Take Your Workout Outdoors!

Hey everyone,

To take advantage of the beautiful fall weather this past weekend, we did our workouts outdoors (in our backyard).  There was lots of shade and a refreshing breeze, making the workouts quite enjoyable.  For those of us who work indoors, it's important to find opportunities to get some fresh air and natural vitamin D.  The next time you're planning your workout, consider whether you can do a portion or even all of it outside.

Training for Strongfirst & a New Upper-Body Workout

Hey everyone,

We haven't been posting very frequently over the last few months (sorry!), but we have at least been consistent with our own fitness.  We have been doing, on average, four workouts a week, as well as some swimming, yoga, and long walks with our dog.

We have also started training for the Strongfirst kettlebell instructor certification (http://www.strongfirst.com/kettlebell-instructor-certification-sfgi/), which is a challenging 3-day course.  There are strict requirements for your fitness level, technique, and coaching ability.  Attitude and 'grit' is also important, since it is essentially a 3-day-long workout, with the testing performed on the final day.

Keeping Track of Your Fitness

Hey everyone,

One of our readers has asked: "In some of your posts you refer to fitness logs. Never having used one, I'm not sure what information is important to include in them. Are there any that you would recommend, keeping in mind that I'm a newbie to exercise and don't want to spend all week charting what I've done (or didn't do!!). Thanks."

This is a great question, as it is often something that is overlooked when starting a fitness regime.  We ensure to keep track of each workout we complete.  This helps us remember what we have done, as well as monitor for progress (or lack thereof...). You don't need anything fancy. We use a small notebook that is easily transported with us for travel, etc. We also use a calendar to track our activities (including workouts, walks, bike rides, swims, etc.).  This helps us keep track of how active we are each week. 

For each entry, we include the date and type of workout we are doing that day (for example, Lower Body Circuit Workout).  We weigh in before each workout (measuring weight, body fat percentage and muscle percentage).  Keep in mind, however, that your numbers will fluctuate daily and it is best to use these numbers to track things over the long-term.  Frequently, we'll flip back in our notebook to look at trends in our numbers.

Before each workout, we plan what type of workout and the specific exercises and number of sets we will be completing.  You can even plan your workout ahead of time (we do this if we are doing an early morning workout, so we can get up and already have things planned out). We generally record weights used and number of reps (unless we are doing timed workouts, such as density or FGB).  This allows us to monitor our progress in weight lifted or number of reps over time. Be sure to add in comments of how the workout went that day, any injuries, etc.

Recording your workouts should not take a lot of time. We choose to use a notebook, but there are also many fitness apps available to track your progress.  You need to choose whatever works best for you!

We hope these tips are helpful!  Let us know if there is anything else you do to track your fitness!

-Tannys & Alex

Having Trouble Developing a Well-Rounded Fitness Program?

Hey everyone,

Recently one of our readers asked an important question: "So here's the deal. I joined a 'no frills' gym. Great cardio and strength training equipment and lots of other stuff (free weights, medicine balls, bench presses, etc.) but what do I do with it all!! It's somewhat overwhelming and I have no idea where to start. Any pointers on how to begin to put together a workout schedule/plan? How much cardio, how much strength training? How often should workouts be changed? What exercises should I be doing? How often should I work the same muscle groups etc. There are so many different workouts on the internet, it's hard to know how to put together a well rounded fitness program. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!"

Are your kids getting enough exercise?

Hey everyone,

A recent report published by Active Healthy Kids Canada (AHKC) confirms that 95% of kids are not getting the exercise that they need.

Support Infertility Awareness Week - May 19-26

Hey everyone,

This week is Infertility Awareness Week - a cause that is very important to me.  I see patients everyday who are suffering with fertility issues.  Infertility affects approximately 1 in 6 couples.  I guarantee you know someone suffering from infertility, even if you are not aware of their struggles.  Many couples suffer in silence because they are embarrassed or ashamed by this diagnosis.  However, infertility is a medical diagnosis, just like any other.  We need to continue to increase the public's awareness of infertility and the impact it has.

IAAC (Infertility Awareness Association of Canada) is a great resource  for Canadian couples suffering from infertility and they are organizing some amazing events this week to promote infertility awareness.

Book Review: Strong Curves

Hey everyone,

We recently purchased a great new book and learning tool, Strong Curves, written by Bret Contreras and Kellie Davis.  This book is geared towards strength training for women.

Scuba Diving - A New Fitness Challenge!

Hey everyone,

During our recent trip to the Turks & Caicos, we decided to spend some of our time scuba diving!
Tannys had never tried scuba diving and Alex had previously been PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Open Water diver-certified in the past, but it had been several years since he had gone.  So, we both completed the Open Water Diver certification together.

Are You Aging Successfully?

Hey everyone,

We came across a recent article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal that we thought would be of interest to you.  This article looked at healthy behaviours that can increase the odds of aging successfully.

Not Feeling It Today? A Quick Lower Body Workout Solution

Hey everyone,

You will go through periods where you don't really feel like working out.  Some days are tougher than others, but if you can motivate yourself to do some exercise, you won't regret it.  We had one of those days recently, where we were struggling to find the motivation to workout after a long day at work.

Taking Stock of 2012

Hey everyone,

We hope that you enjoyed a wonderful holiday!  We certainly had a lovely Christmas, enjoying a somewhat indulgent amount of delicious food.  As we head towards 2013, we are taking a moment to pause and look back at the last year, learn from our challenges and be thankful for our successes, and renew our motivation and dedication to fitness and healthy living.  Will you take the time to remember, learn, be thankful, and plan ahead for a healthy 2013?

Recovering post-HKC and Getting Outdoors!

Hey everyone,

Wow, has it ever been a busy few weeks for us!  The first weekend of December we traveled to Toronto to complete our HKC (Hardstyle Kettlebell Certification). This was an amazing, but grueling, day.  We learned a huge amount of information from Master Jon Engum, our course instructor.  Stay tuned as we write about surviving the day and what we learned. We are very excited to be certified kettlebell instructors!

After about a week of recovery from our HKC (yes - it took that long!), we didn't get back on track to working out as quickly as we had hoped, as we welcomed a new puppy into our family!  We rescued our little guy, Makoto, from Big Sky Ranch, an animal sanctuary in Kemptville, Ontario. Check out their website to see the amazing things they do for these animals in need (http://www.bigskyranch.ca/).

While we have still managed to do a few workouts a week, we are hoping to get back into things over the holidays.  Despite a decrease in formal workouts, we have been out walking Makoto 2-3 times per day. 
Even these short walks will add up in distance over time.  Try this with your dog, or if you don't have one, get outdoors anyways and give walking a try! 

-Tannys & Alex

"Like" CoupleFit on Facebook!

Hey everyone,

Check out our new facebook page (link on the left-hand side of our blog)! 

With this new page, we hope to bring you updates when we post, as well as links to articles and recipes that we think are interesting and helpful.  Feel free to share our information with your friends, family and co-workers to help inspire and motivate them to get healthy. Let us know if you are enjoying our content by "liking" us!

-Tannys & Alex

Are you getting the most out of your workout?

Hey everyone,

Here is another recent question by one of our readers:

Can you tell me if there's any truth to the following two beliefs regarding working out:

1. You have to change your strength training workout regularly or your muscles become 'lazy' and used to the workout.

2. A steady cardio workout (i.e. 30 minutes steady jogging on the treadmill) isn't effective. In order to be effective you need to do high intensity interval training.

These are terrific questions and are commonly discussed in the fitness community...

Celebrating one year of CoupleFit + the 2012 GCWCC 5km run!

Hey everyone,

We started this blog one year ago, following the 2011 GCWCC 5km run, which Alex participated in with his colleagues at work.  It's for a good cause - raising money for the Government of Canada's United Way charity campaign.

On October 11th, Alex participated in the 2012 GCWCC 5km run (also known as the GCWCC Wellness Challenge).  It was a colder day this year, but the sun was shining as the runners moved along the Ottawa river parkway.  Alex ran with Tyler (a veteran from last year's run) and Kelly.  The team managed a respectable time of 28 minutes - and had a good time throughout the run.

 

Not only was the run a great chance to get active for a good cause, but it allowed us to reflect on the last year and what we've accomplished in our fitness.  We've had hundreds of workouts, overcome injuries, set new personal records, and taken up new fitness activities (e.g. swimming).

 

Our next fitness goal is preparing for the HKC kettlebell certification, which we have signed up to do in Toronto in early December.  This is another milestone on our path of fitness and healthy lifestyle and will help us improve our kettlebell knowledge, form and give us the tools and techniques to officially train others.  We are really excited about this course and are looking forward to all of the fitness challenges and endeavours in the upcoming year!

 

- Tannys & Alex



Thanksgiving: Fitness + Feast

Hey everyone,

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday (and a great chance to reflect on what we're thankful for in our lives, such as good health and family).  It's also a time of big meals - delicious things like turkey, gravy, stuffing, pumpkin pie, etc.  To maintain our health and fitness through this holiday, we put together a fun density kettlebell workout.  This fast-paced workout will rev up your metabolism, which will at least partially offset a larger holiday meal!

Getting to Awesome

Hey everyone,

Who doesn't love awesome?  Looking awesome... Feeling awesome... Achieving something and knowing that what you just accomplished is awesome...

Everyone has experienced awesome at some point in their life.  However, getting to awesome can be a difficult thing.  It is a rare thing.  When was the last time that you got to awesome?  When was the last time that you worked that hard, sacrificed that much, gave 100%, so that you truly felt awesome?  It's a universally achievable feat, but the feeling will not create itself.  Awesome has to be forged.  Awesome has to be earned.

Increased Appetite

Hey everyone,

Many exercisers experience an increase in appetite (due to the increase in their activity level).  This increased appetite can become a concern, as it can be counterproductive if you are trying to lose weight.  One of our readers who has recently started an exercise program is facing this issue:

"Ok, so I've been really good and been going to the gym now for about three weeks, averaging 4 times a week. The problem is...I'm hungry all the time! I could eat morning, noon and night. Does this calm down after a while? At this rate I'll be as big as a house by Christmas! Any suggestions on how to deal with this?"

Running - A great solitary or group activity!

Hey everyone,

During the summer months, we often find it hard to fit running into our workout schedule, given the long hot days.  With an early work day, there is not much time to run in the morning and it is often scorching hot in the afternoons. 

Today, however, I took advantage of a beautiful (and cool) summer day to put on my running shoes when I arrived home from work and headed outside...

Upper Body Bodyweight Circuit Workout

Hey everyone,

Years ago, Alex injured his lower back.  Lower back pain is very common, with some studies showing that 8 out of 10 people will experience it in their lifetime.  Unfortunately, Alex re-injured the area recently, which has posed some challenges to our training.  Rather than viewing this as a huge set-back, however, we are looking at it as an opportunity to try out some new styles of training.  For the time being, our training will focus on 'back-safe' exercises, primarily bodyweight movements, until his injury has healed.