Get in Shape for Gardening ...
 How Working Out Can Help You in the Garden

It's that time of year when we're getting back to the garden.  As a trainer, I see many clients with achy muscles, or worse yet, injuries from their weekend of gardening.  Don't let this be you!  Be mindful of your movements and positioning while gardening.
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I have a story about Amanda, who loves gardening in her backyard.
 
“I find it meditative, and I can leave all my worries behind me,” says Amanda, 59, an administrator in a law firm.
 
But a couple of years ago, painful arthritis began getting in the way of her favourite hobby – which requires stamina, flexibility and strength. Since exercise can relieve arthritis pain, Amanda joined a fitness studio for small group training sessions a year ago.
 
Now, not only is she strong and ready for gardening’s rigors, but she also enjoys nightly walks and occasional runs – and has dropped 70 pounds, a third of her weight!
 
Amanda learned what health professionals and countless gardeners have known for decades: Gardening is a good workout that also helps maintain joint function, relieve stiffness, and improve balance and endurance. It also fights depression, provides vitamin D, and provides an outlet that can be social and creative.
 
Gardening is a good workout

If you think gardening doesn’t qualify as exercise, think again.  An hour can burn up to 300 calories.  And it’s a full-body workout -- bending over to pick up pots, squatting to pull up weeds, pushing wheelbarrows, raking, and carrying items, some of them heavy. 
 
Come talk to us about getting your strength, endurance and agility ready for gardening. You don’t want to injure yourself in the yard; lower back and knees are the most common sore spots.
 
Pursuing “functional fitness” is a great strategy for many, mimicking the same movements performed in real-life activities, like gardening. Sometimes it’s best to exercise in a gym, but you also can get a great workout at home, once you know what to do.  Even better, get the help in my programs at  BRAND FITNESS or with our online programs at www.brandfitness.online

Here are some common exercises for gardeners:

• Squats
• Push-ups
• Deadlifts
• Lunges
• Planks
• Single-arm rows

Also important is stretching after, deep breathing, taking frequent breaks and remembering to drink plenty of water.
 
How it compares to other activities

If you’re still not convinced that gardening is exercise, here is the word from the National Institute of Health. Gardening for 30 to 45 minutes gives the same moderate-intensity benefits as playing volleyball for 45 to 60 minutes, walking 1.75 miles in 35 minutes, and shooting baskets for half an hour.

Our friend James learned that the hard way last summer when he visited his mother.  He’s no gardener, and when he saw that tall weeds had overtaken his mom’s flowerbed, he decided to take care of it for her.
 
“I thought it would be a quick, easy job,” he recalls with a laugh. “But I found out otherwise. My back was sore, my arms were sore, I was sweating like I was on the treadmill – and I had barely made a dent in the flowerbed!”  ... James ended up organizing a three-man crew to finish the job!

Is it time for you to get in shape for gardening?
 
Marion Brand
www.brandfitness.ca
www.brandfitness.online

Sources: National Institute of Health, WebMD, P. Allen Smith Garden Home

Fast forward to today.  I have lost approximately 70 pounds!!  My core strength and balance has improved so much and still getting better every month.  In the old days, if I would have tripped or stumbled, I would have gone down!  – Thanks to my training at BRAND FITNESS, I am now able to recover and remain upright! 

Except for a minor knee issue that goes back to my track and field days, I have no joint pain whatsoever.  I am rounding the corner to 60 and am fit, happy and healthy.  I now can buy clothes in the regular section and don’t dread shopping for them. 

If you’re reading this be assured, YOU CAN do this!  Take one step at a time.  Set one tiny goal at a time.  My goal was just 5 pounds a month.  Even if I didn’t make my target I gave myself a pat on the back and said you can do this!  

My advice to you is ... Find a fitness studio or trainer who cares.  I was lucky to find both with BRAND FITNESS!!  I received extra help and support in their BRANDFit50 Small Group Training program and Specialty Classes.  -- it makes a world of difference to have the support and accountability for your actions.  You are worth it, you owe it to yourself.   YOU CAN DO THIS!!!”

Sandra W, Langley, BC

The Buddy System Works ...  I always enjoyed working out with my best friend Sylvia!  Staying accountable and enjoying time together makes it all so much easier.

I came across another story from  Carolyn, who at 73 found herself at a crossroads last summer.  Years of spinal trouble and chronic pain had left her too weak to walk to the car alone, let alone drive.
 
“Everybody was really sweet – ‘Let’s take care of Nana,’ ” the retired nurse recalls. “But I didn’t want to be that old yet. I still wanted to have a life.”
 
So Carolyn started going to a fitness studio twice a week for small group training, which she liked right away!
 
But things took off when she invited her longtime friend, Karen, to join her.  Now both are stronger, more limber and have better endurance.  They really enjoy their tradition of working out twice a week together and going for lunch on Fridays at their favorite Thai restaurant.
 
They’re proof positive that the buddy system works.  Read on to see how you can encourage exercise success ...

10 REASONS TO USE BONE BROTH

If you truly want to optimize your health add bone broth to your soups or stews and/or drink ½ cup to 1 cup daily.

Here are 10 reasons to add bone broth to your supportive nutrition plan ...

Tips for Staying Fit After 50

​Achieving or simply maintaining a decent level of fitness is a challenge, but for anyone turning 50, getting in shape can feel even more challenging. Today there are so many weight loss programs, exercise equipment, and fitness routines to choose from than ever before.  This can be overwhelming.  As difficult as it may seem, there are some simple and effective ways to stay fit after age 50.

These five simple tips can help you get (and stay) fit at age 50 and beyond ...

7 Ways to Burn more Fat
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Ready to burn your way to a leaner you?  Dropping fat tends to be a tedious process that’s slow and steady. There are, however, 7 ways to add an extra boost to your results. Keep reading to find out how...

​Boost Your Burn #1:  Track Everything
Counting calories, weighing out food portions, and keeping tabs on how far and fast you run isn’t the most exciting thing to do. But if you want to burn more fat, you need to do it.  Without tracking your intake and outtake, you will never be able to figure out the weaknesses in your fat-burning program. Once you grow accustomed to keeping track, it becomes very rewarding when you have a good day.  And since you live in the 21st century, tracking the amount of fat you consume and burn is made easier thanks to all sorts of electronic devices and apps. Make use of those that make the most sense to you and stay on top of your fat-burning game.

Read on for 6 MORE  ==>>

13 Reasons to Exercise

Let's face it, some days you just don't feel like exercising.  You get too busy, too stressed and quite simply too tired. 

Exercise will truly help you Live the Best Half of your Life!  Brand Fitness' motto.

Here's a list of 13 of the top reasons to exercise. Pull out this list and read it when you're having one of those days ...

Haven't Changed Anything in Your Diet But Gaining Weight?


You are positive that you're not eating more food or “junkier” food but you're still gaining weight.  Is this possible?
 
Yes!  You are NOT crazy!  

And here's why ....
 


We both know that the whole “calories in, calories out” argument is an overly simplistic view of weight.
 
There's definitely more to the story than just what you're eating, right?
 
A lot of this comes right down to your metabolic rate which is affected by things like your activity level, history of dieting, body composition, and even what you eat.
 
But, let's go beyond the “eat less and exercise more” advice and dive into some of the less obvious underlying reasons why you may be gaining weight even though you're eating the same ...

Easy Meal Prep Tips
Ever wonder what it would be like to open your fridge to find a full week of healthy, delicious food that’s prepped and ready to be eaten? Sure would make sticking with your diet and achieving fat loss a lot easier… 

Meal prep is a fantastic way to keep on track with your eating throughout the entire week. 

The idea is to plan out all of your meals on the weekend, most often on Sunday, then do the shopping and the prep at one time for the entire week. This day is labor intensive, but then your food is ready-to-eat for the next 6 full days. 

Here’s my 5 Step Meal Prep Guide to make your next food prep week really simple: 

​Bye Bye Sleeping Through the Night

• Have you said “bye bye” to sleeping through the night?
• Are you feeling exhausted or “running on stress hormones” all day?
• Do not fear, I have some great tips (and an amazing recipe) for you!

 
The science of sleep is fascinating, complicated and growing
Sleep is this daily thing that we all do and yet we're just beginning to understand all of the ways it helps us and all of the factors that can affect it.
 
Lack of sleep affects just about everything in your body and mind.  People who get less sleep tend to be at higher risk for so many health issues like diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer; not to mention effects like slower metabolism, weight gain, hormone imbalance, and inflammation.  And don't forget the impact lack of sleep can have on moods, memory and decision-making skills.
 
Do you know that lack of sleep may even negate the health benefits of your exercise program? (Gasp!)
 
OMG – What aspect of health does sleep not affect???  .....