Crystal Kirby-Peloquin

Preparation, planning are key to healthy eating

Are you a shift worker who struggles with nutrition? Or maybe you’re a parent who’s spending a lot of hours up at night with a child?

Get your kids up and moving

If you’re worried that your kids aren’t getting enough exercise, you might be right. According to an extensive 2019 global study published in The Lancet, researchers found that over 80 per cent of kids between the ages of 11 and 17 were not active enough. That’s a huge number, and it’s concerning because physical activity is a determining factor in health outcomes related to obesity, diabetes and other conditions.

Why you shouldn’t skip leg day

You’ve probably heard this old gym adage: “Don’t skip leg day!”

The age-old debate — machine or free weights?

What’s more effective in the gym: free weights or machines?

Improve your strength, improve your grip

How important is your grip strength when it comes to health and fitness?

Building strength – steadily and safely

So, you want to build up your strength in the New Year. How can you do it?

Don’t overdo it as you start it a new program

The new year often finds many people resolving to work on their fitness. If that’s your plan in 2023, good for you! I want you to find success, so I’ve put together my top tips for starting a fitness program. Many people start strong in January and then fall away from new habits. I want you to gain momentum fast so you can enjoy improved health and fitness all year.

Consider a sober holiday season

We’re heading into the festive season, and holiday parties and get-togethers often increase consumption of alcohol. The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction recently released updated guidelines for “low-risk alcohol drinking” — and they might shock you.

Keep things simple this holiday season

Managing your health and fitness goals during the holiday season can be daunting. There are holiday concerts to attend, baking to be done and enjoyed, and of course endless gifts to purchase. In addition, work and family schedules are jam packed with events, many of which involve food and alcohol.

Never buy another diet book

Improving nutrition and fitness is all about changing behaviour. As with many things, the mind comes before the body. So, if you’re thinking of buying a new book hyping the latest diet trend or workout program, consider switching courses and purchasing a book that teaches you how to rewire your brain to create new and better habits. That book will pay for itself over and over again because you can apply what you learn to any pursuit.

Beating the gym-membership odds

Here are two of the top reasons people cancel gym memberships — they don’t get results, or they lose motivation.

Nutrition and the holiday season

Do you feel like your personal goals take a back seat every year during the October-to-January holiday season?

Can you ‘hack’ your way to fat loss?

“Try this amazing hack to lose 15 pounds in just 15 days!” I bet you’ve seen something like that recently. So, is ‘hacking’ your way to better health possible, or are these promises just scams?

Try resistance bands for training

I love barbells and dumbbells, but I also love resistance bands for training my arms. They change every movement, and they’re relatively cheap. These thick rubber bands come in a variety of lengths and widths to offer different levels of resistance, and they don’t take up any space.

Fall into taking more steps

Walking is one of the best things for your health and fitness. As summer winds down and the weather begins to cool, now would be a great time to ask yourself if you should add more movement to your day.

Licks, nibbles and sips — they all count

With nutrition, one thing is clear — there’s no “perfect diet” that works for everyone. Each person’s nutrition needs are unique. So, when it comes to setting goals with fitness and food, personal preference, diet history, lifestyle, food allergies and other factors come into play.

Nutrition for ‘the littles’ in your life

If you’re a parent, you might worry about your kids’ nutrition — especially if they are picky eaters. Are they eating enough? Are they eating too much? Is the food “healthy”? Will they like what you serve? What do you do on those super busy days when time is short? And you might not be the only one feeding your kids. School programs, daycares, grandma and grandpa, and other care providers might also be in the mix. Feeding kids can be incredibly stressful for everyone.

Keep it simple with kettlebell training

How much money do you need to spend on fitness equipment to stay in shape at home? Honestly, not very much. In fact, it would be a mistake to avoid starting a new fitness routine because you think you don’t have enough gear for a great workout.

You can get fit without any gear at all but buying a few items will spice up your routine and allow you to build strength faster. News aggregators have been serving up articles about kettlebells lately, so here’s the info you need to use an implement that gives you a lot of bang for your buck.

A kettlebell is basically a chunk of metal with a handle on it. It takes up very little space, and it’s incredibly versatile. Kettlebells retail for about $2 a pound, and they’re available in increments, usually from five pounds to 80 pounds or more. You can use a kettlebell to train your whole body with deadlifts, squats, swings, snatches, cleans, presses, carries and many more movements.

Kettlebells work very well with different training styles, too. They’re perfect for both strength training and conditioning or workouts that combine both elements. High-intensity interval workouts, bodybuilding workouts or functional fitness workouts can all be done with a kettlebell.

Getting thrifty with grocery shopping

Are you feeling some hunger pangs from rising food costs? A recent study conducted by Mainstreet Research found that nearly a quarter of Canadians are eating less than they should because their food budgets are exhausted. Many other people are looking for ways to make each dollar go further.

To help you spend less at the grocery store, I’ve got a few shopping hacks for you this week.

Shop for no-name itemsBrands pay a lot of money to become your go-to choice — but in times like this, it’s worth comparing prices. Did you know that many no-name or house-brand items are 30 per cent cheaper than name brands?

For example, at one local grocer you can find brand-name, pulp-free orange juice priced at $5.39 for 1.54 litres. The same size in the house brand is regularly $4.29 and was on sale for $3.49 at the time this article was written. That’s a saving of almost $2 on just one item.

Summer snack attacks

Summer barbecues and potlucks, weekends at the cabin, days at the beach, and nights on the patio are summer standards. We all look forward to the eight weeks of warm weather and try to make the most of every day in a short Manitoba summer. But a sneaky summer habit can be tough to turn around come fall — mindless snacking.

Will you ever find yourself at the bottom of a bag of chips after a beer on the deck? Or maybe you go to family barbecues hungry and fill up on crackers and dip before the main course is served. Inclined to nab a cookie from the box on the counter as you head to the dock or wolf down a handful of nuts as you chat with a friend? Things like this are very common, and when you add in drinking and socializing, the total intake often doesn’t match up with our health and fitness goals.

Snacking can absolutely be part of a balanced diet. Thoughtfully planned snacks help fuel you, maintain your energy and meet your fitness goals. It’s the unplanned, mindless, high-volume snacking that can really derail you.

Just like you plan your meals, plan your snacks ahead of time. Make it part of your routine. Add your favourite snacks to your grocery list and plan when you’ll have them — even and especially on summer weekends. If you follow this plan, you’ll get to enjoy foods you actually like instead of filling up just by reaching for something “because it’s there” or because it’s offered to you. Even better, if you know what you’ll snack on, you can balance it with nutritious food at your meals during the day.

Reset your routine, rediscover fun

Have you lost that loving feeling for your workouts and fitness routine? Don’t worry — you can get it back before it totally slips away. Here’s how to do it:

First and foremost, we have to make fitness fun if we want to rekindle the fire. “Fun” means something different for everyone, and you’ll need to figure out what creates sparks for you. Seek out novelty and try new things. Perhaps you always played rec sports and did weight training, but that got stale. Maybe your new plan will benefit from things like yoga and spin classes. If you just don’t feel fired up to jump back into something, now’s the time to explore the world of fitness and discover things that motivate you.

The good news is that you have so many options to choose from, including amazing group classes, personalized coaching, at-home training, and fun general summer activities such as running and golfing. Consider this a “reset” period and explore. Ever wanted to try rock climbing? Wondering what happens at a cycle studio? Curious about pickleball or other increasingly popular sports? Now’s the time to try out some new forms of movement.

As you look for new activities or perhaps re-engage with old ones, it’s important to avoid thinking about what you “should do” or “supposed to do.” You might not be good at a new activity right away, or maybe you’ve fallen behind in an old pursuit. That’s OK. If you’re moving again, you’re grooving. Don’t downplay your effort to climb the learning curve or beat yourself up over lost progress. Something is better than nothing, and if you’re enjoying movement again, that’s a huge win. Roll with it and progress will come.

Don’t be afraid to mix it up this summer

A Manitoba summer is almost upon us, and we all know it won’t last long. It’s been a long, cold winter, and, for some people, staying inside to work out just isn’t an option after six months indoors. People are itching to get outside, sit on a patio and just soak up some much-deserved sunshine. So what does this mean for your fitness?

To stay on track, you should look for ways to take your training outside. Working out doesn’t have to be a strict regimen of three sets of eight reps three times a week under fluorescent lights in a gym. You can absolutely “double down” and get moving outside. Doing so will help you stay fit and shake off cabin fever.

Walking, running and hiking are excellent and accessible ways to work on your fitness. Manitoba has no shortage of paths and trails to explore during the summer. You can do a brisk walk on a lunch hour, run some stairs behind the Legislature or head into the woods for a weekend of trail hiking. Many of my clients add resistance by wearing weight vests or carrying some dumbbells as they walk. If you have a backpack, throw in some books and use that. This is a low-barrier way to add strength training to your outdoor fitness. When I just don’t feel like another day in the gym, I’ll often throw on a vest and walk in nature. It recharges me.

You can also rest assured that yard work can help you maintain fitness. Think of wheelbarrows, garden stones, lawn mowers and other “odd objects” that require physical effort to move. Digging flower beds, moving bags of dirt, chopping wood — they all train your entire body. And if you’re outside absorbing some vitamin D at the same time, you’re winning all around.

The messy middle

When it comes to fitness and nutrition, extremes are very marketable — but they aren’t helpful for the average person.

Have you ever noticed that social-media media platforms are full of popular lifestyle accounts that rely on dogmatic thinking, black-and-white statements and outlandish practices? When it comes to attracting likes and followers, it seems that the more extreme you are, the better.

My problem with these accounts is that they rarely help people. Instead of using their platforms to meet people where they are and help them with their goals, their owners try to convince people that they are absolutely right. And there is no room for questions or debate. These folks will use anecdotal evidence to support their viewpoints and products. Or they will cherry-pick data from studies that support their claims and conveniently ignore anything that raises questions. This kind of thing is rampant in the wellness, fitness and diet industries, and it confuses people who are looking for guidance and support.

Check out some of these inflammatory statements, which are very common on social media: “You can only consume meat; vegetables will kill you,” “Cut out all dairy because you weren’t meant to eat it,” “Sugar is worse than cocaine,” “If you watch what you eat, you’re on the road to an eating disorder.” Or how about these two: “No pain, no gain” and “This style of training is the only way to get the body you want.”

How long does it take see changes?

People start new fitness routines for many different reasons. Here are just a few — improved cardiovascular health, increased muscle mass and strength and better body composition. If the latter is your goal, you’re likely looking to lose fat, and you probably want to know when you can expect to see changes.

The answer absolutely depends on the individual. There is no set timeline, and everyone will progress differently. Maintaining muscle mass while losing body fat requires a slow and steady approach that involves a blend of healthy eating and fitness training.

Depending on where you start your journey, the weekly changes can be very noticeable or seemingly nonexistent. Even if you feel like the changes are absent or slow in coming, staying the course is the best plan. It’s a long game, and you can navigate the journey with some simple but effective strategies.

Focus on how you feelWe often feel positive changes before visible results appear. More energy, better sleep, better workouts and an improved sense of well-being are just a few “internal signs of success.” Even if you’re ultimately after six-pack abs, don’t discount less obvious milestones. In fact, these smaller successes will likely keep you going long after you accomplish your main goal. Looking great but feeling terrible isn’t a sustainable long-term plan. But who doesn’t appreciate a great night of sleep and a wealth of energy? As you work toward your physical goals, be mindful of how you feel, too.