Welcome to the future. If you are in the Toronto area you can found any professional that you want in the city and book with them using this app. The app boasts that you can find the best professionals and services you need to live a healthier, happier life – every day. Massage therapists, personal trainers, nutritionists, chiropractors and more! Book a free consultation with one of our trusted providers. LEAGUE offers the widest selection of health services in a single app. Our PROs are hand-picked, verified and ready to help you live a happier, healthier life - every day.
I have tested out The League over the past week. I have booked, changed, cancelled and attended sessions. My first being a Massage Therapy session. Not only was it easy to book with the woman I chose but she also sent me some nice emails back and forth making the app more personable. The only thing that I have found is that some of the professionals on the app have a schedule that is not in sync with the leagues calendar. So for my massage she had to switch my time (not a big deal). In case you are wondering who the massage therapist was her name is Tu Anh Luong and she did a great job (trust me I have had my fair share of athletic massages) and she was awesome. She is located at 1 St. Clair Avenue East. I highly recommend her and I am very glad that I found her. I even booked a follow up session with her next week. Just search for her in the app.
I have also booked an appointment with a Yoga instructor (which I am having tomorrow). Her profile was amazing and she even asked me for issues or areas I want to work on so that she can create a program for it. Im really looking forward to stretching out my gluteus and opening up my hips. Her name is MJ Renshaw. You can also find her on the app.
This month and next month I have a chiro, naturopath and a Vitamin B shot booked as well.
The only practice that I had a hard time booking with was pilates. I booked a private session from Misfitstudio. I have heard great things about them and their location looks absolutely beautiful. But shortly after I booked I received a message from the studio manager saying that it was a mistake in the schedule and they had to cancel it. She apologized for the inconvenience but did not ask me if I wanted to reschedule (no big deal) but any other time conflicts I have come across the practitioners were happy to reschedule me. I should take the initiative to ask her if there is another time available but it would have been nice if she would have asked me.
What I also love about the app is that it shows you the practitioners exact location as well as how far away they are from your current location! How cool is that. Also being signed up to the app you get emails with exclusive offers, awesome health tips and articles and an awesome community! And on top of that right now they are offering a special Free health coach for 30 days! 30!!!! DAYS!!! WHATTTT so go sign up and #buildyourleague of professionals!
Sacred Lifestyle is a new online community which helps awaken one's spirit, helps enlighten and inspire us while we continue on our journey. They profile Gurus, Spiritual Guides, and Bon Vivants around the world to share their experiences from healing our bodies to enriching the food we consume to personal utopias and sanctuaries + fashion, products and travel. They featured a a bit of our interviews with Julian Lennon, Gotham Chopra, Pamela Anderson to Brigitte Bardot, to Denise Mari from Organic Avenue, etc.
They are also creating an extension to their Magazine, that will be a market called "The Sacred Lifestyle Market."
The Sacred Lifestyle Market
When: Sunday, August 30, 2015
Where: Ashbridge Estate (1444 Queen Street East)
Time: 12Pm to 6pm
The Market includes Vendors of various parts of Lifestyle - Food, Beauty Products, Fashion, Home etc. We will also have Yoga Studios including Union, Lotus Girl and 889 Yoga hosting Yoga classes throughout the afternoon.
2015 Fitspirit Run - Toronto Recap - Train It Right
For the second year in a row I was an ambassador and Kinesiologist for FitSpirit. I got to travel all across the GTA and teach young elementary and high school girls about the benefits, importance and rewards of physical fitness. I also got to introduce them to running and strength training to get them in shape to run their first 5km or 10km. The race was at Downsview Park on a beautiful May day! There is nothing more rewarding than looking at girls who at first doubted their abilities complete their first race. I love making an impact and if I can encourage our youth in any way it would be through teaching them what I have done and how I got to where I am through fitness and sport.
The 2015 FitSpirit Toronto Run at Downsview Park in May was a huge success and gave over 3,000 teenage girls the opportunity to complete the challenge of a 5k or 10k run.
Check out the video and feel free to share the link in the spirit of sport and physical activity!
I hope that the short glimpse into the FitClub provides the inspiration to get us all moving.
Register NOW for The Train It Right and @ketangafitness Cancun Mexico Trip - Train It Right
Hey Guys!
I am teaming up with Ketanga Fitness to offer you a chance to travel with me to Cancun Mexico January 2016 from he 21st to the 25th! This trip will be all inclusive and will include give aways from sponsors, outdoor excursions and of course training! For more information and to register visit:
I promise you that it will be a trip of a life time under the gorgeous Mexico sun!
TRAIN IT RIGHT!
Proud to announce that I have been selected as a 2015 @rbcrun4thekids ambassador. Follow me as I raise awareness on my passion for running and youth mental health. Give them a follow and register for a 5km, 7km and 15km run! #toronto #rbc #rbcrun4thekids #running #ambassador
Why do you get sore the day after your workout? What causes you to feel stiff and and unable to walk up the stairs? No, you are not injured. The soreness that you are feeling is called DOMS and stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. It can be mild to severe and everyone can be effected by it. Do not be afraid to exercise when you feel it because the more you move the quicker it will go away. Muscle soreness is most commonly felt when you begin a new workout program, change your current routine, or increase the intensityof your workouts. DOMS is caused by microscopic tears in the muscle which creates build up of lactic acid in the muscles causing them to become stiff and tight.
There are lots of methods that you can use to reduce the discomfortof DOMS. People often use static stretching, massage, cardio, epsom salts, or ice baths. You can prevent DOMS from being so severe by doing a proper dynamic warm-up rather than jumping into your workout cold. Make sure to always start with light cardio for 5-10 minutes before your workout. Prior to exercise use a foam roller to roll out your muscles. It is also recommended to cool down with light cardio followed by static stretching. A stretch should be held for a minimum of 30 seconds. Make sure to alter workout intensities each day in order to allow for proper recovery.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life
My friend and Photographer, Katherine Kerr, had a question that many of you have, whist with a little twist. “How do I find time to go to the gym?” I’ll use this analogy to emphasize the necessity of having a Personal Trainer and not just any trainer. You really need an educated, knowledgeable trainer to help you get there.
Kat, formally a varsity athlete, a martial artist and dancer moved into the work world, and far from her team and training masters. Now, trying to balance her career and love for fitness, she asked me her pertinent question about finding time for the gym. While this is a prevalent question for trainers, keep in mind this question was coming from a person who was still training Capoeira five times a week, grabbing conditioning and yoga classes, time permitting, and jogging for fun. This is where the familiar complaint of balancing work and health takes it twist. Kat just wanted a few extra days to build strength balance her other fitness activities.
In the words of Confucius, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. You can probably see where this story is going. Herein, I told her ‘Kat, have you ever thought about being a trainer, because your life is what we do as a profession.’ She did, of course, need some fine tuning to take her fitness aptitude and turn it into an informed career. But don’t get excited and think I’m in any way suggesting that you become a trainer. The purpose of this story goes to show just how dedicated to health and fitness the life of a Personal Trainer is.
There are two points I want to make. First, with a good trainer you can find direction to balance your goals and what you like to do for exercise. Second, get a good trainer. They will be the driving force, organization and motivation behind your success.
I used Kat as an example of someone I took on to help train to be a trainer because she was already eating, living and breathing fitness. She spent her non-work hours conditioning and eating like a health guru and herein, I saw a bit of myself. Not all, but a bit. Myself, an Olympic qualifier, track and field participant and coach (including my plethora of hard earned certificates therein), Bachelor of Science major with a focus in Kinesiology and I was living the life of a trainer before I officially became a trainer. This also goes to show that even trainers need trainers. As I was a more advanced and qualified fitness professional at that stage of my training career when I met Kat, the solution seemed obvious. If Kat wants to live and breathe fitness similar to when she was on her university Rugby team and training martial arts she needs to be paid to be in a gym.
Personal Training is not for everyone but getting a good trainer is the key element to success. I can’t stress this enough. Even Jackie Chan has a teacher, and if you’re not one of us, already living the disciplined life of no sugar, no alcohol, no white bread/rice, 6 day a week balanced fitness regime like my prototype here, with the mental calorie in calorie out counter and know how to exercise with form… then you need a good trainer. If you don’t also already have a periodization exercise plan catered to the functional output, balancing and grouping muscle groups from big to small, and I could go on, then you need the guidance of a trainer. If you’re not already doing a week of interval training to combat a weekend in Vegas then you need a trainer.
The pressure of being a trainer is intense as you cannot only talk the talk you have to walk the walk. This can be as simple as being able to demonstrate exercise for a particular muscle group to as complicated as being a walking business card; the physical embodiment of what a fit person should look like. But let’s break this down a little, there is a reason trainers can keep up the image of being trainers. We love it! You don’t in anyway need to have the intense lifestyle Kat had when I met her. You need to leave all the worrying to the experts and know that those of us who can help you meet your goals no matter how big or how small are already living the dream, working, studying and practicing.
All you need to know is the time you’re ready for us!
The One Part Of Training We All Have A Tendency To Leave Out
When an athlete has tight hamstrings the quadriceps will work harder because they are working against the hamstrings to compensate. This causes both the quadriceps and hamstrings to fatigue and sets the stage for a poor performance or makes the runner prone to injury.Tight hamstrings are a huge contributor to lower back pain, knee pain and leg length differences. If the hamstrings are tight and don’t fire properly, neither do the gluteus maximus and this causes the erector spinae to contract first, followed by the glutes and then the hamstrings and this puts massive stresses on the lumbar spine causing back pain. This also can happen to you!
The following are some great stretches for your hips and legs. Hold each stretch for a minimum of 30s and repeat each stretch for both the right and left leg 3 times. Make stretching a priority and part of your daily routine.
Different Styles Of Sports Bra's For Your Training
There are a lot of options for sports bras from fashion sports bras, sport specific and even general. We all like a different fit, feel and style. I have narrowed down a few of my favourites from this season made by the well known brands; Under armour, Nike and Adidas. Check them out below and find out which bra would work best for you.
UNDER ARMOUR
“Gotta Have It Bra”
According to Underarmour this bra has “Super-smooth, double-layer HeatGear fabric delivers superior next-to-skin feel and lasting comfort.” It has mid-impact support, an under armour moisture transport system that will keep you dry, its light weight and is available in sizes Ato C.
“High Impact Bra”
This UA bra is made specifically to eliminate rubbing and chafing and has comfortable straps with stretch technology so it will eliminate digging into your skin. It is also made out of soft fabric and has a power sling for support. The great thing about this bra is it is available all the way up to a DD size.
NIKE
“Shape 2.0″
This Nike bra is made out of their Dri-FIT fabric to wick sweat and keep you dry. It is a padded bra with molds that give you shape and support. This bra also has a mesh lining for ventilation and is a racer back design.
“Pro Core Stacked Elastic Sports Bra”
According to Nike this bra is made with sweat-wicking stretch fabric. It also has reinforced elastic straps that has internal nylon stabilizers for less stretch and enhanced support during your workouts. The elastic is doubled around the chest for more support. It also has an open back . It is made out of Nike’s Dri-FIT fabric to keep you dry.
ADIDAS
“Supernova Racer Bra”
This Adidas bra has CLIMACOOL to keep you dry. It is also very supportive because of its mesh inserts on the front and back. Because of the elastic chest band there is even more support. It also has racerback straps. This bra has good ventilation and has reflective material for late night workouts. Be careful with sizing because Adidas tends to be a little on the smaller side.
“Techfit Bra”
This Adidas Techfit Bra is made with CLIMACOOL ventilation that is designed to remove heat and sweat. It is a has great support and is also a racerback design. Be careful with sizing because Adidas tends to be a little on the smaller side.
Almost every year after the holidays people make a "resolution" and most of the time it involves healthier eating and regular gym attendance. There is almost always a spike of personal training sessions, gym memberships, and gym goers. And it almost never lasts.
Today on January 1st 2015 I went to the gym (which I obviously do often). The gym was not very busy at 10:30am. However for the first time I saw quite a few interesting characters. First there was a man in red tie dyed pants and a beanie. His outfit was a bit strange for the gym (but who am I to judge). I respect everyone who makes an effort to be healthy. HOWEVER, mr. dyed pants was bare foot. Trapping through my big box chain gym shoeless. I had to do a double take. Yep there he was walking from the stretching area to the free weights and back barefoot. Not socket, but his gross feet touching places where I sometimes put my hands or body. ARE YOU SERIOUS BUDDY!? OF course I was in the middle of a huge super set so I a) couldn't say anything to him and b) couldn't go tell one of the workers. GROSS! Ugh why why why? Why on earth would anyone do that? And the worst part the whole time Im watching this guy. Maybe 5-10 minutes NO ONE.....and I mean NOBODY said anything to him. Am I seriously the only one who thought it was gross? Unsanitary? Or was everyone else like me and "busy" too busy to care or say anything. It's weird how we can care but still be too wrapped up in what we are doing personally to care to disturb our workout to interject.
Anyway I moved area's and never saw the bare foot wonder guy again. After my workout it was time for my cardio. I headed to the back of the cardio area where the Cyber Arc Trainer that I wanted to use was. About 10 minutes into my workout I hear a loud thud. I look up and some big guy that clearly was either a) not paying attention or b) passed out flew off of his treadmill and on to the ground and smashed his face along the way. Again I though "holy f%&*" but did not stop in my stride at all. No one else around me did either. About 30s later a woman on a treadmill walked up to the guy and asked if he was ok. Helped him turn the machine off, and then helped him to the water fountain. Mind you the front desk was a mere 15-20m away and do you think any of the chit chatty little girls moved from their posts to see if they were ok? NOPE! I wonder if any of them have their first aid or CPR? Probably not. But I was slightly in shock that non of them went to see if this guy was ok or not.
Wellllllllll needless to say I finished my workout and got my first workout of 2015 in! And what an interesting morning at the gym it was today. If this is an indication of what the gym will be like in 2015 I can't wait to watch all of the madness for my own personal entertainment.
If you saw anything at the gym today that was interesting like this comment below. Or tell me a good gym story that you have and want to share!
#trainitright
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