Now that fall is upon us, let's face it - the golf season is winding down. Insert sad face. For some, that would mean putting the clubs away until spring and spending your winter dreaming about the course; instead, you can use this fall and winter to assess, train smart, and strengthen your body-swing connection.

I’ve been thinking a lot about …

…being overwhelmed.  Lots of starts and restarts happening around us right now.  All that change is awesome.  It’s crucial for growth, ongoing engagement, stimulation, and, ultimately, a happy fulfilled life.  And it can be crushingly overwhelming sometimes.

Most clients come to a session with their personal trainer ready to work, but very few come as prepared as Michael! Beginning in 2006, Michael has joined me at the Toronto Athletic Club three times a week for training; and we’ve been consistently working together ever since.

On August 19^th, 2018, just under 3000 eager athletes, including 581 first timers, ages 18-80, raced in the 6th Annual Ironman Mont Tremblant. I was included in these athletes, along with our members Darcy and Tom Wefers and Louise Engelmann.

Did you know that August is Wellness Month? While we near the end of the month, we wanted to share a few strategies that you can (and should) incorporate into your daily life to reduce your stress and improve your overall well-being all year long! 

Jumy Kim, the Adelaide Health Club's Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Specialist, explains how poor sleep is one of the most common concerns in her practice and gives some helpful tips for a better night's rest.

It may sounds strange but it’s actually pretty darn tasty. So what is Bulletproof coffee anyway?

Everyone “knows” that sugar is bad for you — but are there “good” vs “bad” sugars?

First things first, there is a big difference between added sugars in boxed/bagged/packaged foods such as candy, pop, cookies, etc vs natural sugars in whole foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

You are doing sit-ups and crunches to build that six-pack, but your back gets sore. So how are you going to build those washboard abs without hurting your back?

There seems to be this notion among the average gym goers that it is okay to drink certain alcoholic beverages, because they contain zero calories. Vodka and soda is the go-to that I always hear about. 

Let's just jump straight to it! If you want to build muscle, which is a tough task on it's own, you definitely want to stay away from alcohol consumption.
 
Alcohol will take away from muscle building for a variety of reasons. Here are a few points on why alcohol consumption is a bad idea when attempting to build muscle:

Gluten (a protein) can be found in wheat, barley and rye.

With so many processed foods on the market today, it can also be found hiding in salad dressings, condiments, deli meats and even candy. This makes giving up gluten a bit more tricky, and why should we do that in the first place?

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. In an effort to spread awareness about brain health, we are here to talk about Exercise and the aging brain.

When our schedules become busy and stress levels raise, we tend to skip our workouts and let our busy lifestyles get the best of us. We’ve all been there, and that’s ok.

Here are 9 reasons why your workout should be a priority during those busy, stressful times:

Vanessa Foucher, Adelaide Clinics Physiotherapist talks to us about cracking your back, and the effects it may have. 

Stephen Hamer, a 12 year member of the Adelaide Club, just completed his first Ironman!

We had an opportunity to spend some time with him; to find out his motivation for competing and to better understand what goes into accomplishing such an incredible feat.

May is National High Blood Pressure Month.

Stop by The HUB on May 25th between 11:45am-1:00pm to have your blood pressure reading done before your workout.

Carol-Ann, a trainer of 25+ years with the Cambridge Group of Clubs, is currently taking her Healthy Culinary Art Certificate at George Brown College. She is learning excellent recipes to assist with performance, living a healthy lifestyle and ensuring she is getting the right nutrients in her diet. 

Below is a nutritious, healthy and refreshing spring salad recipe. Give it a try, let us know what you think! 

You’ve now heard about the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, so how do you move forward with purchasing organic items for your family?

We’ve compiled a list of dos and don’ts for you, including what to look out for and where to buy organics.

Have you heard about the dirty dozen? If not, we are here to help! 
Last week Environmental Working Group released their 2018 list of the fruits and vegetables most contaminated by pesticides. 

Read about the produce items you should avoid.