Starting a fitness routine in Ottawa is easier than ever nowadays; but maintaining an active lifestyle is another story. When you find a work-out plan that fits your schedule, things can start to feel a little monotonous. Now that the weather outside isn’t as frightful, working out or simply warming up outdoors is a great way to change up your usual routine.

Depending on where you live in Ottawa, that idea may sound a little strange. Ottawa is well known for being a government town that’s jam packed with museums and historical sights. What some of you may not know is that there are many outdoor workout havens to find and explore. Whether you enjoy biking, jogging, or yoga there are some great, scenic areas to liven up your routine (with the added bonus of being completely free to use).

Ottawa fitness is booming indoors and out; here are a few examples to get some outdoor fitness inspiration.

Mer Bleue Bog Boardwalk

Don’t let the word bog scare you. The Mer Bleue bog is a long trail of intersecting pathways located inside the Ottawa Greenbelt and is found atop one of Canada’s most renowned peat bogs.

The hiking trail includes six kilometers of beautiful marshland and forestry. Whether you want to take a casual stroll across the marshes’ boardwalk or traverse the birch and spruce tree filled trails, the Mer Bleue bog is a peaceful and visually breathtaking spot to check out.

Greens Creek

If you’re looking for something a little dryer, the Greens Creek trails, located in Blackburn Hamlet, are another great set of hiking and biking paths. As you walk along the heavily-wooded trails, you can hear the gentle patter of the creek as you go.

If you want a more intense outdoor workout, the Hornets’ Nest soccer fields are located right at the opening of the trails and are open for you to join a team, or if you just want to utilize the open space for your preferred fitness routine.

Capital Pathway, a.k.a. The Bike Path

The benefit of this area is in the title (or nickname in this case). Biking enthusiasts in Ottawa have lovingly given the Capital Pathway a fitting name. The 220 km stretch of concrete pathways run along many local parks and the Ottawa River. Bustling with activity, not just biking, you will feel right at home getting your daily workout done along this pathway.

Rideau Canal

Visit any fitness blog, or ask any outdoor Ottawa fitness enthusiast, and the Rideau Canal will almost certainly be mentioned—earning it a well-deserved spot on this list. Located conveniently in the downtown area, the Rideau Canal is a great mix of running paths and grassy hills (perfect for you to stop and stretch).

Also, as we all know, the best part of any work out is that rewarding feeling afterwards. Unlike the other areas mentioned, the Rideau Canal is right next to many restaurants and cafes. So get your workout in, and enjoy a post-workout cool down at a local hot spot!

Ottawa has many great outdoor workout spots at every end of the city. It’s time to get outside and revamp your fitness routine. Make sure you take advantage of some of the great Ottawa scenery today!

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Summer has officially arrived, and we Canadians are getting outdoors to enjoy the warm weather. We’re stashing away our winter wardrobes and are breaking out our t-shirts and shorts. Without the bulky sweaters and coats to hide behind, it’s that time of year where many of us realize that while our minds are summer ready – the rest of us may not be.  We are reminded of our New Year’s fitness goals, and our less-than-stellar dedication to those goals become all too real. This sudden revelation might prompt us to fall for gimmicky diets, splurge on diet pills and protein shakes, and a sudden fitness burst on the treadmill to compensate for those “cozy” winter months.

Wanting to get fit and healthy is never a bad thing. But if you want real results that last, you must undergo a lifestyle change. The key to fitness and health is dedication; you must be dedicated to the process. While that sounds intimidating, the two key ingredients in a body that leaves you feeling good about yourself are simpler than we make for ourselves. You’ve probably heard it before, but a healthy diet and regular exercise are key in achieving your fitness goals and living a healthy lifestyle.

Finding Time to Exercise

Integrating physical activity is easier than ever nowadays. There is a wide variety of gyms, at-home programs, and classes that are widely available to fit into our busy schedules. One great example is barre fitness. Ottawa residents are getting more and more enthusiastic about this eclectic program that incorporates a wide variety of techniques that achieves a balance of physical activity and mental stimulation. If you’re interested in learning more about the barre workout, Ottawa has a barre facility dedicated to sharing this effective technique.

Your Food Choices Make a Huge Difference!

For many people the hardest part of getting fit is changing your diet. With fast food and junky snacks so readily available, it is hard not to fall into the mentality that if you exercise, you can eat whatever you want. It is vitally important to understand that the foods you eat give you the energy to start and stay dedicated to your physical fitness goals.

In order to stay energized, your body needs foods that are easy to digest and packed with vitamins and minerals. If you’re eating a lot of food that’s heavy in saturated sugars and fats, you’ll find yourself slowing down, felling tired and sluggish. Your body uses more energy digesting the saturated fats; so you’re even more tired than before you ate. Healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables, are easier to digest, conserving your energy for other activities. They also contain natural energy-boosting minerals such as manganese that replaces any energy used during digestion.

In conclusion, the most important part of getting fit is dedication. In order to stay dedicated, get active every day (even if it’s for a quick, 15 minute walk), and make sure you’re eating foods that will boost your energy. Junk food may taste great, but it will leave you feeling tired and unmotivated.

Summer is here, and when you feel good inside and out, you’ll be able to experience your summer to the fullest!

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Wanting to get into better shape is a goal many people share. Seeing that goal through, however, is far less common, largely because it can become incredibly overwhelming to start your health regime. It’s not just the effort required to achieve your goals—you know the old saying, “No pain, no gain,” and you’re prepared to work hard for what you want—it’s just that you’re not even sure where to start. You’ve walked into a gym and you probably don’t know what half the machines are for, nor are you sure of  what weight and how many reps are appropriate for your fitness level. A quick glance at the cost of a personal trainer make your wallet cry, and all of your friends have vastly different ideas about how you should pursue your goals. But have you considered joining a class at a fitness studio? There are many benefits to this approach as compared to joining a gym.

Beginner-Friendly

As we mentioned before, joining a traditional gym can be daunting for beginners if you don’t have any guidance. Having a workout buddy is a great way to get around this, but sometimes no one’s available for your schedule. If you take a class at a barre studio, you’ll be with other like-minded people, many of whom are also beginners, and you’ll be taught in a comfortable and open environment where you’ll be able to work towards more ambitious goals naturally.

Community and Accountability

When you join a class at a fitness studio, you’re bound to make friends. You might also make friends at the gym, but many people are in their own private zone, wearing headphones while they focus on their workout. When you make friends in your fitness class, you become part of a community—and suddenly, you’re no longer letting only yourself down by skipping a day you’d normally spend exercising. Accountability goes a long way!

Variety

When you join a gym, you have access to all kinds of equipment that you can use in many different ways; but if you’re designing your own workouts, it can be easy to get locked into a counterproductive pattern. Variety is important in fitness. Take a barre studio, for instance. The style blends elements of strength training, Pilates, yoga, and of course the eponymous ballet barre to create a well-rounded workout that uses the best of each technique to train and tone the body.

Moving Forward

If you decide that you want a more hands-on approach after you’ve built a solid foundation during a group class, many fitness studios offer one-on-one sessions. By starting with a group class, you’re creating opportunities to discover your strengths and weaknesses, and if you choose to make the transition to a solo class (or even take one as a supplement to the group sessions), then you’ll have the opportunity to focus on the areas you feel you need the most improvement.

If you’re interest in the benefits of getting fit in a group environment, you can sign up for classes at a barre studio today!

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If you are looking for an exercise class that combines the low-impact muscle control of ballet with modern strength training then the barre method is perfect for you! To get a full appreciation of this relatively new fitness technique, here is the story of the barre method and its creator:

Lotte Berke was born on January 13th, 1913 in Cologne, Germany. Her mother was German and her father was Russian. She became a ballet dancer, joining several prominent companies in Europe. She married fellow dancer Ernst and fled Germany in the 1930’s to live in London. There, she worked as a model at Heatherley School of Fine Art and also danced at Covent Garden. She quickly realized that her dance style was not popular with the British and was forced to consider other career options.

After injuring her back, Berke decided to combine her ballet barre training and rehabilitative exercises into one work out. She called her new technique the Lotte Berke Method. This method focused on strengthening and stretching different muscle groups with small movements rather than large multi-muscle exercises like squats. It also mixed barre and floor sections in its exercise routines.

In 1959, Berke opened her first fitness centre only for women to share her technique with others. As the popularity of the style grew over the years, she attracted celebrities like Joan Collins, Barbra Streisand, Edna O’Brien, and many more. In 1991 Lotte sold the licensing for her barre method to Burr Leonard, Mimi Fleischman, and Carl Diehl so they could bring the ballet barre fitness classes back to New York City and Connecticut. The new method continued to grow with each owner opening multiple studios in the U.S.

Eventually Burr and Carl ended their licensing agreement of Lotte’s barre method and created their own low-impact variation called The Barre Method. This took the exercises from Pilates, ballet barre, and physiotherapy techniques to improve the results for participants with back and knee issues.  Barre Studios continued to grow and incorporate different exercise styles to add a cardio element and focus on the body’s core. Lotte passed away in 2003, leaving her Berkshire studio to her daughter Esther Fairfax who continues to teach her mother’s method.

What started as a ballet-barre focused exercise program for dancers has turned into a global fitness movement over the last 20 years. With so many different fitness options, barre is a great mix of low-impact movements to achieve the best fitness results. This style will continue to grow and evolve as more and more people embrace its possibilities.

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You’ve certainly heard of yoga and Pilates before. These are two similar and vastly popular forms of exercise, which is why many people question the differences and benefits of each. If you’re among the many people who have asked this question, here are the basic origins and benefits to both:

Pilates Origins

This form of exercise dates back to the mid-20th century. It was created by Joseph Pilates and popularized by dancers around the world who frequently use Pilates to aid their training and performance. Though it was originally created to help World War I soldiers with rehabilitation and strengthening, it is now used by anyone and everyone to help improve posture, gracefulness, and body awareness. Some places offer specific Pilates equipment, but don’t fret, you can practice it anywhere, and fancy equipment isn’t necessary.

Pilates Benefits

The main objective for most people when it comes to Pilates is to tone muscles. What’s especially great about this practice is that it works to condition and improve your muscles overly bulking them up. Pilates focuses mainly on core strength, but it still involves the whole body which ultimately improves your posture, balance, and gracefulness, as mentioned above. Like with yoga, Pilates improves your mind to body connection, improves your flexibility, and as with any form of physical exercise, provides you with a sense of well-being, boosting your confidence.

Yoga Origins

Yoga bares a much broader and intimate history than Pilates. It was started over 5,000 years ago in India and has greatly evolved over time to comprise many different styles, though they all still revolve around the greater spiritual aspects of the practice. Yoga creates a connection with the energy that travels through your body to allow you to feel more balanced self, linking your inner self to your outer self, while improving your flexibility and strengthening your body. Like Pilates, yoga can be practiced anywhere and by almost anyone.

Yoga Benefits

Yoga puts a big focus on three things: mind, body, and spirit. The flow of exercises and poses used increases the blood circulation to and from the internal organs and, as mentioned above, increases full-body strength and flexibility while granting an inner sense of peace. Unlike Pilates, the strengthening of the core muscles is not the main focus, but it is an added benefit.

Whether you’re looking to practice yoga or Pilates in Ottawa, it’s always great to stay informed in order to know exactly what is best for you. Many studios and gyms offer a great variety of classes and types of guided exercises. And some classes, routines, and types of exercise will actually combine a number of different strategies and techniques to create new and improved ways to tone, strengthen, and increase flexibility, making it more accessible and compatible for a larger number of people.

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Admittedly, we live in a gorgeous city—and a big one too! There are many ways to pursue better fitness in Ottawa, from jogging along the canal to bicycling through the city’s many paths, to joining a class or fitness studio for a more targeted approach. It’s a great way to get in shape, become stronger, control your weight, and get a toned physique. But the benefits don’t end there—not by a long shot. Some of the benefits of regular exercise may not be quite as visible from the outside, but they are arguably even more important. For example, did you know that regular exercise can:

Improve Your Mental Health

In the immediate sense, a quick workout is a great way to reduce stress. In fact, regular exercise doesn’t just alleviate current stress—it improves your ability to manage stress overall. And the benefits don’t end there, either; you can alleviate anxiety through high-intensity aerobic exercise, fight addiction through the increased dopamine production, reduce insomnia, and even treat and manage depression.

In addition, joining an Ottawa fitness class can be a great way to ensure continued mental health and wellness, even as you age. The natural cognitive decline that happens after we reach a certain age can be slowed down by regular exercise, promoting the production of chemicals in our brains that keep the hippocampus healthy and strong.

Improve Your Heart Health

Getting a healthy amount of physical activity every week will boost your levels of healthy cholesterols and decrease the unhealthy varieties that tend to cause blockages in your arteries. The result? Your heart continues to operate at full efficiency for much longer! Your risk of cardiovascular disease is tremendously reduced by regular exercise.

Reduce Your Risk of Disease

Cardiovascular diseases aren’t the only ones that are less likely to occur when you get a healthy dose of activity. Type 2 diabetes, for example, can be prevented through physical activity. If you already have type 2 diabetes, then you can keep it under better control through improved fitness. Colon cancer and breast cancer, along with metabolic syndrome, are other diseases that you can reduce your risk of with regular exercise.

Increase Your Energy Levels

Do you frequently feel lethargic, as though even the smallest amount of physical effort leaves you tired? You’ll soon find that as you get in better shape, you’ll have more energy than you ever thought possible. You’ll be more productive in day-to-day life, feel more creative, have an easier time sleeping at night, and find that even the steepest staircase is no match for you!

To experience these benefits and more, why not enroll in a barre fitness class in Ottawa?

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Most people are aware of the importance of fitness in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But what most people don’t consider is that traditional fitness regimes that include high-impact exercises like jogging can be hard on the body, and especially on the joints. Sometimes these workouts can even encourage injury, or exacerbate an injury you already have. In these cases, it is important to consider a low-impact workout regime, such as barre workouts, that reduces strain on your joints and muscles. In fact, not only does low-impact fitness reduce your risk of injury, it can also be an extremely effective means of exercise.

There are many options to incorporate low-impact workouts into your fitness regime. Even if you are a marathon runner and train regularly, it’s good to give those knees a break once in a while. Consider hopping on an elliptical, or going for a nature hike. If there are no good mountains or hills nearby to increase the level of difficulty, find a staircase and do a simple stair workout.

Any exercise done in water is also low-impact, easy on the joints while providing all the benefits of a high-impact workout. For example, swimming laps increases endurance while also building shoulder muscle. For those who experience a lot of joint pain, water aerobics is a great way to get in a good workout while minimizing pain.

Other exercises that are slow and controlled offer increased benefits, such as strength training and flexibility. Pilates and exercises using elastics or ropes for resistance are some of the best ways to build muscle strength and tone your body. Yoga and dance also increase endurance while improving flexibility and mind/body connection.

A great way to combine the benefits of dance, Pilates, and yoga is by doing a workout at the barre. Barre fitness provides a low-impact and injury-free work out that builds and tones your muscle, increases your flexibility, and reduces body fat while being rehabilitative. Doing a workout at the barre is appropriate for anyone seeking to make a healthy change in their lives.

There are many benefits to low-impact exercise beyond reduced strain and potential for injury, such as improvements in cardiovascular health and weight loss. When our joints hurt or we experience injury, it can keep us from participating in activities that keep us fit. By doing a low-impact workout, we get the benefits of traditional exercise without encouraging or perpetuating injury.

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Pilates has become a popular form of fitness in Ottawa, and yet despite the hype, many people still don’t know what Pilates is. Ottawa studios that use the method on its own, or in tandem with other techniques (such as barre), favour it for the way that it conditions the body and mind to work together to achieve balance, strength, and flexibility. It has helped countless people to move with ease, grace, and efficiency—people of many different ages, with many different lifestyles, and with many different goals in mind for their fitness. So what makes it so popular?

A Brief History

The Pilates Method was originally developed by Joseph Pilates, the German-born son of a gymnast and naturopath. Combining these teachings, as well as others, such as yoga, with the belief that a healthy body and a healthy mind go hand-in-hand, in the early twentieth century, he taught his methods to dancers, athletes, and even his cell mates in World War I internment camps. Eventually, the method caught on, as more people discovered the benefits of the Pilates Method.

How Does It Work?

Ottawa fitness instructors teach that Pilates comes down to a series of key movements that require the body and the mind to act in unison. Unlike traditional strength training—which uses isolated movements in sets of repetitions to strengthen individual muscle groups—this method focuses on precise movements that exercise most (if not all) of your body at once. Instead of focusing on repetition, you focus instead on the six principles: concentration, control, centering, flow (efficiency of movement), precision, and breathing. For this reason, working with an experienced and accredited instructor is essential—they will help you to achieve all six principles, using verbal and tactile cues to guide you through each movement and getting the most out of it.

Benefits of Pilates

What does Pilates do for those who practice it? Well, a big bonus is core strength. This phrase has become more common lately, but it’s much more than a buzz word—it’s something that has gone overlooked by many people for years, but is vital. Your core is made up of the deep muscle tissue in your abdomen and your lower back. The stronger your core is, the better your posture will be, and the less likely you’ll be to experience back pain since your spine is being properly supported. It also conditions the whole body to be stronger, firmer, and leaner, so you look and feel great from head to toe. Finally, the whole method is adaptable to a variety of needs, making it a safe and effective way to pursue better fitness in Ottawa!

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By Shalisa Pouw

Barre-based fitness classes have risen in popularity over the past few years, no doubt influenced by those of us wanting to channel super-fit ballerinas like Misty Copeland. If you have a drawer full of leggings and keep a pair of sticky socks in your purse, know that you’re not alone.

So why are these kinds of workouts so addictive? The positive feelings—and results—you get from a good barre class are unmatched. Research has shown that long-term ballerinas are more skilled than novices are at tasks requiring fine motor skills. But you don’t need to perform at Lincoln Center to see the benefits of barre extend to other parts of your life. Here, I share five ways I’ve seen my fitness level improve through barre practice…

READ MORE at Fitness Magazine

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