The Runner's High

 
    So yesterday morning I decided to get up extra early before school (5:15am)
and go for a 5km run. Of course, that is easier to think than to do. Running
that early in the day can be tricky when it is so dark and rainy and the
wind is strong.
    However, I realized that these extrinsic weather factors should not affect
my decision to go out and run, so I went anyway. While running this early in
my day, I had the chance to clear my head and capture my thoughts as well as rekindle my visions for the next few months. While finishing my run, I
pushed the last km hard and finished with your typical middle distance
sprint. As I completed my run, I had "Hey Jude" on my iPod. I stood in the
middle of the street, looked up at the sky and realized that there was no
other place and no other feeling that could replace how good I was feeling
at this time.
     That moment made me realize how happy I was be able to do something I enjoy
anytime I want to. The freedom to run is one of the greatest freedoms in the
world. The ecstasy surrounding a well deserved exercise bout is almost like
giving your mind and body your favorite treat at the same time. This high is
commonly coined the "the runner's high" and can be experienced for the price
of a cheap pair of shoes and 20-30 minutes of your time. For those of you
who cannot run, swimming, cycling and other forms of exercise can scratch
that itch as well. Find what makes that high come out in you and go after
it. Chase it down, experience it and brace yourself for the enjoyment it
brings.

Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro
NCCP

Plyo Video

Hey folks. Here is a video I recorded the other day while doing pylometrics. Basically, these are "box jumps". They are explosive movements which require a load and a "deload" by jumping repeatedly to and from the box. When doing plyo, make sure you have proper footwear, clothing, water etc, and make sure your core is tight while jumping on and off the box.

Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro
NCCP

Sunday Workouts

  

    Sunday was a great day. Not only was NASCAR on TV, the weather was great and there was plenty of time for a decent workout. Sunday is probably my busiest day during the school year, but in the spring I finally get to enjoy Ryan Sundays. On Ryan Sundays, I have plenty of time during the day to do what I want. So, this Sunday I watched NASCAR after work, took a slight nap and then ventured off to Antigonish's Goodlife for my shoulder workout. 

       Typically, I am so worn out on Sundays, I can barely get through my bootcamp and rest up for Monday's. However, this Sunday was different. I thoroughly enjoyed my 40 minute shoulder and core workout, which included clean and press, seated dumbbell shoulder press, and plate swings (my personal favourite). I finished my shoulders off with a Smith machine seated shoulder press. For my core work, I did three sets of hip lifts, Russian twists and an exercise I call the Hangman's Gift (see picture provided). Despite napping prior to my lift, I had a great workout.  

         Next Sunday, I'm encouraging you to take time to do what you love. Whether it is going for a walk with your spouse, walking your dog or just throwing a frisbee with a friend, just do it. There is no substitute for the happiness that comes from healthy movement.

Ryan Fahey

B.A Human kinetics

CPTN Canada

Canfitpro

NCCP

Guidelines for Adults with a Spinal Cord Injury

Check out this report by Participaction. Also, follow them on twitter!

Guidelines for Adults with a Spinal Cord Injury


Ryan Fahey
Physical & Health Education Specialist
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro FIS, PTS

Vision

  
   ~He who lacks Vision is already stagnant.~
    That is a famous quote from former president Bill Clinton. The truth behind this statement is an affirmation of the necessity of seeking out new opportunities, positions, business ventures, etc by casting your vision. Having a vision for your life, your job, your family and the entirety of your future is key to being prepared for the stresses that life throws at you. If you constantly look ahead to the next season, the next year or the next job you are hoping to get, do not hesitate to narrow in your vision.  
     Having a vision for the future is a great thing and it is free. It can foster feelings of optimism when things at your job may not be so great and it can keep you motivate through the ups and downs with life. Vision works best when it is narrowed in and your vision is achievable. Just like goal setting, vision can be the roadmap to your success. For example, if I want to set new summer fitness goals, I have to have a vision of where I want my fitness levels to be, how I want to feel, how I want to look and I need to think about if this vision is in line  with my personal goals. But, without narrowing in on that vision, we often lose sight of our goals and fall short on seeing them through.
     I like to treat my vision as a game of chess. In chess, you must think two steps ahead in order to succeed in successive moves. The vision practiced there transfers over into other aspects of my life. Envisioning life and your goals two steps before they happen can make all the difference. A good friend once told me, "Ryan, when you stand at the crossroads of life, choosing the path which contributes most to your visions is the best choice." I truly believe this and believe in constantly having a vision.

Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro
NCCP

Healthy meals for students and other busy people!

Wellness day

      

     The other day, the school where I am doing my practice teaching organized a wellness day. This is an annual school event whereby students engage in wellness related activities such as mountain biking, learn to run, vegetarian cooking, yoga, etc.  many of these workshops expose students to physical activity and opportunities to explore the term "wellness" while being at school. What can be better than this? This is fantastic! Students have the chance to learn, ask questions and safely participate in these workshops for free. During this wellness day, the school also provides healthy snacks such as bananas, apples, nut free granola bars, water, etc for all the students and wellness presenters to enjoy. The atmosphere is truly enlightening. Local markets supple fresh fruit to fuel this day and this gives students the opportunity to eat healthy on a day where they may typically not have breakfast or lunch or a snack. Making these snacks available adds to the constructive wellness atmosphere within the school.    
      I was a presenter just a few days ago, offering a workshop titled, "Running 101". This workshop was awesome. Using the Doctors' of Nova Scotia coaching handbook, I put students through a proper warm up, cool down and a 2km run. I taught my participants to run safely, plan for their runs effectively and prepare for their runs diligently. It was a great time and I feel that a significant amount of health literacy was learned from my two workshops.  
     The buzz around the school was astounding. Despite the rain, students enjoyed running outside and mountain biking. They were also comforted knowing healthy snacks were provided as it peeked their energy levels. Ultimately, the entire day was a success and the passionate presenters enjoyed spending time with the kids. It was a win win for presenters and students as well as giving teachers' a well deserved break for teaching in class. I recommend that YOU ask your boss, teacher, co-worker or manager to replicate this event within your school or workplace. Health literacy always pays for itself at the end of the day, so tell your coworkers that it is a good idea to invest in.
 Ryan Fahey
 B.A Human Kinetics
 CPTN Canada
 Canfitpro
 NCCP

Home gym rave!

    
     There is just something about having a home gym. Having your own little space,  not having to leave your house and enter the cold winter weather and being able to literally role out of bed and squeeze in your 30min workout in a more efficient manner is desirable. They are truly an awesome thing to have in your life.          
     When I created my home gym (seen above) I built it up slowly by collecting a selection of different weight plates, dumbbells, bars, stability balls (not shown), etc.  this was not a gym I could create over night. I had to go to great lengths to purchase and collect some of my equipment and was given the Weider home gym bench set for Christmas last year. But, the whole point is that it took me about 2 years to get a fully functional based home gym in my parents basement.     
      Since having the gym, I have added a sweet stereo with a fibre Op cord and sub woofer to maximize my intensity and change the mood of my workouts accordingly. I don't know about you, but I love working out at home when I have the chance! Gyms are great but let's face it, most of us would prefer exercising in the luxury of our own homes!      
      I encourage you all to start putting together YOUR makeshift home gym. Whether it is a steel pipe hanging from two pieces of rope on the rafters becoming your precious pull up bar or simply grabbing a pull up bar from Walmart and putting it up in the door way like Scooby would do [http://www.scoobysworkshop.com/] anything can become your gym equipment. You do not need anything fancy, you just need space and preferably something which you can move, or something that will allow your body to move. That is the basis of any exercise! Next time you are at a yard sale, scout out some "gym" gear like a dumbbell or even a short bar you can load weights on.  Even if the dumbbell is 90lbs, buy it and figure out a way to incorporate it into your workouts or use it as your long term goal to move it properly with ease. Some of the fittest people in the world train in their basement or vacant garage space, so I don't tell me you cannot workout at home. Hahaha. It saves on expensive gym memberships, gas in your car,  pricey lulu pants and fancy shoes. Just sweat pants and a t-shirt can be the dress code for your new home gym.            
     Ultimately, you can tell your friends and coworkers that you too are the sole owner of your business. After all, you own your own unique home gym which no one can fully replicate!

 Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro
 NCCP

Goal setting

       
        Good day folks. Today we are talking about goal setting. Goal setting is not like advanced calculus or biochemistry in that it takes hours and hours to figure out how to do it properly. Rather, goal setting is a simple formula. Like many Trainer's, business owners and dietitians, I prefer to set my goals using the S.M.A.R.T acronym. S=specific, M=measurable, A=achievable, R=realistic and T=trackable. Keeping this acronym in mind, there are two types of goals. 1) Short term goals and 2) Long term goals. Short term goals are simply goals which you attempt to achieve over a shorter amount of time (i.e a week or a month) and an example could be "I want to lose 5lbs of fat mass this month". Long term goals are goals which you  attempt to achieve over multiple months to a year or years down the road. an example of a long term goal could be, "by the end of 2012 I want to be able to run 20 minutes non stop."        
        Notice something interesting about these goals? They are both realistic and specific. See, when implementing the smart acronym to your planning, be sure to always be realistic. It is very easy to set the bar to high and be overly excited and burnout; thus not fulfilling your goals. Always be realistic when thinking big picture! If you were to ask me which parts of the acronym are the most important I would not be able to answer that. I believe that they are all important in an equal way.  Goals need to be specific and narrowed in. They need to be measured in some way. Goals Need to be realistic,specific and achievable. They also  need to be tracked so that your long term goals can then be implemented to work for you!        
       Next time you are attempting a new change in your life or in your career goals, use this S.M.A.R.T acronym and you will be surprised just how effective it can be for you!  

  Ryan Fahey
 B.A Human Kinetics
 CPTN Canada
 Canfitpro
 NCCP

Birthday Zen

  
    Doing what you like and want to do on your birthday is probably one of the most overlooked things in our lives. We often get caught up doing what we want during the Holiday's, on special vacation days, etc but we do not always do what it is we wish to do on our birthday's as they sometimes fall on a a work day or during a crazy time of year. However, no matter when your birthday is, you should take the time during your birthday and do whatever it is you wish to do. Whether that is taking time for yourself to workout, go for a run, read a book, talk to a long lost friend or put on your favorite movie. I cannot stress this enough.     
      Yesterday was my 23rd birthday and one of my clients reminded me to take that day to do everything I wanted to do. So, I slept in, went for a 6km run, worked out, had a piece of homemade carrot cake and enjoyed my time with my family and friends. To me, those are all important aspects of my life. I enjoy working out, spending time with my family, eating great food and talking/laughing with those I love.     
        This is my example of how I celebrated my birthday, now I want you to do the same. I want you to really try to block out any distractions, work, business or stress you may have in your life and really spend time practicing your "birthday zen". There is no better feeling then spending quality time doing what you enjoy.       
        I challenge all of you to find your birthday zen this upcoming year and when you feel that "zen", think of me and think about how great that feeling really is. We only have so many birthday's folks, so enjoy each one you can.

 Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
 Canfitpro
 NCCP

Friendship and emotional wellness

      Badminton may be the greatest sport going, but nothing replaces a best friend.  Last night I went to one of my good friend's birthday party. Having had a long, exhausting day teaching and coaching, I still felt amped up to be in good company with friends. From guitar playing, singing, laughing and telling stories there were many hugs and high fives to go along with  fireworks. It was truly awesome. While visiting my friend, my other buddy decided to give me something truly special. Knowing my birthday is soon, he searched out a unique gift which is one of those gifts I will always look at and use and think of him. You know what those kind of gifts are! They are not necessarily the kind of gifts you just ask for. Rather, they are those gifts that just fit and completely surprise you and you think, "Wow, how did I not think about this." It was priceless and receiving it reminded me of our close friendship.  
      So your sipping on your coffee and thinking, "Ryan, this is pretty touching but where are you going with this." Well, go out today and find one of your friends and tell them how special they are. Remind them of how much you value their friendship. Help them when they need your listening ear and guide them through life's obstacles. We cannot begin to fathom how our lives would be negatively affected if friend's were absent from our lives. Sometimes a small present, a good shout out, a great conversation or even a good laugh can completely transform your friend's life and remind them of how significant you are to them!          
     Selecting and maintaining friendships and common values needs to be a thought out decision. Find people who share what you value, live how you live, listen and support you and who think like you. Those friendships will only strengthen you and bring the best out in you. Having friends like this will sustain your emotional, physical and spiritual wellness!

 Ryan Fahey
 B.A Human Kinetics
 CPTN Canada
 Canfitpro
 NCCP

Badminton video

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RkHHP1eKhak There is the badminton video to go along with the badminton blog!

Badminton

       Is there really anything better? This sport has it all. Speed, strength, agility, focus and endurance, badminton challenges you to think and act in a consistent, confident way to win matches. First, let me state that I am a certified badminton coach in Canada and am biased towards this sport in terms of my affinity for the game. I really enjoy coaching, playing and competing in this sport.    
       Badminton is a gateway sport into many other sports such as racquetball, squash, tennis, etc and I have seen kids transform their lifestyle habbits for the better through participating in badminton. Having line judged for the Canada winter games and coached entry level badminton players, I have seen and enjoyed the artistic expression surrounding this sport.  In places around the world, Badminton is ramping up. Denmark, Malaysia and China have all led the way in the last few decades in developing the world 's greatest badminton athletes and I encourage you to watch the video I have posted to see the intensity and expression in the sport. I actually follow badminton Denmark on twitter and enjoy seeing pictures of world class play from around the world.  (tweet me @wellnessrf)    
    Ultimately, parents; I encourage you to find a local badminton club in your area and get your children involved to at least try it. For all you youngsters reading my blog, I encourage you to give it a shot, do not get frustrated if you are not the greatest player in the world. Continue to practice and have fun playing. Trust me,  badminton is a great lifelong sport.

 Ryan Fahey
 B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
 Canfitpro
 NCCP