In the northern hemisphere, spring’s arrival brings more active, outdoor time! But staying active and connected can be challenging during a global pandemic. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are on the rise. While these factors permeate every area of your life, they are also a particularly potent influence on your health, your relationship to your body and perhaps a changing attitude toward fitness.

What’s missing?

If you were a gym-goer, you might be missing the camaraderie that comes with seeing your fellow community members in the conditioning room, or maybe the friendships you built in group fitness classes kept you coming back for more. Perhaps it was the motivational instructor cheering you on as you push through that last set of burpees that helped you exceed your expectations. It may certainly feel like you are now left to your own devices. And for social creatures like us, all this can be demotivating.

The Bright Spot can help you stay active and motivated

To start, get up and get moving today! You’ll get immediate gratification in the form of endorphins. These feel-good chemicals will prime your mind for another day of working out. The buzz you get after a good workout is a miraculous mood-booster and a wonderful way to get back on the fitness wagon. Think of it as a reward. You really don’t need to overthink it. In fact, start as soon as you’re done reading this blog by visiting the activities page on the Bright Spot.

Make a longterm plan

And of course, it’s no secret that regular and continuous exercise has a positive effect on your overall mental health, so make it a priority and stick with it in the long run. Studies say that regular exercise reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, and after the year we have all had, nurturing our mental health is certainly a welcome salve!

One way to ensure you reap all these benefits is to make a fitness plan. Get your calendar and schedule your workouts for the next six weeks. The standard recommendation for most adults is 150 minutes of moderate to high-intensity activity per week. Consider splitting the week up into five 30-minute workout sessions, or two-hour-long classes and a 30-minute outdoor walk or jog.

Mindful reflection gives your new routine even more staying power

After your six weeks are up, take some time to reflect by journaling about your experience.

Grab a pen and paper and start writing down answers to these questions:

1. How are you feeling compared to when you started?

2. Are you seeing any changes in your mood?

3. Do you see any changes in your body?

4. Do you feel stronger in your day-to-day activities?

5. If so, how and when does your newfound strength show up in your regular life?

Many people report feeling more emotional resilience and physical endurance. Your hard work starts to permeate your life and taking a moment to mindfully reflect on all of this is yet another motivator that will keep you coming back for more.

Keep evolving

After the first six weeks are up, it’s the perfect time to assess if your routine needs a change. Maybe you can increase your fitness frequency or try new styles of exercise to keep your mind and body evolving. In other words, take it to the next level!

Other health conditions can improve with exercise, too

Some types of exercises can even help with conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and even chronic pain. By finding new ways to move and stay motivated, you can take charge of your overall health. Focusing on something you can control – like your fitness sessions – can also bring about feelings of empowerment which can feel grounding during times of uncertainty.

We are looking ahead to a brighter future when we can be together in person again. Until then, we know that a variety of online classes, inspiring instructors and connections to others will help you meet and exceed your fitness goals, plus we promise you’ll have a lot of fun! And that’s the best way to ensure long-term commitment and success.

At the YMCA of Greater Toronto, we respect and admire the expert advice provided by our partner health charities. That’s why we’re excited to bring you even more great reading material from the team at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (Heart and Stroke).

To maintain heart health, a little physical activity goes a long way. Regular physical activity is a great way to keep your heart healthy and lead a healthy lifestyle. But if you’re not active now, don’t worry. You don’t have to suddenly embark on an Olympic-training program. The Bright Spot is the perfect place to start your journey, and the options are almost endless!

Heart and Stroke’s recommendations

Heart and Stroke recommends adults should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week, in bouts of 10 minutes or more. The activity doesn’t have to be non-stop, such as an aerobics class. You can do 10 minutes or more at a time throughout the day to reach your daily total. For example, take a brisk 10-minute walk mid-day, play for 10 minutes with your grandkids (if you are able to see them safely during COVID-19 restrictions), and then spend some time participating in one of our many Bright Spot activities like Yoga, BodyFit or Tai Chi!

If you’re short on time, remember that any physical activity is better than none. However, the more active you are, the greater the health benefits. The bonus: physical activity will give you more energy and help you cope better with stress and low mood.

Older adults should add muscle and bone-strengthening activities using major muscle groups at least two days per week to enhance balance and prevent falls. The Bright Spot is now offering a brand new class that will help you learn how to do just that. Try our Weights For Bone Health class every Friday at 9:00 am.

Just as a variety of foods is important for healthy eating, a variety of activities is important for healthy living. Choose physical activities that require endurance, strength and flexibility.

Endurance activities are continuous activities such as walking, cycling and tennis. They’re especially beneficial for your heart, lungs and circulatory system.

Strength activities, such as carrying groceries, heavy yard work or snow shovelling and weight training can help to strengthen muscles and bones and improve posture. Aim for at least two times a week.

Flexibility activities like yoga, tai chi, and even housework will keep your muscles relaxed and your joints mobile. Increased flexibility later in life will allow you to continue to tie your shoes, reach the top shelf in your kitchen and clip your toenails. Try our Functional Movement class for specialized instruction.

Balance activities you can do at home include standing on one foot or standing on your toes while holding onto the back of a chair. As you progress, steady yourself with one finger, then try it with no hands. When you are really steady, try the exercise with your eyes closed. Any exercise that strengthens your lower body is also a great addition.

Be sure to vary your activity from light, moderate and vigorous effort. And remember that it’s never too late to strengthen your body! Studies have found that weight training can reverse muscle weakness even among people in their 90s.

NOTE: Before starting a physical activity program, speak to your healthcare provider first to discuss what is right for you.

Here at The YMCA of Greater Toronto, we respect and admire the expert advice provided by our partners at The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. That’s why we’re excited to bring you even more great reading material written by the team at this other health-focused charity! In this next piece, we find out how to do a personal assessment of our weight and waistline. It turns out it’s not just about the number on the scale.

Did you know that 60% of Canadian adults are overweight or obese? Obese Canadians are four times more likely to have diabetes, more than three times as likely to have high blood pressure and more than two times more likely to have heart disease than those with a healthy weight.

For those Canadians, a modest weight reduction of as little as 5% of body weight can reduce high blood pressure and total blood cholesterol. However, simply knowing your weight is not enough to know your health risk. Did you know that you can have a healthy weight, but still be at increased risk? How our bodies store excess weight (specifically fat) can negatively impact our health.

Today, there are two methods of self-assessment that can give you a clearer picture of how your weight may be affecting your health – measuring your waistline and calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI).

Healthy waists

Measuring waist circumference can help to assess obesity-related health risk. Even at a healthy weight, excess fat carried around the waist can increase your risk of high blood pressure, high [blood] cholesterol, heart disease and type-2 diabetes. The best way to find out if your waistline is increasing your risk of heart disease is to measure it.

Your natural body shape is an important consideration

Where you carry your weight is just as important as how much weight you carry when it comes to your health. If you’re at risk for overweight-related diseases such as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke it’s important to follow these steps to assess your waistline size with a measuring tape.

1. Clear your abdominal area of any clothing, belts or accessories. Stand upright facing a mirror with your feet shoulder-width apart and your stomach relaxed. Wrap the measuring tape around your waist.

2. Use the borders of your hands and index fingers – not your fingertips – to find the uppermost edge of your hipbones by pressing upwards and inwards along your hip bones.

Tip: Many people mistake an easily felt part of the hipbone located toward the front of their body as the top of their hips. This part of the bone is in fact not the top of the hip bones, but by following this spot upward and back toward the sides of your body, you should be able to locate the true top of your hipbones.

3. Using the mirror, align the bottom edge of the measuring tape with the top of the hip bones on both sides of your body.

Tip: Once located, it may help to mark the top of your hipbones with a pen or felt-tip marker in order to aid you in correctly placing the tape.

4. Make sure the tape is parallel to the floor and is not twisted.

5.Relax and take two normal breaths. After the second breath out, tighten the tape around your waist. The tape should fit comfortably snug around the waist without depressing the skin.

Tip: Remember to keep your stomach relaxed at this point.

6. Still breathing normally, take the reading on the tape.

Are you at risk?

Male*: more than 94 cm (37 inches) is increased risk; more than 102 cm (40 inches) is substantially increased risk.

Female*: more than 80 cm (31.5 inches) is increased risk; more than 88 cm (35 inches) is substantially increased risk.

*Other risk factors such as ethnicity, individual risk factors, pregnancy, medical history and family history can affect your risk, regardless of your waist circumference.

Having a waistline that is below the cut-off does not mean you are completely free of risk. Your individual risk can be influenced by your health, medical history and family history, so the universal cut-points can be misleading. If you have other risk factors, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, you might need to lower your waist circumference to minimize your risk. Reducing your waist circumference by 4 cm can have massive benefits to your risk profile and reduce your chances of developing diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Healthy Weight

Measuring your waistline alone won’t give you all the information you need about your weight. Knowing your waist circumference and your Body Mass Index (BMI) will help you have a good conversation with your healthcare provider about how your body is changing as you age.

The BMI is a ratio of your height and weight. It applies to people between the ages of 18 through 65, except if they are pregnant, breastfeeding or very muscular.

• Calculate your BMI yourself. Divide your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in metres.
• Or, using pounds and inches, multiply your weight by 703, divide by your height, then divide by your height again.

If your BMI is

– between 18.5 and 24.9, you’re at lowest risk of developing health problems.
– between 25 and 29.9, you’re considered overweight.
– 30 or more, you’re considered obese.

Tracking your Healthy Waist and Healthy Weight

A single measurement of waist circumference or BMI doesn’t tell us everything we need to know about our obesity-related health issues. Tracking your waist circumference with body weight (BMI) over time is an excellent way for you and your healthcare provider to understand how your body is changing as you age and to monitor your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Achieving a healthy weight isn’t always as simple as eating healthy and being active, but it is a great beginning. Speak to your doctor about different lifestyle options to help you maintain or achieve a healthy waistline and weight that is right for you.

Managing your weight doesn’t have to mean altering your life dramatically. Take small steps, like exercising regularly and eating healthy food.

The hardest thing about getting healthy is getting started, especially after several months of a COVID-19 induced break from the gym.

Whether you’re reading this at your desk, from your couch, on the bus, or anywhere else, here are three things you can do literally right now, this very moment, to get yourself on the path towards a healthier, happier lifestyle:

1. Stretch out

Sitting at a desk — or sitting anywhere, really — is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Those of us with jobs that require us to sit for most of the day need to make an effort to counteract the negative effects. Right now, follow along with YMCA Health Educator Jessica as she takes you through an easy, four-minute-long stretch break designed to be done while sitting. Then, set an alarm to go off in one hour, and do another one.

2. Schedule a workout

You might not be able to hit the gym right this second, but you can definitely get moving with the help of a variety of online fitness classes tailored specifically with you in mind. Browse The Bright Spot’s Activities page to select from a variety of classes like Yoga Gentle, BodyFit Chair, Functional Movement and so many more. And if you’re looking to book your time in the weight room, the Sweat For Good app can help you plan your week ahead. Putting a workout into your calendar will help make you feel committed to actually doing it when the time comes.

3. Hide your treats
   

Research suggests you’re less tempted by snacks you can’t see. One study found that front-desk administrators who kept candy in clear containers snacked on it 71% more often than those with the same candy in opaque containers. Stuff your sugary sweets in your desk drawer, the back of your kitchen cupboards, or — if you’re feeling really ambitious — throw them out altogether and replace them with healthier alternatives.

Getting healthy is a long-term decision that requires lifestyle changes, not quick fixes. But that doesn’t mean healthy living is out of reach. In fact, people who take it one small step at a time are most likely to build sustainable habits that they stick to in the long run; those who try to do everything at once are more likely to get discouraged and give up. Trying any one of these three easy strategies today can put you on the right track for life.