This month Innovative Fitness Toronto is taking part in a 30 day Nutrition Challenge. A trusted Nutritionist in the city will oversee your progress throughout the month, provide meal plan advice and be there to answer your questions. You will be accountable to your IF Trainers, who will also be creating fitness challenges each week.
Many look forward to the Nutrition Challenge, as it is educational and has been successful in delivering positive body composition changes. Contact Innovative Fitness Toronto TODAY to register and feel the changes yourself!
September is a busy month for many of us as we demand ourselves to juggle our continued social summer activities with the hustle and bustle of “back to school” time. For me this is one of the most exciting times of the year, but demands a lot on the body. The days become shorter and our responsibilities seem to increase. Now into October, hopefully routines have been set and we can get back to focusing on making our bodies a priority. For sailors, this is a time when we transition from a competition filled summer into autumn training. We reflect, and do a “systems check” on where we are in achieving our goals. With the sweetness in the air of seasons changing, it is a reminder that there is no better time to evaluate where we are in our physical health goals and make a few changes if necessary. If you haven’t already, it is time to get back at it!
To encourage you a little and change things up, we have modified two exercises and hope you will add them to your autumn routine.
STRETCHES THAT SAVE
The Inch Worm with Walk-out is a great exercise to add to your warm-up routine. It is a bit of an all-in-one move that gets the blood flowing and helps increase flexibility in hamstrings while strengthening core and upper body.
How To: From standing position, feet shoulder width apart, bend at the hips placing hands on the ground. Walk your hands out until you reach a plank position. Engage body and hold plank for 2 seconds. Smoothly begin walking hands out further in front of your shoulders. Taking small steps, walk your feet up to your hands until you’re in your starting position. Repeat as desired.
Modification: Instead of extending your hands in front of your shoulders (which can be difficult and not advised for people with lower back issues), stop at the plank position and do one push-up.
MOVE OF THE MONTH
This month’s move is the Bulgarian Split Squat. This has to be one of my trainer’s favourite moves. The Bulgarian is similar to a regular split squat but allows you to go lower, putting more emphasis on the quads. Being a single leg exercise, it involves balance while also building strength in your glutes and inner thighs. This modification is a true leg burner.
How To: Standing away from a bench, lift one leg and kick it back to rest your rear foot flat, or on your toes. Engaging your front quad and glutes completely, slowly bend your front leg until is approximately 90 degrees and no less. Your back leg, used for balance, should now also have a bend in it. From this position push up through your front heel so that your front leg is straight again. Do a warm-up round working on staying stable and finding the right distance away from the bench. Work with your trainer to find a dumbbell weight that is suitable for you to hold in each hand for 8-12 reps, 3 sets.
Modification: For first time attempters, begin by holding your arms out front and placing a cushion below your back knee. For an advanced version, try adding a little more power to the move by holding the down position for two seconds, pumping your forward leg ever so slightly up and down, then exploding up as quickly as possible. You will feel the difference. At that moment, and likely two days after ;).
What IF you could?
Claire Merry
Canadian Sailing Team
IF Sponsored Athlete
Innovative Fitness
Toronto Ritz-Carlton
Innovative Fitness Oakville
p. 416.572.8000 / c. 416.660.5429
www.InnovativeFitness.com
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