Perfect Fit Personal Training- Health and Fitness Blog

I send in quotes all the time to various article sources looking for experts. I guess sometimes the writers are too busy to respond and let you know that they're using it, so today I just happened to find one and was surprised to see my name on the article. Check it out here - a great article about healthy hearts! Have a great day.

It's always exciting to see your name in print, even if it's been years now; it's still exciting! I want to share with you my latest published article in Alive Magazine ! It's on exercises to do for boxing. I hope you enjoy it, Alive Magazine is available across Canada in health food stores.

If you're like me, sometimes you don't have time to get the gym; you need to work out at home.  You'd rather sit on the couch... It can be a little unmotivating sometimes to get your workout in when you have so many other things going on; dishes, laundry, errands etc. Having a workout that you can follow along can be much easier; you don't even have to think about it. In searching around on the internet, I found this great workout! It's short, intense, and you need NO EQUIPMENT! Amazing. I wanted to share this fun and effective workout with you that I found on FitnessBlender.com I hope you can try this fun FitnessBlender.com workout at home. Tell me what you think! Did you try it? What's your favorite go-to workout at home? As a bonus, I'd like to offer you a FREE workout in your home! I can come to you, put you through an hour long workout and get you going on your road to fitness. This free workout is included when you purchase 6 sessions...

Most people have experienced low back pain at some point in their lives. Maybe post partum, after a car accident, or from too much sitting. Low back pain is a prevalent issue in today's society, and there are too many reasons for people to experience it these days. Here is a great link to some easy at-home low back exercises and stretches to do to help prevent low back pain or help you if you already have it. What has caused your low back pain? How are you managing it? Pinterest also has some great handouts you can print out on low back pain exercises and stretches.

I love a smoothie in the morning, or the afternoon for that matter! But sometimes it's a mad rush in the morning and I just don't have time to make a smoothie. That's why this idea is so brilliant (so why didn't I think of it??) Prepare your smoothies ahead of time and freeze the whole lot of it! Not the pre-made smoothie, but all the "raw" ingredients. Find all the info here . This is just such a simple but brilliant idea. Some of my favorite smoothie add-ins are things like Spinach, Pineapple and plain greek yogurt. What are yours? I hope  you enjoy this link as much as I did, so get cracking!

Hi there, Just opened the mail and found two magazines...Women's Running April issue with my article called "A Decade of Diet Fads" which is geared for runners, but applies to anyone who's trying to stay healthy and active. Then I got a one time only issue called "Beginner's Guide to Running" which has my article called "Short and Sweet" on interval training. A great morning! I would love to help you get healthy too; with some guidance for better nutrition choices and a healthy activity routine, you can get back in better shape in a matter of weeks. Consultations are FREE! Come and see what you are missing; the healthy person that you want to be and CAN be. www.perfectfit.ws

Your butt, buttocks, gluteals, booty, etc... Your backside can be a major point of contention. Maybe you have a tiny waist and a big booty, or a big waist and a small booty, whatever you may be, your butt may not be your favorite asset. Check out this article ! I've never seen a womens' magazine put it like this before... Your gluteus maximus, medius and minimus make your gluteals. Yep, three main muscles, not just one big one. With a few targeted exercises, you can help shape your backside into more of a rounded globe, rather than a flat map. Here are some of my favorites! Bridges and One legged Bridges Hip extensions Squats Lunges (rear, side, split on bench) Incorporating booty specific exercises into your workout can make all the difference. As women, we need to spend a little more attention on the parts that really shape us; for me, that's Butt, Abs, Hips and arms. No, you can't "spot reduce", but by working your nutrition...

It's a New Year and a New You! Hey, why not? Every year you may think the same thing...why not get fit? Why not lose a few pounds? Why not get active? Well, don't put it off any longer. This is YOUR year! Perfect Fit Personal Training has been in the fitness industry for 18 years, working with every type of individual, and all ages. We are ready to help YOU reach your goals! We will work one on one with you to reach your personal health and fitness goals SAFE and EFFECTIVELY. Don't wait another year to start your fitness journey, contact us now for a FREE CONSULTATION in North or West Vancouver. Nicole is an ACE and BCRPA certified personal trainer and a BCAK registered kinesiologist with a degree in Exercise Science. Nicole's articles have been published in: Alive, Chatelaine, Women's Running, Pregnancy, Impact , and more! She is an expert source for fitness in : Shape, Shape Online, SheKnows.com and more!

Hello out there! I'm currently working on an e-book; stay tuned! One of the sections is on stretching, and of course I'm including some yoga poses in this section. On my search for some of the best poses for flexibility, I came across a neat site I thought I would share. http://www.ekhartyoga.com/blog/category/yoga-poses If you're on the lookout for some poses to start at home, this site has a wealth of information. I hope you have a great and healthy holiday, and that I will see you back in the New Year! All the best for health and happiness, Nicole

After your workout: running, lifting weights, aerobics, or whatever it may be, you need to make sure you're prepared with a post workout "meal." This could be a smaller snack which you have to tide you over until your next real meal, a chocolate milk , a handful of nuts and some yogurt, or a smoothie. I love making smoothies because you can cram so much goodness into a glass; more than you might be able to if you were sitting down and eating it all separately. Here is a tried and true Perfect Fit post-workout smoothie: 1 cup spinach or kale (raw) 1/2 cup strawberries 1/2 banana  1 tbsp ground flax 1/2- 2/3 cup greek yogurt (plain) (about 10-17gm protein) 1 cup water Blend up until smooth and save for after your workout! Following your workout, it's important to eat/drink a proper snack within 45 minutes to replace lost fluids and energy. Your body is craving water, protein and carbs now, and it's a great time to enjoy quick energy; som...

I just came across this very informative and well balanced blog posting by Dean Somerset - a respected personal trainer and exercise specialist. If you think that it's not ok for a woman to lift weights, I mean real weights, please read! It explains via science how it is not possible for the average woman to bulk up by lifting heavy things! Great read.

Kettlebell HIIT Workout – HIIT Kettlebell Training, Fitness Blender Get your HIIT on! High Intensity Interval Training. Great way to burn fat fast; you only need to do this 2-3 times per week and you will see results. Have a great, healthy day!

Hello out there! January is well upon us, and I hope your fitness resolutions are still in effect! If you're just hitting the gym for the first time, or are a seasoned gym goer, you still need to know what to wear when you work out. Of course, you may be thinking of aesthetics; is it cute? Is it colorful? Fair enough. But I'm more concerned about being comfortable and having your clothes not infringe on your workout. Here are my top tips on what to wear at the gym: Make sure you feel comfortable - both mentally and physically. If your clothes make you feel embarrassed or ill at ease, you should put them in your closet until you feel confident enough to wear them. If they’re ill-fitting and slide/ride/drop etc, they should not be used. They should breathe - you don’t want all of your sweat sticking to your skin and making you uncomfortable! So many great clothing options are out there now that really breathe, and wick away sweat. Heavy sweat pants ar...

Is Patagonia on your bookshelf? Mention outdoor clothing company Patagonia and what comes to mind? Jackets! Puffy ones, fleece ones, waterproof ones -- beloved, long-lasting, favorite ones. How about books? That's right. Patagonia has been publishing since 2007. But their little-known secret is out, as Patagonia Books are now available in digital form. Readers can now find all 12 titles in digital form at Patagonia.com, Amazon, BN.com, and iTunes. eBooks do right by the environment: same great stories, less environmental harm. That's why Patagonia has joined the mobile movement. Great news for Patagonia-clad readers, since print books don't really travel well. (Remember Cheryl Strayed in Wild , torching chapters on the trail?) “Not only do eBooks have less environmental impact, they are also more portable,” says Patagonia Books Director Karla Olson. “We know that our audience is often on the move, and the convenience of having these titles ava...

Exercise, the best medicine. The holidays can bring with them a load of stress and anxiety. Exercise is known to alleviate stress and anxiety. Why not put the two together and decrease your stress and anxiety this holiday season? Please check out my article on this very topic here . Have a great, stress-free December!

Pop has a lot of calories, the sugary kind, not the diet of course. The diet is low calorie, but who knows what you're really putting into your body, right? Anyway, back to sugary pop, or soda. http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/how-lose-10-pounds-safely?page=3 If you drink one can of pop per day, that's around 160 calories extra per day. Over the course of a week, that's more than 800 calories your ingesting in liquid, which has no nutritional value, and doesn't fill you up. Double that amount, and you have the caloric intake for an average sized woman for the whole day! Do yourself a favor, if you're trying to lose weight, and you drink sugary pop, then try to cut it out as soon as possible. The carbonation, the calories, and the sugar are all wreaking havoc on your weight, your bones, and your physique. http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/how-lose-10-pounds-safely?page=3  You can read about my tips here. ...

It's November and Christmas is on it's way in a month. After Christmas is when many of us decide to set new goals for the year ahead, but why wait? Goal setting is so important all year round to help us reach our desires and dreams more quickly. Here is a goal setting sheet that I share with my personal training clients here in North and West Vancouver, and I wanted to share it with you. Print off this goal setting sheet and keep it some place where you will see it often. ·          GOALS This sheet is for yourself, for no one else.  Keep it close by for reference whenever you need some motivation, and to remember why you’re doing this! 1.     In one month, I would like to achieve the following goals: 2.     In six months, I would like to achieve the following goals: 3.     In one year, I would like to achieve the following goals: 4.     In the p...

Check out my new website on fat burning bootcamps: Welcome to your last stop for fitness! www.fatburningbootcamp.ca Have a great night!

Hello out there, I love doing push ups; from a smith machine bar, off a bench, on a bosu, on a body ball, even on the floor! Push ups are a great way to get your sweat on, work your chest, arms and core while getting stronger and fitter at the same time. So what are the best ways to do push ups? Here is a very informative blog post from a fitness expert and physio: http://blog.brianschiff.com/?p=1588 I hope you enjoy it! What are your favourite ways to do push ups?

Hello out there! If you're like most people, you may be stuck in a rut; eating the wrong foods, never exercising, planning to start soon but never making it out the door to the gym. Does that sound like you? You're not alone; it's tough to start a real nutrition program and stick to it. It's hard to get up before work or head to the gym after a long day at the office; these things don't happen over night. As a personal trainer and fitness expert, I'm here to help you meet your fitness and nutrition goals. With me by your side, you'll reach your fitness resolutions that have been dogging you all these years. A trainer is there to listen, support, and teach; you will not be alone on your quest for health and fitness. What are you waiting for? Let's get together soon to discuss your goals; your consultation is free; and we can even try out a session before you commit to a program plan. As an added gift, I'd love to send you The Ultimate Fa...