Add the remaining ingredients and pulse for another minute or so until completely combined. ​

Up until recently, I was not a yoga lover. I would take a class, from time to time, but usually only if a friend asked me to tag along, or if I was healing from an injury that prevented me from doing anything high impact. As a past Lululemon employee, the confession that I was indifferent towards the practice (a very “meh” attitude, if you will) was basically sacrilege. Practicing yoga is a big part of the Lululemon culture, and ultimately what the clothing line was inspired by. I was tremendously fortunate as a part-time employee--the company offered free yoga classes all over the city. I had the opportunity to try out any type of yoga I wanted, at various studios. Unfortunately, I really didn’t take advantage of this generous benefit as much as I maybe should have.

At the time, I was working two jobs (or was back in school), and was just trying to keep my head above water while staying in relatively decent shape. To me, yoga was not an efficient use of my time. I wanted to get faster and become stronger. I didn’t have an hour to waste lying in a heated room, downward dog-ing it, taking part in an ‘om’ or two. I just didn’t have the space for it in my life. And when I did attend a class, I felt even more weighed down, as I was determined to fit my regular workout into my schedule as well.

Keep in mind that during that time (and still today, as I am very lucky to have remained friends with a group of those amazing women, despite our ever changing lives) that I was surrounded by yogis. These girls (and some guys) lived, breathed, and sang the praises of yoga practice. I felt like a fraud in their presence.

Years have passed since these days, and many life experiences have been had. My life looks very different in many lights. And suddenly… I get it.

I have arrived at a place where I see the purpose for yoga in my life. And you better believe I am making room for it.

I have now seen two ND’s who have told me that in order to support my adrenal glands and proper cortisol production, I need to chill out. Sound familiar? We live in this world that is constantly on the move. For some reason, there is this mentality that if we aren’t on ‘vacation’ then we do not have the luxury to relax on a regular basis. Relaxation is indulgent. So we ensure that we pack every spare moment with activity or chore. Only recently has this realization hit me… and I am not taking it lightly.

I finally see that finding stillness and quiet is part of leading a healthy life. It can literally heal your insides. And this is something that I am absolutely in control of. I have the power to create that environment. So why haven’t I? Both naturopaths have suggested meditation. But, when I decided to give that a go, I woke up on the couch half an hour later. Turns out I think traditional meditation means napping. So I turned to the only other thing that I was familiar with: yoga.

I am committed to creating and maintaining my health. It’s amazing how this commitment has allowed me to see yoga in a completely different light. Suddenly, I realize how it can fit into my life with purpose. When I lay on my mat for the first time with this intension in mind, the practice became something new to me. I found quiet for the first time in a long time. Now when I practice yoga, I will my body to release tension and stress. I clear my mind and find this amazingly silent, still place that I didn’t know existed. And knowing that I am actually using this practice as a healing tool for my body allows me to recognize its importance and appreciate its value.

I am trying to hit my mat at least twice a week. Some days I head to my favourite neighbourhood studio, and others, I hit up one of the many amazing yoga channels on YouTube, and practice in my living room. There are really no excuses. Time, as it is for everyone, is still an issue for me. Life is busy. This new activity means that I may, some weeks, need to replace one of my regular workouts. Now that I understand the many benefits yoga can provide—not just mentally, but physically—I’m ok with that.

There are many things in life that are beyond our control, and that can be frustrating. So when you have the opportunity to take your health and well being into your own hands, do it. Don’t deny yourself healing that you have the power to create.

Namaste.

A couple of days ago, I was having a lazy holiday Monday. Initially, I had big plans for a productive afternoon. However, as the hours began to slip away and the sun began to set, I came to the realization that all of those highly anticipated tasks were not going to happen.

I am one of those annoying people who loves going to the gym. I realize that’s irritating to many, but I’m cool with it. However, I too have my off days when motivation is lacking. And Monday was one of them. However, your irritation towards me may return when you hear that I have a beautiful, fully stocked gym just six floors below my condo unit. Yup, I don’t even have to go down to ground level. So my laziness was clearly at an all-time high.

But somewhere between my 4th and 5th consecutive episode of The Mindy Project, I decided I should probably get off my lazy ass and accomplish something active. So I turned to the ever-faithful home workout.

Personally, I don’t find these quite as intense as my gym sessions. Maybe it’s the environment; perhaps it’s the powerful pull of my comfortable couch, beckoning me to put my feet up. But, the home workout can get the job done when you’re in a pinch (or just being lazy like me).

These workouts can be a savior for busy parents, or if a gym membership just isn’t in the cards for you. With a very small investment in a few key pieces of equipment, you can access killer workouts that are easily completed in the comfort of your own home. You can even get your sweat on with little to no equipment at all. To prove this, I decided to design today’s workout using only a skipping rope and a yoga mat… and even those can be subbed out for alternative items if necessary.

When I complete home workouts, I like to do them in the form of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). This type of workout gets the job done in a short amount of time, and encourages calorie burning long after its completion. The easiest way to complete a HIIT workout is to download an interval timer on your phone, or other device.

When I complete home workouts, I like to do them in the form of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). This type of workout gets the job done in a short amount of time, and encourages calorie burning long after its completion. The easiest way to complete a HIIT workout is to download an interval timer on your phone, or other device.

For the purposes of this workout, I used 2 intervals: a 10 second interval (the rest period), and a 45 second interval (the work period). In other words, I am doing 45 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 18 rounds.

*you can shorten your working interval to 30 seconds if needed

To keep the heart rate elevated, every second work interval will be a cardio-based activity. I like to skip, but you can also do high knees or jog on the spot.

Disclaimer: there’s a good chance that some of these exercises have more official names somewhere in the fitness world. I tend to make a few up as I go.

The exercises are as follows:

1. Skip

2. Rotating Squat Jumps

• Squat, come up and jump left 180 degrees, squat, come up and jump right 180 degrees

3. Skip

4. Rotating Push Ups (can be completed on knees if needed)

• Push up, rotate entire body left, balancing on right hand, stacking feet, and reaching right arm straight up (see opening photo)
• Push up, repeat on other side **keep core tight

5. Skip

6. Step Ups with Kick Back

• Step right foot up on coffee table or bench, kick left leg straight back, engaging glutes
• Step down
• Repeat other side

7. Skip

8. Tricep Dips

• Place palms on coffee table or stool, and face out
• Legs straight out front, or bend knees with feet flat on ground if needed
• Dip down, keeping weight in palms, and come up

9. Skip

10. Heal Tap Abs

• Lay on back, lift shoulder blades off floor, arms straight overhead, legs out straight
• Tap heels to floor, raise legs straight up and engage core to lift up and touch toes
• Come back down to starting position and tap heels on floor

11. Skip

12. Squat Jacks

• Wide squat (weight in heels, chest up, butt out)
• Come up, jump legs together like the top of a jumping jack
• Jump back down into a wide squat

13. Skip

14. Ski Abs

• High plank (keeping butt down, shoulders over hands)
• Jump both legs together and up towards left shoulder (bending knees and engaging obliques)
• Jump back to plank
• Repeat on the right side

15. Skip

16. Crab Walk Abs

• Face up, with feet and palms on floor, butt lifted
• Lift left foot, and touch with right hand
• Return to centre and repeat on other side

17. Skip

18. Spider Man Push ups

• Go down into push up, and bring right knee up to right elbow
• Return to centre and repeat on opposite side

And there you have it: a solid HIIT workout in approximately 20 minutes. If you want to take things to the next level, give yourself a 3-5 minute rest and complete the circuit a second time.

If you have questions about any of these exercises, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email. One day, I hope to get these workouts into video format!

In my first post, I wrote about how the drive to better myself is what initially sparked my interest in the nutrition and fitness world. So it’s not surprising that when I was introduced to the world of triathlon, it wasn’t long before I was hooked. This was a sport that offered familiarity in each of its individual events, but that I had zero experience in. There was nowhere to go but up.

When I moved to Toronto, one of the first things I did was join a gym. This particular gym had a fantastic spin studio, and I was soon a regular two or three times a week. I loved that it was something structured that I could rely on and that it offered me a consistent challenge. After a few months of spinning, I met my now-fiancé, Dave. Dave and I have always been very lucky to share many common interests and values. Although he didn’t spin in a studio, he did own a road bike and had completed his first triathlon the previous summer. After seeing Dave on his bike and doing a little digging of my own into the triathlon world, I quickly came to the conclusion that I too needed to own a road bike. And when I set my mind on something, I’m fairly relentless towards making it happen. So I found a great bike, used, from a local cycling shop and hit the pavement. I was clipped into the pedals for my first ride, which I decided I could conquer solo, so I use this term both figuratively and literally. Introduction lesson recommended. A large ego is not.

Nothing motived me more to register for my first race than being the proud owner of a new (old) bike. So, under the recommendation of a woman I worked with at the time (shout out to Sherri, if you’re reading this), I signed up for a try-a-tri in Milton, which she was completing as well. Although the term “triathlon” can be a bit daunting to some, a try-a-tri is a short race that can be easily completed in under an hour. It’s really for those wanting to get their feet wet (no pun intended) and give the sport a go. The distances aren’t overwhelming whatsoever, but you get to experience transitions and how it feels to run with bricks as legs, post-bike.

 If people have any reservations about completing a triathlon, it tends to be around the swim. Swimming in open water with people surrounding you on all sides can be a little scary at times if the sport isn’t your strong suit. Fortunately, I have always been comfortable in the water. The run was always my area of weakness, and required quite a bit of training focus on my part. I am, by no means, a natural runner. It took me two years of structured and conscious training to see any improvement. I went from being a fairly poor runner, constantly battling aches and pains, to being an average runner, which, quite honestly, I’m pretty happy about.

After completing the try-a-tri, I was hooked and signed up for a few more races, but at the sprint distance. It depends on the specific race, but typically that includes a 750m swim, 20km bike, and a 5km run. Olympic distance is another popular choice, and is usually double in length. Although I may try an Olympic distance in the future, I enjoy the sprint. It’s a different type of racing that requires a different training style (shorter distances at high intensity).

Last year was the first summer in five years that I didn’t complete a triathlon. I found the motivation lacking from that area of my life. I was so used to spending my summers swimming, biking and running, and although I was still participating in those activities, the intention just wasn’t there. Eventually, feeling like I was running out of time and not wanting to end the summer in regret, I signed up for a race nearing the end of the season. As usual, the reality that an actual race was on the horizon was enough to kick my butt in gear. However, soon after, I experienced a hip injury from over-use that forced me to drop out. It was far more important that I let myself heal. I knew that working through the injury would result in further complications (a lesson that I have only recently begun applying to my life). Hence, I finished the summer without competing at all. I didn’t feel great about it, but a part of me was relieved. I was thankful that my injury held me back. The spark for triathlon that I had experienced in previous years just was not there.  And nothing seemed to be igniting it.

Fast forward to January 2015. Dave had signed up for a winter base training program at our local spin studio, CYKL, and asked if I was interested in joining. I loved spinning, and had become a regular at CYKL, but wasn’t quite sure about this commitment. The program ran for 12 weeks every Sunday from 12-2. Two hours? That seemed like a ridiculous amount of time to spend on a bike that doesn’t actually take you anywhere. I could already see myself panicking after 60 minutes—not because I couldn’t handle the workout, but because I would be ready to pack it in and move on to the next activity. However, the thought of Dave spinning every Sunday and me sitting at home didn’t leave a great taste in my mouth. Yup, I had a bad case of FOMO: fear of missing out. So, with days to spare, I grabbed the last spot in the class and decided to go for it.

The program required that each participant wear a heart rate monitor. That was almost reason enough to join, because who doesn’t love a new toy? I hopped on Amazon and ordered mine immediately. I love anything that can be measured in the world of sport, so I instantly fell in love with my HRM. Stats are my friend. We completed a lactic threshold test during our first spin class, at which time our instructor, Kim, set our personal heart rate zones. This was necessary for the remainder of the program, as each class was designed with target heart rate zones in mind. We were constantly checking to ensure we were working in the required zone (which, of course, is different for everyone), in an effort to increase our fitness and endurance levels. It was all about using our muscles and energy sources efficiently. 

The first time we were on the bike for two hours, I was not surprised by my reaction: although, physically, I could keep going without an issue, mentally, my brain told me that two hours was obviously some cruel, practical joke and that it was time to leave. I had to dig deep to push through that mental barrier and commit myself to 120 minutes. After about three weeks, this feeling began to fade. I was able to focus on the goals of the class, and stopped worrying about how long we had been biking for. This was the biggest advantage the program could have offered me; I made huge mental strides that I would not have accomplished through my own training program. Our last session required us to bike in zone four and aim to hit threshold for a cumulative of 40 minutes. If you don’t have a good basis for understanding what this means, zone four is equivalent to “kill me now,” in my opinion. On the road, I would never have pushed myself to those levels for that length of time. Physically, my fitness improved, particularly as it relates to endurance work. I am active, usually five or six times a week, but I can guarantee that when I hop on my bike this spring, I will be starting the season off stronger than I ever have before.

12 weeks of winter cycling has allowed me to rediscover my motivation for triathlon. I am excited to sign up for a couple of races this summer (I mean, I am also getting married somewhere in there, so I’ll have to keep it reasonable). Without CYKL, I don’t think I would possess the drive that I do right now.

As ready as I am to dive back into the world of racing, I am also reflective of why my motivation was lacking, and I think it centers on goals. Last summer, I allowed the fact that I hadn’t raced to leave me with guilt. It was as if I was expected to be a triathlete (I use that term loosely), so that’s what I should be doing. But, over the past 12 months, my interests have lay primarily in the gym. I have truly enjoyed my workout regime this year, and have really developed my skills as an athlete in that area. I have done a ton of learning, and am stronger than I ever have been before. This is due to my dedication to strength training. It will be interesting to see how that development will support my endurance training. I really think the two will compliment each other well.

I think it’s important to recognize that change is ok. Your goals will adjust, and it’s important to let things go when you need to, and pick things up when you’re ready. Being hyper focused on one activity for several years doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to commit yourself to new activities. Tap into and focus your energy on your true areas of interest, and allow those interests to be fluid in nature. And no matter what, keep learning. This is what helps us to become well-rounded and multi-talented individuals.