WHEN FITNESS MEETS WELLNESS MEETS HEALTH, YOU GET …

VITALITY! I’m kicking off this newsletter with my holistic fitness nerdiness. Below are 6 exercises I’d recommend you add into your rotation. They are exercises that aim to elevate your vitality. Vitality is the word I use to describe the common goal of Fitness, Wellness, and Health. These exercises can more specifically promote more body awareness, mobility, and stability. They can reduce the negative effects of sitting, overtraining, and blind-spots. Try these with the guidance of a certified movement specialist and let me know how they feel.

ps. I am not alone with this innovative approach to movement science, I have many peers that understand the fitness-wellness-health continuum. If you’d like me to refer you to fellow Fitness Jedi’s, since I’ll be taking a pause from work, please email me.

THE DRACULA - A kneeling leanback for Core Durability, Hip-Core-Spine co-contraction, and Spatial Coordination.
Try it slow. 15-20 times. Avoid collapsing at the hip. Leanback 45 degrees. Do daily with the next exercise.

THE AIRPLANE - A kneeling bow for Hip Control, Counter-Balance, and Uprighting.
Try it slow. 15-20 times. Nose to floor. Daily. Can be done in combination with The Dracula.

THE SUPERSTAR! - A combination lunge and shoulder press for Power, Coordination, and Metabolism.
Try it fast and powerfully. 15-20 times at 25-35% body weight load for a metabolic cardio effect. I’m using 20 lbs per hand.

THE BACK SCRATCHER - A shoulder range of motion challenge for Joint Articulation, Joint Hydration, and Shoulder Health.
Try these at a controlled pace. 15-20 times per side. Can do them lying face down for an added variation.

THE SILVER SURFER - A combination Hinge-Shift-Reach for Hip & Spine Mobility.
Try these as a warm up at a dynamic pace like you’re preparing for a hip hop dance class. 15-20 per side. Aim to dip into your end ranges so you can feel the stretch.

THE SPIRAL SQUAT for Torsion Control, Uprighting, and Loaded Mobility.
Try 15-20 reps per side at a controlled pace, with a medium dumbbell, 25% of your body weight. Keep your eyes on the dumbbell, rotate under the weight, and try to breathe into the corners of your body.

Pedagogy is an education method in which the learner is dependent on the teacher for guidance, evaluation, and acquisition of knowledge. In contrast, Andragogy refers to the methods and approaches used in adult education and is directed towards self-actualization, gaining experience, and problem-solving. Knowing the difference informs the approach and advises the tone of the learning environment. As a teacher myself, failing to connect is failing to read my audience. In corporate wellness coaching and workshop settings, I’m exploring teaching approaches that respect the following traits of adults:

• Adults are self-directed

• Adults use their past experiences as learning resources

• Adults are motivated to learn in relation to their social roles

• Adults prefer to learn solutions that can be applied in realistic situations

• Adults rely on intrinsic motivations

The takeaway is implementation. Implementing a new healthy behaviour comes down to integration. If I’m hoping for my client to squat daily to improve hip function, pelvic floor health, and digestion, the task must blend seamlessly into current routines. Attach an incentive, group recognition, and buddy-system accountability, and there you have it, a recipe for Andragogy success.

Self care is not selfish. Self care is permission to pause. Self care is putting you on your to-do list. Self care is priority and necessity. Self care is looking out for your future self.

It’s important to remind yourself of how far you’ve come. I wrote to myself on my birthday and the process brought me tears of joy. I’ve come across this writing activity before, but never have I done it with meaning and purpose. A great practice for compassion, self-knowing, and creativity. Definitely felt a ‘Back to the Future’ vibe.

ASMR - DEFINITELY A MOOD IN 2020
An odd, funny, and addictive mood. For those who’ve heard of ASMR, you know that it stands for Auto Sensory Meridian Response. It is a cultural phenomenon that hit mainstream this year after celebrities like Gal Gadot, Henry Golding, Aubrey Plaza, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Margot Robbie, just to name a few, were featured performing ASMR activities in W magazine’s series on ASMR via youtube.

ASMR is a subjective experience of low-grade euphoria and is characterized by "a combination of positive feelings and a distinct static-like tingling sensation on the skin". It is most commonly triggered by specific auditory or visual stimuli, and less commonly by intentional attention control. By 2018, the ASMR genre has amassed over 13 million videos (not views, videos alone) on youtube. Who knows how many videos have been published since 2018!?!?

I personally am a fan, and have been since I was young (before it was even known formally as ASMR). This year, I’ve been more open about ASMR, and have found an ASMR buddy in @rory.ella.bray, a dear friend and fellow fitness instructor at Sweat and Tonic. For fun, we’ve recorded some ASMR audios, and called our sessions, ‘Giggles and Tingles’. Here is the latest session of us, whispering and giggling through a tasting of Korean snacks. CHECK OUT OUR EPISODE HERE!

The Mood Tip of the Month with ASMR is to #justdoyou … I used to be embarrassed and shy about ASMR, but ever since I started sharing my intrigue and fascination with it more openly, others have come forward about their quirkiness.

Since your mood can be highly affected by others, you can also affect others people’s moods. So having the courage to share something funny and quirky about yourself cuts the tension, and puts everyone on level playing field, which ends up creating a positive mood based on trust and honesty. Try it as your next conversation icebreaker (“have you heard of ASMR?”) I bet you’ll be surprised by the result!

You can thank me later ;)

In October’s newsletter, I introduced Mind-traps. Mind-traps are irrational thought patterns that blind you to the truth, causing you to make errors in judgment. They highly affect one’s motivation to think or do anything, and threaten positive mindsets. Below are some great infographics by iqdoodle.com that help convey each mind-trap. There are many out there, but I’ll just focus on three for this newsletter. See if you fall into any of these traps and have a thought about my takeaways. Hope they help! Feel free to write back to me about mindset, would love to hear trends and tips you’ve come across that have helped you.

Takeaway - You can bring up the negatives, just don’t dwell on them, nor conclude with them. Know that when you think in one direction, there’s usually just as good an answer waiting in the other direction.

Takeaway - Stereotyping, generalizing, broad-stroking, these actions are defense mechanisms to uncertainty. To avoid, learn by listening, researching, making notes, and paying closer attention.

Takeaway - I do this very often and it comes from having very high standards. What has helped me is the act of ‘meeting people where they are’, which comes from compassion, empathy, and a form of selfless leadership. I realized that when I’m in need of someone’s assistance, I can’t expect them to help if the task is too tall. It’s not about dumbing the task down, it’s about making the task more human, and creating a runway for growth. Empower people, don’t enslave them.

THE S&T SHOW - SEASON TWO - “THE WELLNESS SIDE OF FITNESS”
My best bud @dustinpym and I have recently kicked off season two of our podcast with Sweat and Tonic, and have honed in, found our groove, and created our niche, with what we call the wellness side of fitness. We talk about mindset, motivation, and philosophy, as a means to aid with pain points that fitness people experience in their everyday lives, in and out of the gym. It’s a show meant for anyone and everyone that’s curious about personal development. Episodes drop weekly. Hope you tune in!
S2E1 - Self Care
S2E2 - Mind Traps
S2E3 - Perfectionism
S2E4 - Performance Plateaus (coming soon)
S2E5 - Presenteeism (coming soon)

THE PANELIST PRESENTATION YOU NEVER SAW OR HEARD
This event was one of the most humbling, confusing, embarrassing, yet enlightening experiences of my life. It was an invitation to speak at Canfitpro’s International Conference in 2018. I gathered my most talented friends from the 2.0 community to speak with me as a panelist presentation on Industry Innovation with a sub theme of time and space. I brought together my friends seen in the picture above, who are experts in their domains of technology, life science, entertainment, education, and entrepreneurship. The presentation doubled as a demonstration; showcasing the benefit of cross-pollination, and our hunger to learn from one another.

Unfortunately, the scheduling and promotion gods were not on our side that day. We were left with the short end of the stick in regards to timeslot, and therefore had a very disappointing turnout. We were assured it wasn’t us, and instead a scheduling mishap, but it still stung. In the end, we persevered and luckily, our tech guru Tyler audio recorded the entire session. This was the panelist presentation the industry needed to hear, but just didn’t get the light of day….until now. I truly hope you take the time to listen to this incredible podcast. Big thanks goes out to Cecily Milne, William Greenblatt, Nsuani Baffoe, Paluna Santamaria, Tyler Sammy, and Lauren Howe, for being such incredible human beings. Will never forget their positive attitude that day. Admirable and honourable. Truly next level.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

JULIA SIMONE
This is my bff Julia. My sister from another mister. My dear friend and co-coach. This is us posing after our kickass outdoor fitness class called “Athletic Lab”. This Saturday outdoor class has been sold out every week since the summer (during covid times!), which is a testament to our passion for teaching, our chemistry, and our dedication to our community.

I wanted to spotlight Julia as someone who is very inspiring to me. She runs her own business as a certified coach, helping people with nutrition, eating disorder, and mental health and wellbeing. Julia is a modern day renaissance woman, master of many, and very humble with it all, which is the best part. She is deeply spiritual and artistic, and has a growth mindset when it comes to business and entrepreneurship. She leads with her heart and is not afraid of telling it as it is. She is a great teacher because she is a great student. Julia is an incredible role model for young women and men because she leads by example and is super down to earth about it.

Go give her website a visit, and add her to Instagram @thejuliasimone.

MOM AND DAD
Shout outs to my parents May and David for being my favourite guinea pigs….I mean clients! Training them has been a highlight for me this year (and for my followers on instagram!). It’s forced me to think beyond my typical client, and allowed me to better understand their demographic. With them, I have been able to apply the education I’ve received from The Institute of Motion, as one of their certified Health Coaches, which feels incredibly satisfying since the return on investment has far exceeded my expectations, I mean, how can you quantify quality of life??? It’s also brought us all closer together as a family unit. We are firing positive energy at all cylinders, fully present in these sessions, exemplifying what #familygoals can look like. Working with them is a heart-warming and cup-filling honour. To be able to give back to my parents as their teacher is one of the most rewarding feelings you can experience as a son. Thank you mom and dad. Love you.