All posts under ‘Health’


Beauty

Workout: 6 tips for an added twist

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Health

Photography by Gabor Jurina

Can’t face another blah session on the elliptical? From trapeze to monkey movements, we offer six ways to spice up your routine.

1. TAKE IT TO THE ZOO
Spend an hour at Aeküus in Montreal (aekuus.com) and your body will have a light-bulb moment. You’ll find yourself bounding from one corner to the next like a monkey, with one hand on the ground and the other overhead, or crawling inches from the floor like Spider-Man scaling a building. The exercises originate from basic calisthenics and expand into endless variations, many of which are animal-inspired quadrupedal motions. You’ll start with posture, breathing and fundamental movements (walking, falling, sitting), then increase the intensity and incorporate elements such as martial arts, J-Kae band work and jump rope. “After a year and a half with us, you’re basically capable of training by yourself,” says co-founder Julien Karl. Demonstrating an advanced technique, he grabs the outer edge of a staircase, each hand on a different step, and lifts his legs parallel to the floor. Sold.
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Fashion

Summer fitness guide: Stylish workout gear is the great motivator

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Workout gear

Photography by Carlo Mendoza (Styling by Breanna Gow for judyinc.com)

Aesthetically pleasing workout gear is a great motivator. Consider these your new personal trainers.
View our favourite workout gear items of the season now »

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Beauty

Vancouver fitness pick: The Bar Method

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By Jennie Jin

We feel a bit of ballet mania in the air–maybe it’s just our excitement for Black Swan. In Vancouver, we can feed our obsession at the first Canadian location of U.S. fitness studio The Bar Method (837 Beatty Street, 604-681-6188, vancouver.barmethod.com). The studio features an hour-long workout that mixes Pilates, yoga, and ballet, which strengthens core muscles while toning and elongating isolated muscle groups through held poses and minimal movement. Fans claim longer, leaner definition and the development of what the New York Times calls “Bar Butt.” Owner Carolyn Williams’ second-floor space boasts two bright studios, modern wood finishings with plush cream-colored carpets, and a spa-like changing area equipped with organic body products. Psst: did we mention Drew Barrymore and Denise Richards are both fans of The Bar Method? New clients receive a 30-day unlimited pass for $100.

Read more about our ballet obsession here»


Scene

Toronto: Our favourite new spot for a (healthy) power lunch

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A working lunch is all too often an exercise in indulgence, crammed with cream and butter and overly salted. Four (187 Bay St., Toronto, 416-368-1444, fourtoronto.com), in Toronto’s financial district, is a subterranean spot with the same frenzied lunch-hour crowd and cookie-cutter décor as your typical tower eatery, but its menu offers a different take that’s both good and good for you. Every dish on the menu is 650 calories or less, achieved by grilling or steaming instead of frying, and cutting down on unhealthy fats and sugars. Read more »


Beauty

Fitness pick: CYKL’s model-approved spin classes

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By Karen Cleveland

My first introduction to spinning turned me off: Terrible house music, boring repetition and sauna-like studios put me off for years.

But now CYKL (68 Bathurst St., Toronto, 416-504-2955, cykl.ca) at Bathurst and Wellington, has lured me into a love affair with indoor cycling. The brainchild of a fashion photographer and former model (they ought to know fit, right?) CYKL promises to get participants “real fit, real fast.” Read more »


Beauty

Q&A: India Hicks talks (and runs) marathons

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Photo courtesy of Crabtree & Evelyn

India Hicks is a glorious force to be reckoned with, somewhat in line with the Energizer bunny and a tornado that keeps picking up speed and momentum. Between spending time with her husband and four children, blogging, tweeting, and working with Crabtree & Evelyn on her India Hicks Island Living and Island Night fragrance collections, Hicks ran a marathon (her third!). Lara Tobin sat down with the interior designer and former model, in town to attend the Canadian Fragrance Awards, to chat about the experience.

So I hear you have just finished a marathon. That’s amazing!
“And I’ve done two other marathons, the London Marathon both times. In London there are 37,000 other runners who are running for causes to raise money. It’s just amazing what people do and there’s this extraordinary sense of support.

“And you know, as you’re running along it’s incredible what you see [when] you get to mile 17 and you’re about to die and give up and a blind man tied to a guide runs past you and you think ‘what am I doing? Get up and move!’ But every time it’s like having a baby. Every time you say never again.” Read more »


Shopping » Daily steal

The daily steal: Glass water bottle, $12

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Photography by Nettika Berthelot

Photography by Nettika Berthelot

I’m too terrified to drink my water out of plastic bottles, and can’t get over the slight metallic aftertaste of aluminum reusables, so I’m loving this stylish glass version ($12, tapwater-bottle.com) that looks pretty on my desk and lets me achieve my eight-glasses-a-day with ease.


Beauty

Yoga for Olympians (and you, too)

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feb09yoga_lg

As everyone pours into yoga studios this month to pursue their 2010 resolution to trim down, those who have had enough of the post-holiday crowd should stay home with Eoin Finn’s latest yoga DVD, The Pursuit of Happy Hips ($25, at Lululemon and Chapters. Visit blissology.com). Along with partner Insiya Rasiwala and some past and present Olympic athletes, Finn shows the whole-body benefits of strengthening the hips through the practice of yoga. Focused on preparing the body for the rigours of winter sports, the video is just as beneficial for those who are more likely to curl up on the couch than hit the hill when the snow falls. Read more »


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