Try It Tuesday June 2024 – Youth Programs

FITNESS

Attention all MOVATI Athletic members,

For the entire month of June, our Try It Tuesday theme will be centered around Youth Development Programs (ages 8-13).

Each club will be offering two different programs:

  • MOVATI Youth: Development Programs

Week 1: Foundational Movements

Week 2-3: Nutrition Basics & Skill Development

Week 4-5: Strength Development

Week 6-7: Conditioning

Week 8: Core

  • MOVATI Athlete: High Performance Programs

Week 1: Baseline Testing & Assessment

Week 2-3: Nutrition Basics & Strength Development

Week 4-5: Speed & Agility

Week 6-7: Strength & Power

Week 8: Performance Testing & Re-Assessment

These programs are designed to help future stars reach their athletic potential. MOVATI’s experienced Performance Coaches will use effective programing to provide a fun and motivating environment, while focusing on sport specific drills to maximize speed, agility, strength, and power.

Spaces are limited. For more information and to secure your spot please see the front desk or contact your club’s Group Personal Training Manager.

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.

#LETSMOVECANADA – 2024 NATIONAL HEALTH AND FITNESS DAY!

FITNESS

Get out and get active to celebrate National Health and Fitness Day on June 1st at your local MOVATI Athletic club.

Jayde Kabeya, our Group Fitness Education National Manager has challenged you! Take part in her Group Fitness or 50 Rep. challenge.

To learn more about these challenges, head over to our social media channels and check out Jayde’s challenges. Complete either one or if you are up for it why not conquer both? Share your experience on social media using the hashtag #MOVATIMovesCanada #LetsMoveCanada.

To learn more about National Health and Fitness Day, check out the Fitness Industry Council of Canada website: https://ficdn.ca/

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.

GOLF RECOVERY & REGENERATION

LIFESTYLE

Many of us face aches, pains, and injuries between rounds but do we ever treat them following the final hole?

It’s important to take care of your body after your round with golf-specific recovery & regeneration exercises. This will lead to improving the health and quality of your muscle tissues and joints, thus helping you to perform better on and off the course.

We break down some of the best movements you should do pre and post round to help your body and golf swing.

90-90 Stretch Exercise

The 90-90 Stretch Exercise is a great way to open up your chest and back, helping you to make a better turn for a more powerful golf swing.

Steps

  • Start by lying on the floor on your right side, with your arms out straight in front of your chest, hands together, shoulders vertical. Your right leg should be straight out in line with your body, and your left leg out in front of you, bent at the knee, with your left hip flexed at about 90 degrees.  Press your left knee into the ground.
  • Keep your left knee and right arm pressed on the ground, and your hips still, as you rotate your chest and straight left arm back to your left, trying to put both shoulders flat on the ground.
  • Slowly exhale, feeling the stretch, and return to the starting position.
  • Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  • Switch sides and repeat.

Your chest should feel tall, with no sense of your torso being flexed or “crunched”.  Fire the muscles of your back to rotate your upper body.  Keep your shoulder blades back and down, your abdominal muscles engaged and your back flat throughout.

You should feel a stretch all the way from your chest down to your groin.

Cross-Body Core Stretch Exercise

The Cross-Body Core Stretch Exercise is a great way to stretch out your shoulders and back, lengthening your muscles to help prevent your back stiffening up after exercise or a round of golf.

Steps

  • Start on your hands and knees, with a foam roller next to your left side, parallel to your body and level with your chest, with your left arm straight and right arm across your body, the back of your right hand on top of the foam roller.
  • Slowly roll the foam roller away from your body by actively rotating your torso, until your chest is facing your right hand.
  • Exhale and hold for 2 seconds, then relax, returning to the starting position.
  • Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  • Repeat on the other side.

Start with a small range of motion and gradually increase the stretch each time.

You should feel a stretch in your shoulders and back.

Hip Adductor Stretch Exercise

The Hip Adductor Stretch Exercise is a great way to stretch out and lengthen the adductor muscles of your hips (in the insides of your thighs) – helping you to build stability in your golf swing and to avoid injury.

Steps

  • Start by sitting on a mat, your knees up in front of your chest, feet together on the floor.
  • Let your knees drop apart to the sides, and reach between your legs to grasp your ankles and hold your feet firmly together.
  • Actively push your knees out and down as far apart as you can, and then gently push the insides of your thighs with your elbows to assist the stretch.
  • Exhale and hold for 2 seconds.
  • Relax and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Start with a small range of motion, and gradually try to increase the stretch with each rep.

Keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles engaged.

You should feel it stretching the inside of your thighs.

Calf Rope Stretch Exercise

The Calf Rope Stretch Exercise is a great way to stretch out your Achilles tendon and lengthen the muscles in your calf.

Steps

  • Start by lying in a supine position (on your back, face up), with one leg straight and held in air, with a rope wrapped around your foot.
  • Actively pull your toes towards your shin as far as you can, and then gently pull on the rope to assist the stretch.
  • Exhale and hold for 2 seconds.
  • Relax and then repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
  • Repeat with the other foot.
  • Start with a small range of motion, and gradually try to increase the stretch with each rep.

Keep your non-working leg flat on the ground, pushing your heel as far away from your head as possible and contracting your glutes.

You should feel it stretching your Achilles tendon.

Figure 4 With Leg Extension Exercise

The Figure 4 With Leg Extension Exercise is a great way to lengthen your hamstrings and glutes, helping you to build stability in your golf swing and to avoid injury.

Steps

  • Start by lying in a supine position (on your back, face up), with your right ankle crossed over your left thigh, and your left leg bent at the knee.
  • Holding your left thigh with both hands, actively bring it towards your chest until you feel a stretch in your left glutes.
  • Gently increase the stretch by pulling your left thigh closer to your chest.
  • Straighten your left leg to stretch your hamstrings.
  • Bring your left toes down towards your face to stretch your calf.
  • Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths, in and out.
  • Relax and then repeat on the other side.

You should feel it stretching your hamstrings, glutes and calf.

Story Credit: Allen Panuncio – Canadian Professional Golf Association, Senior Instructor, Richmond Hill Golf Club

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.

Benefits of Athletic Therapy

IN CLUB

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.

MOVATI Fascial Stretch Therapy

WELLNESS

Over time, our daily routines can lead to a variety of aches and pains.

These nagging reminders can negatively impact our quality of life, our ability to move and our quality of sleep.

This is where MOVATI Fascial Stretch Therapy comes in.

MOVATI’s Performance Coaches offer a variety of therapies and services that can help you regain range of motion, improve posture, increase muscle function and reduce pain.

The video below demonstrates a typical Fascial Stretch Therapy session with one of MOVATI’s Mobility Specialists.

If you have recently experienced an injury to your muscles, bones or joints, our trained therapists and proven treatments can help you recover faster and get you back to your normal routine.

MOVATI Recovery has a range of 30- or 60-minute sessions designed for you based on your mobility needs, including:

MOBILITY LAB
Through low-impact and highly effective rehabilitation methods, our Performance Coaches can help you increase range of motion, reduce aches and pains, and prevent future injury.

ATHLETIC THERAPY
Athletic Therapy covers a wide spectrum of therapeutic skills, including Prevention, Assessment, Emergency & Acute Care, Rehabilitation and Reconditioning. Let us help you get moving to a healthier, more active life.

FASCIAL STRETCH THERAPY
FST, or Fascial Stretch Therapy, is one of the quickest, most effective and pleasant methods to eliminate pain, restore function, move and feel better in activities of life, fitness and sport. FST is a pain free treatment that improves mobility of your nerves and flexibility of your muscles and fascia.

GROUP PERFORMANCE COACH MOBILITY
Experience the benefits of working with a performance coach in a small group environment. Move better and feel better with a results-focused session that will boost performance, optimize range of motion and accelerate recovery. Our MOBILITY sessions are a great way to compliment your current training routine. Whether you work with a Personal Trainer, attend Group Fitness or workout on your own, our MOBILITY sessions can act as a recovery day in your current workout schedule to help accelerate recovery, improve range of motion and limit injuries.

Complimentary Mobility Workshops are available Tuesday nights at MOVATI during the month of June! You’ll learn foam rolling, band and stretching techniques to improve range of motion, balance and symmetry, posture, muscle function, energy and pain reduction. 

Visit your local cub today for more details on how MOVATI Recovery can prepare you for exercise and sport and improve your quality of life.

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.

START YOUR JOURNEY TODAY WITH OUR PERFORMANCE COACH

IN CLUB

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.

THE BENEFITS OF RUNNING AND HOW IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH

The Benefits of Running
WELLNESS

Running can help reduce stress, improve your heart health, sleep better and much more. 

It is time to lace up your running shoes and hit the road, track, treadmill, or trail.

You don’t need to be a marathon runner to enjoy the health benefits of running. Even running for 20 minutes daily will get your heart pumping and give your muscles a good workout.  

From improving the health of your heart and lungs and reducing your risk of various diseases to improving your mood and self-confidence, there are benefits of running that appeal to almost anyone.

Here are some of the best benefits to running …

#1: Running Improves Cardiovascular Health

If you’ve ever run to catch a subway, child, or your dog, and felt breathless immediately afterward, it probably comes as no surprise that running works your cardiovascular system. Your heart rate increases as you run to pump more blood (and thus oxygen and nutrients) to your working muscles.

Over time, with consistent running, your heart and lungs adapt. Your heart becomes stronger, enabling it to pump a greater volume of blood per beat, and your lungs become more powerful and capable of taking in more air per breath. As your cardiovascular efficiency improves, you’re able to run faster with less effort.

#2: Running Builds Muscular Strength

At some point, most of us have walked behind a runner and envied their muscular, defined calves. As long as you are properly fueling your body with enough calories and protein to support your training, running can help build muscle and increase strength. As a total-body workout, running strengthens your legs, core, and upper body.

#3: Running Burns Calories

Running is a metabolically demanding exercise and burns a lot of calories. In fact, running is one of the most efficient types of exercise when it comes to the number of calories burned per minute, so if fat loss or weight loss is your goal, running can contribute to creating the calorie deficit you need to burn fat.

#4: Running Improves Markers of Health

Consistent running can lower blood pressure and resting heart rate, improve blood sugar control, lower triglycerides, and lower cholesterol. It can also reduce waist circumference and body fat percentage. Improving these markers of health can reduce disease risk and help you feel healthier overall.

#5: Running helps you sleep better.

Getting outside and pounding the pavement or trail is a great way to diffuse stress and tension. Running can lower the stress hormone, cortisol, which helps you feel more relaxed and gives you a better night’s sleep.

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.

Strength Training for Runners

Strength Training for Runners
FITNESS

Do Runners Need to do Strength Training?

Is strength training really necessary if you’re a runner? Absolutely! Strength training is an essential part of a runner’s overall program and one of the biggest factors that will influence your performance because it strengthens muscles and joints, which can improve race times and most importantly decrease the risk of injury. 

If you want to perform at your full potential, you need to take a comprehensive approach to running. That means targeting areas of fitness you may not normally pay attention to, like flexibility, balance, mobility and strength! How much time should you dedicate to strength training? As a runner, all you need is to invest 20 to 30 minutes, three times a week, to reap the full benefits of strength training. In other words, resistance training does not have to be time-consuming.

7 Benefits of Strength Training for Runners

  1. Reduce Injury – Stronger muscles = less impact on your knees. Conditioned muscles also recover faster!
  2. Increase Lean Muscle Mass – Increase your strength while improving your body composition.
  3. Reduce Body Fat – Strength training increases your metabolism which increases calories burned.
  4. Increase Your Endurance – Strength training increases your muscular endurance and maintains your running mechanics.
  5. Fix Muscular Imbalances – Strength training can target specific muscular imbalances which in turn helps to reduce injury. 
  6. Stronger Bones – Strength training increases bone density. Stronger bones will enable you to have a longer running career.
  7. Better Posture – Upper body strength training can lead to better posture when running.

Remember…when you go beyond your physical abilities and become injured, it will set you back in your running more than if you took a little extra time to do some strength training to prevent injury.

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.

 

Health Benefits of Using the Sauna

Health Benefits of Using the Sauna
WELLNESS

Much has been made of the health benefits of a sauna. With good reason. Physically, nothing is more reinvigorating than a deep, healthy sweat every day. Tension fades. Muscles unwind. Mentally, we emerge relaxed, revived and ready for whatever the day may bring.

A few minutes a day is all it takes to look and feel better. The body’s response to gentle, persistent heat is well-documented and proven day-in and day-out by people all over the world. Which is why more and more doctors are recommending its purifying benefits.

SAUNA IMPROVES HEART HEALTH

In the high temperatures of a traditional or infrared sauna, skin heats up and core body temperature rises. In response to these increased heat levels, the blood vessels near the skin dilate and “cardiac output/circulation” increases. Medical research has told us that the heart rate can rise from 60-70 bpm (beats per minute) to 110-120 bpm in the sauna (140-150 bpm with more intensive bathing), and can often sink to below normal after the cooling off stage. Regular sauna usage has been shown to reduce the risk of all-cause mortality and fatal cardiac incidents along with reduced risk of stroke and hypertension.

SAUNA AIDS IN RECOVERY AFTER EXERCISE

Saunas relax muscles and soothe aches/pains in both muscles and joints. Under the high-heat provided by a sauna, the body releases endorphins which can minimize pain and is often associated with a “runner’s high.” As the body temperature rises in the heat of the sauna, blood vessels dilate allowing for increased blood circulation, which in turn speeds the body’s natural healing process. After physical activity, use the heat and steam of a sauna to promote muscle relaxation by helping to reduce muscle tension and eliminate lactic acid and other toxins that may be present.

SAUNA FLUSHES TOXINS

Due to the heat of a sauna, the core body temperature begins to rise. Sweat production is primarily designed to cool the body, and is composed of 99% water. However, deep sweating in a sauna can help reduce levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury and chemicals – which are all toxins commonly absorbed just from interacting with our daily environments.

SAUNA IMPROVES BRAIN HEALTH

A 25-year study conducted with more than 2,300 participants at the University of Eastern Finland by Dr. Jari Laukkanen and his colleagues revealed regular sauna use (4-7 times per week) at 176 degrees F for 19 minutes lowered the risk for both Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

SAUNA RELIEVES STRESS

The heat in the sauna helps us to relax and regulates the level of cortisol in our blood. Cortisol is the hormone that is released when we’re stressed, and too high levels of cortisol can lead to a number of health issues such as problems with the immune system and with sleeping. Sauna bathing reduces the levels of cortisol in our blood, and instead it stimulates the production of serotonin. Serotonin is our “happy hormone” that makes us feel good.

SAUNA INDUCES A DEEPER SLEEP

Research has shown that a deeper, more relaxed sleep can result from sauna use. In addition to the release of endorphins, body temperatures that be come elevated in the late evening, fall at bedtime. This slow, relaxing decline in endorphins is key in facilitating sleep. Sauna bathers worldwide enjoy the deep sleep experiences resulting from the calming heat of an evening sauna.

SAUNA HELPS FIGHT ILLNESS

German sauna medical research shows that saunas were able to significantly reduce the incidences of colds and influenza among study participants. As the body is exposed to the heat of a sauna and steam (in the case of traditional saunas), it produces white blood cells more rapidly, which in turn helps to fight illnesses and helps to kill viruses. In addition, saunas can relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of sinus congestion from colds or allergies.

SAUNA BURNS CALORIES

Outlandish claims are often made by some sauna sellers to promote saunas as an end-all weight loss tool. While some individuals may experience high amounts of calorie burn at first – particularly those individuals in poor shape to begin with – over the long term, saunas are simply treated as one of many tools in our arsenal when it comes to burning additional calories. The sweating process itself requires a notable amount of energy. That energy is derived from the conversion of fat and carbohydrates in a bodily process that burns up calories. According to U.S. Army medical research (Ward Dean, M.D.), “A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams in a sauna in a single session, consuming nearly 300 calories in the process.” The body consumes said calories due to the acceleration of heart activity (see section 2 on Heart Health). As heart activity increases and as these processes demand more oxygen, the body begins to convert more calories into usable energy.

SAUNA CLEANSES SKIN

Heat bathing is one of the oldest beauty and/or health strategies in terms of cleansing one’s skin. When the body begins to produce sweat via deep sweating, the skin is then cleansed and dead skin cells are replaced – keeping your skin in good working condition. Sweating rinses bacteria out of the epidermal layer and sweat ducts. Cleansing of the pores has been shown to improve the capillary circulation, while giving the skin a softer-looking quality.

SAUNA JUST FEELS GOOD

A sauna not only feels good, it’s good for your body. Whether it’s the physiological changes that occur during the warmth of a sauna, or if it’s simply the time spent in the calming and still retreat of the sauna, every seasoned sauna bather agrees – it feels wonderful! As we progress through our stressful everyday lives, the sauna provides a pampering retreat – where we can relax and restore body and soul. Sauna bathing truly makes you “Feel Better”, “Look Better” and “Sleep Better”!

Ready to experience the benefits of the sauna? Visit your local club today!

Benefits of NutraPhase

Benefits of NutraPhase
WELLNESS

Add ONE complimentary NutraPhase Boost to your Signature of Specialty Shake for the month of April, 2023!

Nutraphase Creatine: Improves athletic performance. Increases power, strength and speed.

Nutraphase Glutamine: Aids NutraPhase Glutamine: Aids muscle recovery and growth, while helping maintain a healthy immune function.

NutraPhase Collagen: strengthens joints and bones. For healthy skin, hair, nails and digestive system.

NutraPhase BCAA: Decreases muscle fatigue and increases muscle endurance.

See you at the café!