Posts from — February 2010

Another great guest blog post from Jennifer Klein, owner, Secrets from Your Sister!

This month’s blog has been inspired by the sudden and untimely death of Madam Rochette, mother to Joannie Rochette, 2010 Olympic bronze medalist for women’s figure skating.

February is Heart and Stroke Month. Not having heart disease in my family, this foundation was never on my list to donate funds to until I fell upon The Heart Truth.

I was quickly made aware that heart disease, ‘Once considered “a man’s disease,”’ is labelled that no longer. In fact, I read that the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke are virtually the same for men and women in Canada! The website states that more women die of cardiovascular disease than any other condition.

'RUN ' from Shock Absorber offers upper bounce protection

Aptly named, The Heart Truth opened my eyes and showed me a reality I don’t think I will easily forget. Not being one to keep secrets, I decided to donate $2 from every sports bra sale at secrets from your sister for the months February and March to The Heart Truth.

This website offered a few more statistics that I felt were truly shocking, such as, ‘more than half of Canadian women aged 18 and over are overweight or obese.’ To top that off, ‘close to half of women over the age of 12 are physically inactive.’ The Heart Truth states that physical activity is one of the most effective ways to reduce risk of heart disease and stroke. What can we do to help women and girls become more physically active?

In the business of bra fitting the first thing that comes to mind is helping girls and women to invest in a great sports bra! I have heard time and time again how women stopped playing sports or stopped being active because it hurt their breasts, creating great embarrassment and resentment of their bosom. The support they received was not what they needed and it wasn’t possible to run around holding themselves for that extra lift. Nor was it practical to bind themselves with a tensor bandage in order to keep the ladies in place.

Times have changed. Sports bras have evolved. All sizes of breasts can be accommodated from an A cup to a J cup! The innovation and technology are so advanced, that modern sports bras can be a truly engineered project. One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a sports bra, if the bra doesn’t fit, you’re not going to get the support you need.

When shopping for a sports bra it is best to have a fitting, especially if you have a fuller bust or you have felt that you never get the support you want. A fitter will find the right sized bra to fit your exact body dimensions. She will discuss with you your level of activity and what you find comfortable and what you do not. She will ask you to jump up and down, move your arms back and forth and to take a deep breath, all to help you decide which style will best suit your needs.

'BALL' from Shock Absorber - another great supportive sports bra

In my 11 years of business I have always been very strict on the sports bras carried in the store. I prefer to have the best. There have been many sports bras that have been sold in our store but there is one feature of the design that I find essential; the band that goes across the top of the bosom to help reduce the upward bounce factor. Our top-selling bras have always had this design. It is not always just enough to flatten the bosom to the body. The fact is our breasts move in all directions when we exercise and need to be supported all around. If you want the best, look for that top band feature as a starting point.

It’s nice to be healthy and strong. It’s easy to take the stairs rather than the escalator. Short walks are fun and refreshing. Visit The Heart Truth website (www.thehearttruth.ca) to learn more about how you can take charge of your health and care for your heart!

Styles available at secrets from your sister that incorporate the upper bounce protection feature in their design:

Active • Anita Sport • Energiser • Run – NEW • Ball – NEW

Today is day 20 of my Pilates/Yoga challenge at Core Studio in Toronto. By the end of today I will have done 16 different types of yoga and Pilates classes in 20 days. I still have a week to go in this 30 day challenge, but as I’m only doing the “light” option of 21 days in 30 days I think I’m going to make it! I attempted this challenge before and lets just say I didn’t quite make it.

The biggest challenge for me has been learning that it is ok to spend more time on Pilates/Yoga than on my running. As crazy as this sounds this has been a challenge for me. I don’t think if I was training for a full marathon that I would have been able to do this challenge. It would just be to much for me (for my body and for maintaining a good life/balance).

The benefits so far?

I have more shape again in my waist and my legs are looking lengthened.  I also feel healthier.

A while ago I purchased an introductory pass for Energia Athletics on the Danforth. I’ve been wanting to go here for a while now as I have been intrigued by their concept – an interesting mix of yoga, spinning and running offerings. Oh and kettlebell classes!

I tried three different classes during my week there:

• Spin/Core
• Spin/Yoga Journey
• Spin

Of the three the one I enjoyed the most was the Spin/Core combo. They teacher was intense (very Lance Armstrong-esque!), the music appealing and the workout was just the right intensity. The additional draw to this class for me was that I had no excuses to not do any core work which I sometimes very conveniently avoid.

The one thing I’m still a little curious about is their run group. They do have a run club, but I didn’t get the opportunity to try it out yet. I think one of the draws for running out of here is the fact that you can complement your running with yoga and spinning.

The one downside to Energia is their bathroom/change room facilities. If you can change before. Trust me.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

One of the blogs I read found this little gem. I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with all of you as well. The playlist I created contains a few of my favourite songs to workout to. Most of these songs have made an appearance on the custom playlists I make for any races I do. Some are slow, some are upbeat and some are very top 40. The main thing, though, is that I love them and they motivate me at different points during my workout. So, just hit  play to hear what I listen to.

I could lie and say I’m one of those people that whip up fresh and healthy juices for myself on a regular basis, but sadly that’s not the truth….

Every now and then I go through phases where I think I’m going to make myself healthy juices for the a.m. I gather up the necessary ingredients, dust off my blender and start blending up a storm. Sadly the nutritious juice I make tends to sit in my refrigerator untouched until it rots and gets thrown down the drain by B. I have good intentions to drink this juice I make in the mornings, but I just never seem to…well, get around to it. 

I’m in one of my juicing phases now and currently this green goodness sits in my fridge. Only question is will I actually drink it?