I’m not going to lie it is hard to do good food on a budget, especially if you want to achieve a physical result. Food is an integral part of the  process when combined with workouts; to change, shape, or chisel your body. Whatever your goal, food is key. Eating well on a budget requires a commitment to 3 things:

• First make a commitment to eat good food in general: we’re all guilty of sneaking the “not so good” food or snack items into our shopping cart. You know, the ice cream, the chips, the frozen dinners and processed garbage; these items are not nutrient dense and shouldn’t be consumed on a regular basis. First commit to eating clean.

If ice cream is a must for you don’t buy the giant sized container, buy yogurt instead. Add a couple frozen fruits to it and you’ll never know the difference. Both items cost less and you’ll have enough of a healthy snack to last a week! You also want to choose foods that fill you up when you eat them in the right combinations. For example have protein with every meal; don’t just eat a whole bag of carrots and wonder why you still feel hungry; have carrots with hummus so that you have some good fats to absorb and that will actually curb your appetite and you’ll eat less. Buy your dry food items in bulk from Sam’s, Costco or the Bulk Barn! Buy fresh produce from the farmers market and get to know your local farmers.

• Give yourself a dollar amount each week that you are allowed to spend on food: get the money out in cash and stick to your budget. This will force you to focus on your needs and not wants. No cheating! Now pick and choose the best value for your dollar. The first thing to go is the junk…anything processed. Fresh is best!

• Have an ample supply of quality protein: something you always want to have in your kitchen and never skimp on is a quality protein powder. Oatmeal is also a great breakfast option but remember what I said about eating the right foods, in the right combinations. Oatmeal by itself is only a grain. When you eat one item in the food category it is not a complete meal; add some protein powder to get your proteins in; it will keep you full longer and help you eat less. When cooking your meals think big and always cook extra to cover lunch or snack the following day.

So to sum it up >> Make a commitment to eat good food. Eat nutrient dense food in combination. Stay away from expensive processed foods and always stay on budget. Buy in bulk; buy fresh from farmers markets. Make sure you’re eating enough quality protein and if you need a treat go out for it. If it’s in the house it will be consumed!

Be well, be active.

Written By: Trina Lambe – Founder/CEO  (trina@trainbytrina.com)

There are a number of simple ways to get some movement into your desk bound day!    Now lets be clear these exercises are not going to get you to the Olympics but they are going to keep you alert and reduce stress.

Lets start with alertness.  Your ability to focus on a task is directly related to the amount of time it is going to take you to do that task.  Being on top of your game can be attained by increasing the circulation to your body. What happens as we sit; our body becomes stagnant and circulation slows due to the low demand on our body.   Having a 60 second exercise burst of energy session can increase circulation to your entire body and give you the laser focus that you need to get through that long to do list in a day.  

Try something with me. We are going to do our first exercise burst together.   Get up from your desk and push your chair back out of the way.   Standing  with both feet hip width apart do a knee bend (squat) then lift you arms over head. Keep moving for 60 sec. Just take note of how you feel; blood flow, increased heart rate,  alertness and breathing.

All of these signs are proof that your body is working. That simple 60 second exercise took you out of auto pilot and now you’re senses are wide awake. 

Here are a list of a few more options for 60 sec energy bursts that you can complete at your desk. The goal is to get your heart rate up and change positions.  

•  Do a football drill 60 sec on the spot.
• Jumping Jacks if that is too much impact do a step to the side instead of a jump.
• While sitting at your desk pump your arms over your head and tap your feet on the floor like a foot ball drill

Lets address the toll that sitting takes on your body. Here are some things that you can do when you feel a tightness in your  head, neck and shoulders or perhaps your lower back is the issue: 

1.  The first thing I would suggest is having and ergonomic assessment done on your work station to see if all the parts are in good alignment for your body.  Here is a check list you can start with.   http://www.coreconcepts.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/Desk-Workspace-Ergonomic-Checklist.pdf 
2. When you experience tension in your head neck and shoulders there are a number of stretches you can do.  This will help to alleviate the pain in the moment but it is not a long term cure.   The set up of your desk is what needs to change.  
   1. Sitting on your hands sit up tall through your spine and then arch your back and take your chin to the ceiling.    Hold for 10 sec this helps reverse the forward position from typing 

 So  Desk Jockeys with these new tools in your playlist  have  a productive day!

Written by:

Trina Lambe – Founder/CEO

Train by Trina

Everyone wants to know that they are valued employee within a company. As a business owner you have many ways you can show this.  Wellness is one that has a double bonus effect.   The healthier your employee the more valuable they  become with increased health, comes increased energy and productivity.

I know what you are thinking; I cant afford a wellness program for my staff.   Well hold up; I have been in wellness for over 9 years and yes there are fancy programs that you can enroll in that are costly but I am here to show you how to keep it simple and cost effect , yet still deliver value to you and your employees.

There are so many things that effect productivity, everything from sleep, mental alertness, ergonomics, personal health, work life balance, and the list goes on.  Here’s a list of some of the things that you can manage to get the most out of your employees.  They all fall under that blanket statement of wellness.  But before we go there here are some stats on why we should look at wellness for our employees and how it will benefit your bottom line.  

http://trainbytrina.com/2012/01/wellness-stats-for-canada/

We are not going to tackle them all but we are going to look at the number 1 cause of decreased productivity.

The top 3 limiters to productivity are mental alertness, absenteeism and poor ergonomics.   Let’s address these 3 with a wellness solution to suit big or small budgets and 10 to 20,000 employees. 

• Mental Alertness:  For people that are desk bound with little movement they should get up and walk around or even do a stretch every 20 min.   This will increase circulation  and increase mental alertness. Small budget: Stretch Breaks App (app called Shake IT pops up stretches every 20 min FREE)

             Mid range: Exercises classes at lunch in the board room

(http://trainbytrina.com/2012/01/3-easy-steps-to-have-exercise-at-your-office/ )

• Absenteeism is on the rise in any company due to 2 factors research shows.   One being mental illness the other being personal reasons, they are classified as caring for a parent, medical appointments dentist, and so fourth.

 According to Stats Can: “full-time employees lost an average of 9.1 days for personal reasons” in 2010. In addition, the Canadian Institute of Stress says stress control programs (such as exercise classes at work listed above) can result in an:

• 18% reduction in absences
• 32% reduction in grievances
• 52% reduction in disability time
• 7% improvement in productivity
• 13% improvement in service quality 
 Employers pay an extra $488/year for every sedentary employee (The Canadian Institute of Stress).


Marrying exercise and work alleviates the barriers to developing and maintaining a physical lifestyle and will contribute to happier employees and a more satisfying workplace environment. The number one reason people in their 40s claim they don’t get enough exercise is because of time. Bringing the workout to your work eliminates all that planning and scheduling to and from the gym, and saves you the commute! Get in your exercise during the lunch hour and boost energy levels, or throw in a workout at the end of the day without having to go anywhere! Employees will love it, and the overall atmosphere of the workplace will thrive as a result, benefiting your company on a wellness and financial scale!

•  Ergonomics: Long Term Disability (LTD) issues are on the rise even for the desk bound as the demands of there job and stress increases.   A proper desk set up is critical to keeping your joints in proper alignment to reduce the stress on the joints.   Here is a quick checklist.. http://www.coreconcepts.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/Desk-Workspace-Ergonomic-Checklist.pdf

Small budget here is a quick checklist:

http://www.coreconcepts.com.sg/wp-content/uploads/Desk-Workspace-Ergonomic-Checklist.pdf

Mid range budget: Exercise for the Desk Jockey Lunch and Learn to educate on desk set up and possible treatments for current problems.

Bigger budget: Needs analysis and ergo assessment for each individual employee based on their body with a specific exercise program to counter act the effect of sitting on that particular employee.  

The short of all this wellness stuff is that it does work and there are options for any budget or company size.  At Train by Trina we work with all companies to develop a specific plan for your budget, employee needs and company culture.  

Be the catalyst to health at your organization and start a wellness committee.  

Written by:

Trina Lambe – Founder/CEO

Train by Trina

Bayshore Home Health has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, dignity and independence of Canadians in their homes since 1966. Canadian owned and operated, they are the country’s largest provider of home and community health care services, with more than 50 home care offices, 20 community care clinics and 8,000 employees.

Offering a wide range of home care services, they strive to make a difference in their clients’ lives – every visit, every time. Their nursing, personal care, home support and companionship services are available privately as well as through government care programs, personal and group insurance plans and workplace safety insurance. They deliver care to more than 70,000 clients annually.

They also provide nurse/caregiver staffing services, health education programs and treatments in their community dialysis centres. Their subsidiary, Bayshore Specialty Rx, delivers a wide range of infusion pharmacy, infusion clinic and pharmaceutical support services to health care and pharmaceutical organizations. Bayshore Home Health has been a winner of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies award since 2006.

For more information about the benefits of a personalized care plan that allows you to live in the comfort of your own home, or any of our other services, please call your local Bayshore Home Health office.

A complete list of their offices can be found in the Locations section of their site.

Jackie Hickey, R.N

Check them out at www.bayshore.ca and read our post on physical fitness and personal well-being as a vital component of everyone’s life, especially for those who are young at heart but older in years. Special thanks to Jackie Hickey for this wonderful opportunity!!

TBT

So lets start with what normal breathing is, as an older adult at rest (sitting) they should breath in and out 12 to 20 times during 60 seconds. That is without really thinking about it.

The effect of good breathing is important to tissue intercity. Think of it like this… the reason you are out of breath is that your body can’t get the blood that is required to the muscles or tissues that are requiring the oxygen. So your body says “breath deep, get me more oxygen.”

Having oxygen available to the tissue keeps it healthy and vibrant. When tissues is deprived of oxygen for a consistent period of time, it will die.

So breath and breathing is important for cellular re growth and building, staying strong, and much much more.

Signs of poor breathing in a older adults are less then 12 breaths in 6 sec, or wheezing or coughing, and not inflating the chest.

2. What are some ideas for simple flexibility exercises that a someone with limited mobility could do?

Lets start with the bottom and work our way up.

A) Foot rolling: sitting on a chair with your feet on the floor, curl your toes under as if you are scrunching up the rug under you. Your feet are your base of support and need to be working in a number of directions to help you keep your balance.

B) Before you get out of bed in the morning. As you are laying on your back take one knee into your chest or both as best you can then draw a circle with your knees in both directions

C) Lets move on up to the shoulders . While standing, lean your back against a wall and slowly slide your bent arms up the wall. Try and keep your forearms in contact with the wall the whole time. You can straighten them out.

3. Why is strength important for us as we age? I think I answered that below. You can develop and gain strength at any age, so don’t think it is too late to start. Strength is integral for so many things. Listed below are a few.

Joint height

Postural

Balance

Endurance

4. What are some easy strength building exercises that an individual could do?

Keep it simple! Figuring out what you want to work on and executing those multiple joint movement can be very difficult for someone who has no experience in exercise.

What ever strength training exercise you choose, should be related to something that they do already, so they have a general understanding as to what they are doing and why!

5. What are some tips for relaxation and stress reduction?

With older adults cognitive function decreases. So writing down all the things they are thinking about is actually really freeing for an older adult. You often hear them say things like “I can’t remember what I was going to say or give me a min I will remember”. By writing things down it gives them access to a support system. Which helps them feel like they are still able to think and do things the way the did.

Giving them useful tools such as deep breathing can be very helpful for when they get themselves into situations that they may feel are overwhelming.

Working with Seniors it so great, it truly is like putting a puzzle together. There are so many factors that go into to having a well rounded and supporting exercise program for a senior. Medication and limitations are normally the two big factors that need to be considered before taking on an exercise program.

Depending on client limitations and goals for active living. You can then start to construct an exercise program once you have taken in all the information, done a range of motion assessment and know what the goal is for that individual. It may even be as simple as being able to dress themselves and wash there hair.

Reasearch after research shows that no matter what age we are in this day and we don’t move enough. As a person 65 years plus 150 minutes of physical activity where they get their heart rate elevated is ideal in a week. 150min can be broken up into 15 short little 10 min walks to start….which leads me to my next component endurance.

Endurace of our cardio system is important for people 65 plus. As we age our cardio system depletes it self without use, so by building up the durations we can ensure that this won’t happen. Walking will not only improve not our cardio capacity but make the body more effective and efficient for our day to day life. For example independently going out to the store when we need to.

Strength and balance are two other important factors that should be considered.

Strength is truly amazing, even as an ageing person you can still build muscle, it is those muscles that are going to keep you having great posture and less aches and pains in your joints.

Caregivers and children of an aging parent often think that is to late for my parent as they can hardly carry their bag or maybe they walk with a walker. As I said earlier, it is never too late to start strength training. It can even start out as isometrics. Research is showing that even in obese clients, that isometrics can produce great starting results to build muscles, increase strength and improve joint integrity.

Balance would be the final component that is important….for each person this component will vary depending on their current state and goals. With balance this is a big one.

Due to smaller postural muscles not being as strong and supportive. Our bones and joints tend not to be able to keep our balance……improved strength leads to improved balance…..

In closing that questions these 4 key components of exercise need to be carried through for each individual….BUT all are important to some degree.

Train by Trina was part of a co-branding booth, containing 6 independent companies including: Rose Reisman’s Personal Gourmet, ReliABle Independent Living Services, Bayshore Home Health, Haircuts on Wheels and Remax agent Jeffrey Kerr who specializes in selling wheelchair accessible homes.

We had a lot of fun and had the opportunity to meet a lot of great people. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us. A special thanks goes out to our guest performer Elvis. Check out the pictures and the video clip below!

Elvis on a BOSU

The kick Acid Diet is by Dr. Alwyn Wong

September Promotion

You are thinking about or maybe working towards making a positive change in your life style. This should be a time of celebration and re-growth. Sometimes, the uncertainty of the “How To’s” and the “Where To’s” can be overwhelming and even discouraging. That’s why your Personal Trainer should be utilized as your most important resource.

1st: Your trainer should be flexible with your schedule. All trainers (including the ones in the gyms) have the ability to be flexible. Don’t let them fool you otherwise. Big Hint: you need to work out at a time that is most suited to you. Everyone is different and some people work better at 6:30am when others are better at 9:30pm. Don’t let your trainer force you into a time slot that is not comfortable with your schedule or your sleeping patter. Most trainers will be able to accommodate you at your specific times so that you can get the most out of your workout. If your trainer won’t negotiate on time, then keep looking! But remember, your workout is for you and your benefit so it should suite your schedule not someone else’s.

2nd: Your trainer should provide a Free consultation and Free testing. I can’t stress this enough. Make sure there is an opportunity for you to get to know each other before you make your decision. This is one of the essentials and what this initial consultation and testing is for. The fitness testing and consultation will help you get an idea as to what type of a trainer they are and if your personalities are compatible. Like in every industry there is good and bad practitioners, therefore test-driving is important for longevity!

3rd: Good trainers have a network of health care professionals that they can refer you too. This is a great way to see how plugged into the fitness industry they really are. Most personal trainers will refer to a network of professionals that they know personally and have used their services. Your trainer, if experienced, has many contacts within diet, nutrition, rehab and alternative health care that they will/should refer you too if they feel it necessary.
You don’t get what you don’t ask for…. So Ask! This is a sure fire way of making the most of your training dollar. There should be no cost for this referral service. There is nothing like the comfort of knowing you are in good hands and if you trust your trainer from the beginning you will know that they are sending you to a good practitioner. This is also a great way to do a under cover background check on your trainer.

4th: Trainers can and should bring it all together for you. This goes hand in hand with their network of professionals. You should expect them to be responsible for checking in with you and seeing how you are enjoying your program. Seeing if there are any aches or pains that are occurring due to your exercise. This is when they should use there network to WOW you an be able to refer to other professionals without there ego getting in the way. They should be asking you questions everyday with regards to your status, as we all know each day out body changes. If they are not asking you questions then this is a big warning sign. It implies that they may not be a committed to your well-being and total health. This is not what you are looking for. You are looking for fitness professional that you can trust your health to. If someone cares about you they will ask about you.

5th: Your trainer needs to be approachable and compassionate to your specific needs and goals. A trainer who is a professional and one who understands the importance of your health and how big of a step you are making to change your life style. You need to feel comfortable and be able to have continual dialog with regards to your ever-changing needs. A professional should be able to modify any exercise to suite you and should set goals for you to reach. There should be that motivation to want to do more and this is what they are there to provide.

6th: Most importantly, your trainer should de dependable and reliable. This is your health we are talking about!! Without your health you really can’t do a lot. BIG HINT: If you are running into the problem of your trainer not being reliable it is time to make a change. You are committed to your goals and so should your trainer be.

This is how we think at TBT! Hope to hear from you soon.