Resilience Health and Wellness

Even for an exercise professional, this was scary. I found myself in the same situation as many of my clients, unsure of myself in an unfamiliar environment. ‘What if I don't know how to adjust the equipment?’ ‘What if I can't find what I need?’ ‘What if I just have a panic attack and leave without doing anything?’ Clearly, being alone in an unfamiliar environment was terrifying for me (even an environment that I was performing an activity that was, proficient in to say th...e least). Anxious to get started? You’re not the only one. Link: https://www.resiliencehealthandwellness.ca//anxious-to-get . . . My first blog post is up! Having anxiety related to a change in our routine is normal. What’s your typical reaction when you’re in a situation outside of your comfort zone? Does your reaction help or hinder your goals?

Planning my day with my morning coffee and a messy bun. One thing I’ve discovered when it comes to productivity is that it's helpful to stop saying I should do ...., and start saying I will or I won’t. Separating tasks this way takes away the stress over a never-ending list. Often times we spend so much time debating what we "should" do we don't end up getting much done. That, or we get through one or two tasks then say something along the lines of Well, I should... reply to those emails/book that appointment etc., but I’ll just do that later/tomorrow. Just because something ends up on your I won’t list, doesn’t mean it won’t happen, it just won’t today, and that's all okay. Organizing your list in this way gives you the opportunity to give yourself the headspace to focus on tasks that are important, without the guilt of the rest of your list weighing in you, all while making sure those tasks aren’t forgotten about - they’ll just get done another time. Don’t forget to add self-care activities to your I will list as well! We tend to push those into the I should category of our minds which typically results in them being left behind. Swipe for a template.

*Warning. This is going to be sappy* I picked up my first dumbbell in the Gritty Grotto in September 2013. At that point I had no idea how much of an impact that lifting weights was going to have on my life. . Growing up, athletics was not foreign to me, I played a multitude of sports, from soccer, basketball, volleyball to judo. I swam, ran and jumped all my way until high school. .... Unfortunately I suffered a multitude of concussions and tore two of the three ligaments on the lateral side of my right ankle which never healed. To my knowledge, that was the end of active Mikayla, that identity had been ripped away from me, and at that point in my life, I didn’t know myself any other way. . Through high school I struggled to find myself without sports. I fell in love with people. Learning about people. About how our minds worked, and how they didn’t, why people are and aren’t the way they are. The way our daily social interactions affect us as people, and how what we believe to be true through sociological norms shapes us as we grow up. . After training in the grotto for a number of months, my identity as an athlete slowly started coming back to me. Not in the conventional way I learnt growing up, (someone who played competitive sports,) but as an active person who was a team player and cared for those around them. I knew Kinesiology was for me when this happened. . Taking my love for understanding and helping people as well as physical movement, smush them together, and I found what I wanted to do in life. I now have the privilege of being let into the personal lives of my clients, so I can help them breakdown barriers that they may be facing in order to be the healthiest versions of themselves they can be. . I freaking LOVE my job. . Although lifting your first dumbbell may not start you on a journey to find your career, gaining confidence through resistance training as a women has so many benefits. You won’t get huge but what you will gain is a new awesome way to be physically active. . (Continued in comments ) mikayla.lanoie.fitness This course is taught by my wonderful, intelligent, kind hearted coworker @domdaoust. She will help you understand WHY we use certain machines certain ways, so that you’re more likely to remember after the course is complete and stick with it! . #Repost @uofmrecservices Improve your confidence in the weight room with Women On Weights starting Feb. 27 @ 6 PM or Weight Lifting 101 @ 7:15 PM. Registration link in the bio. See more

Time, the thing we never seem to have enough of. Once it’s lost, it’s never found again. Yet many people can admit to themselves there are a few activities that take up more of their time than they’d like to admit. Social Media Is Killing Your Productivity and Maybe Even Your Mental Health.

Core! A lot of my clients complain about experiencing back pain whenever they attempt core work they experience lower back pain. Often this is due to hyperextension of the spin because of weak abdominal muscles. If you’re looking to correct this, making the exercise a bit easier so you can maintain contraction throughout your set. Here’s a quick core workout you can do pretty much anywhere:... It’s a circuit, so perform one set of each core exercise back to back. Once you complete them all, take a 30-second break. Repeat 3 times! Also, go slow! When it comes to the core, the slower you move the more you’ll benefit (time under tension)! Instructions for each exercise are below: V Sit Up/Hold: Begin seated with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Making sure shoulders are rolled down and back slowly lean back creating space between your legs and body. Simultaneously lift your feet off the ground so they are hovering. Maintain shoulder posture and continue to engage the core while you hold this position. If you find your spine begins to bend or your shoulders roll forward. If your spine curves or shoulders roll forward alternate resting one heel at a time on the ground to increase stability. Hold for 30 seconds Toe Touches: Start lying with your back flat on the ground and feet in the air. Reach one hand across the midpoint of your body aiming to tap the outside of the opposite leg, ankle, or shoe (whichever you can reach) while keeping the shoulder opposite of the hand you are using on the ground. Return both shoulders to the ground and repeat on the opposite side, that’s one rep. Make sure both shoulders are not coming off the ground at the same time. Complete 10 reps Russian Twist: Begin seated with knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Making sure shoulders are rolled down and back slowly lean back creating space between your legs and body. Simultaneously lift your feet off the ground so they are hovering. Maintain shoulder posture and continue to engage the core while you hold this position. If your spine curves or shoulders roll forward alternate resting one heel at a time (or both) on the ground to increase stability. Complete 10 reps Reverse Crunch: L1: Start lying on your back with shoulders rolled back and down and feet above you. Slowly lift hips off the ground push your feet towards the ceiling, controlling the movement as you come back towards the ground. L2: Slowly lift hips off the ground push your feet towards the ceiling, trying to create a straight line between your shoulders and feet (i.e., straighter/higher than L1). Control the movement as you come back towards the ground. L3: Same as L2 but add a leg raise.

Even for an exercise professional, this was scary. I found myself in the same situation as many of my clients, unsure of myself in an unfamiliar environment. ‘What if I don't know how to adjust the equipment?’ ‘What if I can't find what I need?’ ‘What if I just have a panic attack and leave without doing anything?’ Clearly, being alone in an unfamiliar environment was terrifying for me (even an environment that I was performing an activity that was, proficient in to say th...e least). Anxious to get started? You’re not the only one. Link: https://www.resiliencehealthandwellness.ca//anxious-to-get . . . My first blog post is up! Having anxiety related to a change in our routine is normal. What’s your typical reaction when you’re in a situation outside of your comfort zone? Does your reaction help or hinder your goals?

Planning my day with my morning coffee and a messy bun. One thing I’ve discovered when it comes to productivity is that it's helpful to stop saying I should do ...., and start saying I will or I won’t. Separating tasks this way takes away the stress over a never-ending list. Often times we spend so much time debating what we "should" do we don't end up getting much done. That, or we get through one or two tasks then say something along the lines of Well, I should... reply to those emails/book that appointment etc., but I’ll just do that later/tomorrow. Just because something ends up on your I won’t list, doesn’t mean it won’t happen, it just won’t today, and that's all okay. Organizing your list in this way gives you the opportunity to give yourself the headspace to focus on tasks that are important, without the guilt of the rest of your list weighing in you, all while making sure those tasks aren’t forgotten about - they’ll just get done another time. Don’t forget to add self-care activities to your I will list as well! We tend to push those into the I should category of our minds which typically results in them being left behind. Swipe for a template.