Jamie, I Am
I do not like new things and change. I do not like them. I find them strange. I do not like change thrust on me. Of happenstance or collaterally. I do not like change with a ball, or with big weights or climbing wall. I think you can see where this is going.
I’d be totally comfortable doing essentially the same workout schedule every week until the end of days. But most trainers and fitness experts will tell you that’s a bad idea. Changing it up, trying new modalities is important. You have to challenge your muscles to work differently to stay strong. So when recent circumstances dictated an interruption to my usual routine, I took the opportunity to try some different workouts and different fitness facilities.
My friend Sheldon Levy opened up a state of the art Crossfit studio in Yorkville. It’s big and airy, and yes some of the beautiful regulars are lifting huge weights. But also there were people like me and my daughter, Sarah, who were trying to see if this was the right workout for us. Sheldon and the manager, Blair, ran us through a basic program, illustrative of the daily workouts. And yes, it was hard. But for those looking to make serious changes or scale up their current fitness levels I absolutely recommend it. crossfitykv.com
I met Niki Aron and David Carr, the principals at Uptown Power Station through the magazine and specifically through their participation at OmT.O 2016. In addition to a yoga room they have a spinning program that utilizes wrist monitors that measure heart rate, calories burned and exertion levels and flashes them on screen (so that those of us who are “competitive” can see how they compare to the rest of the class – perhaps a little too on point for me). They also have a kick-ass TRX program where you use your own bodyweight as resistance in strength training. uptownpower.com
I finally got around to trying Rocket Cycle. I’ve been spinning for years, but never with a disco-ball, light-show, tiered cycles, and classes led by a woman, Dana Rocket, who is enthusiasm personified. It’s a show, but it’s also a serious workout. rocketcylce.ca I could have tried the “Treadsanity” class at Harmony Fitness, combining running on the treadmill and strength work off the treadmill; one of the most popular classes according to owner Alison Lubin. Instead I opted for some traditional spin classes and strength and conditioning classes – there’s only so much change one man can handle. Harmonyfitness.ca
So now that I’ve Crossfitted (?), Powered, Rocketed and I’m in Harmony, I can say that I do so like this workout change. My life, it did not rearrange. …okay enough of that. Here’s the takeaway point. You have to try new things every now and then, particularly when it comes to fitness. Our awesome event, Fit For Fall 2016, is back and the perfect opportunity for you to try yoga, meditation and other modalities to see if it’s right for you (see details at omto.ca and on p. 23). Other important details and information in this issue of Tonic include Carlyle Jansen’s article on finding balance in sex and relationships (at p. 30), Marni Wasserman’s Fall Food Trends (on p. 33) and Joel Thuna and Claude Gallant’s article on natural ways to boost your children’s’ concentration (on p. 26). As always, if you want to discuss this note, Fit For Fall, or anything that you’ve read in this issue of Tonic, please feel free to contact me.