​Inspired by Fitness wants to support you in committing to your fitness goals by helping you schedule your workouts.  We are excited to announce that we have partnered with WellnessLiving to bring you a customized Inspired by Fitness app!  This computerized system will enable us to better communicate with our valued members, manage your schedule and accounts, check-in and track members more effectively, and keep your information safe.
 
What does that mean for you?  Members will be able to:

• Book fitness classes, workshops and programs in real-time
• View your upcoming workouts in one easy place
• Make purchases from us via the online store
• Make changes to your personal contact information
• Enable or disable email and SMS text message notifications
• Share reviews about your experiences
• Connect to your social media accounts
• View your account activity history
• View your previous billing and purchases and make payments on your account

 
We are really excited to roll-out the new platform!  More information will be announced soon.

​We loved seeing everyone dressed up in their bright colours for Inspired by Colour Week and had so much fun celebrating health, fitness and life with you!
 
To all who donated to the Stratford Perth Rotary Hospice, a sincere THANK YOU!  With your enthusiastic participation, we raised $367!  Your generous support will help the Hospice create a compassionate place where all who enter are warmly welcomed and cared for at no cost; a comfortable place to provide the better ending we all deserve.
 
Every person who made a donation to this worthy cause received a ballot for a grand prize.  Congratulations to our GRAND PRIZE WINNER – Melanie Higgins!  And kudos to our runners-up – Lindsey Martchenko & Jayne Petrie!  Your prizes are waiting for you at the studio.
 
And remember, you can always participate in our ongoing fundraising efforts for the Hospice by taking part in DJ for Dollars.  For a $10 donation, you can groove to your own playlist at Boot Camp.

​If your go-to snack is a handful of potato chips, you probably already know it’s not a healthy choice.  The good news, however, is that kale chips can satisfy your craving for something crunchy without all of the saturated fat and sodium in their potato counterparts.  And best of all, kale chips are simple to make at home so you can always have a nutritious snack on hand.
 
Besides being full of antioxidants, kale is also an excellent source of nutrients.  The leafy green vegetable contains vitamin C which helps to keep your skin, bones, tendons and ligaments healthy.  The dark green colour of kale chips also signifies the presence of vitamin A which is essential for eye health.  And finally, kale contains vitamin K which enables blood to clot normally.
 
Though some supermarkets and health food stores sell pre-packaged kale chips, these tend to be high in sodium.  Making your own kale chips is a great alternative because you can take control of how salty they are.  Below is a recipe created by Team Inspired member, Kim Tune.  This fantastic recipe makes 6 servings with only 88 calories, 4.2 grams of saturated fat and 334.5 milligrams of sodium per serving.  Try it out and let us know what you think!
 
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon powdered ranch dressing

 
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Chop kale into half-inch pieces.
3. Place all ingredients in a large bowl and massage the coconut oil, lemon juice and sea salt into the kale using your hands.
4. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes.

​We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who came out for our Spring Into Fitness Open House!
 
This bright and sunny Spring day showcased some of our fantastic fitness classes:  Bounce, Boot Camp, Butt & Gut, CORE DE FORCE, Zumba, STRONG by Zumba and JOGA.  Attendees were also treated to fitness, nutrition and healthy lifestyle advice while enjoying some fun games and healthy snacks.
 
None of this would have been possible without the following people…
 
Many thanks to our personal trainers and fitness instructors for leading the demos and sharing their expertise and passion with everyone:  Jenn Facey, Joan Maloney, Sarah Seddon, Julie Witzel, Mitisha Smitjes, Dori Hishon, Sydney Touzel and Julie Charbonneau.
 
Sincere thanks to Paul Wilson, our Certified Precision Nutritionist, for sharing his knowledge, insight and healthy food advice.
 
And we cannot express our appreciation enough to our members for giving their time to help make the event such a success:  Jayne Petrie and Denise Dunsmore.
 
Congratulations to our door prize winners:  Sandra Pardy, Lucy Schweitzer and Kayla Minhinnick.  And kudos to Jenn Facey for winning the push-up challenge.  Your prizes are waiting for you at the studio!
 
Thanks again for your continued support.  We look forward to continuing to provide you with a one-of-a-kind experience where you will find personalized attention, high quality instruction, a welcoming community, and most importantly – results!
 
Sherry Kresky
Owner & Director of Inspiration

​Whether starting or continuing a fitness routine, it is important to set realistic fitness goals that are SMART.  Goals are the roadmap to help you create a detailed plan to become healthier, stronger and more confident.  You want to set yourself up for success not burnout or injury.
 
One of the most well-known goal setting techniques is SMART.  The acronym encourages us to make goals that are more Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.
 
Here are five techniques to SMART goal setting:
 
S = SPECIFIC
Each goal needs to be defined clearly.  Instead of saying “I want to lose weight” which is rather ambiguous, state you will lose ten pounds over the next three months in increments of one to two pounds per week.
 
M = MEASURABLE
You need to measure your progress.  For example, if you say “I want to get in shape” it provides you with no method to measure your progress to the goal.  The goal must be measurable.  Start by measuring your current level of fitness, then determine a three-month target.  For example, say you already take one fitness class per week; the measurable three-month goal may be that by the end of the three months you will be taking three to four fitness classes per week.
 
A = ATTAINABLE
You have to know how much you want to achieve your goal.  It can be a number or a percentage.  It also needs to be realistic and motivational.  Don’t make it too easy or too extreme.  You know your true limits.  For example, with the weight loss goal, ten pounds of weight loss is achievable.  The goal may be structured as such, “I will lose ten pounds at a rate of one to two pounds per week.”
 
R = REALISTIC
Does the goal seem realistic to you?  If you are not concerned about weight loss or it is not a good time in your life to focus on that, perhaps focus on getting that extra fitness class in every week because it is something you can do and want to do.
 
T = TIMELY
Make sure each goal has a specific timeline for completion.  You can then determine if it has been accomplished.  It increases the likelihood you will accomplish the goal.
 
When you are specific about what you want and set realistic goals, you are more likely to achieve what you are after.  Establishing specific goals will help you to define the steps you need to accomplish them.  Measuring and tracking your goals will show you how much progress you are making along the way.  And, adjusting your goals where needed will keep you motivated and keep your goals attainable and realistic.
 
Need help?  Book a Health & Wellness Assessment with one of our fitness professionals!  We will consult with you on your goals, past fitness history, medical concerns and physical limitations.  And together, we will create a plan focusing on SMART goals.

​This past week, we were honoured to support Heart & Stroke to give Canadian women more hope, more time and more life with our Get Inspired & Pump It Up! fundraiser.  With your help, we raised $300.00 to help fund medical breakthroughs in the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke.  It was our privilege to support this worthy cause to transform the health of women in Canada and bring hope to families affected by heart disease and stroke.
 
Every person who made a donation to this worthy cause received a ballot for a grand prize.  Congratulations to our GRAND PRIZE WINNER – Andrea Steinhauser!  And kudos to our runners-up – Jen Weyers & Cathy Bayer!  Your prizes are waiting for you at the studio.

When it comes to your fitness routine, exercises that strengthen your pelvic floor muscles probably aren’t at the top of your list.  But they should be!  A strong pelvic floor will help improve your core strength and stability, reduce your risk of incontinence and improve your sexual health.
 
So, what exactly is your pelvic floor?  Basically, it’s made up of the muscles, ligaments, tissues and nerves that support your bladder, uterus, vagina and rectum.  Your pelvic floor muscles also form the base of your wider core muscle group (ie., abdominals, back muscles, diaphragm).
 
Before we get into how to make your pelvic floor strong, it’s important to learn how to access and isolate it.  You can do that with Kegels.  Below are four simple steps to get started:

1. Find the right muscles.  To identify your pelvic floor muscles, stop urination in midstream.  Once you’ve identified your pelvic floor muscles, you can do Kegels in any position; however, you may find it easiest to do them lying down at first.
2. Perfect your technique.  Imagine you are sitting on a marble and tighten your pelvic muscles as if you’re lifting the marble.  Try for three seconds at a time, then relax for three seconds.
3. Maintain your focus.  For best results, focus only on your pelvic floor muscles.  Be careful not to flex the muscles in your abdomen, thighs or buttocks.  Avoid holding your breath, but rather, breathe freely during the exercises.
4. Repeat three times a day.  Aim for at least three sets of 10-15 repetitions per day.

 
It is important to note that you should not make a habit of using Kegel exercises to start and stop urination.  This practice will only lead to a risk of urinary tract infection.  Step one above is merely to help you identify the pelvic floor muscles when you first start doing Kegels.
 
Once you have your Kegels perfected, you can graduate to the four exercises demonstrated by our Personal Trainer, Sherry Kresky, in the Pelvic Floor Exercises video on the Inspired by Fitness YouTube channel.  After you’re done, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more fitness challenges, tutorials and workouts!
 
Pelvic Floor Exercises YouTube link:  https://youtu.be/IYXIpcMFb_

​JOGA is a movement system made up of the benefits of yoga combined with the biomechanics of sport.  It enhances athletic performance, improves concentration, decreases recovery time, and ultimately, transforms your fitness level.
 
We sat down with our JOGA instructor, Dori Hishon, to bring you more information on this new class…
 
Dori, where did JOGA come from?
JOGA is the brainchild of Canadian athlete and Ishta yoga instructor, Jana Webb.  She developed JOGA after practicing yoga to treat an injury.  She was a yoga enthusiast and wanted to “bridge the gap between fitness and yoga”.  She refers to JOGA as “an athletic-based style of yoga that speaks to the athletic mind and athletic body” which incorporates postures and breathing techniques with the goal of achieving strength and flexibility.
 
How does JOGA differ from yoga?
The postures in JOGA involve a combination of dynamic and static stretching as opposed to traditional long holds.  JOGA does involve the same poses as a typical yoga class but has an emphasis on strength training, whereas traditional yoga classes emphasize flexibility and stretching.
 
What are the main focuses of a JOGA class?

1. Postures (ie., planks, downward dog, child’s pose, push-ups, etc.).  Postures are designed to incorporate power and flexibility while challenging balance and core strength.
2. Breathing.  These techniques are used to coordinate breath with movement as well as increase range of motion and unison of mind and body.
3. Relaxation and meditation.  Specific relaxation tools are used to encourage the mind to remain calm and nonreactive while the body is being challenged physically.

 
Who should give this class a try?
This class is suitable for anyone looking to improve their overall flexibility, strength and alignment.  For those already practicing yoga, you will find a new challenge and perhaps identify new ways to address your body’s imbalances.
 
What should participants bring to class?
Comfortable yoga attire, water, your own mat (optional), a small towel and an open mind.
 
When will this class be offered?
This will be a weekly core offering beginning on Thursday, January 3rd from 5:20 to 6:05 pm.

​It was such a pleasure to welcome JOGA to the studio tonight!  Our Inspired Warriors were led by our new instructor, Dori Hishon, in a movement system made up of the benefits of yoga combined with the biomechanics of sport.  The sequence of JOGA is designed in a way to follow the pattern of a fitness regime but still adhere to the sequencing of a traditional yoga session.  The sessions will leave participants feeling stronger, more flexible and re-energized while providing all of the other physiological and psychological benefits of the practice.  This fabulous weekly program begins on Thursday, January 3rd from 5:20 to 6:05 pm.  If you are looking for a workout that provides structure, challenge and results, this is it!