Category: 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.

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.

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!

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! 

By Kristy Whyte, MOVATI Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) 

The body repairs and rejuvenates between the hours of 11pm and 3am. During this period, the body gets its deepest and most restorative sleep.  Ensuring that you are getting sufficient shut eye during this time frame will help you stay healthy and functioning optimally.  

Melatonin – a hormone naturally released by the pineal gland in the brain that helps to regulate your 24 hour sleep-wake cycle aka your circadian rhythm.  The release of melatonin is triggered by darkness and gradually rises signalling the body to prepare for sleep.  Once melatonin is released into the bloodstream, physiological changes occur such as decreased body temperature and respiration rate along with drowsiness.  

Melatonin production also correlates with the secretion of Human Growth Hormone that is released during sleep which affects the repair and rejuvenation of your cells and organs.  Therefore, it is essential that melatonin production is optimized if we want to maintain our youthful glow and vigour.  

Taking a melatonin supplement for a brief period to help you regulate your sleep cycle may be necessary during times of high stress when your cycle has been affected or for shift workers on their off days.  Note – this should not be used as a long term solution where your body becomes reliant upon the external source of melatonin to be able to sleep.  

Magnesium – a natural relaxant and sleep aid.  Food sources of magnesium include chlorophyll rich foods (green leafy vegetables), sea vegetables, seafood, meats, nuts, seeds, legumes (including tofu), avocado, and dried apricot.  You may also choose to supplement with magnesium glycinate.  

Looking to improve your sleep? Try some of the following strategies: 

GET TO BED. Aim to get to bed before 11am; this is the period during which the body gets the deepest and most restorative sleep. Preparing for bed at least one hour before is a good habit to create, as this will start the process of melatonin elevation, allowing the body time to unwind for sleep.  Ideally you need at least 6-8 hours of sleep each night to allow your body to fully restore.  

SHUT DOWN ELECTRONICS. Turn off all artificial lights at least 1 hour or more before you plan to go to sleep.  Artificial sources of light will negatively affect the amount of melatonin being produced.  Streetlights, televisions, phones, computers, even the small amount of light from an alarm clock can have a detrimental effect on your ability to sleep.  Use a soft lightbulb to read, relax, or meditate.  

CREATE A COMFORTABLE SLEEP ENVIRONMENT. If you want to have a good sleep, it helps to create a comfortable sleep environment. Make sure that you have a supportive mattress and fresh, comfortable bedding. Also, try to ensure that your room is not too hot or cold, minimize noise, and block out light. 

RELAX. Try doing something to relax your body and mind before going to bed. Try taking a hot bath 90 minutes before you plan to go to bed or try a relaxation exercise such as progressive muscle relaxation or calm breathing, meditation, or listening to calming music. 

HAVE A SNACK. Although a heavy meal late in the evening can disrupt sleep, a healthy light snack in the evening can improve sleep. Try eating a piece of cheese and a few crackers, turkey slices, or an apple and natural peanut butter.  A little bit of healthy fat will have a calming effect on your brain and body.  Avoid heavy, spicy, or sugary foods. 

GET PHYSICAL. People who exercise tend to have more restful sleep. Exercising for at least 30 minutes three to four times a week can improve your sleep. So, get moving! Go for a walk or a run.  Keep in mind however that exercising less than two hours before bedtime can interfere with sleep. 

GET SOME NATURAL LIGHT. Try to spend some time outdoors or in natural light every day. Getting some sunlight early in the day can be helpful for setting your body’s natural wake and sleep cycle

CREATE A BEDTIME ROUTINE. Having a bedtime routine cues your body that it’s time to sleep. So, establish a set routine that you follow every night. For example, have a hot bath, put on your pajamas, brush your teeth, and then listen to soft music and read on the couch until you start to feel sleepy and then go to bed. 

ESTABLISH A WAKE-UP TIME. Try waking up at the same time every day (even on weekends) no matter how well or how poorly you have slept. This way your body will begin to get used to a regular sleep rhythm. 

JUST FOR SLEEPING. Your bed should be used strictly for sleeping (sex is the only exception and can help you sleep like a baby!). Try to avoid reading, watching television, working, or studying in bed, these activities keep your mind active, which gets in the way of sleep. 

GET OUT OF BED. If you can’t fall asleep after 20 to 30 minutes, get out of bed and do something boring (e.g., read the manual on how to program your clock radio, or try relaxing (e.g., meditate, listen to calm music, have a warm herbal tea). When you start to feel sleepy, try going back to bed. This strategy can feel like you are making things worse, but if you stick with it, it can really help. 

PUT YOUR WORRIES BEHIND YOU. Leave your worries about work, school, health, relationships, etc. out of the bedroom. Try scheduling a “worry time” earlier in the evening to deal with your stressors. If you wake up in the middle of the night worrying, try writing down your worries and tell yourself that you will address them in the morning. Worrying about not sleeping doesn’t help – it just makes it more likely that you won’t sleep. Let go of your belief that you have to get eight hours of sleep, or you can’t function. Stop looking at the clock and stop trying to make yourself fall sleep. It will happen when it happens. 

AVOID CAFFEINE AND ALCOHOL.  Avoid consuming caffeine at least six hours before bedtime. This includes coffee, some teas, soft drinks, and chocolate. Caffeine is a stimulant, and it can keep you awake.  Although you may think that alcohol will help you fall asleep, it interferes with sleep later in the evening as your blood glucose levels drop.  Try to avoid consuming alcohol at least four hours before bed. 

Interested in learning more about how to optimize your sleep and nutrition? Speak with your MOVATI Holistic Nutritionist today and schedule a complimentary 30min coaching call. Email Kristy Whyte for more information – kwhyte@movatiprod.redpiston.com 

MOVATI is excited to welcome Nicole Colman as an addition to our growing Nutrition program! As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist and with over 10 years of experience in the fitness and personal training industries, Nicole holds in-depth knowledge of women’s health and stress management, as well as nutrition focused towards mental health, anti-inflammatory, weight-loss, muscle-gain, anti-aging and improved sleep. 

Learn more about Nicole and her role with MOVATI Nutrition below!

Q: What makes you passionate about nutrition?

A: “I started in nutrition as a means to help my personal training clients. They asked valuable questions that I was unable to provide answers to as it was beyond my scope of practice.  As a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, I can now answer those questions and more!  I am passionate about nutrition because it is such an integral part of our lives that is often taken for granted.  We need to begin to look at what we put into our bodies and how it can make a huge difference towards a life of health.”  

Q: What is your favourite part of your role with MOVATI?

A: “The members! It is great fun to meet all these new faces, especially now that I work virtually and I can connect with members throughout Ontario and in Edmonton.  To be able to make a difference in someone’s life, be their cheerleader and support them as they make progress is my favourite part.”

Q: How have you seen nutrition make a difference in your clients’ lives? 

A: “I have seen many clients gain confidence and find the inner strength to make big changes.   I think the best part, though, is watching my clients educate themselves and change their own lives – they learn to make good nutritional choices that allow them to feel good and enjoy their lives.  I’ve seen people come off medications that their doctor has told them they would be on forever; simply by taking control of their nutrition.  It is very humbling to be a part of.”

Q: What are the benefits of having a Nutritionist/Nutrition Strategy as part of your overall wellness plan?

A: “We provide you with a strategy that is personalized for YOU. There is so much conflicting information on the internet and social media. What works for your best friend might not be the best approach for you and any health issues you may have.  We can identify the best strategy for your body and lifestyle, educate you on how and what to eat, as well as support you and encourage you on your journey.  We not only discuss nutrition, but also factors that influence and impact your nutrition such as stress, sleep and exercise.  Our approach is very comprehensive and tailored to suit you.” 

Q: Why do you think someone should give MOVATI Nutrition a try?

A: “I think people will be very pleased with how they learn to take control of their lives.  Not only can MOVATI Nutrition help with weight loss or muscle gain, our purpose is also to education and provide knowledge so that each member can learn how to be in charge of their journey. It’s an affordable and supportive way to start making steps towards the change someone has been dreaming of.”