On the trails, I slow down and de-stress, says Shyrai Sutherland, a personal support and hospice worker living in Waterloo, Ont. She gets mental clarity by going outdoors for a hike, and its an important part of her overall wellness routine. As someone who juggles school (recreation and leisure studies at the University of Waterloo) and work, Sutherland says that hiking helps keep her physically fit and emotionally balanced. Sutherland isnt the only one finding an eco-antidote to the stresses of modern life. Many therapists are recommending their clients get some green exercisethat is, a worko ..read more

In Japanese, its called ukemi, which means break fall, says Friba Rezayee, a judo athlete and former Olympian. Shes referring to the practice of learning how to use your arms and upper body strength to protect the rest of your body from impact with the ground. Judo is a sport where you have to learn how to fall safelyso you fall but dont get hurt.Ukemi might also be the perfect metaphor for Rezayees life and work with Afghan refugee women and girls. The 38-year-old gender equity leader and advocate is no stranger to setbacks. She was born and raised in Afghanistan, but when the Taliban came to ..read more

Seija Parnanen-Matthews didnt lace up hockey skates until she was 38. Her on-ice conversion happened about the same time her eldest son, now 11, started playing. Rather than warming the benches while shivering in the stands, she decided to try the sport herself.In 2018, she joined a Kelowna co-ed recreational hockey team before moving to a womens league. Parnanen-Matthews now plays hockey every week for 10 months of the year. Her teammatessome of whom have been playing for years, while others are just learningrange in age from their early 20s to late 40s. Because Parnanen-Matthews had figure s ..read more

Most Canadian adults spend an alarming ten hours a day or more sitting, according to Statistics Canada. While its totally understandable, particularly during Canadas frosty months when none of us want to leave our warm quarters, its a big problem since sedentary lifestyles put us at an increased risk of serious health problems like cardiovascular disease, cancer and depression. Incorporating physical activity into our everyday life is essential for our health, but lets be real: We often cant carve time out of our day for a fitness class. Conveniently, walking can be sufficient exercise.A 2019 ..read more

Maybe using the F word is a little strong, but its accurate: I completely failed at exercise for the entirety of my 30s. At least the sweaty, heart-pounding, happy endorphins, cardio-burn kind of exercise.I love to ski (downhill), I love a hike or brisk mental-health walk, a gentle yoga class. I did a lot of postpartum Pilates core classes, toting my babies along. But a chronic hip injury, the demands of working full-time during the pandemic with kids mostly home, and a general state of overwhelm meant I just never got into a solid cardio routine, especially anything approaching high-impact. T ..read more

Whether Jennifer Crawford is doing pullups in their barn or lifting 270 pounds in a barbell squat in their driveway, theyre constantly striving to increase their strength. This hard work enables them to throw down their opponents as a professional wrestler who performs under the moniker Moon Miss.Even though Crawford still doesnt self-describe as a fitness person, strength training and physical activity serve several functions in their life. They have always loved expressing themselves in corporeal and kinetic waysusing movement as a creative outlet. Theyve been an athlete since childhood, sta ..read more

When I enrolled in my first adult ballet class, I was nervous. At age 41, would I be flexible enough? Graceful enough? Would I survive the scrutiny of the wall-to-wall mirrors?(Related: The Benefits of a Ballet Inspired Workout)The first thing that shocked me when I entered the studio was that our teacher addressed us as dancers. Never mind that the studentsour bodies variously shaped and decidedly un-balleticranged in age from our early 20s to 60-plus, or that we couldnt hold our balance for longer than two seconds. In this space we had a new identity, and it made us all stand straighter.Seve ..read more

One of the most influential people in a young girl’s life is her sports coach. In fact, a survey conducted by Dove and Nike involving 3,506 girls aged between 9 and 17 from Canada, the US, the UK, Germany, Italy and Brazil found that 79 percent of girls credited their coaches for their increased confidence.Because of their impactful role, coaches need to know the correct language to use and avoid when talking to their team to help boost and maintain self-esteem. Research shows that teenage girls drop out of sports in Canada at twice the rate of boys due to low body confidencebut coaches can he ..read more

The hottest yoga wear in Canada Wear something from Lululemon and you get hooked. But while the Vancouver success story still corners the market, there’s a second wave of Canadian-designed athletic fashion brands finding their own niches to keep us looking and feeling good both on and off the mat. Some have retail stores, while others sell their creations online only. Here are some of the trendiest Canadian yoga wear brands.(Related: 6 Things to Look for When Shopping for Yoga Pants) Daub + Design If youve grown tired of your basic black yoga leggings and tanks, youll appreciate Daub + Desig ..read more

You might have noticed a new fitness trend popping up on your social media feedwall Pilates. While celebrities and influencers have long credited standard Pilates workouts for their sculpted bodies (hello, Kate Hudson and Jennifer Aniston), the latest viral TikTok trend is a new variation on this classic workout.To get the scoop on what wall Pilates is all about,we talked to certified Pilates instructor Sarah Micak, who works at Body Harmonics, a movement studio in Toronto.(Related:What Trainers Want You to Know Before You Take a Class) What is wall Pilates? Wall Pilates is really just using t ..read more