As home gyms gain popularity, we’ve passed along some timely advice for those thinking about their own private and convenient workout space. In addition, we’ve introduced you to some of the experts behind that advice – along with stories of their own home gym experiences.

We’d like to recommend a few more home gym expertise sources who could help clarify your decision-making process and fire up some extra inspiration. Whether you’re looking to start small, are building up around existing equipment, or have a sound plan for a bigger home gym project, these sites, pages and YouTube Channels are worth a visit.

Want to Know More About Our Experts and Others Like Them?

Check out the Top 10 Home Gym Review Websites for 2021, hosted by U.S. equipment distributor Freedom Fitness. The company offers home gym planning to its customers, so its interviews on the subject are always on-point. Many offer companion video tours of home gyms built up over years by people who really know how to put them together.

Shed Gyms, You Say?

Even if you’ve heard of home gyms, basement gyms, garage gyms, and corner-of-the-room gyms shed gyms might still be a new one for you. If you’re one of over 2 million followers of Matt Does Fitness, you may have caught his four-part series on building a shed gym.

(WARNING: You may hear the occasional spicy lyrics in the high-energy background music of certain building montages. If that sort of thing bothers you, you might want to turn down the sound or hum really loudly because you won't want to miss seeing how this project comes together.

Would you like a shed gym but prefer to spend less time and money than Matt did? Garage Gym Reviews host Coop (profiled here) and Shred Shed offer some great tips for building and equipping your backyard gym on a budget.

You can even create a shed-like atmosphere in your garage. Gluck’s Gym emanates from a garage-turned-wooden fitness palace, which may spark your exercise cave-building fire. Before you get started, check Gluck’s excellent tips on construction and equipment.

Want a Gym that Motivates You to Work Out?

Good Housekeeping offers a stimulating collection of garage, basement or bedroom gym decorating ideas. In addition, HGTV has 30 excellent tips on making any space the place to get fit. Other great inspiration sources include Shape and Blender Bottle. Finally, of course, you can’t go wrong with design advice from the American Council on Exercise.

Looking for Your Ideal Cardio Machine?

Catch detailed reviews on the Treadmill Review Guru and Learn with Travis channels.

Get More Great Home Gym Advice and Ideas at Flaman Fitness.

Looking to buy a single bar? Complementing equipment you own? Equipping your well-planned exercise circuit? The Experts at Flaman Fitness can show you the equipment and accessory options that match your budget, available space and fitness goals.

Drop by your nearest Flaman Fitness location and discuss building the home gym you can’t wait to work out in.

“I’m not a gym rat, fitness addict, or CrossFit junky. I’m just a 50-year-old guy who doesn’t want to get old. Well, at the very least, I don’t want to feel like I’m getting old.” – Tim Steward, Gym Crafter

It might be over-the-top to call Tim a home gym evangelist, but there are definitely parallels. He is getting the good word out because fitness did save him – a couple of times.

The Early Years: Tim Dabbles in Strength Training

Tim's exercise journey started when his parents bought him some department store weights. (You know, the kind with concrete-encased in plastic.) As Tim stood over six feet tall, bullies rarely bothered him. Not driven by a need to get “jacked,” he soon developed an off-again/on-again workout schedule.

That lasted into his adulthood when all exercise came to a screeching (with chronic pain) halt.

Pain War 1: The Back

Bulged discs in his spine made it difficult to get up, let alone exercise. His suddenly sedentary lifestyle lead to weight gain, which put even more strain on his back. Physical therapy provided some help but Tim knew he had to start moving. After trifling with some fitness fads, he found two real-deal experts – Jay Ferrugia and Dr. John Rusin.

Saved by Strength Training

The latter lived in Madison, Wisconsin, not far from Tim’s home in Chicago. Tim was able to meet with Rusin, who showed him pain-free lifting methods that would help him get back to strength training. When Rusin began offering one-on-one FHT (functional hypertrophy training) sessions, Tim signed up immediately, deeming it “worth every penny.” He’s still following the program, but there was another medical obstacle to hurdle.

Pain War 2: The Head

Constant, unyielding headache pain knocked Tim back onto the couch - out of action, and gaining weight again. A series of arduous medical tests rendered two conclusions:

1) He had a condition called new daily persistent headache.

2) He’d have to learn to live with it. Tim decided not to take it literally lying down.

Reasoning that he could do something about his back if his head was going to hurt anyway, he went to a gym and tried some bench presses. It was a humbling public demonstration of how weak he’d become, but to Tim’s surprise, the physical activity provided a full hour of headache relief.

Saved by Strength Training - Again

He did more resistance training, which didn’t completely alleviate his headaches, but it made the day more pleasant. When he told his acute pain specialist, the doctor nodded and said yes, there was plenty of research indicating resistance training relieves headaches. Why hadn’t he told Tim this before all those excruciating treatments?

It was information Tim definitely could have used sooner, but he didn't let it faze him. He went straight back to training.

Pain War 3: The Battle of the Budget

Tim resolved to commit to fitness full-on – and to filling his two-car garage with all the equipment he thought would help. That’s where he ran into another kind of pain – overspending on equipment he wasn’t excited about using. He limited his focus to the resistance training that had pulled him through before. Suddenly, working out became much more enjoyable and productive (not to mention less expensive).

Following the Dr. Rusin program, he was able to lose weight and could effectively manage his pain. Naturally, he was thrilled with the change exercise had made in his life, But he worried about the scores of people destined to make the same mistakes he had. He wanted to steer them clear of the disillusionment that could make them abandon their goals.

Spreading the Word

That was the inspiration for Gym Crafter, Tim’s home gym website and YouTube channel.

He knew every visitor and viewer would be different. So would everyone's budget and available space, but anything would be a start. Tim’s home gym building experience started with less than $100 spent on a single kettlebell. He found the space to use it by moving a coffee table.

Setting His Own Information Standard

He hopes to encourage his audience to discover what works best for them before they sink a fortune into it. So Tim won’t indulge in the flashy “10 best” lists that too often prompt responsible home gym planners to act like little kids at Christmastime. Nor will he venture opinions on products tested for short periods. He reviews only the equipment he owns and has used for months on a daily basis.

Not Your Usual Home Gym Website

For the time being, Tim will stick with his two platforms (although he’s had some strong Instagram ideas). He recognizes the value of fitness goals, but he deems developing your technique more important. It’s part of discovering what works for you so you’ll keep going. That’s how you form a clear-minded vision of what you want to spend your money on.

Nothing is a 90-Day fix. Fitness is a lifetime commitment, and you need to want to show up for it every day. That’s the gospel Tim preaches today.

“Hopefully I can do a little bit of good in the world by helping one person alleviate their back pain or just work out more because they have a gym that they love,” Tim says. “To me, that's mission accomplished.”

Discover Some Local Home Gym Expertise at Flaman Fitness.

If you’d like to get some dependable gym planning advice a little closer to home, visit your nearest Flaman Fitness location. Our expert sales staff are steeped in successful training methods and know every machine and accessory inside and out. Just talk to them about your available space, budget and goals. They can show you – and let you try – some options that could change the rest of your life for the better.

Meet more leading online home gym experts here - or discover other great sources of home gym advice.

Want to learn more? Check out our profiles of three top home gym experts and discover more sources of inspiration for your personal workout area.

They’re down-to-earth, personable, and anything-but-boastful exercise enthusiasts who look at fitness the same way a lot of you do. They all came to fitness for their own reasons and in their own ways. Sometimes they disagree with each other. But they’re all on the same page when it comes to helping you make the best home gym decisions.

Their expertise comes from considerable experience – years of trying aerobic and strength-training equipment and methods, making mistakes, overcoming obstacles and developing a strong impulse to share what they’ve learned.

1. Cooper Mitchell (AKA "Coop")

Garage Gym Reviews

Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter

Background: Powerlifting/Strength Training

Self-deprecating self-assessment: “My wife says I like to hear myself talk, as I've been rambling on here for five minutes.”

Coop had been surrounded by fitness culture all his life.

His father was a national-level powerlifter who weighed 220 and could squat 750 lbs. Elite status for 220 lb. lifters is 580. Some with that fitness pedigree might tend to lord it over workout newbies, but not Coop.

His fondest memories are of his father’s garage gym (now commemorated by a “Doug’s Gym” sign in Coop’s own garage). The powerlifting magazines and Louis Simmons VHS tapes Coop’s father kept were chock-full of deadlift secrets and other tips to help athletes realize their full potential. While his father’s workout area inspired him to embrace cross-training, those pre-internet info sources inspired him to share what he’d learned in the digital media era.

A gregarious self-described “gear head,” Coop harnessed his love for home gyms, his experience building them, and his natural talkativeness. Through multiple blogs and videos, he reviews products and advises consumers on purchases and errors to avoid. When his fun-loving, stream-of-consciousness video patter runs headlong into a tongue trip, Coop leaves it in. His quick, entertaining recoveries reinforce his philosophical approach to handling mistakes – and his sincere desire to help others avoid them.

2. Brandon Campbell Diamond (AKA "Brandon Campbell")

Basement Brandon

Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter

Background: Powerlifting/Strength Training

Self-deprecating self-assessment: “I’m stronger, balder, wiser – but I’m going off on a little bit of a tangent.”

For a popular fitness presence, Brandon Campbell Diamond took a while to warm to the limelight. But he set self-consciousness aside for a good cause.

He started his fitness video career as a means to help pay for his training as a powerlifter through sponsorships. Diamond dropped his last name and published his work under the name Brandon Campbell. This new persona was reinforced by the creation of his company Campbell Fitness.

He hoped to avoid confusion with another online video host but mostly didn’t want people who knew him to know what he was doing. He’s still a little sheepish about the quality of his early videos, so much so that many aren’t available online anymore.

However he started, his content quickly won him thousands of followers. He shared the progress and occasional foibles of both his training and building his gym. He kept them coming by providing multiple windows on home gym training – including gym equipment reviews, tips on powerlifting, training and lifestyle, and plenty of experience-based health and nutrition advice – including grocery shopping.

All the while, his confidence and the quality of videos improved. In 2018, he retired the Campbell Fitness brand and promised to make even better videos. He remains a top fitness draw on his Youtube channel Basement Brandon.

1. Adam Hensley (AKA "Adam")

Garage Gym Lab

Youtube - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter

Background: Powerlifting/Strength Training

Self-deprecating self-assessment: "‘Who's this tiny guy telling me what I should buy when it comes to gym equipment?’”

Changing circumstances? Changing Needs? Adam’s been there, documented that.

It started in 2016 when the then real estate finance professional moved with his wife to a new home. Not impressed with the nearby gym offerings, he drove 45 minutes to an uptown gym and bought a second membership just to shower. With a son on the way, he opted to keep his exercise close to home. His garage gym started with a single squat rack, a bench, bar, and weight plates.

His experience balancing exercise, work and a growing family compelled him to share what he learned with others making similar decisions. He’d toyed with blogging before, writing several articles on Microsoft Excel, which he never published. However, his new idea took shape quickly.

He started out reviewing equipment. Home Gym manufacturers were surprisingly supportive – and willing to take their lumps on occasion. COVID brought more change – bad and good. While it threw a wrench into real estate values, it prompted commercial gym-only suppliers to tap the home gym boom, expanding Adam’s review prospects.

Today, Adam’s dedicated full-time to the thousands who follow his thorough and dependable equipment reviews, informational articles, interviews, and profiles of other successful home gym setups. He gives full credit to his wife, who supported his potentially risky venture with only a reminder that he’d have to park on the street.

Further Home Gym Reading

Meet an expert who used exercise to triumph over debilitating pain. Learn how he’s using his experience to help others make informed home gym choices.

PLUS more great sources of inspiration for your perfect home gym.

Find More Home Gym Expertise at Flaman Fitness.

Our sales staff have years of experience helping customers build home gyms that keep them motivated and on track to reach their goals. Whether you’re looking at a single item or a combo, a basic setup or a full-blown garage gym, our experts can guide you to equipment options that will serve your budget, space and objectives.

Drop by your nearest Flaman Fitness location and discover what’s possible

Aren’t strength training and power training the same thing? What about Isolated and compound exercise? Or aerobic and anaerobic? And what do they mean by fast-twitch and slow-twitch? Didn’t fitness use to be just running around and lifting stuff so you could be buff until you’re 90? It might have been thought of that way once, but science has once again crashed our “life is simple” party.

Their intrusion is well-meant, though. Every year, people abandon their fitness plans because of injuries or lack of progress or both. That’s a shame because fitness isn’t just about the shape of your body or the length of your life. It’s about enabling your body to fulfill your life – whether you want to pump up for athletic achievement or just do some functional training to make every day more pleasant. Understanding not only what you’re doing but why you’re doing it can mean the difference between success and failure. Understanding how it helps you will make your focus all the more clear. So we’re going to demystify those terms and help you make the exercise choices that work for you.

School is in. Sit up straight, pay attention, and no copying off the brawny guy’s paper.

Compound and Isolated Exercises

The word “compound” refers to something that’s formed from a combination of parts. So when you work a muscle group or “chain” of muscle groups at the same time, you’re doing compound exercise – in a way that closely resembles how you use these muscle chains in your daily activities. Besides providing functional benefits, compound exercises are also excellent for muscle growth, strength-building and weight loss. Naturally, it’s better to target multiple muscle groups than just one, right? Not so fast. Sometimes compound exercise plays favourites. Some muscles get more exercise than others. That’s where isolation exercise comes in. Isolation exercises generally target one muscle action around one joint. Examples include the bicep curl, the chest fly and the calf raise. Directly targeting a weaker muscle can get the whole muscle group and chain back up to speed so you can work through those plateaus that roadblock progress toward your fitness goals.

Benefits of compound and isolation exercises: We’re mentioning both together here because, if done properly, they really do work as a team. To ultimately be successful, you’ll need proper form and a full range of motion. It’s a good idea to have a trainer or other fitness expert watch how you work out. Once you have that tackled, you’ll be able to reap the above-mentioned benefits of strength, functionality, muscle growth and weight loss. You might also throw in better balance and fewer aches and pains if you’ve made sure every muscle group in the chain has gotten the attention it needs.

Power Training vs. Strength Training

To novice lifters, it’s easy to miss the difference between power training and strength training. The difference comes down to three things: purpose, method and physical results.

So how do you get stronger muscles? By weakening them. You need to exert a force on your muscles that actually creates tiny tears in their fibre. That prompts your body’s natural defences to swoop in and, assuming your muscle is under attack, build it back up better and stronger than it was before. So we do more “damage” to the tissue, continually tricking our body into making it stronger and stronger. As if this deceit upon our own well-meaning bodies isn’t underhanded enough, we look for ways to be more efficient at it. So we take advantage of the fact that stretching muscles with an eccentric muscle contraction (opening a joint like your elbow) tears more fibre than a muscle-tensing concentric contraction (closing a joint). That’s why you’ll see experienced, muscular athletes spending more time lowering their dumbbells than raising them.

That’s where strength training and power training diverge. But don’t worry. They converge in the end to make you a healthier person with a happier life.

Power Training

The purpose of power training is to enable you to deal with resistance – usually in the form of weight – in a quick manner. Thinks of scooping up a stairway-bound toddler or putting something heavy on a high shelf. You want the “oomph” to perform these tasks quickly and without muscle failure. You train to get it by simulating it – by applying the maximum amount of force as fast as possible. The prescribed formula is strength + speed = power. You can’t just will this to happen. Your body has to be physically able to do it.

Within your muscles are two different types of fibres. One of these – the fast-twitch fibre – is made specifically for power. These fibres are fueled by a chemical process called glycolysis, which converts the glucose stored in your muscles into other chemical compounds. One compound, ATP, is required to stimulate the muscle contractions needed for full-tilt, turn-on-the-dime action. You always have a small amount of “free-floating” ATP set by for the occasional quick power burst – but not enough to keep your fast-twitchers twitching if you’re into sports or have a physically demanding job. To build up those kinds of stores, you’ll need to increase your glycolytic efficiency, which requires a larger muscle mass to house more glucose. This is why Olympic sprinters or football running backs often sport conspicuously big muscles to fuel their frequent explosive speed. Some people are born with a proclivity toward fast-twitch muscle fibres, but others can develop it. Through explosive, repetitive lifting of heavy but manageable weights (or your own weight), you can create plenty of beneficial muscle fibre tears.

Other explosive movement exercises can build up those fast-twitch muscle fibres, too. Jumping, rope jumping, sprinting, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and biking can all enhance your glycolytic efficiency. They do this, in a sense, by taking your breath away. Multiple explosive movements done in short bursts demand a lot of energy - so much so that they surpass your blood oxygen’s ability to keep up. That's when your glucose fuel kicks in like a dragster’s nitro supply. For that reason, this type of exercise is dubbed “anaerobic,” meaning, “without oxygen.”

Benefits of Power Training: The primary benefits are obvious – swift take-off velocity, agility, and the not-quite-Incredible-Hulk-like ability to lift heavy things you couldn't lift before. But there are other benefits that last beyond your glorious sprint, hockey deke, or feat of strength. Power training and anaerobic exercise can increase your bone strength and density, promote weight maintenance, boost your metabolism, fight depression, pump up your energy, and reinforce your joints. They also reduce your risk of diabetes or heart disease. However, if you've already been diagnosed with have either of those two conditions, ask your doctor if you’re in shape for sudden, high-intensity exercises like these. It wouldn’t hurt to consult a doctor even if you haven’t been diagnosed.

Strength Training

So what if you need to hold something heavy aloft for more than a few seconds? That requires strength, and even your most muscle-bound trainers will tell you that you don’t necessarily need to be built like Mr. Universe to have it. It’s not measured by the diameter of your biceps but rather by your ability to overcome resistance imposed on you by weight (free weights, machine weight or your own weight) or another source like resistance bands.

Strength training can be contrasted with power training in several ways. First, strength training works by overloading – repeatedly testing your muscles with ever-increasing weight loads. Second, it requires a consistent increase in weight as you get stronger. This kind of lifting is more about taking your time than quick bursts of action. In that sense, strength training falls in line with aerobic ("with air") exercise. Both increase blood flow within the muscles, supplying more oxygen to your slow-twitch muscle fibres (if there were fast-twitch fibres, you knew there would have to be slow ones). The end result is increased endurance. Because your supply of oxygen is small but constant, you generally won't flame out as you will with explosive movements. You won't need big muscles for storage, which is why athletes like marathoners tend to have sleeker builds.

However, when marathoners need that finishing kick to reach the finish line before their rivals, they’ll need their fast-twitch muscles – just as athletes with explosive power will need slow-twitch muscles to maintain their pace. So it goes with our own daily functions – picking up a heavy object is one thing, carrying it to the house is another.

Benefits of Strength Training: There are many ways that improving your strength enhances your quality of daily life – today and in the future. It makes daily tasks easier, improves your balance and coordination, burns more calories, reduces your risk of diseases and chronic conditions like lower back pain, obesity, depression and anxiety, heart disease and diabetes. It thickens your bones, builds up your tendons and ligaments, and strengthens your body overall so you can enjoy life for years to come. You’ll greet the future with more working muscle mass, greater confidence, and a brighter outlook.

Have Your Plan? Flaman Fitness Has Your Equipment.

If you feel informed and inspired to start the right exercise program for you, check it out with your doctor then call or visit your nearest Flaman Fitness Location. Talk with our fitness experts about where you are now, where you’d like to be, and how you’d like to get there. They’ll help you find the high-quality machine that can make a high-quality machine out of you.

Feel free to visit flamanfitness.com and check out our top-brand lines of:

• Strength and power-building weight sets, Olympic bars, benches, cages and racks
• Cardio-boosting bikes, treadmills, ellipticals, steppers, rowers, and Max Trainers,
• Versatile home gyms, workout stations, and accessories for overall daily fitness!

Have no fear! We’ve compiled a list of some fun resources and physical activities you can do with your children, or let them navigate on their own if they’re old enough. Or if you need a break – hey, no judgement here!

YouTube Workouts for Kids

• Cosmic Kids is a great yoga channel on Youtube – they even have themed yoga videos like “Frozen” yoga or “The Wizard of Oz”.
• GoNoodle will get you moving with lots of fun dance videos and music.
• Joe Wicks is another great channel for adults and kids. He has themed physical education videos geared toward little ones, but also some great HIIT workouts for grown ups.

Education and Reading

• Scholastic has some free learn at home resources
• 40 science websites for kids
• Science experiments from Telus World of Science in Alberta
• Art Classes with Mo Willems
• Or you can have stories read to you by famous celebrities:
  • Dolly Parton (bedtime stories)
  • Josh Gad on Twitter (voice of Olaf in Frozen)
  • And many more (just Google it)

Virtual Museums, Zoos and Aquariums

A lot of museums (both in Canada and internationally) are offering free tours or videos that your kids can enjoy (and you can feel good that their screen time is educational!)

• The Royal Ontario Museum has free educational big-screen features (dinosaurs, oceans and mummies!) you can watch in your living room, along with a downloadable education guide
• Check out exhibitions at the Louvre in Paris, France
• Ripley’s Aquarium has different at home videos all the time: meet Aquarium staff educators, watch live feedings, educational encounters, storytime, and much more!
• Visit the San Diego Zoo or the Toronto Zoo

Active Parents is a local website in Ontario that has many great resources for kids all the time, check out their calendar for virtual field trips you can take (to the Great Wall of China, to Mars or to a farm!) and many more activities.

And if you’re looking for some resources on how to talk to your kids about COVID-19, here are some helpful links:

• The Prime Minister and Canada’s chief medical officer Dr Theresa Tam speaking on CBC Kids
• Another simple and effective message from the Prime Minister for kids, told through LEGO (only 1:22 min long)
• Some help from Daniel Tiger and PBS

Stay safe and healthy!

Instead of feeling ashamed about past health experiences, be curious and learn from your “past you.”

Instead of making grand “wishes” for 2020 — broad unrealistic claims divorced from growth, reflection, and reality — make intelligent, realistic GOALS.

For many, the New Year — the demarcation of a “new beginning” — is motivating. If this is true for you, GREAT! Capitalize on the surge of motivation. Since the New Year is now, it is as good a time as any to make a health goal. As my mother taught me, don’t put off ‘til tomorrow what you can do today.

The trick is to intelligently harness the “New Year’s bug” to grow and learn from past experiences rather than falling into the common trap of making health “wishes.” Health wishes inevitably cause one to fall off the health horse down the shame spiral to further unhealthy choices.

Use the New Year as a time to reflect and make intelligent goals. Instead of being frustrated by past health choices and goals, LEARN FROM THEM. (Reading this in February? Make today your “New Year’s Day.”)

Basically, look back before you look forward. Analyze your past health choices. Then integrate the knowledge.

Conceptualize your health process as a “loop.” Act in a certain way — analyze said choice —decide to replicate or alter said choice next time.

These questions might be helpful in your question, answer, and analysis process:

-When in my life have I been the healthiest? What habits did I hold that I can reproduce?

-When have I been the least healthy? Why? What can I learn from those experiences?

-How do I self-sabotage? What do I do to undermine my own success? Why? What steps can I take to mitigate my self-derailment?

-What are my linchpin and BNB (biggest negative bang) habits? Often linchpin and BNB habits are one and the same, but not always. A linchpin habit initiates a significant spiral of either positive or negative actions and thoughts. If a nutrition regimen changes a linchpin habit it will have dramatic effects on health.

For example, let’s say a diet asks you to cut out alcohol. If drinking is your linchpin habit, just the act of having one drink will set in motion other negative habits (like eating more, staying up late, and being unproductive the next day). I don’t drink, so a diet that advocates cutting out alcohol would not benefit me. My mom can have one glass of wine and, while she enjoys it, the act of drinking it does not make her want more alcohol or spur other negative habits.

Exercise is one of my positive linchpin habits. If I do my workout I am more likely to do other positive things throughout the day. Your BNB habits might not set in motion other bad habits, but they have a disproportionally huge negative impact on your health.

For example, you might only eat after dinner once per day, but those empty calories have the potential — especially if your goal is weight loss — to negate your other positive daily choices. If eating after dinner disrupts your sleep or makes you feel frustrated with yourself and then make additional negative choices, “after dinner snacking” becomes both a BNB and a linchpin habit. To alter your linchpin and BNB habits you have to first be aware of your current habits; you can’t make healthier choices if you are not aware of your actions, habits, and thoughts.

-What do I do that takes 20% of my effort and time, but gives me 80% of my happiness, joy, and productivity? Think people, actions, habits. Work on doing more of those actions and seeing more of those people.

-What thoughts (what I call negative brain propaganda) typically derail me? Why might I have these thoughts? What are healthier thoughts I can foster?

-What most inspires me? Do more of that. Who most inspires me? Spend more time with those people.

Main take-away

Look back not forward. Use previous experiences to form concrete personalized goals. Embrace that you will fall off your "horse" at some point in 2020; falling is part of being human. We all fall. The question is not "will I fall?" but "when I fall, how quickly can I course correct and what can I learn from the experience?" Falling can either destroy you or make you stronger. Learn from all experiences, but get back on the horse as quickly as possible.

Kathleen Trotter is a personal trainer in Toronto who loves audiobooks, planks and having a growth mindset. You can follow her blog or find her on Facebook.

Cardiovascular fitness – If you can cut across the water like a fleeing pirate, you’ll hoist your blood flow, jettison your cholesterol and sink those scurvy triglyceride levels. Paddle boarding steals many such heart-healthy treasures from cross-training, running, aerobics, and cycling without shivering your timbers (rattling your joints). Meanwhile, infection, stroke and heart disease risks fall farther back in your wake.

Balance – Staying upright atop your wobbly stand-up paddle board (or SUP) does more than keep you dry. A recent study indicates you’ll also develop greater proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness. If those terms mean nothing to you, stability, coordination, and “hubba hubba” legs and ankles likely will.

Posture – Did you know just reading this at your computer misaligns your spine? Our bad. Let us atone by pointing out that SUP-top balancing also builds the habits and muscles needed to straighten you out again.

Whole body workout – Did you know that every single paddle stroke builds muscle in your arms, shoulders, back, legs and core while burning calories, increasing your heartrate and filling your organs with revitalizing nitric oxide? Just imagine what multiple paddle strokes will do!

Stress Reduction – One of those revitalized organs is your brain, which will find many sources of contentment as you glide along – solitude, fresh air, self-improvement and occasional rushes of adrenaline. It also soaks in Vitamin D and other therapeutic benefits of a meditative, soothing day on the shimmering open water.

Finally, a 2016 study indicated you don’t have to be an athlete to start standing up for your health. There are several SUP courses available across Canada, and your nearest Flaman Fitness location has the inflatable or hardboard option for you. So if you’d like to try skimming your way to mental and physical reinvigoration, get on board!

1. RESISTANCE BANDS:

We have the ultimate stocking stuffer for that person in your life who is tight on space – like a college dorm or tiny apartment -- but is health conscious and wants a sweat-inducing workout. Look no further than resistance bands. They’re a practical gift this year because they deliver a tough workout, they’re easily portable and they take up almost no space. Plus, they come in tons of awesome colours. Oh… and the best part? They start at $4.99! For even more workout potential, pair the bands with a mounted chin up bar.

Do yourself a favour and give your friends and family the gift of resistance training this Christmas.

Check out our blog to read more on how to properly use resistance bands.

2. YOGA:

If you’ve ever tried yoga, you’ll know why it has exploded in popularity over the past decade. It’s physically demanding to the point that you’re exhausted by the end of the practice but it’s also relaxing and mind-clearing.

So, for that “what do I get?” person you’re shopping for this holiday season (who maybe needs to relax a little), build them a yoga starter kit for under $60 with a mat, a block and a strap. Add in the Great Yoga Handbook and they’ll be hooked!

For the more advanced yogi in your life, the yoga wheel is great for helping with complex poses like chakrasana (wheel pose).For the outdoor yogi, the Aqua Marina yoga paddleboard will take their practice aquatic!

3. HIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING:

A recent fitness trend has been a shift away from long, muscle-isolating workouts and towards High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT alternates between short periods of intense anaerobic exercise with short recovery periods.

The kettlebell is an ol’ timey piece of equipment that has experienced a renaissance thanks to the HIIT trend.They are versatile, inexpensive and don’t take up much space, making them an awesome fit for a home gym.They are also the perfect gift for anyone who wants to achieve quick results with short workouts.

Create a top-notch starter home gym this holiday season with a kettlebell, exercise mat and foam roller for under $60.For the more advanced fitness enthusiast, pick up a slick weighted vest and ultra-durable slam ball to take their HIIT workout to the next level!


Want to learn more about kettlebells? We have a blog for that.

4. BOXING:

Speaking of old school workouts that pack a punch, boxing has had a resurgence in popularity over the past couple years.Getting in a good boxing workout isn’t limited to a Rocky montage anymore though.No need to hit frozen cows or spar with Apollo Creed to get in a good workout.

Get your loved one the gift of boxing this Christmas for under $150 with a heavy bag, hand wraps and training gloves from Flaman Fitness. Add in a speed rope for cross training then strap on the padded target gloves to help ‘em out and they’ll be fit in no time!

5. BALANCE:

Let’s get back to the basics.Challenge your fitness focused family or friends this Christmas by giving the gift of a bosu ball. Part exercise ball, part balance board, bosu balls make dumbbell and kettlebell workouts more challenging by adding in a balance component, which helps build core strength and lean muscle in the process.

If you’re curious about how to shed some pounds and have some fun doing it, get motivated with our bosu ball blog here.

For more gift ideas, check out our stocking stuffer ideas for under $25!

A nutritionally dense diet is a critical part of reaching any health and wellness goal; appropriate nutrition puts that pep in your step, improves mood and performance, aids recovery, and is a building block for hormones and lean tissue, not to mention bones and teeth.

Here and in the next blog I will outline 10 simple tips for healthy, nutritious eating. Note that “simple” does not mean “easy” or “ineffective.” Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating doesn’t have to be complex, sleek, well marketed, or “new” to be effective. Your “perfect” plan is the one that addresses your specific goals, genetics, lifestyle realities, nutritional minefields, and triggers — and the one you can follow consistently.

Kathleen’s 10 tips for nutritious eating — Part 1

1. Set up systems that save you from your lesser self

Your food triggers and habits are not just going to magically disappear overnight. A large part of adopting a healthier diet is increasing your “personal literacy.” Work to learn your habits (both positive and negative) and triggers, and establish systems (in advance) to save your future self from your future triggered self.

For example, if you historically use food to eat away your emotions, first work to understand the triggers (why is food a comfort?). Simultaneously create situations where the triggers can’t cause a food binge (don’t have binge-worthy foods in the house) and find alternative solutions for when you do get triggered (when you start to feel sad, call a friend instead of heading to the kitchen). The goal is a future where the trigger happens less often and, when it does happen, your reaction is less intense and shorter lived.

Or perhaps you make bad choices when you get overly hungry. If that’s the case, always carry food in your purse so you don’t “have to” grab a chocolate bar. When you do end up eating because you’re too hungry, try to make the deviation either less intense (1 cookie not 5) or shorter lived (don’t let yourself spiral into a “who cares?” attitude after eating those 5 cookies).

As Mark Twain is reputed to have said, “History doesn’t repeat itself but it rhymes.”

Figure out your food habits — they will rear their ugly heads over and over — the only question is how intensely will they rear and how quickly can you course correct?

Don’t rely on willpower. Change THE SYSTEM!

2. Make it simple with the power of 3

Often making healthy food choices can feel all-too confusing, and when overwhelmed it is easy to say “screw it” and fall completely off the wagon.

The “simple” (but not always easy) rule I follow is the “rule of 3.” I save my cognitive energy by telling myself that every meal has to have a protein, a vegetable or fruit high in vitamins and minerals (green leafy vegetables or berries), and a healthy fat. Once I eat those three things, I don’t have room for any of the less healthy stuff!

3. It is not just about what you eat — it is about what you DRINK!

Many of us are aware of the food we eat but are fairly airy-fairy about liquids. Liquids count — they contain calories and, more important, impact our blood sugar, which affects our hormones and fat production.

Stay hydrated, watch your caffeine (and what you add to your coffee), avoid liquids filled with sugar and empty calories, AND always be aware of how much alcohol you are drinking.

Carry a water bottle. Set an alarm at work to remind yourself to drink water. Too often we misunderstand dehydration as hunger. Make yourself have a set amount of water before you get your morning coffee. Consider cutting your alcohol with a fizzy water or alternating water with each alcoholic beverage. Or go wild and crazy and have weeks where you skip drinking altogether.

4. Ask yourself, "How can I make this meal a little bit better"

You don’t have to make each meal perfect; you just have to make it slightly better than originally planned. If you were going to have 4 servings of pasta, have 3 servings and some green vegetables. If you were going to have 3 eggs, bacon, and white bread, have 2 eggs, bacon, and 1 piece of seed-filled bread.

“Eating well” exists on a continuum. Instead of labeling foods as “bad” and “good,” shoot to trend positive. Work to get to the next stage of your eating continuum. As you adjust to your new habits, additional changes will be easier to make.

5. Become a nutritional agnostic

Do you. Be you. Find the food program that works for YOU.

There is no “best diet” that works for everyone. All food plans have pros and cons. The one that is right for you depends on your time of life, your goals, your genetics, your lifestyle, and your budget.

The way you eat will change as you age. That is okay. There is no one program that works for everyone or one program that works for any one person their entire life. Be flexible yet dedicated to one rule — finding a program you can stick to for a good amount of time, that makes you feel vibrant and vital, and that is nutritionally dense.

Final thought

Let go of any misguided quest for “perfect.” Perfection is not possible. You can have a treat once in a while. Go ahead and mindfully enjoy a small portion of something you love. I call this my “love it rule.” It is not the occasional deviations from the plan that matter — what matters are the choices you make on a daily basis, how intensely you deviate from your norms when you deviate, AND how quickly you course correct.

If you fall off your health horse — you will; you are human — stop yourself after 1 cookie not 5 cookies and 7 beers, AND get right back on your health plan!

My next blog will cover tips 6 through 10. Curious? Some foreshadowing … I touch on the importance of portions, preparation, and trade-offs.

If you find yourself thinking “transitioning back to reality is stressful and busy; I will get back on my horse in September,” tell yourself two things.

First, say “Self, it is always easier to keep up than to catch up; if you fall off your health horse now you will feel completely demoralized come September. Your future self will not be happy!”

Second, say “Self, the more stressed you are, the MORE important the workout! Yes, finding the time is challenging, BUT finding the time is also critical. You will be a healthier, happier, and more productive version of you if you stay active!”

The solution? “Back to real life” health hacks.

“Health hacks” are innovative ways to fit exercise into a busy schedule AND motivate yourself to actually do the exercise! (It is one thing to know how to fit motion in — it is another thing to actually do it. You know what they say, “if knowledge were enough we would all be billionaires with rocking bodies.”)

Hacks are always useful, but they are especially useful in times of stress and transition. Getting yourself and your family back into the swing of “real life” qualifies as both stressful and a time of transition.

Kathleen-approved “back to real life” hacks!

Turn “back to school” chores into a workout

For example, do fartlek intervals as you walk the malls for school supplies. To do fartlek intervals simply pick random intervals — like the shopper 3 stores ahead of you — and speed walk towards them! Other options: always take the stairs, park far away from your destination (parking lot X vs A), stand on one leg as you wait at the cashier, do a few biceps curls or shoulder presses with books and other supplies in lines, or do 10 squats before you get into your car.

Make exercise a game with your kids and family

The options for this hack are endless. A few examples include setting up a family challenge (e.g., track who can fit in the most steps the week leading up to “back to school”), racing your kids to the end of the block, challenging your family to a push-up or squat competition in front of the TV, or practising your kids’ sport with them.

Stop associating working out with the gym

Your workout doesn't have to be in a gym to be worthwhile. Thinking it does simply gives you another excuse to be inactive. If the gym is not convenient, find an alternative. We all have enough reasons to skip a workout; don't make convenience one of them.

For example, set up a home gym. Buy a few inexpensive pieces of fitness equipment — a band, the Pilates circle, the Glider,the TRX, and maybe some rotating discs. Train at home. Just commit to something realistic — anything — and do it!

Reward yourself (and/or reward your family)

Set goals and non-food-related rewards: a hot bubble bath, a new workout outfit, or a movie with friends. Don't let yourself have the reward if you don't reach your goal.

Get your family involved. Have everyone establish an exercise goal and a non-food-related reward. Prizes could be “the winner gets to pick the movie for movie night” or “the winner gets to pick the music on the next family car trip.” Get everyone to establish a goal and track their progress!

Find someone who inspires you ... and learn from their experiences!

This could be someone from your real life or someone on social media. For example, talk to the mom or dad you know who seems to be able to stay fit and in control of their life. Ask how they do it.

Or start a Facebook chat.

Or try sending a message to someone on social media you admire. Ask them how they manage and/or overcame obstacles. Then extrapolate and apply their experiences to your own life.

Exercise at work

Walk as you take conference calls, invest in a treadmill desk, always take the stairs, do 10 squats before you sit in any chair, bike or walk to work, or go wild and crazy and dance around your office.

Another option is to bring a few pieces of equipment to work — such as a SITFIT and a band — and do exercises at your desk.

Couple exercise with something you enjoy

Watch TV or listen to a podcast, an audio book, or music as you work out. Better yet, have a program you are only allowed to listen to or watch when exercising.

Have an internal hashtag or a pep talk ready to go

We all have moments of low motivation. I love exercise and I still sometimes want to bail on a workout, but I don't. When I don't want to train, I use self-talk to convince myself to move.

I say, "Kathleen, you always feel better when you move. Your health quest is something you are doing for YOU. Moving is not a punishment; it is a privilege. If you don't want to do your entire workout, fine, but you have to do something. Something is always better than nothing. Just start."

Or I repeat simple internal hashtags. My current favourites are #blahblahblahGOWORKOUT and #TheWorseYourMoodTheMoreImportantTheWorkout

Get a fitness buddy

Friends make everything more fun. Plus, you are less likely to skip a workout (even if you are REALLY busy) if you are meeting someone. Meet your buddy and do fun fitness classes, go for a walk, do fun partner strength exercises at the gym, or simply meet and do cardio on side-by-side machines.

Create unique strategies for success

Working out in the morning? Sleep in your exercise clothes. Have an unpredictable schedule? Always have a gym bag packed and ready to go. One of my clients gets up and puts her sports bra overtop of her night clothes and then hops on her treadmill. She knows that if she stops to change she will skip her workout. Adopt the mindset that motion is a "non-negotiable." Then, create a unique plan that works for you.

Create friendly competition

Figure out what drives you. If you care about saving money, pay yourself every time you train. When you reach a pre-established amount, splurge on something you normally wouldn't buy. If competing with others is more your jam, sign up for ClassPass or a virtual activity tracker; compete with friends on how many classes you attend or how many steps you take.

Create visual reminders of your success

Have a calendar on the fridge and place a sticker on it every time you exercise or create a spreadsheet or graph and record your workouts.