CLASSES!
OUTDOOR WALK WORKOUTS. If you live in Toronto, enjoy the extended light and the group energy in one or more of our spring session classes of 60- or 90-minute Walk Workouts: Tuesdays at Sunnybrook Park 8:15-9:45am, Wednesdays at High Park (noon-1pm), Saturdays at High Park (7:30-9am).
LIVESTREAM STRENGTH. Someone who has been participating in these Livestream Strength workouts since the beginning of the pandemic recently described them to me as a "no-brainer". As in, just do it. First, registration in livestream classes encourages commitment. Second, at 7am in the morning, very little gets in the way of participating (other than a warm bed, but that's another topic). Third, the commute to class is fast and, bonus, has a low carbon footprint. Finally, if you do happen to miss a workout, you can pick it up on the video library (free access when you register for the livestream and most of the workouts are recorded and posted within a day or two). Register for the next 8-week session held Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays at 7amET starting March 6. Early bird price until February 24.
LIVESTREAM YOGA. Livestream yoga offers similar benefits to the strength workout with a little more attention to flexibility and mindfulness. Three livestream yoga practices a week are accessible for all levels of experience with the Wednesday Hatha practice offering a little more physical challenge. Easy Flow (9-9:45amET, Mondays), Hatha (9:00-9:45amET, Wednesdays) and Gentle Yoga (9:15-10amET, Fridays). Early bird price on all-class pass until February 24.
LET'S GET NATURALLY SWEET. Everything in moderation! We hear this expression all the time with little understanding of what moderation means in a society where food and drink is so readily available. Given the recent and radical change to guidelines on alcohol consumption, I we need a re-think on moderation. It may very well be that moderation is different for each of us. Join us for this six-week commitment to eliminating the highly processed foods that constantly stress our metabolic system to better understand your place of moderation. Together we will eat no added sugars and no white flours, and drink no juices and no alcohol. We will enjoy thirty minutes of outdoor exercise every day and daily time restricted-eating (eating within a window of your choosing between 8 and 12 hours). March 11 - April 21. Six livestream Zoom meetings are included for motivation and inspiration. Register here.
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WALKING TIP. At WoW Power Walking we have long been proponents of high intensity interval walking as a way to improve cardio-respiratory fitness: get breathless, break a sweat. The benefits are well documented in scientific research and extend even beyond cardiorespiratory improvement to increased bone density, greater neurogenesis (making new brain cells), and improved metabolic function. The beauty of these bursts of effort is that only a few per workout result in significant improvement. The cardiorespiratory intensity of these intervals is somewhere between Zone 4 and Zone 5, or 80% to 100% of maximal heart rate (maximal heart rate = 220- age). While the benefits continue to be supported by research it is becoming increasingly clear there is excellent value in "Zone 2" training as a way to improve health, increase performance, and reduce risk of injury that may come from adding too much intensity to every workout. Zone 2 training is working to an effort that is 60-70% of your maximal heart rate. It might be easier to recognize zone 2 training as the effort that is reached just before you feel you need to open your mouth to breathe. In other good news, Zone 2 training is thought to be very good for metabolic health. Good metabolic health is associated with longevity and increased healthspan!
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STRENGTH TIP. Strength through rotation is valuable in every day life. Here's a good way to incorporate it into your routine. Position yourself in forearm side plank on the floor. The bottom leg can be bent to a make it a bit easier, or your can position your forearm on a stationary, elevated surface such as a counter top. If you are on the floor with straight legs, those legs can be staggered for greater stability or stacked for less stability and more core challenge. Raise your top arm above the shoulder (start position). Reach forward and down with the arm to touch the floor in front of you and then back up to your start position. Repeat touching down 8-12 repetitions in both right and left side plank. You can add challenge by holding a light hand weight (1-2lb).
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