Nielsen Fitness - Personal Training Toronto

Staying Healthy While Travelling

poul — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:32:15 +0000

A lot of people come back from vacation worn out, sick, and feeling worse off then when they left, so here are a few things to keep in mind while on the road.

Drink plenty of water and make sure it and the ice is safe
Get enough sleep
Eat your fruits and vegetables
Try eating from a grocery store, you’ll eat better and save money
Avoid excess alcohol
Give yourself time to adjust to the new time zone
Dress appropriately
Bring appropriate footwear
Walk
Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere
Be careful if you’re out in the sun
Take time to warm up and stretch before doing anything new
Take your vitamins
Make sure you’re not coming home to a mess
Leave the office at the office
Relax and enjoy the time off

I’m sure if you follow these few tips, and use common sense you’ll enjoy your holidays much more and not come back feeling like you need a vacation.

Shiatsu Massage - now in the comfort of your own home

poul — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 19:40:05 +0000

Shiatsu is a form of massage therapy that treats the body on a physical, mental and emotional level. It originates from traditional Chinese medicine, and is similar to acupuncture, except that the Shiatsu Therapist uses their hands instead of needles to return the body to a state of good health.
Shiatsu can calm the nervous system, improve digestion, stimulate blood flow, increase lymphatic circulation, and relieve muscular tension. Treatments tend to heighten vitality, reduce fatigue, and trigger the body’s natural healing power.

Shiatsu can be also very effective at improving a vast array of conditions including:
• Insomnia
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Muscular Tension
• Headaches
• Migraines
• Digestive Problems
• Menstrual Problems
• Immune Deficiency
• Backaches
• Joint Problems
• Sprains and Strains
• Neck and Shoulder Problems
• Sciatica
• Poor Circulation
• Stress

Nielsen Fitness now offers you the opportunity to have a licensed Shiatsu massage therapist to come straight to your front door. By receiving a Shiatsu massage at your home, now you will never have to get up and break your relaxation again.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions regarding in-home Shiatsu:
Q: Do I need to have my own massage table and supplies?
A: No, a Shiatsu massage is done on a thick, comfortable mat on the floor. All supplies will be provided, including a buckwheat pillow, blankets, linens, and a Shiatsu mat. As an optional bonus we also offer a variety of naturally scented oils.

Q: What should I wear?
A: It is recommended that you wear comfortable clothing. Yoga wear or a comfortable set of shorts and a T-shirt will work fine.

Q: Where do you recommend the Shiatsu treatment takes place?
A: We recommend a quiet room with enough space for you to lie comfortably on the floor and for the therapist to move around you.

Q: I will need to keep an eye on my little one(s), is it still practical for me to get a treatment?
A: Absolutely, we can work around kids or animals in the room, although for optimal relaxation, a private room is ideal.

Q: Will my insurance cover Shiatsu massage therapy?
A: Check with your insurance provider. Our Shiatsu therapists are licensed and insured, however some insurance companies only cover Swedish massage therapists or RMTs.

Q: What are your Shiatsu rates?
A: We offer Shiatsu starting at $100 for a one hour treatment and $25 for every 15 minutes thereafter. A package rate of five one-hour treatments is available for $450.

Q: Do you offer corporate rates?
A: Yes, feel free to contact us if you are interested in this option.

Call Nielsen Fitness 416.356.2658 today to set up your Shiatsu treatment.

An easy bean salad

poul — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:02:50 +0000

Beans are one of nature’s healthiest foods – they are low in fat, contain no saturated fat or cholesterol and are packed with fibre and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and the B Vitamin folic acid.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation reports that eating beans may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and certain cancers. Studies suggest beans are useful in managing diabetes, may cut risk for high blood pressure and may help in losing weight.

If this is enough to make you want to incorporate more beans into your diet, try this recipe that trainer Lars recommends:

Mix the following together in a large bowl. Any ingredient can be omitted depending on food preferences.

2 cups chopped green beans – cooked until tender
1 can chickpeas
1 can black beans
1 can lentils
1 sweet red/green/yellow/orange pepper, diced
1 cup sweet corn
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander

Chilli Lime Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable/olive/flax oil
1 tsp grated lime rind
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Note: Fresh organic beans are recommended, and canned beans should, as always, be drained and rinsed. This recipe makes a great meal or snack and keeps well for several days in fridge. Check out our recipes section for more great food ideas

Endurance Specialist Dave Bateman joins the team

poul — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:32:20 +0000

Nielsen Fitness is proud to announce a new addition to the team: Endurance Specialist Dave Bateman. With more than 8 years of personal training experience, and dozens of endurance races, including marathons, and multi-sport races of various distances under his belt, Dave is a valuable addition to the Nielsen Fitness team.

Dave has a degree is psychology and a diploma in exercise science, and has experience with functional strength, injury management and sport specific conditioning. Though he has trained people at the elite level for the Boston marathon, and Ironman competitions, Dave gets just as excited about working with a beginner training for their first 5k.

Already, Dave is making a name for himself at Nielsen Fitness – here’s what one of his new clients has to say: “Hi Poul, we wanted to let you know that we were really impressed with Dave this morning. We spent the morning doing running routines, technique, stretching and more. He’s really knowledgeable and will be a huge help in helping us achieve our goals.”

Contact Nielsen Fitness to set up a consultation with Dave today!

Dave Bateman

PS – Calling all existing clients – Nielsen Fitness is proud to announce an exciting new referral program for existing clients. For every new client referred during the months of May, June and July who purchases 10 sessions (or more), you will receive 5 complimentary training sessions. Email Nielsen Fitness for more information or call 416.356.2658.

Type II Diabetes is reversible

poul — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:20:42 +0000

Recently a client of mine passed along a New York Times article called You Name It, and Exercise Helps It. As the name suggests, it outlines a long list of chronic health problems that can be helped with exercise.

The article quotes Frank Hu, epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health as saying: “The single thing that comes close to a magic bullet, in terms of its strong and universal benefits, is exercise.”

I was so pleased to see this article, and Dr. Hu’s comment, since I have long believed that exercise is hands-down the best preventative drug out there.

They always say proof is in the pudding, so I would like to share an example with you. Last September, Nielsen Fitness got a call from a woman named Fiorella (I have Fiorella’s blessing to tell this story, by the way) who was overweight, had out of control blood sugar and had been diagnosed as diabetic. Looking for a big change in her life, Fiorella signed on with Nielsen Fitness and began working out three times a week at her home with Lars. These regular training sessions combined with Lars’ nutritional advice and insight made all the difference in Fiorella’s life. Now, 7 months later, she is an amazing 65 pounds lighter and is no longer considered diabetic.

If that’s not proof of the healing powers of exercise, I don’t know what is. Congratulations Fiorella – keep up the good work, and thank you for allowing me to share your story!

Read more about Fiorella’s Nielsen Fitness experience here.

Improve Your Rate Of Recovery

poul — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:03:26 +0000

Written by Lars:Click to read profile

Generally speaking there are two ways to increase your rate of progress when working to improve muscle mass and muscle tone in the gym. You can increase the effectiveness of your training or you can increase your rate of tissue recovery after each workout.

Today I am going to address recovery. The faster your body can repair muscle, after its been agitated through the workout process, the more rapidly you will see positive results in your muscle development.

One way to speed up your recovery after a workout is to take an alternating hot / cold shower.

The pattern should be as follows:
Cold / Hot / Cold / Hot / Cold (3 cold, 2 hot)

Let your body soak in each cold segment for 30 seconds and each hot segment for 2 minutes.

This process will help in decreasing muscle tension from post workout stress. It also increases blood flow around the muscle, which facilitates a faster rate of recovery.

Remember, faster recovery means more rapid progress toward the body you want. Try this tip for 2 weeks and experience the results for yourself.

In honour of Earth Day, a word about water

poul — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:46:49 +0000

Most of us are aware of the virtues and importance of water when it comes to maintaining a healthy and fit body. It is an essential ingredient to a successful workout, and should be consumed throughout the day to help flush toxins from the body, assist with digestion and fend off dehydration.

Today I want you to take a minute to think about where your water comes from, and how the choices you make when it comes to water affect our planet.

Many people buy and drink bottled water because we have all been led to believe it’s cleaner and safer than tap water. But this couldn’t be further from the truth – and our love of bottled water is causing serious harm to the Earth. As this article states, “bottled water is no safer than tap water. The explosive growth in sales is having an impact on the environment through depletion of local water resources, use of fossil fuels, and increased waste.”

This article is well worth a read, especially today. In honour of Earth Day, I want to suggest that you ditch the bottled water habit, get yourself a non-toxic refillable container (stainless steel is best) and an inexpensive home water filtration system (like a Brita filter). You’ll be doing yourself – and the planet – a favour.

Beware of Bisphenol A

poul — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 01:04:44 +0000

Today, it was announced that a number of Canadian companies have taken hard plastic water bottles off their shelves in reaction to news that a chemical agent found in these bottles is soon to be designated a toxic agent by the federal government.

Canadians use products containing this chemical everyday – from water and baby bottles to dental fillings. As a first step to protect yourselves from this harmful chemical, I suggest you throw out all hard plastic “Nalgene-type” water bottles – including the clear hard plastic Nielsen Fitness bottles given to clients in summer 2007.

How can you tell if one of your bottles contains bisphenol A? Almost always, products containing this chemical will be marked (usually on the bottom) with a triangle surrounding the number 7. If any number other than 7 is in the triangle – such as the number 4 which appears on our current white Nielsen Fitness bottles – you should have nothing to worry about. However, if a product is unmarked or if you have any doubt, err on the side of caution and get rid of it!

Is organic food worth the money?

poul — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:29:27 +0000

I came across the following article today which asked the question ‘Is organic food worth the money?’ The question caught my attention because recently my fiancée and I decided to begin buying organic wherever possible – especially meat, eggs and dairy.

This lifestyle change was the result of my fiancée reading the book Skinny Bitch, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, which strongly advocates veganism and draws attention to the health – and in some cases, ethical – implications of eating factory farmed meat, dairy, and eggs, and chemically-doused produce.

Now, with little difficulty, the majority of the meat, dairy, eggs and fruits and vegetables we’re buying are organic. We find the flavour and quality of the food to be better, and we are resting better at night knowing we aren’t ingesting growth hormones, antibiotics and chemicals.

From a price-point perspective we’ve discovered that it is far more cost effective to buy from the speciality or organic section at our local Loblaws Superstore instead of at exclusively organic grocery stores (like Whole Foods). We have been amazed at the selection and to find that in many cases, organic is only marginally more expensive than ‘regular’ - if at all. In fact, last weekend, we bought organic oranges at a better price-point than regular ones!

The author of ‘Is Organic Food Worth the Money?’ spoke to three of Canada’s top chefs to get their take on whether organic is worth it. The verdict: sometimes it is and sometimes it isn’t. They unanimously agreed that organic is most important for meat, dairy and eggs, and least important for cereals and other grain-based foods.

I think there’s still some mystery out there about what ‘organic’ really means. I know more than a few people who think it’s a marketing gimmick to appeal to the wealthy. The truth is, organic food is simply food the way nature intended. I personally think it’s a shame that we’ve gotten to the point where this is the exception rather than the rule.

I’m not going to tell you to eat organic but I am going to suggest you give it some thought and do some research. At the very least you’ll be in a position to make an informed decision about what you want in your body.

Product review – Salba

poul — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:38:39 +0000

Written by Lars:Click to read profile

Salba is an ancient grain that can be added to many of your favourite meals, and helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, manage the effects of diabetes, lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, lower the glycemic index of a meal, promote regularity and much more. I add it to my protein shakes, oatmeal, and salads to add a little fibre, and EFA’s to my diet.

Gram for gram Salba has 50% of folate of asparagus, 15x more magnesium than broccoli, 1.1x more fibre than all bran, 2.5x more vegetable protein than kidney beans, 8x more omega 3 fatty acids than salmon, 3x more iron than spinach, 2x more potassium than a banana, 7x more vitamin C than an orange, and 6x more calcium than milk?

If you want to try a 3 day challenge, request for a sample at www.sourcesalba.com