Claude and Donna weren’t aware of the research. They didn’t know that studies show that if you perspire together, you start a fire together. That’s right – couples that sweat together are more likely to stay together, and feel more satisfied with their relationships and their partner.

Donna joined Fit For Life in September 2015. She was hanging around Athlone Court in Oak Bay when she saw a brochure for the fitness studio.  This interested her because she liked being active – she used to be a tai chi practitioner.

A month later Claude joined. They’re now regulars at the gym.

Donna enthused, “I feel really energized after working out. I’m stronger – my upper body strength is improved, as is my cardiovascular.”  She declared, “I can now go up Mount Doug without being winded!”

Claude reported, “I like the gym’s atmosphere, lack of pressure, congenial staff, reasonably nice music, and Maggie the dog.”

He adds, “It’s not always possible to exercise outdoors and in winter it’s particularly nice to exercise indoors.  The machines are nice, efficient and comfortable and I really like the whole experience.”
Working out together is especially fun for Donna and Claude because they’re now exercising with two friends, Terry and Bob. It’s a social event as well as a health event.

If you’d like that feeling of togetherness that Claude and Donna (and Terry and Bob) have, check out Fit for Life in Oak Bay. Remember, perspire together to start a fire together … but you can still get in the zone if you’re on your own.

Monica Garrett and Ron Guile prove that getting older can mean getting better.

Monica is amazing. Almost 80, she’s got the strength and looks of a woman many years younger. She’s a woman who made a decision to deliberately age well instead of hopefully age well. She wasn’t about to leave her health to chance. As a result, on March 27, 2015 she walked into the Fit For Life gym in Oak Bay and said, “Sign me up for one on one personal training.”

It’s been nine months since she joined the 55+ gym and Monica said she’s feeling the strongest she’s ever felt! Her trainer said she’s improved 40% in the time he’s worked with her. And Monica’s delighted that the strength gain was done safely. Incrementally. Because the Fit For Life gym specializes in people aged 55+, they knew what was safe for Monica and what wasn’t.

It’s not only Monica’s body that’s stronger. It’s also her pocketbook. Monica’s excited at the savings in cost for her training program – hundreds of dollars a month. That’s like winning a free vacation each year!

Ron Guille decided to exercise for another reason – his heart health. Like Monica, he had been working out at another gym. But he didn’t like the crowds, the relentless clanging of the weights, the loud music and the noise.

Then Ron saw the sign for Fit For Life and came for a visit. He liked the friendly atmosphere, the high quality equipment, and the soft music. He also liked the on-site personal monitoring at no extra cost. He joined Fit For Life on September 30 and in only two months, he’s dropped 10 lbs and shifted two notches in his belt. He said, “I had to as my blue jeans were baggy and falling down!”

Ron’s also noticed that his blood pressure has gone down since coming to the gym.

It’s not just the increased fitness that keeps Ron coming five days a week. “I like the friendly members. We’ll start talking and I look forward to seeing them. The staff are also friendly.”
Both Ron and Monica are proof that getting older can mean getting better.

Ask about the Totally Free Try Out because you like saving money and want to see what Fit For Life is like. Call  250. 382. 2328 to set up your appointment.

It was common sense to Candace and Deb. They didn’t know the research - that women who exercise with a friend, go to the gym more often and train longer.  And that people have more fun exercising when they exercise with friends. Yes, there’s strength in numbers: when you get fit with a friend, you get more of a dividend.

Candace had just treated herself to a facial back in September 2015 when she saw the boutique fitness studio, Fit For Life, in Athlone Court in Oak Bay. It looked interesting so she rounded up Deb and the two came for a visit. They weren’t exercise fanatics. They had other reasons why they wanted to get fit. And although they’re best buddies, their reasons were as different as night and day.
Candace’s reason was travel. “I want to stay fit as long as possible because I want to travel as long as possible.”

Deb had a different motivation – retirement. “I didn’t have the discipline while I was working, but now that I’m retired I have the time and energy to commit to fitness. When I was working, I just wanted to come home and hibernate.”

They joined. And they’ve kept exercising because it’s fun at Fit For Life. As Deb explains, “It’s fun to do it together and socialize while we exercise. We both just love the place – the atmosphere, the staff. It’s just an inviting, comfy place to exercise. The staff are always there if we have a question. The personalized attention that the company offers is really nice. I like the intimacy of it. And the other customers … there are some really neat inspiring people there.”

Candace adds, “I like all the people that go. It’s not just a fitness centre, it’s a social club. Everyone is so nice and that’s the biggest thing. It’s a nice place to be.”

Candace and Deb like it so much that in December they asked their friend, Peter, to join them and gave him a gift certificate. Peter thought it was fantastic and has now joined up.

He says, “I want to get rid of my gut. That will take losing some weight. And working on getting out of low chairs – I want to build up those muscles. The gym? I like the setting, there’s no pressure. It’s a relaxed atmosphere. You’re not competing against hot bodies. And my wife is happy that I can’t look at all the young gals that would distract me from my exercises.”

Candace, Deb and Peter are proof that when you get fit with a friend, you get more of a dividend.
Why don’t you check out the boutique fitness studio that’s made such a difference to these three friends? It’s for people aged 55+ and is located above Fairways in Oak Bay. Memberships start at only $49/month. Or phone 250-382-2328.  When you call, ask about the Totally Free Try Out because you like saving money and want to see what this place is like.

The #1 reason people start an exercise program is to lose weight.  The mode of exercise chosen is very important - it impacts your chances of achieving your goals.  As women progress through menopause and beyond there are many hormonal changes that make it a bit harder to lose those extra pounds.  The following article describes those changes and makes some excellent recommendations.  At Fit For Life we have had great success with clients losing over 30 lbs in 6 months.  The combination of cardio and resistance training to build muscle tissue and thus boost metabolism has produced great results with our clients!

http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/menopause-weight-gain-and-exercise-tips

Are you concerned about exercise causing more pain?  When a person begins a new exercise program it is normal for them to feel some new but minor discomfort.  Exercise does create muscle soreness but the good news is that your body adjusts after two weeks and the soreness is replaced by improved mobility and a noticeable reduction in pain from arthritis.  According to the research discussed in the article below exercise is in fact very effective at reducing pain and it only takes a few minutes daily of mild to moderate movement to reduce pain and improve energy levels!  The article below makes for great reading, hear is an excerpt:

"There is some evidence suggesting that non-drug treatments can actually help patients suffering from osteoarthritis. In particular, strengthening exercises and weight management can sometimes ease the burden on aching joints.Some patients, though, are reluctant to exercise because it initially hurts when they move. In these cases, a pain medication may make it easier for them to begin an exercise program.
The combination of physical activity and medication may provide far more benefit than a pain reliever alone."

We're excited to share this great article, Think Simple When It Comes to Diet, with you. Giving great advice for eating healthily, this article was recently published in the Oak Bay News.

Good Dietary Practices for Heart Disease Prevention and Management

Sometimes the simple things are the best.  Eating healthy for a healthy heart is neither complex nor difficult.  There are of course differences between individuals so one must take the suggestions listed below in that light.  General guidelines are as follows:

Reduce Salt Intake: most of the salt in our diet is hidden in processed foods of all kinds so try and eat food that is scratch prepared and avoid canned foods and goodies in the treat isle of the food market.  That will cut your food costs by half right off the top.  Get that salt shaker off the table to start with and replace it would herbs in the food cooking process.  Herbs not only add flavour they have medicinal properties.

Reduce simple carbohydrates:  look at your packages - if the ingredient ends in “ose “ it is a sugar.  Regardless of how you want to argue about the differences between types of sugar, less sugar is better, period.  Many boxed cereals are 30 % sugar.  The same can be said for granola bars.  Read the labels and buy wisely.

Eat breakfast – it helps you lose weight and maintain proper blood sugar levels and energy.

Strive for 8 hours of sleep at night, it reduces stress in the body and stress causes heart disease, and have a good regular sleep pattern helps with weight loss.

Eat less animal fats: reduce red meat to twice per week.  Replace it with fish at least twice per week, focusing on cold water fish such as Salmon, Halibut and Cod. 

Avoid excessive dairy.   Organic Greek Yogurt, plain low fat, is wonderful and you can add berries and granola to it to make a nutritious meal.

Greatly increase your intake of fruit and vegetables but go beyond your peas and carrots to include more root vegetables and kale.  If you like carrots and potatoes leave the skin on, that holds roughly 33% of the nutrition

A small glass of red wine is recommended but similar benefits can be gained from pure 100% red grape juice.  If you are about to have company from relatives, at least two glasses of wine is recommended.

Eat unrefined grains:  simple grains like white flour can cause an inflammatory response in the body and that is not what we want.  Look for breads made from whole grains – there are many fine bakeries in Victoria.  For breakfast a great source of nutrition and fibre is real oatmeal.    Use organic, slow cooking oats.  Here is a recipe:

For four people:

4 cups of water to boil.

Once boiled shut the stove off, add one cup of  slow cooking organic oats, one cup of steel cut oats, and a mix of raisins, berries, cubed apple,  walnuts, slivered almonds, or  hemp seeds and don’t forget the magical ingredients- a teaspoon of cinnamon – natures anti-inflammatory.  Stir and cover. 

When you get up in the morning it is all cooked and ready to re-heat. 

Exercise:    Cardio – vascular exercise is terrific but then we knew that decades ago. Now we know that resistance training is also beneficial and not contraindicated for most people even in their eighties.   It is especially beneficial to those with diabetes.  Resistance training helps maintain bone mass and boosts metabolism by adding lean muscle tissue.   Unlike walking however a program designed and instructed by a Certified Personal Trainer is highly recommended. 

By your Fit For Life Team

More time spent standing rather than sitting could improve your blood sugar, fats in the blood and cholesterol levels, according to a new study published in the European Heart Journal. The study also shows that replacing time spent sitting with time walking could have additional benefits for your waistline and body mass index (BMI).

Researchers in Australia gave activity monitors to 782 men and women, aged 36-80 years, who were taking part in the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study. The monitors were capable of determining, very accurately, how long each participant spent sleeping, sitting or lying down, standing and stepping (which includes walking and running). After providing blood samples and measurements of their blood pressure, height, weight and waist circumference, participants each wore an activity monitor on their thigh for 24 hours a day over a seven-day period. The researchers then used a statistical technique called isotemporal analysis to estimate the potential impact on health of reallocating time from sitting to standing or stepping.

Dr Genevieve Healy, senior research fellow at the School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, Australia, who led the study, said: "We found that time spent standing rather than sitting was significantly associated with lower levels of blood sugar and blood fats. Replacing sitting time with stepping was also associated with a significant reduction in waistline and BMI. While the study cannot show that less time spent sitting causes the improvements in these markers of health, the associations it reveals are consistent with what is known already about the benefits of a non-sedentary lifestyle. More work is needed to understand cause and effect."

An extra two hours per day spent standing rather than sitting was associated with approximately 2% lower average fasting blood sugar levels and 11% lower average triglycerides (fats in the blood). Extra standing time was also associated with 0.06 mmol/L higher average levels of the "good" type of cholesterol, HDL, and a 6% lower average total/HDL cholesterol ratio, which indicates an improvement in the total amount of HDL cholesterol in relation to "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Replacing two hours a day of sitting time with stepping was associated with an approximately 11% lower average BMI and a 7.5cm smaller average waist circumference. In addition, average blood sugar levels fell by approximately 11% and average triglycerides by 14% for every two hours spent walking rather than sitting, while HDL cholesterol was 0.10 mmol/L higher. There was no significant effect on BMI or waistline of replacing sitting time with standing.

"These findings provide important preliminary evidence that strategies to increase the amount of time spent standing or walking rather than sitting may benefit the heart and metabolism of many people," said Dr Healy. "Get up for your heart health and move for your waistline.

"This has important public health implications, given that standing is a common behaviour that usually replaces sitting, and that can be encouraged in the workplace with interventions such as sit-stand desks.

"However, it is important to say that not all sitting is bad; but if people can incorporate alternatives to sitting wherever possible, it may benefit their heart and metabolic health. Our message is to 'Stand Up, Sit Less, Move More'."

She said the study had also produced evidence of how common standing is during the waking day. "Standing takes up nearly a third of waking hours, and among this group of participants who could choose when they sat, stood or walked, the standing had health benefits. Notably, we did not measure upper body movement, so someone could be standing up doing the dishes, which involves some extra physical activity."

While the benefits to health of walking have been well established, until now the potential benefits (or harms) of replacing sitting with standing have been less well understood. The study is one of the first to look at the estimated associations between replacing time in one activity with another and its effect on markers of health, such as blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, BMI and waist circumference. The researchers say more, larger studies are needed to confirm their findings and they hope to follow up the study participants for longer, as well as studying participants from a wider age range.

In the meantime, Dr Healy and her colleagues are working to encourage people to stand up more in their workplaces. "We are also looking to increase the amount of time spent stepping as well," she concluded.

In an accompanying editorial, Professor Francisco Lopez-Jimenez (MD, MSc) of the Mayo Clinic and Mayo College of Medicine (Minnesota, USA) writes that the study "provides an important addition to the wealth of scientific evidence highlighting the importance of avoiding sedentary behaviour." He writes that "the fight against sedentary behaviour cannot be won based only on the promotion of regular exercise" and that while exercise should continue to be recommended, it is important to promote non-sedentary behaviour in everyday life. "A person walking while at work for two hours, standing for another four hours, and performing some daily chores at home for another hour will burn more calories than jogging or running for 60 minutes."

He also points out that sedentary behaviour and environments that promote it are "seen as a sign of progress and economic power." For instance, poorer people are more likely to bike or walk than drive a car, and standing tickets to watch a football match or an opera will be cheaper than seated tickets. He concludes: "The unintended consequences of modern life promoting sedentary behaviours can be reversed. Health care providers, policy makers and people in general need to stand up for this. Literally."

Here are 10 reasons to try Urban Poling

1.   It whittles your waist—your abs tighten each time you push off with your poles. That’s the equivalent of 1,000 abdominal crunches every kilometre or 1,800 each mile!

2.   Your knees and hips will thank you—the poles let you offload weight from your hips and knees into your upper body. You can walk further, faster or even pain-free.

3.   It revs up the calorie burning—research proves it over and over again: urban poling burns up to 46% more calories than standard walking. Wow!

4.   It sculpts your arms and shoulders—Urban Poling uses 90 percent of your muscles—especially those underused upper body muscles. Hello short sleeves!

5.   It helps balance your blood sugar—the full-body urban poling workout helps keep blood sugars in a healthy range.

6.   You’ll straighten up and feel more confident—your upper back muscles (the ones that pull your shoulders back) tighten each time you plant your poles and press down on the ergonomic handles.

7.   It’s a fun social workout—Invite your friends, your parents & your kids to enjoy all the health benefits with you.

8.   It’s an amazing stress buster—the smooth rhythmic action provides a distraction from everyday concerns and lifts your mood.

9.   You can adjust the intensity—Urban Poling is an energizing activity that can be enjoyed by people of any age and athletic ability. Just press on the ergonomic handles with more or less intensity to modify your pace.

It’s a great running alternative—Hit the trails or your neighbourhood sidewalks on your own or with a gang of friends. Urban poling offers the same year-round fresh-air experience as running—but without jarring and jostling your joints.

Would you like to learn?  Fit For Life runs free workshops every Wednesday at 4pm call ahead to reserve your spot- everyone welcome!