MOVATI Cares Donates 67,654 Meals to Ontarians Through Feed Ontario!

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MOVATI Athletic is thrilled to announce the overwhelming success of Shake Days, a MOVATI Cares initiative which took place from March 4th to 6th, 2024.  Thanks to our MOVATI community, we not only met but surpassed our donation goal, raising a total of $33,827.23 providing 67,654 meals to Ontarians through Feed Ontario.

MOVATI Cares, a program designed by MOVATI Athletic, strives to support charitable organizations that help members in our communities lead a healthier and happier life.  Shake Days was a National Event where all proceeds from the sale of shakes at the MOVATI Athletic Café were donated to Feed Ontario. This organization works to fight hunger and supports healthy communities. Feed Ontario leverages bulk purchasing to buy and distribute food to food banks in the communities where our clubs operate, with every $1 raised providing 2 meals to an Ontarian in need.

“Together, we have demonstrated that when we come together as a community, we can create meaningful change and support those in need”, commented Chuck Kelly, President, and CEO of MOVATI. “We would like to extend special thanks to all our Club Members, Team Members, and Partners.  Without your support and dedication to this cause, Shake Days would not have been possible.”

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MOVATI Athletic is a privately held company with 16 locations across Canada and growing, with over 130,000 members and more than 2,000 employees. From the premium equipment and spa-like amenities to an industry-leading selection of group fitness classes, MOVATI offers a full range of fitness services tailored to its members’ needs. Driven by a vision to empower people’s lives through fitness and health, making the communities it serves healthier and happier.

MOVATI Athletic is poised for growth with new clubs opening across Canada. Visit MOVATI.com for more information.

To learn more about Feed Ontario and how you can continue to support their mission, please visit www.feedontario.ca. Let’s feed Ontario, together!

The MOVATI Athletic Cleaning Standard – Raising the Bar Even Higher

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At MOVATI Athletic we are committed to providing a higher level of cleanliness throughout our facilities. Going above and beyond our existing high standards, we’ve implemented extra rigorous cleaning procedures and monitoring policies encompassing every part of our operations. We’ve always gone to great lengths when it comes to the cleanliness and safety of our clubs – now, we’re going even further with several new initiatives.

Deep Clean

Continuous and enhanced cleaning throughout the club with hospital-grade disinfectants approved by Health Canada.

In house custodial staff working all hours of operation to keep the club sanitized and clean.

Enhanced Protocols

Enhanced air quality and ventilation rates of our clubs, providing a greater amount of fresh air exchange.

Leading HVAC and air quality control systems have been enhanced even further to provide for a cleaner air environment. Our HVAC systems use MERV-8 air filters, one of the top performing air filters on the market.

Special staff training and certification on cleaning procedures and new health and safety protocols from Ecolab®.

Self-Cleaning

Additional hand sanitizers and Disinfecting Stations are located throughout the club equipped with disinfectant wipes.

Members must wipe down equipment before and after use.

We’re committed to making your club experience as convenient, safe and rewarding as possible. From keeping you healthy with our advanced air filtration system, to our advanced cleanliness standards, we’ve got you covered.

 

Join MOVATI Today and get Started with This Special Offer. Already a member? To customize programming and help you improve your training, consult with one of our Performance Coaches in club and complete your Game Plan Session or join seminars with one of our fitness professionals.

*MOVATI’s trainers and/or consultants are not health care providers, and do not provide any medical diagnosis, treatment or advice, and any trainer and/or consultant tips are not intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Benefits of Using the Steam Room

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After an intense workout, there is nothing better than relaxing in the Steam Room. The great news is that this offers a variety of benefits!

Using a steam room after a workout can offer potential benefits such as:

1. Muscle Relaxation: The heat in the steam room can help relax your muscles, reduce muscle tension and soreness. This can contribute to faster recovery and improved flexibility.

  1. Joint Relief: If you have joint pain or stiffness, the warmth can help. It may help alleviate discomfort and improve joint mobility.
  2. Stress Reduction: Sometimes life can get a bit crazy, the steam room can help! Steam rooms are known for being relaxing places. After a workout, spending time in a steam room can be a calming experience, helping to reduce stress and promote mental relaxation.
  3. Respiratory Benefits: The steam room can help open airways and reduce congestion.
  4. Mental Well-Being: The combination of heat and relaxation in the steam room can have a positive effect on your mental well-being and can contribute to an overall sense of calm.

Visit the steam room today to experience the benefits! Please keep in mind that individual responses to steam room use may vary! It’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before incorporating steam room sessions into your post-workout routine.

Make sure you stay hydrated and drink plenty of water, especially when using the steam room.

Let’s sweat, together!

Join MOVATI Today and get Started with This Special Offer. Already a member? To customize programming and help you improve your training, consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session or join seminars with one of our fitness professionals.

*MOVATI’s trainers and/or consultants are not health care providers, and do not provide any medical diagnosis, treatment or advice, and any trainer and/or consultant tips are not intended to replace the advice of a health care professional.

Recover Faster with Pilates Reformer

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Pilates Reformer is a piece of equipment used in Pilates workouts, and it can be beneficial for recovery in several ways:

Improved Core Strength: Pilates Reformer exercises target the core muscles, including abdominal and back. Strengthening these muscles enhances stability and support for the spine, reducing risk of injuries.

Muscle Imbalance Correction: Pilates Reformer exercises focus on balanced muscle development, helping to correct imbalances and prevent injuries caused by overuse or weakness in specific muscle groups.

Low-Impact Exercise: The Pilates Reformer provides a low-impact environment for exercise, which is beneficial for those recovering from injuries. It allows for controlled movements which makes it suitable for rehabilitation!

Customizable Resistance: The Reformer allows for adjustable resistance, making t suitable for people at different fitness levels or those recovering from injuries. You can control resistance to tailor your workouts.

Rehabilitation for Specific Injuries: Pilates reformer exercises can be adapted to target specific areas of the body.

Recovering with Pilates on a reformer involves using controlled movements to improve strength, flexibility, and overall body awareness.

Pilates Reformer is now available at selected clubs! Click here to learn more about Pilates Reformer

Benefits of Athletic Therapy

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Blog Written By: Nick Andre – Athletic Therapist

Certified Athletic Therapists are best known for their care of professional and elite athletes. The first to respond when someone gets hurt, they are experts at injury assessment and rehabilitation. It’s that same mix of on-site care and active rehabilitation skills that makes Athletic Therapists so effective in treating the musculoskeletal (muscles, bones, and joints) injuries of all Canadians, whether on the field or in the clinic.

At MOVATI Athletic, our Certified Athletic Therapists bring their wealth of knowledge to the health and wellness of our members in club. This wealth of knowledge includes in-depth knowledge, education, and training in the areas of the human musculoskeletal system, exercise physiology, biomechanics, and basic emergency care.

Athletic therapists adhere to the Sports Medicine Model of care. They treat a wide range of patients, from kids with concussions to seniors recovering from hip replacement surgery, using various manual therapies, modalities, exercise prescription and even bracing and taping. The treatment varies but the objective doesn’t: an Athletic Therapist’s goal is to help clients return to their usual activities, whether that means playing competitive sports or walking to the mailbox and back.

Be sure to reach out to your club to book in with an Athletic Therapist today. Athletic Therapy available in select locations.

START YOUR JOURNEY TODAY WITH OUR PERFORMANCE COACH

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THE EVOLUTION OF PERSONAL TRAINING ​

In our continuous commitment to providing you with the best in health and wellness, beginning in 2024, our MOVATI Personal Trainers will be known as Performance Coaches.

WHAT IS A PERFORMANCE COACH?

MOVATI Performance Coaches are highly qualified professionals who offer you more support and better results. Our Performance Coaches will work with you through a Customized, data-driven, and knowledge-based approach to programming that is tracked in the MOVATI Training App, so you can perform better At Home, At Work, and in Training Sessions.

MOVATI’s Performance Coaches approach to 360-degree wellness, will guide clients on ways to improve everything from nutrition, sleep, and mood regulation, to confidence, productivity, and mental clarity, as well as achieving their fitness goals.

While the fitness and personal training industries have changed, a greater evolution has occurred here at MOVATI. We are setting the standard for best-in-class client service with investments in ongoing continuing education and new technologies.

Our Performance Coaches will be sharing more of their client’s successes and testimonials, both internally and externally, so that we can showcase their great work.

The department will continue to be called Personal Training.

Why Movement Screening? Book Your Game Plan Session Today!

Why Movement Screening? Book Your Game Plan Session Today!
IN CLUB

2024 is around the corner and many people start the year with new goals and resolutions, excited to achieve their best results as fast as possible.

Before we start exercise routine and our fitness journey successfully, we need to evaluate the quality of the fundamental movement we use day to day to ensure plan is customize to our need and safe.  Our MOVATI Movement Screen was created with support of 30+ highly recognized reference education on assessments and biomechanics.

If individuals in movement assessment have deficient areas of mobility and stability, our team of fitness professionals start with corrective guidelines tailored to you to build a strong foundation so you can perform at your highest potential. For example, one of our movements that will be screening is “Unilateral Hip Hinge. This assessment was created to screen your balance and bending pattern. 

  As we know Balance is crucial to safe movements in life, most of our daily movement (run, walk, stairs, …) are done on a single leg, losing balance could cause a change in gait pattern as well as compensation in many areas of the kinetic chain. 

  Hinge pattern is an essential movement for your activities of daily living such as bending over, getting up from the floor, and walking. Performing this movement to the highest quality will improve our speed, confidence and agility and protect our spine from pain and injuries.

Connect with one of our Fitness Professional to complete your game plan sessions to learn more about your movement.

SIP ON OUR NEW SEPTEMBER SHAKES TODAY AT OUR MOVATI CAFÉ!

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MO-GLO SHAKE

Ingredients:
10oz Wildberry Juice
Vanilla Protein
Collagen
½ cup Strawberry
¼ cup Blueberry
¼ cup Spinach

Some benefits of collagen include: thicker hair, healthier nails, increased muscle mass, improves your skin and more!

MO-GAINZ

Ingredients:
10oz Skim Milk/Unsweetened Almond Milk
Chocolate Protein
Creatine
¼ cup Banana
½ cup Strawberry
¼ cup Blueberry
¼ cup Spinach

Some benefits of creatine include: improve exercise performance, increase muscle mass, help in recovery and more!

We look forward to seeing you at the CAFÉ!

August 2023 Try it Tuesday: Lifting Essentials

FITNESS

Weight training: Do’s and don’ts of proper technique

You don’t have to be a bodybuilder or a professional athlete to reap the benefits of weight training. When done correctly, weight training can help you lose fat, increase your strength and muscle tone, and improve your bone density. If done incorrectly, however, weight training won’t give you these benefits — and may even lead to injury.

CHECK YOUR TECHNIQUE

You might learn weight training techniques by watching friends or others in the gym, but sometimes what you see isn’t safe. Incorrect weight training technique can lead to sprains, strains, fractures and other painful injuries that may hamper your weight training efforts.

If you’re just getting started, work with a knowledgeable weight training specialist — a physical therapist, athletic trainer or other fitness specialist who’s familiar with proper weight training technique. If you’ve been using weights for a while, consider scheduling time with a trainer to double-check your technique and identify any changes you may need to make.

WEIGHT TRAINING DO’S

When you are weight training, do:

Lift an appropriate amount of weight. Start with a weight you can lift comfortably 12 to 15 times.

For most people, a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions with a weight that fatigues the muscles can build strength efficiently and can be as effective as three sets of the same exercise. As you get stronger, gradually increase the amount of weight.

Use proper form. Learn to do each exercise correctly. When lifting weights, move through the full range of motion in your joints. The better your form, the better your results, and the less likely you are to hurt yourself. If you’re unable to maintain good form, decrease the weight or the number of repetitions. Remember that proper form matters even when you pick up and replace your weights on the weight racks.

If you’re not sure whether you’re doing a particular exercise correctly, ask a personal trainer or other fitness specialist for help.

Breathe. You might be tempted to hold your breath while you’re lifting weights. Don’t hold your breath. Instead, breathe out as you lift the weight and breathe in as you lower the weight.

Seek balance. Work all of your major muscles — including the abdomen, hips, legs, chest, back, shoulders and arms. Strengthen the opposing muscles in a balanced way, such as the fronts and backs of the arms.

Add strength training in your fitness routine. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends incorporating strength training exercises of all the major muscle groups into a fitness routine at least two times a week.

Rest. Avoid exercising the same muscles two days in a row. You might work all of your major muscle groups at a single session two or three times a week, or plan daily sessions for specific muscle groups. For example, work your arms and shoulders on Monday, your legs on Tuesday, and so on.

WEIGHT TRAINING DON’TS

Follow these tips to avoid common mistakes when you’re weight training:

Don’t skip the warmup. Cold muscles are more prone to injury than warm muscles. Before you lift weights, warm up with five to 10 minutes of brisk walking or other aerobic activity.

Don’t rush. Move the weight in an unhurried, controlled fashion. Taking it slow helps you isolate the muscles you want to work and keeps you from relying on momentum to lift the weight. Rest for about one minute between each exercise.

Don’t overdo. For most people, completing one set of exercises to the point of fatigue is usually enough. Additional sets may take up extra time and contribute to overload injury. However, the number of sets that you perform may differ depending on your fitness goals.

Don’t ignore pain. If an exercise causes pain, stop. Try the exercise again in a few days or try it with less weight.

Don’t forget your shoes. Shoes that protect your feet and provide good traction can keep you from slipping or injuring your feet while you’re lifting weights.

Remember, the more you concentrate on proper weight training technique, the more you’ll get out of your weight training program.

These are just a few tips to help with your weight training. To customize programming consult with one of our Personal Trainers in club and complete your Game Plan Session.

Pilates Reformers – The New Pilates Way

Pilates Reformers – The New Pilates Way
IN CLUB

MOVATI has been known for its ever-popular Mat Pilates classes. A class where members utilize body weight exercises to target a whole-body workout. In the spring of 2023, select clubs will be introducing Pilates Reformer classes, taking the Pilates experience to a whole new level. 

What Are the Benefits of Pilates?

Traditionally, Pilates is used to stretch, strengthen and balance the body, while focusing on breathing techniques to create a more powerful mind-body connection.

How is Reformer Pilates Different from Traditional Pilates?  

Reformer Pilates, a more modern approach to Pilates training, utilizes slow and controlled movements, with the assistance of a machine that uses a sliding platform (a carriage). Reformer classes allow you to experience the benefits of a total body workout, along with muscle specific workouts like our Core & Glutes or Cardio & Core classes to help mimic a more traditional strength training workout (without the barbells and weights). The reformers are targeted to help improve strength, posture, balance and coordination. 

With 6 class types to choose from, Pilates Reformer will keep your mind and body challenged with each workout. Come check us out and experience the difference with Pilates Reformer.

MoveActive Grip Socks

Good News! A selection of styles, designs and sizes are available at participating locations. Members can ask their Pilates instructors or the front desk for assistance. Here is some information about MoveActive Grip Socks!

 Why use MoveActive grip socks? 

MoveActive grip socks are specifically “designed to improve stability, safety and performance for yoga, pilates and barre styles of exercise. Crafted from high quality, breathable cotton, with built-in compression arch support, it’s a little slice of heaven for your feet.”

Where can you purchase MoveActive Grip Socks? 

MoveActive grip socks are available for sale at MOVATI clubs that offer Pilates Reformer services. (WDM, BARR, GUE, RCH and BUR)

Are MoveActive products sustainable? 

“MoveActive believes the future of our planet and the fashion industry depends on our company’s commitment to our environmental impact. The journey to creating a sustainable and ethical product is one that requires constant development, learning and refinement and as a company, we are committed to constantly evolving our business practices to ensure we’re working towards contributing to a sustainable industry.

Our products are packaged in sustainable packaging. We use biodegradable courier bags and environmentally friendly packing accessories to deliver products to our customers. We have a no plastic policy (where necessary) and believe all packaging should exist for a cause or purpose. Most of our accessory products are packaged in mesh bags which are designed to reuse or to carry the product in.

We constantly invest in the research and development to source fabrics and packaging that are not only high-quality and durable, but also have sustainable qualities.”

Enhance your Pilates, Yoga & Barre workouts today!

Click here to find out if Pilates Reformer classes are available in your club today.

Blog written by Courtney O’Reilly, National Manager – Specialty Programs, MOVATI Athletic