Lifestyle Focus July 2006

A JOURNAL OF HOLISTIC FITNESS & HEALTH EGG SALAD SURPRISE WORKOUT OF THE MONTH WATERING THE GARDEN III

THE AWAKENING

BREAKING DOWN THE WORKOUT SESSION

THE ’NON-TRADITIONAL’ WORKOUT WORKING OUT AWAY FROM THE MODERN GYM

THE

ISSUE 6 JULY 2006

LIFESTYLE FOCUS

Introduction 3

An overview of this month’s issue.

Features 5

The Awakening Linda Crawford

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The ’Non-Traditional Workout’ Karl MacPhee

Recipe of the Month

Publishers Linda Crawford Karl MacPhee Donna Woodhouse Design Karl MacPhee KMP Training Solutions Cover Karl MacPhee Photo by Karl MacPhee Archives Archives can be sent upon Request at : [email protected]

9 Egg Salad Surprise

Workout of the Month

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10 In depth look at the 5 phased workout

The Lifestyle Focus Is published monthly and is distributed exclusively to our clients and colleagues with the intention of holistic fitness education.

Welcome Welcome readers, June has come and gone, now we are into the hot summer weather, more and more people are active in the river valley and Edmonton has plenty of events planned for the next 2 months! There has been so much happening lately that I don’t know where to begin! In this month’s issue, Linda passes on an essay on that special moment that we often call the “Awakening” where we just seem to get “IT”!

Please enjoy the July edition of The Lifestyle Focus and pass it on to your friends and family. Linda and I want to thank all of you who have given us your feedback, we appreciate your honesty and enjoy the learning process. Yours in Fitness, Karl MacPhee PFT, CFC, AFLCA

Because of the beautiful weather, many people are spending more time at the lake or camping, so I decided to put together an article on the “NonTraditional Workout” which will help you out when that craving for exercise comes along!

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What’s a magazine without a great summer recipe and a few tidbits on how to improve your life!

Events Spring Tune Up April 23rd, 2006 Body by Bennett

Holistic Health Retreat September, 2006 Body By Bennett

Holistic Health & Fitness Triathlon July, 2006 Hawrelak Park

Family Fitness Event August 2006 Edmonton River Valley

www.kmptrainingsolutions.blogspot.com

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Holistic Health and Fitness Community Nancy’s first open water swim...where she learned that the zipper doesn’t go in the front! Learning from our own mistakes is necessary for our development in life and in sports. Let’s just hope she figures it out before Iron man!

View from my early morning breakfast while camping in Alan Beach during the Triathlon Training Weekend.

“To change one’s life: 1. Start Immediately 2. Do it flamboyantly 3. No exceptions” William James

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Passive meditation as taught by Linda. Taking the time to focus on the plant life in our yard is a form of training the mind. Working out takes on all kinds of activities in Holistic Health and Fitness!

“The highest reward for a person’s toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.” John Ruskin

Open water training in Alan Beach, just outside of Stony Plain. Getting back into the wetsuit and crawling through the water was tough after 18 months off of swimming. I will be competing in the ITU Triathlon in Hawrelak Park on July the 9th. Come by and cheer me on as I toe the start line for the first time in 2 summers!

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Yours in Fitness...

The Awakening... Linda Crawford

As I pondered on what I wanted to share in this month’s newsletter, the following article came to me unfortunately with author unknown. For myself, the message was timely though I have read it before, it resonated yet even deeper. I believe nothing happens by accident, this message is a timely one, a moving one and one that I know you will enjoy. Continue reaching for the stars, remaining in awe of the moon and trusting that every room you walk into shines a bright light just like the sun because YOU ARE AMAZING JUST FOR BEING YOU! Linda

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THE AWAKENING A time comes in your life when you finally get it. When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere inside your head cries out Enough! Enough fighting and crying, or struggling to hold on. And like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening. You realize that it’s time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella, or vice versa and that in the real world there aren’t always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter) and that any guarantee of “happily ever after” must begin with you. And in the process a sense of serenity is born of acceptance. You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect, and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are-and that’s OKAY! (They are entitled to their own views and opinions). And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself, and in the process a sense of newly found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop blaming other peoIssue 6 July 2006 5

ple for the things they did to you (or didn’t do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected. You learn that people don’t always say what they mean or mean what they say, and that not everyone will always be there for you and that it’s not always about you. So you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process, a sense of safety and security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers, and you begin to accept people as they are, and too overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and in the process a sense of peace & contentment is born of forgiveness. You realize that much of the way you view yourself and the world around you is a result of all the messages and opinions that have been ingrained into your psyche. You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and who you’re needing and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you’ve outgrown or should never have bought into to begin with, and in the process, you learn to go with your instincts. You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a “consumer” looking for your next fix. You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideal of a bygone era, but

The Awakening...

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Linda Crawford

but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don’t know everything, its not your job to save the world, and that you can’t teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility, and the importance of setting boundaries and learning to say NO. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry and martyr’s get burned at the stake. Then you learn about love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love. And you learn that you don’t have the right to demand love on your terms just to make you happy. And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely. And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you “stack up”. You come to realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity, and respect, and you will not settle for less. And you learn that your body really is your temple. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear, so you take more time to rest. And just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul, so you take more time to laugh and to play. You learn for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a selffulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for, and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward makIssue 6 July 2006 6

ing it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success, you need direction, discipline and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it’s OK to risk asking for help. You learn that life isn’t always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. You learn that so called negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected, or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls. You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about, a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself, and you try to make yourself a promise-to never betray yourself and to never ever settle for less than your heart’s desire. And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and the presence of Love within and around you, you take a stand, you take a deep breath and you begin to design the life you want to live, the life you desire. For more information on lifestyle coaching, fitness training or meditation/Yoga, please contact Linda at: [email protected] Or check out www.fitfouryou.com

The ‘Non-Traditional’ Workout Karl MacPhee

Last month I talked about a more formal example of how to approach your training with the 5 Phased Approach to a workout. Using the 5 Phased Approach to the workout session not only adds quality to the session, it adds clarity and variety for each training day.

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This month, I will provide you with a few examples of how to apply the 5 phased workout to a ‘Non-Traditional’ training session such as when you would be camping, babysitting or in a remote area on a working assignment. Taking the time to plan out the training session can be confusing for many people, however, with the 5 Phased approach to the Non-Traditional workout setting, you are sure to be successful. As a former Infantry Soldier, we were in plenty of situations where we would be in remote settings, far away from the gym. In order to get a quality workout in, we would have to be a bit creative with the tools we had. Fortunately for us, we had plenty of drive, and lots of heavy objects to lift, toss and carry. Let’s look at a situation where we are out in the mountains, camping with our family and we have a workout on our schedule. With no gym, what can we possibly do to work those quads, glutes and upper body muscles. What about those abs and how will you get in the cardio workout? Phase 1 (warm-up or transition) Because of the nature of the tasks required to maintain a tidy campsite, Phase 1 pretty much takes care of itself. Cooking, washing dishes and chasing the dog around the campsite are all Issue 6 July 2006 7

activities that would prepare you for the next phase. Phase 2 (Dynamic Warm-up) Now it’s time to get out the ball and glove, or the volleyball to toss around with the children. While having fun with the kids, you will be chasing the ball around the field, lunging, reaching overhead and twisting without even knowing it. This is the ultimate dynamic warm-up! Phase 3 (Strength Component) Now this is where you are stumped...how can you possible do the strength phase without dumbbells, machines and medicine balls while keeping an eye on the children? This is why you are still on the Lifestyle Focus e-mail list!... Involve the family! Play a game with the kids. Pretend you are searching for treasures such as rocks, logs and picnic tables that will serve as your workout tools. The kids will be excited when they find the treasures and you will have your gym!

The ‘Non-Traditional’ Workout Karl MacPhee

Phase 3 (Strength Component) Once you have the “gym” set up, now you can be a bit creative. Everyone likes a campfire, so... Exercise # 1 can be to carry the wood to an area where you can chop the wood.

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Exercise # 2 would be to spend a few minutes chopping with the axe and hatchet which is a fantastic core workout! Have the children pile the wood for you so they also get their exercise in for the day.

Exercise # 3 can be single leg step ups or jump ups on to the picnic table bench. 2-3 sets of 10 per leg will do just fine. You could also make it a race so that the kids will want to take part, because we all know that children love competition. Exercise # 4... 2-3 sets of 10-15 pushups will get the chest, shoulders and core. “Always do the things you fear the most. Courage is an acquired taste, like caviar.” Erica Jong Issue 6 July 2006 8

Exercise # 5 in the circuit can be the ‘rock thrusters’ where you work on the dead lift, curl, and press all in one exercise. Other exercises can be a log carry, rock toss, picnic table push-ups, and 2 rock shoulder press. Substituting other objects for the modern devices such as dumbbells, and other objects you will see in the gym is as easy as finding them. You just have to be open, and creative! Phase 4 (Cardio Intervals) Depending on where you are, you can head to an open field and play a game of soccer with the kids, or make games that require you to do some sprinting, side to side movements and or hill running. Swimming in the lake is a great way to get the interval session in because if you are not a great swimmer, you will burn more calories do to your in-efficiency in the movements. This portion of the workout doesn’t need to be long, 10-15 minutes is sufficient and you are still able to involve the whole family. Phase 5 (Cool Down) The cool down is the easy part...take 10 minutes to stretch, and or go for a relaxing walk around the campgrounds after the workout. Once you are done, relax with some healthy food and good times. For more information on ‘NonTraditional Workouts’, contact Karl at [email protected]

Quote of the Month “Face your deficiencies and acknowledge them; but do not let them master you. Let them teach you patience, sweetness, insight.” Helen Keller

Karl’s Egg Salad Surprise INGREDIENTS

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6-8 Eggs (Hard boiled) 1 Small Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Orange Pepper, Yellow Pepper (Finely Chopped) 1 Small Red Onion (Finely Chopped) 4 Celery Stalks (Finely Chopped) 1 Carrot (Finely Chopped) 3-4 Tablespoons of Nayonaise 1-2 Tablespoons of Mustard Sea Salt, Dulce Flakes, Pepper, and Oregano for taste Whole Grain Bread or Wraps work well with this recipe. Makes about 4-5 sandwiches.

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Watering the Garden

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In this month’s edition of The Lifestyle Focus, Linda and I wanted to change gears a bit to show you how you can focus the “Workout of the Month” on your Garden. In the past, we talked about how water, sun, nutrition, love, care and affection all play an important role in the process of growing a beautiful garden. Just as these elements are important for the plant life in your back yard, they are just as important in your own life. Without love, water, sunlight, affection and proper nutrition, your life will be like the life of a plant struggling to grow, live and flourish. Take the time for yourself, even if it is only 5 minutes a day... This is your time!

Profiling this month’s “Workout of the Month”, Linda, Darren and their beautiful daughter Maia, spent some time taking care of the plant life in the back yard of their lovely new home. This work served as valuable bonding time for the family while they were able to get some fresh air and exercise for themselves. Think of gardening as a form of passive meditation where you are focusing on specific tasks, clearing the stress and enjoying life!

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