Quote To Live By

       A wise man once said that if you want to function at your best and become successful, you must never regret spending money on your gut. I reflect on that statement every time I enter the grocery store.

      We darken the doors of our local grocery stores to supply ourselves with enough food to sustain us for a few days to a couple of weeks. We cruise the isles looking for what we want and often settle for something different because it is "cheaper". A prime example of this is pasta. When purchasing pasta, especially for a college student, it is so much easier to reach for the cheaper option of Kraft Dinner than to reach for a better option of egg noodle pasta. Noodle pasta is packed with protein and does not come with powdered cheese. However, it costs more money so people often choose KD instead. Think about your own grocery store experience and I am sure you do or have done the same thing. Reaching for the cheaper option is not necessarily the wrong option. Sometimes many healthy, nutritious items can come on sale (like apples in the summertime). Whatever you reach for in the aisles, it is so important to remember this quote:

"Never Regret Money You Spend on Your Gut".

      We all purchase items under some form of a tight budget.You are probably thinking, "Ryan, I can’t afford to buy some of these ‘healthier’ items when other items are far cheaper and appear to be healthy options as well". Well you are right. Food companies label their products to look and sound much healthier than they often are. Think about your budget line. Are you also spending your grocery budget on chips, cookies, cigarettes, alcohol, lottery tickets and other less important items. If you are to truly live by the above quote, you must first allocate as much funding as possible towards your grocery purchasing budget. This well give you the flexibility you need to buy the healthiest options.

      Now, if you spend more money on your groceries by choosing healthier options (yes, it will increase your grocery bill) what satisfaction will you get from that?

-You will feel so much better throughout the week from eating better food.
-You and your children will be choosing and eating healthier options at home.
-You ( and your family) will function better at work and school with better results.

      What challenges are you facing with this quote? What 'items' and ‘things’ are reducing your grocery budget each week that may not be the best choice for you and your family? Are the savings worth it in the long run?

Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro FIS, PTS
NCCP

My Bootcamp

  

     Each week I am blessed to teach adult group fitness classes for the St. FX University Recreation Department. On Wednesdays, from 5:15pm until 6:00pm, I have the opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives through fitness. From the welcoming smiles to the wiping of foreheads, every minute of bootcamp is enjoyable. I teach a circuit style class with both cardiovascular training (CVT) components and resistance training (RT) components. I find it is the best way to tackle bootcamp in a fast pace, calorie burning endeavour.

Here is the breakdown of my class:

-Warm up (WU) 5 Minutes

-7 Stations set up around the room which hit every muscle group (I invite you to come to my class to see what these are!)

-Rotate clockwise from station to station

-In between each rotation, 1 minute of HITT’s- High intensity interval training

-Once every participant has completed each station, if time allows, I usually have a participant's choice. Here participants choose their favorite station/exercise and repeat it.

-Cool Down/Stretch

       I have been teaching bootcamps for three years now. I continue to enjoy it more every day. I always make sure participants get a good workout at any level of fitness they may have and I never have participants so exhausted they cannot walk home. There is just something rewarding about making your own, authentic exercise lesson plan, executing it in a safe, fun and effective manner with high fives and smiles all around from participants after class! I firmly believe I will still be teaching a form of bootcamp by the time I am 40, 50 and probably even when I am 60 in some form or another. There is no better way to socialize and meet new people than to do it through a class such as bootcamp. I encourage all of you to find a fitness class you think you will enjoy and try it! There are yoga classes, zumba classes, step classes, etc. pretty much around every corner. Find one, get involved and enjoy it!

Ryan Fahey

B.A Human Kinetics

CPTN Canada

Canfitpro FIS, PTS

NCCP

The Badminton Movement

      It is not rocket science. It is competitive, fun, inclusive, fair, social and physically demanding. The movement I am referring to is Badminton. Badminton is a sport which I have seen played by players of all ages, up to the late 70's and as young as 8 years old. When we look at the LTAD model for "Long Term Athletic Development" the first state of development outlined in the 7 stages within the LTAD model is the movement of badminton. Below are the 7 stages of the LTAD model:

• Stage 1: Active Start (0-6 years)
• Stage 2: FUNdamentals (girls 6-8, boys 6-9)
• Stage 3: Learn to Train (girls 8-11, boys 9-12)
• Stage 4: Train to Train (girls 11-15, boys 12-16)
• Stage 5: Train to Compete (girls 15-21, boys 16-23)
• Stage 6: Train to Win (girls 18+, boys 19+)
• Stage 7: Active for Life (any age participant

      Badminton is reflective of the "Active for life" phase. This phase is defined by Canadian Sport For Life as: "Staying Active for Life through lifelong participation in competitive or recreational sport or physical activity." Staying active for life has NEVER been a bad thing. Being active for life can positively effect your health, keep your waistline in check, enhance your quality of life through being able to function properly due to over all health, etc. Being active for life can also keep you balanced which is a key word in turning your wellness wheel, steering your bike in the right direction as you age. 
    According to the Public Health Agency of Canada the benefits of physical activity (i.e recreational Badminton) are:

• better health
• improved fitness
• better posture and balance
• higher self-esteem
• weight control (mentioned above)
• stronger muscles and bones
• feeling more energetic (Energy Management)
• relaxation and reduced stress
• continued independent living in later life (So important to emphasize)

     The truth is, we cannot be bystanders if we wish to enhance our quality of life by being active for life. A coach mentioned to me just the other day that in North America we tend to be awesome bystanders and sport spectators. This can be entertaining I agree. However, if we are to set an example for our children to live by as they grow and we all grow together within a nation, we need to keep in mind the LTAD model, enrol ourselves, our friends and our children into safe life long movements such as badminton. It is not rocket science. Move!

Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro FIS, PTS
NCCP

How to get your ideas to spread

What ideas do you believe? Why not create your own ideas and get others to buy into them?

Ryan Fahey
B.A Human Kinetics
CPTN Canada
Canfitpro FIS, PTS
NCCP