Barre with Justine

Fitness and Wellness

#librariantip – how I stay on top of new studies and publications on fitness!

An easy way to stay current!

Are you interested in a simple way to stay current on new trends and research in fitness and health?

One of the easiest ways to streamline research of any kind is to set up “alerts” that will direct new search results, journal publications, news articles, and more to your email. As an academic librarian, I will often show students (especially graduate students) how to set up search and journal alerts so that new articles and research will be delivered to their emails (usually 1x a day or 1x a week is ideal).

New fitness studies are always hitting the headlines – you can have these delivered to your inbox by setting up a Google alert and choosing Google News as the source:

using quotes will group the words together, making the search more precise

If you really love to read the full research study, you can always link out to the official paper (if it’s included in the article) or search up the research study on PubMed. If you LOVE reading the research BEFORE it hits the news, you could always set up an alert in PubMed:

I also love keeping track of new books in the area of fitness and exercise. There are a few ways to do this:

Hope this can help you stay on top of some exciting new fitness trends and research!

~Justine

What were women encouraged to eat years ago? (hint, SO much more than they are today…)

“People who love to eat are always the best people.” ~ Julia Child

I’ve been on many a diet in my life and non have been sustainable for more than a few weeks. You may be able to relate to reading a new diet book in the evening and feeling a sense of excitement at starting the new journey, which will be amazing and life changing.

Then a few days in, reality sets in and the promise of feeling lighter is squelched by my fatigue and hunger. For a long time I thought that maybe I didn’t have enough willpower but I usually have no problem with staying consistent with exercise and generally eating healthy. I really believe the calorie counts that we are given, as women, are completely unrealistic.

Recently, while flipping through one of my old cookbooks (old being circa 1945) I was amazed at the recommended calorie allowance for women. It was so generous compared with the typical allotments on diets for women of my size (usually 1500 calories/day)!

While there are no guidelines for what the definitions of activity levels are, I’m thrilled to see 3000 calories for a very active woman! (source: The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer 1945)

Similarly, the 1950 edition of the Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book advises its audience (mainly women) on how to put together both adequate and complete meals. I can’t recall ever seeing robust suggestions like these in any meal plan I’ve read:

Note the recommendation under adolescents that “a few pounds overweight at this period is an asset for health.”

Of course I’m not saying that they had it figured out in the 1950s or that diets weren’t around during that time. However, these are some simple and solid recommendations for healthy eating. I think special diets have always been around in some form or another.

Who can forget Nancy Drew’s best girlfriends, George and Bess, cousins who were as different as two could be? Bess was always described as pretty and plump, with a penchant for sweets. George, in contrast, was athletic and loved to challenge the boys at every turn.

Food played an important role in the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories (which were very popular during the mid 20th century) and a cookbook was published in 1973 to accompany the series. The recipes are a strange mix of seasonal favourites and mystery tie-ins (E.g. “Lilac Inn Consommé”) but I found it funny that George’s ‘contribution’ is “Get-in-shape grapefruit”, which is pretty far from clean eating with butter, sugar and maraschino cherries!

From the Nancy Drew Cookbook: Clues to Good Cooking, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1973.

There are some interesting studies about the effect of pleasure on the way our bodies absorb nutrients and in how satisfied we feel. When we try to restrict our consumption of foods that we enjoy, this can have negative effects on not only our mood but also lead to bigger problems down the road: “…the rigid tendency to avoid liked food and the pleasure derived from eating may contribute to the development of disturbances in eating behaviour…”

Final Thoughts

In my experience, I’m happiest and think less about food when I’m not restricting calories. Reflecting on the cookbooks of years ago, I wonder why it is that many of us accept such small calorie allowances today?

  • Why is it so difficult to enjoy food, even when it’s not “clean” and healthy?
  • What if we adjusted our approach to NOURISH our bodies by enjoying everything from ice cream to roasted vegetables, instead of always thinking that we need to take things away?

Do you struggle with enjoying food? Do you feel comfortable letting go of calorie counts?Let me know in the comments!

Westenhoefer, J, and V Pudel. “Pleasure from Food: Importance for Food Choice and Consequences of Deliberate Restriction.” Appetite20.3 (1993): 246–249. Web.

staying authentic • fitness or, why I took a break from Instagram

So can I say this out loud?

I will NEVER be the type of fitness instructor who shouts out motivational cues or uses sports metaphors to take you through a boot camp class. If I did, you might laugh because I still get confused about if it’s a quarter, a half, or a period.

I am also NOT the girl to push you through a gritty lifting session or make you feel like you’re in a rave with my music. (but…don’t think for a second that I haven’t worried that maybe I should be…)

I have seen these approaches work spectacularly for some instructors. I’ve done programs with Amoila Cesar who has a background training athletes and gives that vibe of pushing your limits and motivating with the language of sport. I’ve done a spin class that felt like a dramatic performance of highs and lows. There are SO many instructors who inspire me and who I root for unconditionally…but it doesn’t mean that I never turn the gaze back on my own style and think maybe what I’m doing isn’t good enough.

As fitness instructors, we can fall into this trap of thinking we need to constantly be innovative and “the best of the best” to be successful. It’s hard not to compare class sizes at the gym, Instagram followers, and even what we are offering with others.

Have YOU ever felt you needed to change to be more “successful”?

Have you questioned your approach to things and wondered if you should be more like [insert popular personality]?

This is part of the reason why I pulled back from social media over the last week or so. It honestly felt really good to be away from the ups and downs. In the midst of emotions, I tend to forget why I wanted to post in the first place (to encourage others to see that movement can be challenging AND still graceful).

With time away from social media I had the chance to reflect on some of the unique things I have to offer. There can be so much pressure to do what everyone else is doing online and try to be all things to all people. I have definitely fallen into the trap of trying to do a ton of things in order to do the things I think a fitness instructor “should” do and ending up feeling exhausted and overwhelmed.

Shay Kostabi (listen to her podcast if you get the chance – she and her husband give great advice!), encourages fitness instructors to embrace their own style. That style will definitely not appeal to everyone but you will attract those people who resonate with your vibe. I may never draw in those participants who LOVE to lift heavy or who don’t like the whole ballet vibe, but that is okay.

When I teach a class or post on social media about fitness, my underlying goal is to show how exercise can be challenging AND graceful. I’ve always been so inspired by the strength and grace of ballet.

In recent years it almost seems sacrilege, as a fitness instructor, to say that I don’t want to lift heavy weights all the time and that I don’t believe you need to. It goes against the grain and I’m sure many people will disagree with me!

But the science is far from settled (please see my reference list below) and I believe that everyone needs a healthy variety in their exercise routine and people will exercise MORE if they love what they are doing.

I just can’t agree when I listen to fitness people say that you must do certain things in order to be successful, whether it’s HIIT or heavy lifting. Exercise is an ever-evolving science so I feel there is a lot of room for experimentation and personal preference.

All this to say that I’m trying to embrace pink fitness apparel-wearing / Justin Bieber obsessed / ballet-themed approach to teaching fitness. For those who are curious about building more grace, balance and softness into their fitness routine, I may be your girl! If I can share ideas for making life less stressful and reconnect you with style and fitness ideas from a more glamorous age, then my work feels most authentic.

References:

Morton, Robert W et al. “Neither Load nor Systemic Hormones Determine Resistance Training-Mediated Hypertrophy or Strength Gains in Resistance-Trained Young Men.” Journal of applied physiology (1985)121.1 (2016): 129–138. Web.

Suchomel, Timothy J et al. “The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations.” Sports medicine (Auckland)48.4 (2018): 765–785. Web.

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