 30 degree day last summer because I said we had to warm up. She hates warming up. She rolled her eyes and said something like ‘I’m warm already…are you serious?’ So maybe I should explain exactly what ‘warming up’ is all about. Benefits [...]

Injury and training

A minor injury can be frustrating, especially when it keeps you from your favourite training activities. I suffered a serious achilles injury last year. I am still recovering months later. It’s taken lots of help from my physiotherapist/acupuncturist; and lots of patience and creativity on my part in planning my programs. I am a runner [...]