Summer is here!

If you are like me, you take in as much of the beautiful summer weather as you can. I'm even sitting outside at my patio table writing you today!

With the urge to get outside, it becomes more challenging to get our regular indoor exercise done.

Case in point - typically resistance training equipment doesn't fair too well outside. It is likely you don't have your hand weights, resistance bands or exercise ball outside. So, for you to complete your resistance exercise, you'll likely need to be in the space that holds your equipment, likely inside. 

Kudos to those of you who have tried your resistance training program outside! It is possible!

​But to help you get outside sooner than later, I'd recommend trying supersets. Fondly caller summer supersets.

Supersets are a way to structure your exercise for greater efficiency of time. It is combining multiple exercises in an order that allows for the shortest downtime in between.

Read - faster to the great outdoors!

Over the past couple months, I've been teaching my current group participants to pair an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise. The one area of the body works while the other rests.

Although a bit more intense (maybe not a bad thing!), adding a superset combo allows you to challenge yourself and finish quicker. Here are some more added benefits…all based in research!

Need an example? 

Absolutely! That's is what I am here for!

First take a look at your current exercises. Split them into upper body and lower body movements. For your torso or core, look at the exercises for the front of your body versus the back of your body.

Once you have a list, start to pair movements that

A) Are larger muscle group actions (e.g., multi-joint movements such as squats and chest press). Theses can be your first pairings.

And/or

B) Are similar with set-up such as with the same type of equipment or body position (e.g. two exercises that use a bench or a platform would be a step up and bent over row).

Pair those exercises that fit well together. You will probably find that you will have four to six pairings, which will be 8-12 exercises total.

If it is helpful for you, write out the pairings on a post-it note and place the notes out in a row to visually show your plan.

Here is a sample superset workout I did this week:

I did two sets of 12 repetitions of each, moving from one pairing to the next. With a five  minute warm-up and five minute stretch, I was done in about 45 minutes.

This sample workout is of course only a sample. I encourage you to look at your current exercises and how you could utilize summer supersets.

Have no exercises? No problem.

Click here for my FREE resistance band ebook with 16 resistance band exercises to get started.

Still having trouble?

Reach out to me directly and let me know how I can help you!

Here's to lots of time outdoors whether that be in your yard, at the park or anywhere in between.

I am happy to support you on your physical activity journey!

Stay well and happy moving, 
Lisa

Are you enjoying listening to any good podcasts these days?

I've really been enjoying Brené Brown's Unlocking Us podcast. I reserve it for when I can listen to it all in one walk. You heard it right - I'm only listening to her when I go out for solo walks. 

I find it gives me time to really hear what she is saying and not get distracted by anything else. It's borderline my own counselling session over my headphones! LOL!

Yet there is some truth to that because I've stared to apply some of her content to my life. It took me a moment to process how this happens but it was interesting how it unfolded right in front of me…


​
Imagine a bright sunny day. Blue skies that go on forever and big white fluffy clouds gliding through the sky.

I'm in the zone. I'm experiencing flow as I ride my bike through the river valley, loving every moment. This is one of my favourite things to do. 

As I shoulder check before I make a turn onto a foot bridge, I see another cyclist behind me. My mind instantly turns into race mode as I focus my pedal strokes and up my cadence. He can't catch me I think to myself.

I round off the bridge and head off into a winding path with some incline. All the while knowing he is behind me.

I’m pedalling strong. I feel good. 

Up ahead I see it. An obstacle on my path. With construction around, the path has been ripped up and a ramp has been placed over the path. I brace myself for the bump and realize there are wooden planks over the ramp too. 

Am I to cross with the planks?

I quickly changed course to use the planks to only have my bike swerve over to the left, heading towards the orange temporary construction fence. 

In that second, the cyclist behind me passes me on the right and surges ahead. 

I comment "this isn't pretty" to him. Completely embarrassed and berating myself for such incompetence. 

I dislodge my bike from the side of the path. I didn't hit the fence, just landed in a mud trap beside the ramp.

I get back on the bike and within seconds my inner voice throws jabs at me. "How stupid was that?", "you suck", and  "What did that cyclist think of me? What an idiot she has no idea what she is doing!"

The ride took a turn that I didn't expect. A shame storm.

Would that other cyclist reflect on my misstep at lunch later that day?

Heck no. 

Could this have happened to anyone?

Absolutely!

How interesting - this shame was real!

Then I stopped. Not literally but I demanded my thoughts to stop.

Who cares!?

It was a mistake or should I say a minor turn that took me off course for less than a minute.

And it was in that moment that Brené Brown's voice showed up. I had just listened to her podcast about the distinction between shame and guilt.

Shame being something is wrong with me.

I wondered how often does this happen during physical activity. I harbour a guess it can be more than I know.

Does anyone else experience shame in their physical activity?

My educated guess would be a huge YES!

For me it took my enjoyment right out of my ride. It caused me to freeze and question that I even knew what I was doing.

Imagine someone else who had a misstep in physical activity and a shame storm rose up out of them?

Would they ever do that physical activity again?

Probably not.

Physical activity is "easy". We can be our own worst enemy with the way we speak to ourselves which makes physical activity very hard.

And this brings me to the title of Brené's book, The Gifts of Imperfection. I'm reading it now with one of my book clubs. 

Key word being imperfection. We aren't perfect nor is physical activity perfect. 

I encourage you to look through the lens of imperfection and listen to your own stories you are telling yourself about your physical activity experiences. Do you have shame storms too?  

I encourage you to recognize the shame storm and try to turn it down like I did on my bike ride that day. 

Know that you or your physical activity isn't perfect but that is the gift.


Stay well and happy moving, 
Lisa

Are you like me and dove into a lot of online workshops and/or virtual presentations during the past 15 months to only have the replays sitting in your inbox because you just can't watch another video?

That's me in a nutshell. Shall I say I'm an information junkie? And more specifically a physical activity information junkie!?

I scrolled back in my inbox this week and found my oldest video. It is from November 2020. And it was a big one!

To give you context and the back story, in general, Canada is one of the leading countries in the world for physical activity research and health guidelines. I was in my undergraduate degree in the late 1990s when our professor was part of the steering committee for the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines. He quizzed his exercise physiology students what we thought of how it looked and what it said. These guidelines have since been updated recently into the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines that not only factors in physical activity but sedentary behaviour and sleep.

It's been an ongoing process of doing the research and publicly sharing the evidence of the what, when, where, why and how of physical activity.

Go Canada Go! 

Jump back to this week and this video in my inbox and it makes me glow with excitement. What I watched was the launch of the World Health Organization's Every Move Counts Campaign and guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Physical activity has gone global!

Want to learn more? 

Check out this video!

What I love about this message and video is that physical activity is for all citizens of the world and it can look and feel different for everyone. It is not a one size fits all behaviour nor does it have to look a certain way to gain benefits. 

Kudos to WHO for connecting the dots.

Now for you! What are the unique, interesting and engaging ways you move your body in this world?

Stay well and happy moving, 
Lisa

I'm going to be quick with words today...

I wanted to share with you my next instalment of Real Moves for Real Life video series and highlight my favourite joint!

Yes, I have a favourite joint. It might just be my favourite because it is so multi-talented.

Check out my video to find out which joint I'm talking about!

Three cheers for the days getting longer and just maybe you are getting outside to move more! And the movements in this video can be really helpful to bring some mobility and space to the body.

Yay!

Since this joint is so multifunctional, I'm certain I'll have more videos on this joint for you soon! I am here to support you in your physical activity journey.

Stay well and happy moving,
Lisa

P.S. If you have missed my other Real Moves for Real Life videos, here is a link to the playlist.