Happy New Year! Is 2020 the year you will start doing Archery?

Happy New Year!

I am scheduling this post to go live at 12:01 AM on January 1st 2020.

While I am writing this on December 31st 2019 it is technically already 2020 in Tokyo Japan, so I guess 2020 has already started.

Many people do New Years Resolutions, but personally I started my New Years Resolutions a few months ago.

After all, why wait for January 1st 2020 when you can start your new resolutions RIGHT NOW. Or in my case, back in November.

So what are my resolutions for 2020 (some of which I started doing early)?

#1. Do More Archery.

As a Toronto archery instructor it is a guarantee that I will be doing archery, but on a personal level what I really want is to do more personal practice. More time for me to do archery myself, or possibly while just hanging out with my son or my friends who are also archery fanatics.

For those people looking for archery lessons in Toronto I recommend prebooking your Spring or Summer archery lessons now to get the best time slots which suit your schedule. After all, if you don't get your ideal time slots that will interfere with your goal of "doing more archery".

For those people who have been procrastinating about starting archery, for whatever reason, now is your chance. I provide all of the archery equipment during lessons so you don't need to buy anything. Just book the lesson(s), show up, and be ready to shoot.

#2. Eat More Salads.

My wife and I started doing this one back in November.

What makes it easier is we having been buying lettuce, cleaning the lettuce leaves, and ripping it up into smaller pieces which we then store in ziplock bags in the fridge. Then whenever we want a salad it is very easy to just grab a handful of lettuce from the bag, toss it in a bowl, add salad dressing, croutons, etc and it is ready to eat.

Having the extra steps of having to clean lettuce leaves when you are trying to decide what to eat (and possibly feeling lazy) discourages a person from choosing the salad option. Since they are already cleaned and ripped it makes you more likely to choose the salad.

#3. Write More Magazine Articles.

Okay, this is more of a personal resolution for myself, but maybe some of you out there are also writers.

I regularly write and submit articles to Archery Focus Magazine. Sent a new one back at the beginning of December 2019, so this is another of the resolutions that I have already started.

However I don't want to limit myself to one magazine. I want to start submitting more articles to other magazines, both those about archery and other topics as well.

#4. Publish More Fiction and Non-Fiction.

Another personal resolution for myself. In 2019 I published three fantasy paperbacks. A novel, a novella and an anthology. My next book "The Blizzard's Daughter" is due out March 1st 2020 and is currently available for preorder.

I am hoping to publish four new fantasy books during 2020.

I have also been working on a work of non-fiction, about archery, which I hope to publish September 1st 2020.

#5. Go to the Beach More.

Going to the beach with my wife and son is a fun family activity. We get to build sandcastles, shoot stones into Lake Ontario using slingshots, throw frisbees around, and even swim.

#6. Go Bicycling More.

I own 8 bicycles and I would really like to use them more often. However in my case this means I may need to purchase some kind of trailer for towing my son around with me.

Bike trailers typically range in price from $160 to $800, with many of the mid-range trailers being about $300 to $500.

Now you might think "Gee, that is awfully expensive!" But when you consider a gym membership is about $900 to $1200 per year that it doesn't seem so bad, as this allows you to get outside and exercise with the toddler in tow. (I don't know any gyms that allow toddlers to come exercise with you.)

You can also find used bike trailers fairly easily as parents with toddlers eventually switch to bicycles and want to get rid of their old bike trailer, which is probably in decent condition if they barely used it. So if I could find one half price that is in decent condition that will satisfy our needs.

#7. Take my son Sledding.

In 2019 my wife purchased a red sled for our son to ride inside during the winter. So during January and February of 2020 I want to make use of the sled by taking him sledding. For me this is effectively exercise and an excuse to take photographs of my son.

Hopefully he has fond memories of sledding when he is older.

#8. Do More Chores.

I have a list of tasks I want done around the home.

#9. Take More Naps.

Do chores then take a nap. Sounds like a plan!

#10. Spend Quality Time with Friends and Family.

Something to do in the evenings? Better than staying home and watching Netflix and Disney+. (BTW, I am really disappointed with Disney+. It is very glitchy. It is so bad I would rather read a book when Disney+ starts glitching constantly.)

#11. Read More Books.

I have a stack of books waiting to be read, by a variety of authors.

#12. Work on my cooking skills.

One of the best ways to take control of your health is to learn how to make healthy food. I admit most of my cooking skills however lean towards foods that are fattening / high in cholesterol. In 2020 I would like to learn healthier recipes and learn how to control my intake of fat and cholesterol.

I am not getting any younger. I need to eat healthy.

And so should you. Many of us suffer from a lack of healthy cooking knowledge.

One of the things I do is I am subscribed to a number of cooking channels on YouTube and they show up in my YouTube feed when I watching YouTube. Whenever I spot a recipe that looks interesting I watch it, and sometimes I end up trying the recipes.

Here are two cooking channels I recommend:

1. Food Wishes
2. Townsends

Food Wishes is all modern cooking, and includes a variety of healthy and non-healthy options. But learning both are potentially useful as you are still learning cooking skills.

Townends is likewise interesting as it focuses on traditional recipes from the 17th and 18th centuries, many of which are healthy options. Townsends isn't all cooking either. They also talk about other topics from those periods.

The Best New Years Resolution for 2019

Looking for a really good New Years Resolution?

Want to get off your butt and exercise?

Want to eat healthier?

Well, there is one New Years Resolution that is flexible and suits your needs...

It is "Just Do It Now." That is it. No fancy goals like "I want to lose 20 pounds during the next 20 weeks." or other specific goals. Just a simple motto of getting stuff done, now, without procrastination.

For Example:

Want to sign up for archery lessons? Always wanted to do archery? Just do it now. Just click the link below, email me via cardiotrek@gmail.com, and sign up for archery lessons. Done.

http://www.cardiotrek.ca/p/archery-lessons.html


Now you may have noticed that usually we post 12 New Years Resolutions. But this year the focus is really just on the one concept. Just do it now. But for those who need a bit extra, here goes.

12 New Years Resolutions for 2019

1. Just do it now.
2. Not later, now.
3. It might rain later again anyway, so do it now.
4. Just get it over with and do it now.
5. People who accomplish things with their life just get things done and over with.
6. Bored? Go do something and get it done.
7. Tired? Have a nap and then get something done.
8. Stressed? People who worry suffer twice, so get it done and then you won't have to worry about it anymore.
9. Great things come to people who wait, but why wait when you can do great things now?
10. Happiness is getting your tasks done and then relaxing, knowing you already did them.
11. A clean house helps create a clean mind. Cleaning is exercise, so why not do both?
12. That task you said you would do later? Just do it now.

12 Super Easy New Years Resolutions for your Health

Hey Toronto! Looking for 12 healthy New Years Resolutions which are actually easy to do that will be better for you over the long term? Here you go!

#1. Set yourself a goal of drinking 1 litre of water every day.

To accomplish this goal you will end up cutting back on sugary drinks, coffee, alcohol and other things you should probably not be drinking anyway. More water and less sugary drinks means you will be consuming less calories and lose weight over time from fat loss.

#2. Set a timer on your phone for times when you need to exercise.

Setting the timer is the easy part. Getting up and exercising every time the timer sounds is the tricky part. Try to schedule the timer to be a part of the day you set aside normally for relaxing, and then you won't have any excuses. So if you are watching TV when it goes off, use that time to watch TV and exercise simultaneously.

There are also a variety of free exercise apps you can choose from to provide you with some direction in what you are doing. When in doubt you could however just go for a walk (and take your camera or dog with you).

#3. Binge Watch TV while Exercising.

Okay so this is actually really fun. Pick a TV show that is 20 or 22 minutes long and then watch a whole bunch of episodes in one day. During the opening credits, end credits (or even commercial breaks) spend that time exercising. When the show resumes, relax and wait for the next credits to resume exercising.

So for example lets say you set yourself a goal of binge watching all 14 seasons of Dallas (the original series) and all 3 seasons of Dallas (the next generation), plus all the movies. (Personal Note - I actually did this years ago.) Then when the credits are rolling, you do exercises. My preference was weightlifting and jumping jacks, as those work well in the short time period, but you could also do yoga, squats and a variety of other exercises.

#4. Play Pokemon Go.

Remember those apps I mentioned above? Well Pokemon Go is basically one of those apps, but it is designed as a game for children. However just because it is for kids doesn't mean you cannot enjoy playing it anyway.

To play Pokemon Go all you need to do is walk. That is it. A whole lot of walking. And the way the game is designed you end up setting yourself goals like walking 2 km or 5 km or 10 km. Before you know it you are making a habit of walking 10 km or more per day. And walking is pretty easy, so you can't really complain about "Oh, this game is too hard. It is too much walking!" Nonsense. You walk as much as you feel motivated to walk, and the rewards in the game of catching Pokemon, visiting Pokestops, collecting medals, etc end up boosting your self esteem and you feel motivated to keep walking.

There are also other Augmented Reality (AR) games similar to Pokemon Go that also involve walking or even running.

• Ingress - Walking around and looking for portals.
• Life is Crime - Walk around and play in a virtual turf war.
• Zombies, Run! - Run, don't walk because if you go too slow the zombies will get you.
• Parallel Kingdom - Walk around and go on fantasy quests in this MMORPG.
• The Walk - Walk until you beat the game (takes about 3 months of walking to beat it), while delivering virtual packages in quests with a storyline.
• Zombies Everywhere - Instead of running away, you walk towards the zombies and shoot them virtually.
• Geocaching - Walk around and look for Geocaches left by other people. Basically a treasure hunt.
• Clandestine Anomaly - Walk around and defeat aliens who are invading the earth.
• SpecTrek - Walk around and search for ghosts in this spectre hunting game.

Veggie Pita

#5. Eat More Vegetables.

This sounds like a fairly simple goal, but really you need to combine it with several things:

• Knowing / learning how to cook or prepare vegetables.
• Possibly taking a cooking class.
• Remembering to buy vegetables more often at the grocery store.

However there is a very easy solution. Take the cooking class mentioned above. Or alternatively make a habit of watching cooking videos about veggies. The more you learn, the easier eating more vegetables suddenly becomes.

Thus what your New Years Resolution really should be is: Take a cooking class. Or watch more veggie cooking videos to learn simple recipes like how to make a veggie pita.

#6. Start Counting Calories.

This one is as easy as buying a notebook (or using scrap paper or a calorie counting app) to start counting how much you are consuming per day. The trick here is to start the process and then keep doing it for at least 20 days.

People who count calories during a diet are basically doubling their chances of succeeding at reaching their weight-loss goal.

Starting to do something is the first step at succeeding at something.

#7. Leave your Work AT Work. Stop bringing it home with you.

Bringing your work home with you all the time (and leaving your work phone on) only adds extra stress to your life. And stress is bad for your health, bad for your eating habits, bad for your sleep patterns, and it is largely unnecessary as work will always be there the next work day any way. So just leave it there and do it at work.

Otherwise you will just be working for free and not getting paid any extra. And ruining your health to try and get a promotion (which would only lead to more work and more stress) isn't really worth it either. You might desire that promotion, but you should be going after it at work - not while at home. At home you should be:

• Spending time with friends and family.
• Exercising.
• Eating well.
• Resting and sleeping.

#8. Take up a new Sport.

Getting involved in a new sport is relatively easy. Especially for those sports that don't require much in terms of equipment.

Maybe there is a sport you have always wanted to do (eg. archery) that you just haven't found time to do yet. Well now is your chance. Make that your New Years Resolution and go get involved in that sport (eg. if you are interest in archery, I recommend getting archery lessons).

And don't worry about your age/etc. It is never too late to learn a new sport.

#9. Look at what your friends are doing for exercise and then say to yourself "I want to do THAT!"

And then do it. Ask your friend for helping getting into that exercise activity (eg. yoga). Once you get the ball rolling, it will happen and it will be so easy having your friend to help you and guide your introduction to the new activity.

Anyone can do Yoga. It just takes patience.

#10. Look around your city for activities to do.

In the city of Toronto we have many pools, ice rinks, walking/hiking trails, cycling paths, basketball courts and many more things to choose from. Go for a walk in your neighbourhood and chances are likely there is something nearby you could get into that would make a good fun activity. Then make that your New Years Resolution, and do it. Sign up. Take part. Meet new people. Make friends. Keep doing it because you love it.

#11. Road Hockey.

This is an easy one for Canadians. Whether you practice alone with a tennis ball and hockey stick, or whether you make friends and meet other people who are also into road hockey, this is something worth doing.

And it isn't just for winter. You can literally play Road Hockey any time of the year. Nobody is stopping you from playing in the summer - possibly barefoot on the beach, or while on rollerblades. Just play.

Beach Hockey - A truly Canadian sport.

#12. Don't take life too seriously.

Back to the stress issue, remember you can always fix a mistake tomorrow. Making this your New Years Resolution means less stress for you. Life live, have fun, don't always fix your mistakes right away, learn to relax.

Looking for something harder to do for your New Years Resolutions? See my posts from previous years by clicking 12 New Years Resolutions.

The Health Benefits of Green Tea

I have been meaning to write a post on the health benefits of green tea for some time now, and have mentioned it many times in past posts, but never a post that focuses solely on green tea. Finally, here it is:

Green tea is one of those rare herbal products growing in consumer popularity mainly because scientific research has validated its health benefits. As a supplement it is being marketed towards prevention of cancer, although green tea has also been linked in research to benefits like preventing diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and other chronic diseases, along with no notable evidence of severe adverse risks even at fairly high dosages (1600 mg of green tea catechins or about 6 - 7 cups of tea per day), the impetus for consuming green tea and its healthful components is strong.

Green Tea's Popularity

Culturally, green tea has been around for many centuries and lauded for its health benefits. Whether it truly was a benefit and how much wasn't fully revealed until recent decades, when studies into the benefits of green tea made it possible to how much it truly benefits tea drinkers.

The tea leaf industry dominates, but there has also been growth in green tea supplements (pills) for those people too lazy to remember to drink a cup or two of green tea per day.

All this talk about green tea has made me thirsty. I am going to go put a kettle on.

And while that is brewing I am going to make a list of all the tea in my cabinet...

1. Alpine Punch Tea (rooibos, coconut, apple, cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, black pepper, rose blossoms, almonds).
2. Blueberry Tea (blueberry, ginseng, gingko).
3. Camomile Tea.
4. Chai Black Tea.
5. Cinnamon Tea, two different kinds.
6. Earl Grey, Decaffeinated Tea.
7. English Breakfast Tea, two different kinds.
8. Green Tea, three different kinds.
9. Ginger Tea (ginger, stevia, black tea).
10. Honeybush Tea (honeybush, safflowers, sunflower petals).
11. Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea (black tea, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel).
12. Korean Barley Tea or 보리차 (toasted barley).
13. Korean Plum Tea or 매실차 (plum, sugar, honey).
14. Korean Ssanghwa Tea or 쌍화차 (ssanghwa powder with crushed almonds).
15. Mekong Cinnamon Tea.
16. Moroccan Mint Tea.
17. Orange Pekoe Tea.
18. Peppermint Tea.
19. Traditional English Tea

Now some of those teas actually belong to my girlfriend (#3, #4, #7, #9, #16, #17, #18 + #19), but to be fair the lion's share of them (11 out of 19) are mine. Thus it would be logical to assume the following:

#1. I must really like tea.
#2. I apparently really like cinnamon tea (this is true).
#3. I really like Korean teas, likely due to my time spent living in South Korea.
#4. I still have 3 different kinds of green tea, although I must admit it is not my favourite.

And those are just the teas I was able to find in the cabinets on short notice. We might have other packages of tea hiding in tins hiding behind pancake mix or bags of rice in other cabinets. I could drink tea every day for a year and probably not run out.

Anyway, lets get back to the topic of green tea.

The Contents of Green Tea

Polyphenols, the major active components of green tea, is what is responsible for some of green tea's health benefits, whether are consumed as a tea or as a pill. However that is not the only active ingredient within green tea, so consuming a pill containing polyphenol doesn't necessarily give you all of the health benefits.

Green tea also contains the following compounds:
• Polyphenols: catechins, phenolic acids, tannins, and flavonols/antioxidants (kaempferol, quercetin, myricitin, and rutin)
• Xanthines: caffeine and caffeine-related stimulants (theobromine and theophylline)
• Vitamins: vitamin C and B vitamins
• Amino acids: L-theanine
• Microelements: aluminum, fluorides, manganese
• Essential oils
+ Boiled Water*** - Boiled water oddly enough has a long list of health benefits all by itself, but that is another topic for another day.

Green tea includes caffeine and caffeine-related stimulants, specific flavonols (which act as antioxidants), and the highly researched class of green tea catechins. Primary green tea catechins consist of epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), epigallocatechin (EGC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG, the most potent in this group, is responsible for most of green tea’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties - which is why green tea is so handy against preventing cancer.

So basically green tea has lots of vitamins in it, plus a host of anti-cancer ingredients, making it overall very useful for preventing cancer and promoting good health in general.

Risks of Green Tea

The U.S. FDA cites 400 mg as the safe threshold for daily caffeine consumption. Above 400 mg, health risks include gastrointestinal upset, muscle tremors, and palpitations. But to drink that much caffeine from green tea, you would need to drink the equivalent of 10 cups of coffee, or approx. 12 cups of green tea per day.

Tea leaves also tend to accumulate aluminum from soil, and chronic high aluminum exposure (more than 20 mg per day for a 150 lb. person) has been found to cause Alzheimer’s disease. However that is basically impossible to consume, as that would require drinking approx. 800 to 1200 cups of green tea per day. It should also be noted that many foods contain aluminum and that small doses of aluminum (approx. 0.1 mg per day) do have health benefits (increases immune response), whereas high doses (20 mg or more) of aluminum have health risks.

So basically the health risks of green tea are practically non existent, and could only result if someone was consuming ridiculous amounts every day beyond the normal amount.

Before and After Qutting Drinking

Happy New Years!

The photos on the right are of Chicago resident Andy Boyle, shown before and after he quit drinking.

The left side is after he quit drinking, at 230 lbs.

The right side is before he quit drinking, at 306 lbs.

His weight loss happened over the course of two years after he stopped drinking and started making some healthy changes in his life.

Combined with his lack of drinking, he also:

• Began eating healthier.
• Began exercising more.
• Bought a condo.
• Wrote a book and multiple movie scripts.
• Performed in multiple comedy festivals.
• Went from a size 42 waist to a size 36 waist.
• Discovered it really was more fun to be a healthier weight.
• Got more sleep.
• Felt more motivated and productive.
• Saved lots of money.

However Andy also discovered at the same time that many people are prejudicial against people who don't drink. They say things like (these are quotes from Andy's website):

"C’mon, dude, just have one beer! It’s not like you’re going to meetings or whatever!”

“I can’t trust someone who doesn’t drink.”

“You’re not fun unless you’re drunk.”

“When you don’t drink, it makes me feel bad about myself, which makes me not like you.”

“I can’t date someone who doesn’t want to get drunk with me, sorry.”

 And frankly, Andy is on to something here. But we need a word to describe this phenomenon. I am going to call it "Pro-Drunkism". It is like Racism and Sexism, but it is basically describing a biased sentiment in favour of getting drunk and a bias against people who don't like getting drunk.

Now speaking for myself, I must admit I enjoy drinking a beer regularly. At least once per week. I know it is unhealthy for me, but I figure I exercise so much that is evens out fairly well. Still it does make me wonder what would happen if I switched to red wine instead.

Here is my reasoning. It is widely known that drinking 1 or 2 glasses of red wine per day has health benefits. Now I don't see myself drinking that much or that often, but it does get me thinking about the amount of calories found in beer vs wine.

eg. 100 grams of beer has 43 calories [according to Google].

That is 154 calories for 1 can of beer (356 grams). Two beers would be 308 calories.

Wine in comparison has 85 calories per 100 grams. Or 125 calories per glass (147 grams).

Thus 1 to 2 glasses of red wine per day would be 125 to 250 calories per day. That is still less than the 154 to 308 calories for 1 to 2 cans of beer per day. It is a small difference, but still lets do the math.

At 2 glasses per day versus 2 beers per day the total for 1 years worth of calories is:

WINE: 250 calories x 364 days = 91,000 calories - - - - divided by 3500 = 26 lbs of fat.

BEER: 308 calories x 364 days = 112,112 calories - - - - divided by 3500 = 32.032 lbs of fat.

WATER: 0 calories x 364 days = 0 calories - - - - divided by 3500 = 0 lbs of fat.

So yes, wine, purely on a calories basis is healthier in theory - unless you guzzle it like you do beer, in which case that would be really unhealthy. 62.94 lbs worth in a year if someone guzzled wine in the same volume like they do beer.

However the easiest and most obvious health choice is to simply drink water instead. A person on a two beers per day habit could potentially lose 64.064 lbs over a two year period just by switching to water and making no other changes to their eating habits. (This assumes a stable diet in which their only excess was an over-consumption of beer.)

Which admittedly could explain most of Andy Boyle's weight loss success.

Now I am not saying that Andy was drinking two beer per day. Not saying that at all. Some of his health changes obviously came from his changes in diet and exercise as well. But it really goes to show people that if you make healthy choices you can really change your life around.

So if you are looking for a New Years Resolution for 2016, how about "switching to water [or wine] instead of beer"?

And while we are at it here are some other New Years Resolutions:

#2. Make Healthier Choices.

#3. Exercise More.

#4. Spend More Time Outdoors.

#5. Spend More Time with Family.

#6. Get an Energetic Dog and go Dog Walking Regularly.

#7. Try a New Sport and Stick With It.

For more ideas check out our past New Years Resolutions on CardioTrek.ca.

Happy New Years from Cardio Trek / New Years Resolutions

Starting a new year is a great time to make New Years Resolutions - assuming you keep them.

Common New Years Resolutions are:

1. Go on a diet to lose weight. eg. Set a goal of losing 10 lbs in 40 days, or 90 lbs in 1 year.

2. Exercise more. eg. Weekly, twice weekly, daily, twice daily.

3. Eat more healthy food. eg. Eat more veggies.

4. Try a new sport. eg. I am planning to do a lot of snowshoeing this winter.

5. Cut out junk food from your diet. eg. No more sugary treats or sugary soda pop.

6. Go to the gym more often. eg. Weekly, twice weekly, daily, twice daily.

7. Hire a nutritionist to help you lose weight. eg. I can recommend a vegan expert if you are thinking of going in that direction.

8. Hire a personal trainer to help you lose weight / gain muscle. eg. If you live in the Leaside area of Toronto, you could hire me.

9. Learn more healthy recipes. eg. Check out the recipes on beautiful-vegan.com.

10. Watch less TV and go walk the dog more often. eg. Take the dog to High Park, Toronto Island or E.T. Seton Park.

11. Donate all of your junk food to charity or to relatives and then do #3 above. eg. Your cousin who is in college could probably get rid of it pretty quickly.

12. Set aside 1 day every week to go exercise with friends or family. eg. Find a friend or family member who wants to try a new sport and then do it together.

Want more ideas for New Years Resolutions you could make? Read some of the following posts from previous years:

12 Exercise New Years Resolutions

12 New Years Resolutions for the Health Conscious!

New Years Resolutions for 2013

13 Diet and Exercise Resolutions for 2013

13 New Years Resolutions for a Beach Perfect Body

Fitness Trends for 2013

Have you given up on your New Years Resolutions yet?

12 Valentines Resolutions

Realistic Exercise and Diet Resolutions for 2014

Ever made a New Years Resolution you did not keep because it was not realistic?

Here are some handy tips for keeping your diet and exercise New Years Resolutions!

#1. Make a schedule, write it down, place it somewhere you will see daily and stick to it.

#2. Make a list of realistic resolutions like the following:

Go for a walk every day for 1 hour.

Stop buying sugary drinks.

Drink green tea every day.

Take the dog for a walk twice per day.

Clean the house every Sunday morning. (Cleaning counts as exercise.)

Go to the swimming pool every Saturday as a family.

#3. The more resolutions you make, and the more realistic those resolutions are, the more likely you are to make real changes in your life. For that reason it is best to make a long list of resolutions and put the most effort into the most realistic resolutions first.

#4. Read lists of New Years Resolutions and see which ones you can do that would be realistic.

Below are some older articles about making resolutions from Cardio Trek to read:

12 Exercise New Years Resolutions

12 New Years Resolutions for the Health Conscious!

New Years Resolutions for 2013

13 Diet and Exercise Resolutions for 2013

13 New Years Resolutions for a Beach Perfect Body

Fitness Trends for 2013

Have you given up on your New Years Resolutions yet?

12 Valentines Resolutions

#5. Recognize how to determine which resolutions are unrealistic. eg. "I will exercise for an hour every day." is unrealistic because you aren't scheduling a specific time and you will probably forget easily, get distracted easily and then not do it.

#6. Remember there is no time like the present. Start exercising today. Right now is even better.

#7. Reward yourself with healthy food that is delicious.

#8. Take up sports that require very little equipment investment - buy the equipment and then schedule the time to do it. eg. Boxing Lessons, Archery Lessons, Swimming Lessons, Ice Skating Lessons.

#9. Don't let your age effect your choices of which sports you want to do. Let your physical health condition be the deciding factor. So if your doctor says you should not be doing hard cardio activities like marathon running then that should be the deciding factor. Don't make your age an excuse. Consult your doctor instead and find a realistic sport you can physically do.

#10. Pick activities and alternative activities you can do regardless of the weather. For example that way if you cannot do archery because it is raining outside then you can spend the day at an indoor tennis court and practice your backswing instead.

#11. Involve your loved ones. Take the husband, the wife, the kids, your siblings, your parents with you to do physical activities. If other people are part of your exercise schedule then they will remind you "Hey it is Sunday, time to go swimming!" A weekly family trip to the swimming pool or similar place will be fun and exercise for the whole family.

#12. Hire a personal trainer (like me!) to help get you started on the right foot.

DON'T MAKE RESOLUTIONS BASED ON HOPES AND DREAMS, MAKE CHANGES THAT ARE REALISTIC.

12 Valentines Resolutions

If January and half of February came and went and you just spent Valentines alone again... maybe it is time you finally did something about it?

If you are reading this fresh it is now February 15th - the day after Valentines. Yep, it is that time of year again.

Maybe you had big hopes and dreams for a romantic evening for Valentines, but it just didn't happen.

Why? Well maybe you are too much of a dreamer - when you should be a doer.

People make New Years Resolutions every year, but I think people should make resolutions for everything. Birthday resolutions. Valentines resolutions. Summer resolutions. Whatever label you want to stick on it. In this case your romantic dreams got shattered because of your inability to attract a suitable mate. Well I am going to try and help you to change that in the following list of 12 tips / resolutions for both losing weight AND attracting a mate. Two lovebirds with one stone!

#1. Take up a hobby / sport that burns both calories and is popular for both sexes. eg. Jogging is equally enjoyed by both men and women. If jogging bothers your knees / joints, try walking daily instead.

#2. Get a gym membership or yoga membership. True, not as many men do yoga, so if you're a lady looking to pick up men at the yoga studio then you will find them in short supply - but hey, you never know!

#3. Research your ideal mate - If you're only interested in dating intelligent men who work with computers (IT men) then you need to look for sports that men of that type would enjoy. Tip: Lots of IT people at the archery range.

#4. Research your exercise goals - Take a trip to the library and start reading up on various exercises to see which ones you would enjoy the most and get the most benefits from. eg. If your goal is to lose weight then weightlifting isn't going to help you (it will just cause you to bulk up on muscle instead). So if you're the type of person who would never get bored of rowing, then get yourself a rowing machine. You can even BUILD your own rowing machine if you have the time and energy.

#5. Clean yourself and your apartment! Seriously, cleaning burns a lot of calories - and nothing attracts a mate more than a really clean apartment - and a clean body. If you are living in a hovel full of refuse, there is something wrong and you need to start by throwing out anything that is garbage (keep anything that can be used for exercising, but make a special bin / box / basket for all your exercise stuff). If you clean up your apartment and then clean up yourself you will feel more healthy and motivated. Having lots of junk laying about messes with your mind and you don't know what to do first because you become paralyzed with doubt.

#6. Eat healthy and change your lifestyle. It only takes 21 days to change your habits. If you eat healthy for 21 days then you can break your habit and get into a new healthier habit. Now it is true, if you break the habit and start a new unhealthy habit for 21 days, you are just going back to the old problem. But you can fix it if you just get right back on the horse and keep trying. Don't be afraid to fall off the proverbial horse. It happens. Just get right back on and keep going until your healthy habits become a new healthy lifestyle. (And people like it when their prospective lovers eat healthy and take good care of themselves.)

#7. Meditate - Having peace of mind and more mental self control can help you to reduce food cravings and stay focused with your new healthy lifestyle. Meditation also reduces stress (and stress hormones causes your body to store more fat) so meditation actually helps you LOSE fat. All that just from thinking quietly.

#8. Focus on doing happy energetic things - the happier you are the more energetic you feel, the more good hormones your brain pumps into your blood, the more happier you feel, the more energetic you feel. Even if the initial happiness was fake and you tricked your brain into feeling happy, the result will still be the same. You begin to be genuinely happy as the cycle self-perpetuates. Exercising causes your body to pump "happy" hormones into your blood to act as painkillers, which in turn make you feel happier - and boosts your endurance levels. Doing fun activities such as sports dramatically improves your smile muscles - and a good smile helps attract a mate.

#9. Brush your teeth and use mouthwash - Healthy teeth = a healthier outlook on life... and it doesn't hurt to have nice teeth when trying to attract a mate.

#10. Wear tighter fitting clothing. Baggy clothing just make you look bigger and fatter - and takes away any muscular physique you might have. You want to show off what you have by wearing tight fitting (or relatively tight) clothing so that other below can enjoy your curves (muscular curves or not).

#11. Set up a home gym. It doesn't take much, a few dumbbells, a skip rope, a stretchy band, and a list of your favourite exercises. Check out other pages on CardioTrek.ca to see a long list of frugal exercises you can do. Having the option to do extra exercises whenever you want at home means you can burn fat faster whenever bored, while watching TV, or even while making breakfast.

#12. Exercise with family members or friends - Maybe you have a cousin or a coworker you can go jogging with every day after work? Or you could hire a personal trainer in Toronto. Whatever works for you, if you exercise with a friend, family member, coworker or personal trainer you will push yourself further than you normally would and it will help you to stay motivated. If you convince family members to join you for cycling trips, volleyball at the beach, baseball at the park or other activities you will all benefit from the healthy activity. - And if you're with a group of people you're more likely to accidentally meet new people.

Right now I am offering a Valentines to St Patricks Day promotion - Hire me as a personal trainer and get 25% off my regular rates until Sunday March 17th 2013. Offer only available in Downtown Toronto.

Have you given up on your New Years Resolutions yet?

February is probably the worst month of the year for people quitting diets and giving up on their exercise goals.

It has been thirty-one days since the New Year of 2013. And it is pretty easy to guess that a lot of people out there have probably already given up on their New Years Resolutions to exercise more and eat healthier.

Regular gym goers across Toronto are already beginning to complain less about equipment wait times and overcrowding in their local gym. January is a great time of year for Personal Trainers... but by February they may have discovered they counted their chickens before they had hatched.

Forgetting about resolutions is just normal - but honestly, it doesn't have to be "New Years" to make fitness resolutions. You could also make:


Spring Resolutions
Summer Resolutions
Autumn Resolutions
Winter Resolutions
Birthday Resolutions

And if you are Catholic or Christian you could also "give things up for Lent", a religious practice whereby you give up certain vices (such as fatty foods, junk food, cigarettes, etc) in order to demonstrate your level of faith/commitment.

Thus if you are finding that your original motivation is about to kick the bucket, just make a NEW Resolution for whatever works for you. "Valentines", "St Patricks" or even goal oriented resolutions like "Fit Into a Bikini".

TIPS / SAMPLE RESOLUTIONS

#1. You could make a new resolution every week.

#2. Try rotating weekly goals between nutrition and fitness.

#3. Focus on only eating food with one ingredient. eg. eggs, nuts, fruits, veggies, lean meat, brown rice, quinoa, cheese etc.

#4. Use your gym membership/personal training sessions/ yoga classes at least three times.

#5. Try not to eat anything processed, frozen or dine out.

#6. Try an activity you have always been meaning to try but never did. eg. Boxing, archery, ice skating, swimming, martial arts.

Don't give up just because you fell off the proverbial wagon or horse. Just get right back on it and keep trying!

Fitness Trends for 2013

Are you still looking for fitness ideas for your New Years Resolutions?

Well you're in luck, because I (Toronto Certified Personal Trainer Charles Moffat) am still blogging about it.

A common reason for people skipping exercise is boredom. They are tired of doing the same ol’ treadmill or elliptical machine day in and day out. It is one of the reasons why the focus of my personal training services is to make exercise FUN because having fun motivates people to keep exercising and keep coming back for more.

I am not alone either. Many fitness experts in North America are trying to think outside the box and try something new that will draw in more clients for their personal training services. Many of their ideas are pretty gimmicky... But some of these gimmicks catch on and become "trends".

Some of them are, well, maybe not entirely new. They might slap a new fancy name on an exercise training technique, but often its following old tried-tested-and-true techniques that people (including the military) have been using for 100 years. Many of the new hot trends for 2013 are actually a return to the basics of fitness with a combination of cardio, resistance training and flexibility exercises. Really they're just trying to make it seem more fun than it really is by jazzing it up with a new name.

One positive things about many of the fitness trend offerings in the New Year of 2013 is that there is less of the sole focus of weight loss and more emphasis on the overall benefits that exercise has for the entire body. Thus many of the people pushing these things are offering “fusion” type workouts that combine different types of exercise, such as adding flexibility and cardio in one class (also called “cross-disciplining”).

So I guess you could say Cross-Discipling is a new trend for 2013... except it isn't. People have been doing that for a long time, they just love coming up with new names for things people already do.

One of my favourites is Cross-Training. Training for one thing by practicing another. eg. Training for archery by doing weightlifting and yoga exercises. Why? Because strength and balance is important for archery. The more strength and balance you have the better you can hold the bow steady. A shaking arm shoots few bull's eyes.

Thus lets say I wanted to create a new fitness program that combines both weightlifting and yoga, with the purpose of training people to be better archers. Yoga with Weights! It would be Cross Discipline Training. Huzzah, I've invented a new combo class for the masses. (Except technically Yoga with Weights has already been done before. I checked.)

The trend for combo classes in 2013 will be focused on blending intense training styles with soothing, restorative ones as regeneration and rejuvenation are becoming integral parts of a workout. eg. "Piloxing" combines Pilates and boxing. Or "Hefty Yoga". Or how about "Hot Wrestling"? A bit like hot yoga, but combined with Olympic style wrestling.

Silliness, I agree. But this is apparently the trends to expect in 2013 because they want these activities to sound fun and exciting. And frankly who could ever get bored of "Hot Wrestling"?

By mixing workouts with disparate disciplines, participants can get the body working in ways it wouldn’t otherwise do. So in the above example of Hot Wrestling you would be using muscles you don't normally use. Plus since we're now dealing with an aging population aggressive cardio exercises are often too difficult on their joints. Thus the trend toward more vigorous workouts that won't damage the joints. The need to stretch and maintain flexibility is becoming more important than ever, but without damaging people's kneecaps in the process.

Another trend will be Functional Fitness, which works with the five natural movements of the body (squat, lunge, push, pull and rotate) to improve joint stability and mobility and improve quality of life.

Note: Fencing is good for doing lunges and similar exercises. More fun than lunges in the gym too.

With this trend will come more “old school” workouts, such as jumping jacks, push-ups, climbing ropes and hill runs - the kind of exercises you may done back in the 1980s or earlier, if you're that old. The good news is that many of these exercises can be done around the home for those who do not have access to a gym.

For the Do-It-Yourselfers out there then there is also more access to fitness support online through SmartPhone apps and fitness videos on YouTube - and websites like Cardio Trek which provide free fitness advice on a constant basis (hint, it helps to subscribe if you want to receive notifications of new fitness articles on a regular basis). If you have the money you can hire a personal trainer here in Toronto (hint hint, pick me) who will work with you through your fitness journey, but if not I have plenty of free advice on this website for those of you who are tightening your financial belt in addition to your waist belt.

For those seeking a more challenging workout, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) programs may be what you are looking for. Trends suggest these will continue to be popular. This trend includes CrossFit, P90X, Tabata and even Parkour (although that is more for youth than people over the age of 30). Such exercises have the added benefit of results in a shorter amount of time. High-intensity exercises causes the body to release more hormones, such as adrenaline, human growth hormone (HGH) and insulin-like growth factor, that are responsible for increasing lean muscle mass and also have anti-aging benefits. They also work as painkillers and help fight back diseases like cancer.

The last trend I want to mention will be social fitness... Some of this may be “fitness parties”, so instead of happy hour at the bar, get a group of friends to attend an exercise class together or find a personal trainer that will work with small groups instead of individuals. It really depends on what the goal is. You will probably get a better price for personal training sessions and the added benefit of friendly encouragement.

Or failing that just invite a bunch of friends to play football or soccer in the park. Frugal baby! (I apparently enjoy shooting myself in the foot by providing cheaper examples of things to do that don't require hiring a personal trainer...)

The bottom line is that if you find something that is both exercise and FUN then you will never get bored of it. Or if you do get bored of it, just try something else that is also fun to do.

And finding an exercise that is fun is certainly a worthwhile New Years Resolution that you will want to keep.

13 New Years Resolutions for a Beach Perfect Body

Want to have a beach perfect body in 2013? Here are 13 New Years Resolutions to help you achieve that dream and make it a reality.

#1. Never give up. Just keep doing it even though you make mistakes.

#2. Set realistic goals over the long term and start working on those goals TODAY. A realistic goal is losing 2 lbs of fat per week (you may build some muscle by accident along the way too, but that is an added bonus). Don't get discouraged if you gain weight in the first week because that will probably be new muscle weight.

#3. Don't procrastinate. Its today or never because tomorrow never comes.

#4. CARDIO BABY, CARDIO!

#5. Weightlifting helps too. Maintains muscle tone and builds your confidence. But remember that cardio should come first. Aim for 80% cardio and 20% weight training.

#6. Healthy eating means a good balance of everything and not binging all the time.

 #7. If you do binge due to loss of control, don't worry about it, just get right back to your fitness routine and work even harder.

#8. Take your vitamins daily. Easy right? Vitamin supplements make sure you are getting enough and you feel more energetic as a result.

#9. Eat an apple every day. Really easy! Apples contain chemicals which cut back on your hunger so you don't feel as hungry.

#10. Take up new sports and activities that are fun. eg. Archery, boxing, kickboxing, rock climbing, snorkeling...

#11. Get yourself a training buddy / jogging partner with similar goals.

#12. Stretches! Stretching uses muscles you often forget about and maintains flexibility.

#13. Track your progress by counting calories, measuring your weight daily and keep track of everything in a journal. People who track their progress see the results, feel more confident and are twice as likely to stick with it and succeed.

13 Diet and Exercise Resolutions for 2013

#1. Focus on Healthy Fats / Omega-3

Cookies, processed meats, white bread and similar foods are high in Saturated Fat / Trans Fat which goes to your waistline very easily. Focus on healthy fats found in nuts, olive oil, avocados, egg yolks and fish.

The simple act of eating more fish and less red meat will help you shed fat and get more "healthy fats".

Switching from white bread to whole grain also makes a big difference, or cut back on your bread consumption entirely.

Eggs are good for you. Especially the yolk which has healthy Omega-3 fatty acids in it. Those acids cause your body to burn sugar more efficiently, making you faster, stronger, smarter, etc.

#2. Dark Chocolate

A little bit of dark chocolate is good for you. Avoid any chocolate that is mostly sugar (eg. "white chocolate" doesn't even have cocoa in it).

#3. Eat More Yogurt

Cut out cheese and ice cream and eat more yogurt. It is waaaaaaaaay healthier for you and you get more calcium, whereas cheese is too fatty and ice cream actually is not a good source of calcium. Milk itself is not a good source of calcium either because the protein in the milk absorbs the calcium and you don't really get the benefit of it.

#4. Diet Now, Not Later

Don't delay. As you get older it becomes more and more difficult to lose weight. If you're going to get in shape the time to do it is NOW.

#5. Healthy Diet is Only HALF the Struggle

Remember that you have to exercise at the same time as maintaining a healthy balanced diet. Eating healthy is only half the struggle.

#6. Fidget

Fidgeting burns calories. Spontaneous physical activity (SPA) like fidgeting, bending, brushing your hair, doing dishes, etc. can burn 350 or more calories a day or 1 lb of fat every 10 days. Regular fidgeting can burn 36.5 lbs per year.

#7. Try Interval Training

Interval Training is more effective than long cardio sessions for burning calories. Try it for a month and discover the benefits.

#8. Eat Smaller Portions

Snacks are good for you, especially when combined with smaller portion meals. You eat less, store less and need less. Don't pig out just because the giant chocolate bar is there. Take 1 piece and save the rest for later.

#9. Only Eat When Hungry

Don't eat just because its "supper time". Eat when you are hungry and in small portions.

#10. Watch more Comedies

Laughter burns calories. And laughter while exercising, jogging in place burns even more. Laughter also reduces stress and stress causes your body to save fat for later, so less stress = less fat being stored.

#11. Avoid Foods with Sucrose and Glucose

Learn to read labels. Aim for more natural sugars found in fruit (fructose).

#12. Sleep and Naps

Take naps on the weekend. Whenever possible try to sleep 5 to 6 hours at night and get a 1 hour nap during the day. Siestas are good for you. Even primates (chimps, apes, etc) sleep 5 hours at night and nap for an hour in the afternoon. Its healthier and what we are meant to do.

#13. Cut Down on Toxins

Your body absorbs toxins in the air (including second hand smoke) and then stores those toxins inside fat cells like little prisons. Want to lose weight? Tell those smokers in your family to butt out, buy a good quality air filter and avoid anything toxic that you could be inhaling or eating.

New Years Resolutions for 2013

13 Things to Do in 2013

#1. Try Out of the Box Group Fitness

#2. Obstacle Course Races (eg. Tough Mudder)

#3. Bicycle More

#4. Hire a Personal Trainer / Holistic Nutrionist

#5. Learn how to do a Handstand

#6. Workout with Others in your Community

#7. Try Metabolic Conditioning

#8. Try Small Group Personal Training

#9. Kickboxing!

#10. Try Traditional Boxing (more upper body)!

#11. Try Archery! Cause its the hottest thing these days.

#12. Do more Ice Skating.

#13. Stay Motivated and Keep your New Years Resolutions!

12 New Years Resolutions for the Health Conscious!

Looking for some New Years Resolutions that will help you lose weight?

#1. Stop buying sugary food / junk food / unnecessary snacks. Buy fruit and berries instead. A bowl of oranges on the counter will encourage you to eat healthier whenever you feel like a snack.

#2. Walk more. Do you really need to drive or take the subway constantly? No. Got an errand to do? Walk there if its in range. If its a bit farther you might also bicycle there. Make walking and bicycling part of your regular activities. (Even better if you have a dog.)

#3. Bored? Exercise! Waiting in a lineup or stuck in traffic? Waiting for a friend to meet you? Do simple exercises or yoga postures while you wait.

#4. Find an exercise hobby that is fun that you can do regularly. ie. Archery, mountain biking, wall climbing, parkour or freerunning.

#5. Think Positive! Having a positive outlook on life (not just health wise) helps. Depressed people are more lethargic and crave comfort foods. Forcing yourself to be positive about your circumstances and always looking on the bright side will actually help you lose weight because you won't be so depressed and seeking comfort all the time.

#6. Stop worrying about every last bit of fat. Your goal is to be healthy, not starved. A little fat is good.

#7. Posture! Sit up, walk straight with your shoulders high, don't slouch. Good posture helps your digestion and boosts core muscle strength. Over time your posture will improve and you will look taller / thinner and feel better about yourself.

#8. Take up public speaking. Losing weight is often about confidence. If you're afraid of public speaking you suffer from low confidence. Join Toastmasters International and similar public speaking clubs and boost your confidence levels.

#9. Eat slowly, savour your food and come up for air. You won't feel as hungry and won't eat as much. Eating junk food very quickly = fast weight gain. SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY.

#10. Cut out bread for a month and see how much weight you lose. Try it and just see. (Some people are bread addicts. They crave the carbs, but its the carbs that is packing on the pounds.)

#11. Exercise every day even when you don't feel like it. Try and make it fun by using music or fun activities and over time it won't feel like a chore any more.

#12. Got a beer belly? Cut down on your alcohol consumption. Alcoholic drinks like beer has lots of carbs just like bread. Cut out the unnecessary beer and you will lose weight (and look waaaay sexier!).

:)

12 Exercise New Years Resolutions

#1. Try more Fun Exercises that get you outdoors. eg. Archery!

#2. Go jogging / cycling in the morning or after work daily.

#3. Exercise for 30 minutes every day.

#4. Make a daily exercise routine that is fun and you enjoy doing.

#5. Get an exercise partner and make exercise part of your socialization.

#6. Join a sports group / club so you can exercise and socialize at the same time.

#7. Take up a winter sport. eg. Road Hockey.

#8. Take up a summer activity. eg. Snorkeling.

#9. Keep a daily log of your physical activity (and your eating habits). Counting calories doubles your chances of success.

#10. Take up weightlifting and build strength / endurance.

#11. Stay motivated to exercise all year round by rewarding yourself every 20th time you exercise.

#12. Hire a Personal Trainer - Not just to help motivate you, but also to help you exercise more efficiently and challenge yourself to achieve your goals.