2010 - The Year of Personal Development

As I reminisce 2010, I can't help but smile of all the accomplishments I made and none are too big or small.

I wanted to change things at the beginning of this Year so I set out big goals where my strength and courage would be tested. It was a great idea; however, I knew that I had fears to conquer in order to be successful in the goals I set out to do. Needless to say, I was scared sh*tless and I had to be strong, mentally and physically, because I knew that backing out or letting my fears take over would be the easiest way to go.

Backing out and letting my fears take over - I had to break these patterns.

What were my goals this year? Here they are:

1. Public speaking - I have always had jitters about public speaking. The classic signs of panic before going to speak are heart palpitations, sweating, over thinking, lack of breath and hot and cold flashes. In February, I gave my first speech about me and my business in front of a group of local business women. I also announced my intention to compete in my first fitness competition.

2. Fitness competition - Just like public speaking, stepping on stage is a big deal. The jitters are 100 times heightened. I have always admired fit women. I admire the dedication and we all know that "hard work" is KEY into looking the way they do. Hard work like eating clean, dedicating time each and every day to go to the gym and staying motivated to keep pursuing the desired goals, and not starvation or diets.

I decided that 2010 was my time to shine. I knew what to do and how to do it...its was the FEAR that was holding me back. Fear of what? Fear of the stage, fear of my hard work not being enough or good enough, fear of not doing my best, and my best one yet, fear of failing.

I stepped on stage in June of 2010 with pride and confidence, while I stared at all of those fears in the face. I had a blast and I was proud of myself.

3. Rock climbing - Who knew I had a fear of heights? As I always advice my clients, use variety when engaging in fitness regimen so you are never bored and continue to be active. I wanted to try something different other than what I already know so I decided that rock climbing was something different, and oh boy, it was! When I took my first lesson, I had envisioned that it would be a breeze. I was strong enough to do it. But that was my first mistake. As I climbed my first beginner wall, I froze halfway through as I realized how high I was and that I was away from my comfort zone of solid ground. That's when I knew I had a fear of heights. I wanted to be brought down right away. I sat down and talked with myself. =) I asked myself why I was fearful when I did not even know I had a fear of heights. I ultimately came to the conclusion that it was all in my head...everything! So I went back up =)

Rock climbing is really not a test of strength, you need some mental strength in order to not freak out. Sure, being strong and having a strong core helps but going up a wall that is 45ft high with only a security of a rope and belayer, you better have trust that nothing can and will happen to you.

I still enjoy rock climbing to this day. I still get nervous on some harder routes so I almost always have to reassure myself that everything will be fine and to just enjoy what I'm doing because, as weird as it may sound, I get a pleasure out of climbing a wall. Why? Because when I face all possibilities of fear from falling, and when I get to finish my wall, I get such an exhilaration because I've accomplished another feat where I thought it was impossible to do.

4. Drivers License - Well this was HUGE! I grew up in Toronto, Ontario where owning a car is really not practical and needed. The maintenance of a car, car payments, gas, insurance and parking space are a high cost for me who would only use it on occasion. I used the transit to get around. However, this was not the reason why I did not obtain my license. I tried, on numerous times to get one, but I always suffered terrible panic attacks while driving. I took driving lessons, and while I passed the in-class portion of it, I lacked the confidence of driving behind the wheels so panic attacks would always set in. So I gave up for almost 10 years. And then I moved to Guelph, Ontario. Guelph is a beautiful City but the transit system is slow, unreliable and no subway system.

I took driving lessons again until I became comfortable enough to take my test. I did not think this was possible, EVER. I worked hard, meditated, performed self-talk, hypnosis, and continued on driving until I did it. I passed and received my license on the first try! So so proud of myself.

5. Seminar - I have conducted a few workshops in the past but only to a handful of people. As I was always nervous with big crowds, I avoided giving talks as much as possible. But I wanted to ride my big wave and push myself to another goal. I did my first public speaking - seminar with regards to fitness and exercise - my specialty - to a room full of people. It went very well and I have another speaking engagement booked for January 27, 2011.

As I look back at what I wrote on this blog, I cant help but shed a fear tears and I take that as a sign of pride and happiness. I do not think I would have been able to push myself without support. My loving hubby, Mark, supported me in every step of the way. I almost gave up =( I bitched, complained and wondered why I do these things but I knew why.... He listened without judgment and gave me such tight, reassuring hugs and kisses, and I knew things will be okay.

And they were more than OK.

I have had a lot of -bad- things that happened this year too, but I chose to list the -good- and have them outweigh the bad because, after all, I have a choice.

A choice to make my world a better place.

Happy New Year Everyone!

New Pilates Class

The PerFit U Studio is pleased to announce a new Pilates class starting in the New Year!

Introduction to Pilates: For those clients who are new to Pilates! This introduction course will cover the Stott ® Pilates 5 Basic Principles and how to apply them to a selection of warm-up and some essential exercises.

We will then incorporate:

Essential Pilates : This class will build upon the Basic Principles of the Stott ® Pilates Method to work the core and extremities. Most essential exercises will be taught at this stage to build mobility, control and stability.

The class is starting on January 4, 2011 (Tuesday and Friday) at 9:15 A.M.

EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION IS is $109.00 if you register before December 28, 2010. After the deadline date, the cost is $129.00!

Kindly check out The PerFit U's website for more details.

To register, respond to this email, call Maria Dy at 519-830-0172 or email at maria@theperfitu.com

Get Your Core On!

Here is the most used term in fitness right now…CORE Training!

You see it popping up everywhere. You may be wondering, what is it and what is all the hype about? Just imagine tapping into your own body’s power house.

The Core is comprised of your back muscles, all 3 abdominal muscles as well as the hip and pelvis. By training your core, you strengthen the area of your body that is responsible for:

• improve strength, flexibility and balance
• challenge deep abdominal muscles to support the core
• engage the mind and enhance body awareness
• condition efficient patterns of movement making the body less prone to injury
• reduce stress, relieve tension and boost energy through deep stretching
• restore postural alignment
• create stronger more flexible spine
• promote recovery from strain or injury
• increase joint range of motion
• tone and build long lean muscles without bulk
• improve circulation
• heighten neuromuscular co-ordination
• relief from back pain and joint stress
• correct over training of muscle groups which can lead to stress and injury
• enhance mobility, agility and stamina
• improve the way your body looks and feels
• coordinating movements between upper and lower body with more ease

You probably also heard of Functional Training and how everyone is incorporating it into their workout routines either at the gym, or on their own with a personal trainer. Functional training is full body exercises that closely relates to everyday movements and the natural flow of the human body. It incorporates power and stamina but mostly works on strengthening and activating the Core.

Have you seen some of the professional league training sessions…big muscle guys kneeling on stability balls and throwing around smaller medicine balls to work their obliques? Well, it is a sight and I commend them. They understand the benefits of having a strong core and the connection to bettering their game through control and strength. Your body is only as strong as your weakest link and a body working together as a package, will only make you stronger.

Form after all, is the most important aspect of properly working the core. If you do not incorporate good posture to your movements, it is very easy to hurt yourself. Your back needs the support when doing such things as abdominal and compound exercises.

Doing weight lifting without thinking of the core diminishes your benefits and can put you at risk for serious injuries. Once your core gets stronger you will only see benefits. You will find it easier to lift weights with the proper form, as well as the added benefits of less back pain. You will also have more ease and strength doing everyday movements and sports as well as performing to demanding jobs.

Above all, the benefits are staggering and I will touch base on more, through additional articles. The best piece of advice I can leave you with, is to please make sure you contact a certified personal trainer or a Pilates Instructor, if you are unsure of how to incorporate core training into your routine.

Until next time.

Fitness Bootcamps: The Benefits and Dangers

Fitness bootcamps are “hot” these days! One of its major benefits is the extra motivation due to group dynamics. These types of workouts are becoming very popular and widely encouraged. There are a lot of additional benefits, and at the same time, one has to be careful on the direction some of these classes can take.

No matter how much fun and motivational fitness bootcamps can be, many need to understand some of its dangers. Take for example - the bootcamps held at some of the big fitness gyms; a lot of the time, fitness instructors are overwhelmed by the amount of participants and over look individual needs. Fitness bootcamps are usually an hour long in length, leaving little time to address personal weaknesses and/or pre-existing injuries.

I strongly suggest you find a Certified Personal Trainer who holds proper fitness bootcamps that accommodate limited number of participants. This allows for progressions, improvements and personal touch within a group environment.

You also want to make sure your Certified Personal Trainer conducts a fitness assessment before starting a fitness bootcamp program. This helps set a starting point for each participant, which will provide more information regarding health needs, limitations and exercise modification. The last thing a participant wants is to leave the class with further or new injuries. Fitness can be an art and elite trainers provide precise instruction in order to achieve results and increase health and longevity. Another benefit of a small group class is to ensure proper form is established and maintained.

Another very important aspect is whether or not the teacher is educating the participants. Why pay a lot of money, if all they do is dictate without helping you learn the how’s and why’s to what you are doing? You are there to learn just as much as you are there to workout. The ‘just keep up’ attitude can cause serious harm to someone who is not fully prepared. You need to be fully assessed for any sort of personal injury, review your current goals and motivation to help guide you through your fitness journey.

Fitness Bootcamps are an incredibly fun way to get fit! There are a ton of Camps out there, so choose wisely. Overall, group fitness bootcamps are cost-efficient, great way to meet people, will kick you in the butt and is proven to help get the body you’ve always wanted.

Now the question is - do you have what it takes to transform your body?