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I've got something FUN for you this week! Remember last week was all about obvious and not so obvious home portable exercise equipment. If not, here is the post and video that you need to watch before you get started on this week's challenge. Did I just say challenge? Oh ya! Nothing like an end of the month challenge to catapult you into June! Don't stop reading now. Hold tight - this IS going to be fun! The workout will require some set-up of equipment and a pair of scissors. Please no exercising with the scissors. Go to my website to download your very own Home Exercise Cube Kit. Cut out the cube form and assemble. I find tape works well to hold the cube together. Set yourself up close to a staircase and an accessible wall. Gather the following items: 1. Broom 2. Dumbbells 3. Floor Mat 4. Sturdy Chair Don't forget the second page of the Home Exercise Cube Kit. It will help guide you in some exercises if you get stumped. Now, take your newly assembled cube and give it a roll…..  Whatever it lands on, is your piece of equipment for your first exercise. You decide how many repetitions and sets and then you roll again! If you are relatively new to exercise, start with 1 set of 10 reps. If you have more experience, go with 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps. Let the workout fun begin! You decide how many times you roll the dice. I'd recommend up to 5-8 times depending on how much time you have. Questions? Leave me a reply to this post and I'd be happy to support you. Enjoy the Home Exercise Cube Kit workout! Really stumped. Book in for a virtual 30 minute complimentary introductory appointment to find out how my services can help you achieve your goals. Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 
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Many people have opted for the convenience of exercising at home. Have you? A growing body of research is demonstrating that home exercise results are quite positive and impressive. From improving functional exercise capacity and quality of life to improving activities of daily living performance and improving mobility to lower extremity strength and reducing the number of falls. Wow! Who wouldn't want those benefits from exercising at home! So when thinking about starting a new routine at home, setting up your home with portable exercise equipment is a great way to position yourself for success. Here are 3 quick tips: 1. Assess your space: Before purchasing any equipment, take a look at your home and identify areas where you can exercise. Consider the size of the room, the amount of natural light, and any other factors that might affect your workout. 2. Invest in quality: When it comes to portable exercise equipment, quality is key. Look for equipment that is durable, easy to use, and provides the right level of resistance or support for your fitness level. 3. Choose your equipment: There are many types of portable exercise equipment available, from resistance bands to jump ropes to yoga mats. Consider your fitness goals and choose equipment that will help you achieve them. Speaking of choosing equipment, check out my most recent Physical Activity QuickPlay. I list my Top Ten affordable and unexpected exercise equipment options for your home workout. Which is your favourite piece of equipment? Which one are you intrigued about? Let me know. I'd love to hear what you think! AND if you are in the process of 'test driving' home exercise, join my THIS Tuesday May 23 in collaboration with LyfeMD for a free virtual physical activity session. I would love to have you move in your home along side me on Zoom. I hope to see you there! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa The influence of a mother on physical activity can be profound and long-lasting. Research has shown that mothers play a critical role in shaping their children's attitudes and behaviours towards exercise and physical activity. A mother's encouragement, support, and active participation in physical activity can help instill a lifelong love of movement in her children. On this Mother's day, you may be thinking about your own mother and her role in shaping your own physical activity habits. I know I am. For those of you who know my mom, you will know that she is an "all in" kind of person. She did it all and still does! When I was a child she was a huge supporter of physical activity. She would have taken me to most of my sports practices be it rhythmic gymnastics, t-ball, swimming lesson, tennis, you name it, she was all in with getting me to be physically active. I have fond memories of going on bike rides with her around my childhood neighbourhood and playing all sorts of games that made us move our bodies. An elementary teacher by training, she is a natural coach, although she would argue with you that she is not athletic at all. She was even my soccer coach, although she doesn't love sports nor had she ever played soccer before. My mom definitely supported the idea of team spirit and the community that sports brings. My mom even went so far as conquering her fear of deep water on one of our family summer vacations to Edmonton (where we both live now). It was the late 1980s and all kids dreamed about the wave pool at West Edmonton Mall. She planned ahead and rightfully surprised me when she came into the wave pool with my brother and I. Her plan was to strap on her glasses with an elastic headband that she brought along from home. For the woman who is deathly afraid to put her head underwater and equally scared with not being able to touch the bottom of the pool, this was a large feat to come into the wave pool! Her biggest fear was losing her glasses (and maybe drowning). She had a trusty little elastic headband to keep her glasses in place. I can still see a snap shot in my mind now, of us being in the water, riding the waves on an inflatable mat and shouting for joy (I think!) with each wave that rolled into shore. Now as an adult, her commitment to physical activity continues. We have covered many, many miles of walking whether it be with traveling, walking together in our respective neighbourhoods or pounding the pavement on our marathon shopping adventures. Cha Ching! For the woman who doesn't believe that she's very athletic. She sure does physical activity well. Who is your supporter? It may not be your mother that was your role model. It may be another strong female force that currently supports you and your physical activity. My mom does it all. Even when she may not even love it as much as me. Case in point. She showed up at my recent free yoga class this past week. She didn't have to do that. But she always does. This cannot be understated. A mother's influence can have significant implications for her children's health and well-being, both in the short and long term. I know you're reading this mom. I love you. Happy Mother's Day to you and all the other women who demonstrate what is possible with physical activity! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa  Exploring Victoria, British Columbia The new green buds on the tree branches. 🌳 The song birds chirping in the wind. 🐦 The light that glows later and later in the days. ☀️ Change is right in front of us. Nature shows us the evolution of what is possible in the world. And with evolution, we begin to notice the subtle and not so subtle shifts in our inner and outer world. Sometimes we hold on tight to the way things are. Other times we freely let go of what no longer serves us. In it all, do you have something that keeps you anchored? At least a little bit? As in life, things change. Physical activity is no different. The beauty of the work I do is helping people with change. We evolve and so does our physical activity. It is scary, I know. It is in the choices we make that determine HOW we change. You can choose not to do anything and let your physical self go. OR You can choose to take care of yourself by moving better and more often. It's never too late. Change is on my horizon. I have resigned from one role to take on another. My anchor has been my physical activity. It settles my racing mind and keeps me calm in the uncertainty. I've chosen to use my physical activity to help me through transition and change. And boy, have I needed it lately! What have been the recent changes in your life? Need an anchor? I've got you covered.  Join me this Tuesday, May 9 in collaboration with LyfeMD for a FREE beginner virtual yoga session with me. Yes, it means you can join from anywhere! LyfeMD is a mobile app that empowers people to take control of their own wellness through holistic approaches and is one of my new partners. They also see the power of physical activity and yoga in the management of our health. I am so honoured to work with them and share their great work with you! So, are you free on Tuesday May 9 at 4pm MST? Let's work on change together. As we know, it is the only thing that is constant. Stay well and happy moving, Lisa P.S., One more thing! There is a door prize!!! Win a 1:1 Online Yoga Therapy session with me! All you need to do is sign up & show up for this session. Winner will be randomly chosen at the end of the session. Your forearms, wrists and hands will love you! 💪🏼 With such great response to last week's post, today I've got for you a SECOND instalment of Real Moves for Real Life, 5 MORE hand gestures that won't get you into trouble. Did you know simple movements can have a massive impact? It feels like it is the best kept secret. Your body will thank you! Oh and guess what?! I've got a printable handout for each video that you can find below each post. Here's to well functioning and happy arms! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa Have you got out in your yard for some spring clean up yet? Hello rake! So nice to see you again. I'm tired of your cousin the shovel and I'm happy that its your time to shine. Are you arms, hands and wrists already beaten up this Spring? No fear! I'm here to stop the throbbing with the next installment of Real Moves for Real Life video series. AND stick to the end for your invitation to my next in person workshop! Pain. Stiffness. Fatigue. Blah! Let's get going with five hand gestures that will support your yard work adventures and provide ease in getting back into the garden! Oh, and they won't offend anyone either! Out of the five movements, which one was your favourite? Or the worst? Sometimes the one that is the favourite is just the one we need to play with. Let's nurture what is working well. If you want more movements in your gardening tool belt this summer, I invite you to my upcoming workshop, Gardening Ready Yoga on Saturday April 22 at Yoga Within Edmonton. The 2 hour workshop with take you through key movement patterns that are required for connecting to the earth and a successful gardening season! Why don't you join me? It is an exciting time of year! Let's make it the best that it can be and have you moving well. Stay well and happy moving, Lisa I'm posting on a Thursday? I normally only land here on Sunday mornings! Well, I was thinking of you, dear reader, yesterday and wanted to make sure that you were in the know. Today is the World Day of Physical Activity. In 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognized April 6, as World Day of Physical Activity. It's been celebrated over the past two decades. This day encourages people of all ages to be more physically active, whether through sports, exercise, or other recreational activities. To celebrate World Day of Physical Activity, I encourage you to participate in physical activities such as walking, cycling, dancing, or playing sports. I invite you to think about physical activity around the world and find resources to support your physical activity, such as these from the WHO. Take some time today to promote physical activity awareness. Most importantly, share your physical activity knowledge with your friends, neighbours and family. I also wanted to share with you my online physical activity courses at the Physical Activity Academy. And the best part is that they are all free! Please share the online courses over email or your social media channels with your friends, neighbours, family and/or with anyone you think would benefit from some physical activity support. I won't be landing in your inbox this Sunday morning. To those of you who celebrate Easter, Happy Easter! 🐰 Stay tuned as I have a lot of fun stuff coming down the pipes for you in my upcoming posts! Be sure to celebrate April 6 with some physical activity, in whatever way suits you best!  And as always, if you have any questions or concerns I am an open book. 📖 Please feel free to reach out and let me know what you need. Stay well and happy moving! Lisa In last week's blog I wrote about your plan for springtime physical activity and how what you choose to do will help support your summertime pursuits. If you missed it, you can read more here. This week I want to provide a more direct example with you and share some specific exercises to support your movement. Let's go! Walking. It is an essential movement to our day to day life. Once warmer weather arrives (whatever that means to you), there is an inclination to get out and walk in our neighbourhoods, community parks and anywhere there is fresh air (read: NATURE). With an uptick in walking, have you considered trying something new? You may ask, "Lisa, how can I make my walking new?" Insert - poles. And not just any poles. Nordic walking poles. Nordic walking, as the name reveals, is a form of walking that started in Nordic or Scandinavian countries, more precisely from Finland. It was a form of exercise to support wintertime physical activity pursuit of cross-country skiing. See the trend here. Springtime activities supporting summertime activities. Summertime activities supporting wintertime activities. It is all intertwined! And today I would like to share with you three supportive movements for Nordic walking. Not sure you want to try Nordic walking? Not sure how to do it? I'm your gal. I've been pole walking since 2007. Yep. I'm the one you may have seen walking with poles in the streets of Edmonton and wondered, "where are her skis?!" And for you this Spring, how about trying some Nordic walking as a way to get stronger for your Summer walks and hikes in nature? Not sure? Well, consider this. I am wanting to know if YOU would like to have a workshop or a series of sessions where I can teach YOU how to walk with Nordic walking poles. I've got the poles, you've got the legs and so it would all work just perfectly! Can you please complete this survey to let me know what would suit you best? As always, I am here to support you on your physical activity journey. Will Nordic walking be a part of your journey? Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 📣 Shout out to my gardeners! This April I have a workshop for you! Join me at Yoga Within Edmonton for Gardening Ready Yoga. April 22 will be here in no time so grab your spot today! What are your plans for this Spring?
It is the first day of Spring tomorrow and the world is about to come alive. Will you? Imagine all the things you want to do this summer. Go ahead and pause. Look away from your screen for a moment. I'll wait. For those fun, exciting adventures to occur, will you be physically ready? Gosh, it would feel sad to not be able to do what you want to. Spring is you preseason! It is time to set up your strategy. Now is the time. The time to get your preseason training. Not to get that summer bod. Nope. You are on the wrong email list if you are all about the summer bod. Instead, you want to move with ease. Move with strength, endurance and dare I say, pain free, this summer. Now is the time to make a plan and start building in the movement you need for all your anticipated summer adventures. Case in point. One of my clients works at a golf course over the sunny Canadian months. She knows the walking, twisting and bending it requires to pick up golf balls from the green. We devised a plan to get her walking daily for a minimum of 20 minutes. We also planned to have her practice a standing yoga and stretching routine to help mimic some of the movement patterns she needs to do in her job. She is in her preseason of training. Why? She wants to avoid hurting after each shift. She wants to have the mobility to bend with ease. She may even get a game of golf in herself and she wants to walk all 18 holes. Insight to Action: What do you need to do now to get ready for your physical pursuits this summer? Is it mobility? Is it building new brain-body pathways to change undesirable movement patterns? Is it stability? Is it for the endurance to go for a full day of activities outdoors? Is it strength? It is possible to get started now and reap the rewards this summer! I applied the same preseason framework recently in this article for Farm Forum. Farmers' preseason starts earlier than the urban folks and the same principles apply. Start now and reap the benefits for your future self. Got some good ideas? Go ahead and jump on to my Facebook page and post your preseason movement plans. I'd love to hear what you are up to! Stuck on what to do? Consider spending time with me devising a customized plan just for you! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa 📣 Shout out to my gardeners! This April I have a workshop for you! Join me at Yoga Within Edmonton for Gardening Ready Yoga. April 22 will be here in no time so grab your spot today! Thank you, Albert Einstein, for the brilliant self-reflection. Yes to curiosity! In this week's newsletter, I want you to put on your thinking cap. Get curious with me. Don't worry. I'm not going to send you a test to complete. Simply, challenge your mind a bit to learn more about yourself. The more you know about your body, the more you can apply your knowledge to how you move your body. Win-win! I have a series of five questions below. Read the question and stop to think. Don’t just ask Siri or google right away. Can you come up with the answer? Maybe jot your answers down on a piece of paper. Once you have gone through each question, jump onto my website to find the answers! I also share more details there as it applies to physical activity and movement. Drum roll please. Here are the questions!
Support (think the clothes hanger for the muscles), protection, body movement (muscles move joints which are two bones coming together), hemopoiesis (production of blood cells and platelets), mineral storage
A handy way to remember is… - You have breakfast at 7 am - You have lunch at 12 pm - You have dinner at 5 pm - You go to bed at 9 pm (5+4)
On average you take 12-16 breaths per minute. When you exercise, it can go up to as high as 40-60 breaths per minute. Wow!
Two hundred and seventy at birth and 206 by adulthood. Why so many at birth? You don't lose bones as you age. You actually have bones that fuse together with age. Remember the soft spots on babies' heads. These soft spots are spaces between the bones of the skull where bone formation isn't complete. As they come together, they form one bone.  Want to learn more about your body and how it moves? I'd love to help you gain knowledge and skill in my one-on-one sessions. So much fun. The more you know, the more you know! Stay well and happy moving, Lisa |
AuthorMissed my most recent newsletter? Don't worry, I've got your back. Find all my exclusive letters here on this blog. ~Lisa Archives
May 2023
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