Category: Lifestyle

This Mother’s Day we sat down with Janicke Ziemer, who is our Talent Acquisition Specialist. Janicke is of Swedish descent, originally born in Goteborg, Sweden. She currently lives in Thornbury, ON after spending the majority of her life (20 years) in Burlington, ON has been with MOVATI Athletic for four years. She always had a passion for fitness and holds multiple certifications. On top of all this, she is a mother that shares this passion with her children.

Q: Janicke, start off by telling us how many kids you have, and how often you work out with them. 

A: I have two amazing daughters. Helena 22, graduating Queens Kin this year. Ellie 20 just completed her 2nd year in Film & Media Studies at Queens. I am a Queens Kin alumni so yes all 3 of us are Queens girls!

Q: What were your daughters like growing up? Did you think they would share your passion for fitness?

A: I had to work hard keeping up with these two as they grew up!  They were 2 & 4 when they did their first 1 km running race. Both have completed many 5 km races with me, and Helena even ran the Boston marathon family 5 km! They have skied since they were 3 & 5, avid gymnasts, and figure skaters to start but competitive dance took over and they still dance together on the Queen competitive dance team. In their spare time they hiked with me! I am forever grateful they share my love for fitness and adventure!

Q: What, in your opinion, are your daughter’s greatest strength or what makes them so successful?

A: Both my daughters are very driven and love to cheer each other on. I believe their biggest strength is that they truly love to help each other succeed. They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders. I also love that they can be genuine and silly and laugh at themselves. They share the good and the not so good.  

Q: Mothers often talk about feeling guilty for taking time to go to the gym or do a class. What advice would you give to them?

A: I have always worked in the fitness industry, so my girls started going to the gym with me as babies.   They would enjoy the childcare at first then started doing kids programs and swimming lessons as soon as they were old enough. They always loved coming to the gym or my studio with me. I never felt guilty going to the gym because my girls were always doing something they liked at the gym or in their own fitness programs while I was working out or teaching classes. They knew the gym was my workplace and happy place. We were all happy to be at the gym! For them it was a treat to come to mommy’s gym!   My advice to other moms is to take time for themselves to stay active and fit. Being active and fit is not only being a great role model for your kids but it helps you to be happy and confident which makes you a better mom!

Q: Because you are so active in the fitness community, did that play a major role influencing your daughters’ passion for fitness? How do they like to stay active?

A: I believe my daughters grew up in a very active family and knew nothing else. It was our way of life, so I believe this was a huge influence on them being as active and fit as they are today. No matter how busy they are … and they are definitely busy!  They make time for fitness. Even with their busy dance and school schedules, they make a point to have a few “sister sweats” every week. I couldn’t be prouder when they send me an early morning sweaty selfie!

Today they both still ski in the winter, hike up mountains, bike on the trails, dance on the university competitive dance team as well as sweat together at HIIT workouts. In the summer they work out on the beach and SUP with me which makes me more than happy!

Q: What qualities have you passed on to your daughters that you are most proud of? 

A: I am more then proud that my girls love to sweat and enjoy working out by themselves, together and with me! Nothing makes me prouder to ski, hike, workout and sup with these two amazing girls.  

Q: What is your favourite part of being a mother?

A: My favourite part of being a mom is watching my two girls grow into confident, fit, driven, successful women! And knowing that they are each other’s biggest supporters!

On March 8^th, we celebrate International Women’s Day.  The theme for this year is ‘Break the Bias.’ The past few years Canadian female athletes have broken barriers, and they did it again at this year’s Olympics in Beijing. 

Team Canada’s Long Track Speed Skating female team, consisting of Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann, won gold in the women’s pursuit making it Canada’s first Olympic medal in the event in 16 years! They did it by posting an Olympic record time of 2:53.44 in the final against Japan. 

This trio had some setbacks as they fell second place in the quarterfinals and started a little slower than the Dutch in the semifinals, but did not give up and with determination, they were able to pull through and managed to get their spot in the finals. 

For Weidemann, this is her third medal of Beijing 2022, adding to the silver she won in the 5000m and her bronze in the 3000m. She is Canada’s first triple medallist of the Games and is the second Canadian to ever to collect a set of gold, silver, and bronze medals at one edition of the Winter Games. 

Another accomplishment we need to highlight is our TEAM CANADA Women’s Hockey team taking home the gold. They celebrated a 3-2 win over the United States in the finals. Even with stiff competition each Games, this marks Canada’s fifth gold in women’s hockey at the Olympic Games. 

 Shout out to Captain Marie-Philip Poulin who scored twice to lead Canada to their 3-2 win. Not only was Poulin a star, the goalie, Ann- Renee Desbiens, stopped 38 of 40 shots! Congratulations to this team, we are sure this was quite the celebration.

Main Image: Team celebrates gold medal in the team pursuit at Beijing 2022. Photo by: Andrew Lehodynski/COC

This year instead of making a New Year’s Resolution make a list of goals you hope to accomplish. 

Why goals instead of resolutions? The difference is in the definition! 

The definition of a resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something” whereas the definition of a goal is “an aim or objective that you work toward with effort and determination.”

When we make resolutions we often feel let down if we do not achieve them. How many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution only to feel defeated in the weeks that follow because you didn’t stick to it. When we feel like we have let ourselves down it can spiral into feelings of defeat and affect our confidence in our ability to accomplish anything. 

A goal on the other hand is something we know we can continue to strive for. Goals allow for setbacks and the ability to refocus and continue to work toward achieving them – even if that means it takes months or even years to accomplish. Goals can be modified as our lives and environments evolve and goals can build on one another. Setting smaller goals to help you reach a much larger goal is an effective strategy for ultimately getting to where you want to be. 

What are YOUR goals for 2022?

Are you trying to declutter? Eat healthier? Exercise more? Start a new career? Or maybe you are trying to do a little more self-care? Put your intentions out to the universe by writing them down in a journal, make a vision board, or create a goal list. Having your goals visible and reviewing them often helps to keep you on track. 

Set goals that are specific, measurable, and most importantly realistic. And remember – your goals are unique to you and your life. 

We wish you a happy, healthy and goal achieving 2022! 

For some, 2020 has been about developing healthy habits while for others it may have been a year to pause and take some time to focus on other areas of their life. With the gift giving season just around the corner you may want to surprise your loved ones with a gift to align with their goals.

Fitness Journal or Activity Tracker

2020 has been the year of shifting priorities, but even if their gym is closed or they are not attending as often, there are many ways to still stay accountable to healthy living. You can pick out a nice journal for logging exercises, water intake, mindfulness practices and so much more! It’s a great reflective tool for anyone wanting to spend more time focusing on themselves.

Alternatively, if budget allows, an activity tracker can be a motivational tool to get generally sedentary people to start moving around and walking in their day. As the weather gets colder and we continue to stay home, this may be the perfect gift for anyone in your life!

Virtual Personal Training Sessions

If your gift recipient is a MOVATI member currently staying at home and wanting that extra push, our personal training teams are offering virtual sessions! Get all the benefits of personal training from the comfort of your own home. They can be sure to start the year off on the right foot by staying active and supporting their immune system into 2021.

Virtual Personal Training is now only $239 for 4 sessions, for more details visit: https://movatiathletic.com/live-classes/online-training/

A meal from a local restaurant

Nothing says I appreciate you like a nice warm meal especially for your super active family and friends. The 2020 closures have also likely affected your favourite local restaurant, so why not gift a meal to someone while also giving the gift of business to someone who may be struggling to stay open.

Even if you’re distancing yourself you can always order a meal through a delivery app to arrive right at their door!

This holiday season may be a little different than usual, but we can still express our love and gratitude in different ways and with small tokens of appreciation or gifts to help them reach their goals.

We hope everyone ends the year with a positive mindset and continues to do everything they can to  stay healthy and safe throughout! 

With new protocols in place, how can you ensure you are ready to have a safe and healthy experience at MOVATI Athletic?
Although general workouts don’t require reservations, we still ask members to maximize their efficiency throughout their visit and that starts with bringing just the essentials!

When possible, come dressed in your workout clothes and bring only the following items with you to ensure a successful and safe visit:

Mask — MOVATI Athletic will be enforcing any by-laws and guidelines provided by the municipality or local public health units. You will need to wear a mask to enter and while walking around the facility. It may be removed during physical activity.

Phone — now with the new MOVATI App you’ll be able to swipe into the club right from your phone! Also, if you’ve booked a spot in a group fitness class, have your phone with you to show confirmation of the booking before entering the studio.

Electronic payment – MOVATI Athletic will no longer be accepting cashl payments. We encourage members to bring credit or debit payment methods or setting up MOVATI Pay on your account for purchases.

Yoga/Exercise Mat — to maintain a clean and safe environment, MOVATI will not be providing mats for members participating in yoga and pilates classes. If you are planning to participate, please ensure to bring one with you!

Water Bottle – water bottle filling stations will still be available throughout the club however water fountains will be out of service. In order to ensure you are staying hydrated please come with a reusable water bottle to help you stay hydrated throughout your time with us.

With all of the above in hand, you are all set to have a great in-club experience! We hope to see you soon.

We’ve been exercising from home for 2 months and you may be hitting a wall when it comes to making progress with just using bodyweight. Here are some household items that can help add variety or an extra challenge to your workouts!

1) Backpack or duffel bag

One of the most readily available, yet most useful, tools for training at home is just a simple backpack filled with books, groceries or any items you can find in your closet or pantry. 

How to use it:

• Weighed planks – wear on your back or in front for a side plank
• Weighed push-ups – wear on your back
• Lunge variations – wear in front, on your back or hug the bag
• Squats – wear in front, on your back or just hug the bag
• “Sandbag” Carry – hug the backpack and walk at a steady pace
• Glute/Hip Thrust – place a backpack or duffel bag on your hips

2) Broomstick/Mop Handle 

To advance the versatility of the backpack, find yourself a broomstick or detachable mop handle. This will allow you to create a “handle” to hook under the straps of the backpack or duffel bag.

Use for following exercises:

• “Barbell” Bicep Curls 
• One arm supported row 
• Bent over rows
• Romanian deadlifts

3) Step Stool

Have a small step stool in your kitchen? Well now it’s more than just there to help you reach the top shelf in your kitchen.

Use for the following exercises:

• Bulgarian Split Squats – elevate your leg on the stool the way you would on a bench
• Elevated Romanian Deadlifts – the added height allows you to reach a larger range of motion especially if holding on to a weight or a backpack.
• Step ups – step up on the stool with full control using only the leg on the stool
• Step downs – starting on the stool, step down in a controlled manner by using the strength of the leg on the stool

4) Towel(s)

You may be surprised at how much versatility towels can have when it comes to exercising from home. The best benefit of a towel is that it can glide on kitchen and hardwood floors.

With towels under your feet try:

• Cossack squats – towel under outstretched leg
• Mountain climbers – towel under each foot
• Plank to Pike – towel under both feet
• Reverse lunges – towel under back leg
• Hamstring curls – one towel under both feet
• Kneeling ab glide – towel under your hands being pushed in front of you
• Slider Fly Push up – towels under both hands and pushing out as chest lowers

Another useful way to use towels is to take advantage of how rigid they are when compared to a resistance band. 

Tip: Try wedging a towel over your door and using it like a TRX strap to do inverted rows or hold on to it to stabilize you while you do single leg (or pistol) squats!

The possibilities are endless, even if you’re limited with using just household items. You may not have a gym with the equipment you’re accustomed to, but you can still be creative; all it takes is an open mind and a positive attitude.

We hope to see you back soon!