In Club Archives | Page 3 of 3

Why Movement Screening? Book Your Game Plan Session Today!

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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

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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

Habit Tracking on our MOVATI app!

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With our MOVATI app, we can assist you with getting you started and/or help you maintain your healthy habits!

Here are some interesting facts about Habits:

Habits are the ultimate energy and time saver.
Over 40 percent of what you do is habitual.
It takes on average 21 to 30 days to change a habit.
A habit becomes part of your day to day routine and lifestyle without even knowing it.

Here are some hacks to make your new healthy exercise habits stick!

Set your alarm to make sure you get up and get moving!
Get your workout clothes ready. Sometimes the trick is buying something you look forward to wearing
Start small, one day and step at a time
Celebrate the small victories
Have fun
Take rest days
Do not skip on planned exercise days

Here is how you can track your workouts and create habits using the MOVATI app.

Open your MOVATI app, once you do, you will see this screen:

Click on workouts on the bottom of the screen, as shown in this image.

Once you clicked on workouts, you will then be able to add in any workouts that you like by clicking on the + sign on the top right. Once you create a workout it will appear on this screen under training plans. By having a training plan, you will have a scheduled workout that you have committed to.

If you do not have a “my workout” created under training plans, this is what will come up once you click on the arrow on the top right. Once you click TRACK WORKOUT, you will be able to create your own workout regimen based on date and time.

Now, you can choose between strength, sport, fitness classes, endurance, mobility and so much more! All you have to do is click on the “+” sign located on the right hand sign of each workout to add this to your regimen. This is a great guide to help you stay on track and reach your goals.

If you are the type of person that needs that extra push by setting an overall goal, check out the next step to complete this process.

To set a goal, head back over to the starting page, once back on the main page, you will click on “progress”. You will then see a section that says “your goals”- click on set goal. This page on the right will pop up.

You can choose between number of workout days, calories burned, workout duration and workout distance. Once you click on one of the goals, you will be able to select exactly what your goal is (workout 4 times a week, 500 calories a day, 5 k a day) for example.

This will then be your go to page- to keep track and find the motivation that you need.

Happy habit tracking and goal setting. We hope that this guide can assist you with how to use the app to reach your training goals and build healthy habits.

What is your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) Number?

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In MOVATI’s Speed & Power cycling class, learn more about your cycling with your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) number.

What is the significance of knowing your FTP?

In cycling, FTP stands for Functional Threshold Power. Or an easy way to think of it as your hardest sustained effort or power output over a 30-to-60-minute period. We measure this in unit of WATTS.

FTP is an important metric for cyclists, since it is quantifiable way to measure your fitness on the bike, and to gauge the level of difficulty for any particular ride for any given day.

When getting ready to start the FTP test, it is important that you have prepared before hand by warming up your body; muscles and increased heart rate. Sprints and RPM pickups will help with the warmup, as you build to the start of the test. Once the test has started, you want to have a enough resistance to maintain the effort and the pace / pedal rhythm from start to finish, keeping your watt output constant, and in a seated position. Do not start out too hard at max output, our it will be difficult to maintain the effort to the end of the test, become short of breath, and burn out. Also, you don’t want to take the test too easy where you feel like you could have pushed yourself significantly more at the end.

To reiterate, you want the test to be your maximum sustained effort from start to finish, where you feel between breathy (able to speak) and breathless at the end.

For our indoor classes at our clubs, the FTP tests can range in duration from 3 minutes 5 seconds to 5 minutes where the rider is at their hardest sustainable effort. The average watts for this duration is measured, and then a calculated FTP result is made for the cyclist. For this example since the rider has not performed the test the 1 hour, the calculation is based on what the effort would have been IF the test was for 1 hour. Thus, your FTP result for that particular class that day will be approximately 80-85% of the effort.

In that same token, if the duration is increased to an FTP of 20 mins, the result will be 95% of the effort, since you are riding at your hardest sustained effort for a longer period of time, slightly less effort than if you were riding up to a 5 minute FTP.

Now, you have an FTP number. This is your personal fitness measurement when it comes to cycling. What do you do with that number? You FTP number can now be used as training tool. Now you can work in different training zones, or intensity zones.

Zone	Percentage of FTP	Use for
1	<55%	Active recovery
2	56-75%	Long, endurance rides
3	76-90%	Tempo rides aimed at improving endurance at high effort
4	91-105%	8-30 minute intervals focused on improving FTP
5	106-120%	3-8 minute ‘V02 max’ intervals
6	121-150%	30sec-3minute efforts focused on improving anaerobic capacity
7	>150%	Efforts less than 30 seconds, sprinting, neuromuscular power

Try to maintain your FTP number or improve it when you ride in a power cycling class. Remember it also depends on how you feel any particular day. If you are feel great, crush your FTP score!

One thing to also remember is that FTP is also dependant you your body mass. As you decrease in weight or mass, your FTP score can go down as you are pushing with less power to go at the same speed.

So don’t worry, it is you vs you! Enjoy the bike, enjoy the class, get the most out of your FTP score, and keep pedaling!

Find a Speed & Power class using the Group Fitness Schedule on MOVATI website or through the MOVATI member app.

Written by Brian Pfuetzner

MOVATI LIVE Classes – FAQ

IN CLUB

Do I have to be a MOVATI member to access?

No, these classes are available to everyone on our public platforms.

How do I find the schedule for the LIVE classes?

Schedules will be posted in advance on the respective social media platforms. On Facebook you may find it pinned to the top of the page at Facebook.com/MovatiAthletic

on Instagram please refer to the story highlight on our @movati.athletic page called “LIVE Schedule.”

How do I access the Instagram LIVE from my computer?

Go to Instagram.com and log in or create an account.
Search for movati.athletic and hit the follow button
Go to the @movati.athletic page at the scheduled time and click the flashing profile icon. It will say “LIVE” at the bottom.
If you follow us our flashing icon will show up on the right-hand side of your screen under “stories.” Just click to watch.

How do I access Instagram LIVE from my phone?

Open the Instagram App
Search for @movati.athletic
If you ‘Follow’ our account, you will receive a notification every time we go LIVE!
Click on the main profile photo at the scheduled time.
You may need to refresh the page if you arrive on the page before the instructor has gone LIVE.

How do I access Facebook LIVE from my computer?

Go to Facebook.com/MovatiAthletic
Click the ‘Like’ button found under the Cover photo to Like/Follow the page.
If you Like/Follow the page, you will receive a notification once we go LIVE at the scheduled time. The LIVE video will also pop up on our Movati Athletic homepage once the instructor has gone LIVE, so you will know when the class has begun.

How do I access Facebook LIVE from my phone?

Open the Facebook mobile app and search for Movati Athletic in the search bar found at the top of the app.
Click the LIKE button found under the Cover photo to Like/Follow the page.
If you Like/Follow the page, you will receive a notification once we go LIVE at the scheduled time. The LIVE video will also pop up on the “story” panel of your homepage once the instructor has gone LIVE, so you will know when the class has begun.

Can I access the video after the LIVE session is over?

Yes, on Facebook you will find the video stored under “videos” on our Movati Athletic page at Facebook.com/MovatiAthletic/Videos.

On Instagram, you may access the LIVE video for 24 hours after the session has started by clicking on the @movati.athletic “story.”

NOTE: due to certain restriction not all videos will be saved for later viewing.

Why MOVATI believes in providing a women’s only area

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The women’s only area at MOVATI continues to set us apart in 2020 and has been the “heart” of our clubs since the early days.

What’s usually a forgotten corner in most gyms includes a fitness floor with free weights, squat racks, machines and cardio equipment, a group fitness studio and a pool at MOVATI.

Twenty years later, the decision to focus on making women feel welcome, comfortable and healthy has helped transform the lives of women in communities across Ontario.

Feel welcome

To make someone feel welcome you must knock down or address any barriers to entry. For decades, and unfortunately still in 2020, a significant part of that barrier for women comes down to “gym-timidation.”

Even as more women warm up to the idea of building muscle and strength, the disparity on the gym floor continues to exist. The avoidance of areas in a fitness facility someone may perceive as unwelcoming comes at the expense of their health and wellbeing, and we don’t think that’s right.

The women’s only space, therefore, serves to encourage members who otherwise would never sign up and take the first step toward becoming active.

Feel comfortable

Camaraderie is an overlooked aspect in making fitness a lifelong habit. When it comes to committing to a behaviour, having supportive people around can make all the difference.

We don’t just want our women feeling welcome to enter, but we want them to feel comfortable enough to stay and continue being committed.

We also support this through the environment created in our change rooms, where cleanliness and comfort create a spa-like oasis.

Our women’s only area provides a boutique-style space to empower and foster a community of women with similar goals and who may also be facing similar challenges in life.

Feel healthy

We ultimately hope to help women, in the communities we serve, become the healthiest and strongest versions of themselves. For many, that means having the option of a women’s only space.

Here at MOVATI, our commitment to women has translated into a 59% female membership base with over 50% of our monthly check-ins also being women.

So, whether you use it indefinitely, or it serves to help you transition into the co-ed areas, know that we are committed to helping you feel welcome, comfortable and healthy for life.

Happy International Women’s Day.

Breakfast Television drops by MOVATI Athletic Richmond Hill

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On Friday, November 30th, we had the pleasure of having Stella Acquisto from Breakfast Television stop by our Richmond Hill location. We put Stella through the paces where she got to try a variety of our classes and offerings including: MOVATI Fuel, Bungee Workout, Anti-Gravity Yoga and MOVATI Ignite. In case you missed out the segments lives on Friday, you can find them below:

Stella Live at MOVATI – Part 1 (MOVATI Fuel)

Stella Live at MOVATI – Part 2 (Bungee Workout)

Stella Live at MOVATI – Part 3 (Anti-Gravity Yoga)

Stella Live at MOVATI – Part 4 (MOVATI Ignite)

MOVATI ANNOUNCES $2.2 MILLION CLUB ENHANCEMENTS

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Just like keeping fit and healthy, we’re continually working to make our club facilities the best they can possibly be. In fact, this year marks one of our biggest investments in club improvements in our history. We are refreshing, renewing and revitalizing all of our club locations, all to ensure that our members fully enjoy each and every visit, and get the most out of the time they spend here.

As an innovator and leader in the fitness industry, Movati Athletic has always strived to stay ahead of the curve by offering the widest and best range of equipment and amenities. Across our clubs, we’re undertaking numerous endeavours to raise the bar even higher and set the standard for what a health club can be. This includes everything from core items such as new state-of-the-art cardio and strength equipment to less obvious features – things like newly renovated change/locker rooms, upgrades to pool areas, freshened decor, even improvements to our WiFi and café lounge offerings.

From the moment you step into one of our clubs, we think you’ll notice the difference between us and those other places. Because for us, the ultimate goal is to offer an environment where our members will always feel welcome, feel comfortable and feel healthy. We invite you to come in and discover for yourself just how enjoyable and rewarding fitness can be at Movati Athletic.