Tag Archives: Exercise

Friday Fitness Funny

Posted on May 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

Have a great long weekend.  Don’t over-idulge.  Don’t get all, “Ohhhh I have to eat because everyone else is.”

Drink responsibly…which means not at all.

Eat for your health…which means, well, eat healthy!

cap'n crunch-nestle crunch

 

diddly squats

 

running funny

 

Have a great weekend!

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Don’t be an April Fool; Excuses we make for gaining weight.

Posted on April 1, 2013 | 5 Comments

I saw this poster and needed to share it.
The truth hurts, but sometimes, we all need a wake up call.  Excuses are like belly buttons…every body has one!

Your April Promise:

  • I will become who I should have been all along
  • I will give 110% when I workout
  • I will try something new
  • I will put my health first
  • I will remind myself that my goal is to be fit
  • I will eat right-No excuses
  • I will be stronger today than I was yesterday
  1. Start with doing what is necessary (show up to boot camp);
  2. Then do what is possible (push yourself) and;
  3. Suddenly you are doing the impossible!!

I was inspired by the snow (not really inspired but ugly about the snow) and decided to make a treat for the family.  It’s a twist on the classic “Snowballs” recipe that we always see around Christmas…yummy and healthy!

Protein Snow Balls:

  • 2 -3 scoops of vanilla boot camp protein
  • 1-2 cups of natural peanut butter
  • 1 cup of unsweetened coconut

Mix protein and pb together, (if it is too sticky add more protein / too dry add more pb.)
Make into little balls then roll in coconut–place in the fridge for 30 min to firm up.  You can moisten the balls with a little bit of water to help the coconut to stick.

*note* I made these with two 8 yr olds fighting over who could roll them–hence the non round shape

Someone you know being a cloud on a sunny day?? Hit them with this awesome taste of the tropics!!!

Mango Coconut Protein Shake

  • 1 scoop vanilla boot camp protein
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 frozen banana
  • 1/2-3/4 cup of frozen mango
  • couple of drops of coconut extract

Blend and enjoy!!!!!!!!

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Have your resolutions given way to your excuses?

Posted on March 13, 2013 | 6 Comments

It’s now mid March….3 months into a the New Year and where are you?

Did you start the year all gung-ho and saying that this was the year you were going to kick that body fat to the curb??

Where are you now?? Have you given up or are you staying strong??

Have you been using one of these 3 excuses?  The three excuses get me absolutely  fired up.  These are literally about the worst excuses anyone can come up with!

  1. My ____(insert body part) is not good. When it’s better I’ll start
  2. I don’t have the time
  3. I just can’t put the money together

ALL 3 excuses are bull. Here’s how I see it.

*My ___hurts:  everyone has something that hurts.  We can always work with you and your hurt and you’ll still have the benefit of exercising, safely. Your heart will hurt if you keep carrying any extra weight.

Yeah, your excuse is so invalid!

*I don’t have the time:  TOTAL LIE.  There are people who are busier than you that manage to “fit” in fitness. You have enough time to make excuses, so how about you redirect that time and get your butt moving!! I can guarantee that  watching TV is going to do nothing for your health.

*I don’t have the money.  Fair enough, but if you break it down and look at what you spend money on (Starbucks, eating out, movies, entertainment, etc) I think you could probably find a way.  If it’s worth it to you, you’ll find a way, otherwise you will find an excuse.  Is it worth it to you to be healthy?

Trust me, I have heard just about every excuse.

Here is one of my favourite kick your excuses to the curb videos.  If you “think” you can’t …YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS

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Disney Marathon Weekend!

Posted on January 10, 2013 | 1 Comment

Well, its here…the 20th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend.  I am so excited to have been invited to Florida to take part in the anniversary weekend celebrations.

The following article is from the Independent Free Press

Local mom in Disney run

Hi'ya Mickey!!

Hi’ya Mickey!!

A Georgetown woman will be representing Canada in the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney WorldMarathon Sunday.

Carrie Burrows, a fitness instructor who owns Georgetown and Acton Fitness Bootcamp, and a current member of the Disney Mom’s Panel, will be taking part in the 26.2-mile marathon Jan. 13 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and she will be blogging about the event.

Burrows has been a fitness advocate for as long as Walt Disney World has been holding its marathon.

“I was an overweight teen who learned about fitness for my own well-being and have been passionate about helping others that struggle with their weight, health and nutrition ever since,” said Burrows.

She’s been invited to take part in the marathon and has been blogging about her training leading up to the event and the entire marathon weekend.

“It is a big honour to be chosen. I am proud to represent Georgetown and Canada,” said Burrows. “I hope to inspire other moms that are busy and don’t think that they can include a regular fitness routine in their lives by showing them that it’s possible.”

As a mother of three young children, Burrows knows all too often that moms often put taking care of themselves on the back burner.

“You can’t possibly take care of your family if you don’t take care of yourself,” said Burrows.

This will be the fourth runDisney event that Burrows has taken part in, adding a full marathon to previous half marathon events, which have included two Wine & Dine and Princess Marathons.

She has included her family in her fitness profession and passion for running, having her children take part in family fun runs and children’s fitness programs.
“It’s so easy to show kids the benefit of a healthy lifestyle while having fun doing it together.  To them, its never a workout, but a fun time together.  That’s part of the magic of Disney as well. All the runDisney events are a fun and magical time.

You don’t have time to think about the distance because you’re enjoying the sights, characters and entertainment along the way,” she said.

You can follow along with me all weekend to see what I’m up to and what happens at the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ when runDisney takes over and hosts a great event!!

@CarrieBurrows

@CarrieBurrows

#WDWMarathon

/ IamCarrieBurrows

/ IamCarrieBurrows

 

 

 

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9 Tips for you to help beat the flu

Posted on November 14, 2012 | 1 Comment

You can’t go anywhere right now without seeing a sign for Flu shots.  Everywhere you turn there is a clinic set up offering a simple shot to help protect you against the flu.

I’m not going to say whether you should or shouldn’t get the shot, but I am going to say that you should do everything you can to protect yourself from becoming a victim of this mean little “bug”.

The best defense against the flu is a strong offence.  Don’t let the coughing, headache, body ache, fever, chills, vomiting and everything else virus get you this year.

Here are some simple things you can do to help protect yourself.

1.)  Wash you hands!  You touch people’s hands, doors, railings and elevator buttons all day long.  Have you ever thought what other people are leaving behind…can you say grosse? Not near a sink…no worries, always carry a good hand sanitizer with you.

2.)  Nutrition. Eat foods that are great antioxidants.  Fruits and vegetables are your best bet in that department.  Think the colours of the rainbow over a dark leafy base.  You can also supplement with vitamins.  Look for vitamins A, B, C, D and E.  A good multi will do the trick.  Don’t wait till you feel symptoms…tis the season!

3.)  Get outside in the fresh air.  Just because its cold out, you need to get out and take in some fresh air.  If the sun is shining, go suck it in.  The lack of daylight hours this time of year can zap your vitamin D so why not get it the natural way to help.

4.)  Exercise!  Yes, believe it or not exercise can help fight off the nasty little virus.  Studies have shown that exercise can boost you immune system function and a stronger healthier body is better equipped to keep you going strong.

5.)  Rest.  Sleep and recovery are always essential, but as we gear up for the heavy celebration season, you really need to help your body recover and rest with sleep.

6.)  Be a considerate parent.  If your wee ones are under the weather, don’t send them to school.  Even if they don’t have the flu, you’re just asking for their weak bodies to suck up the petri dish of disease that is the classroom.  And if your child does have the flu, for goodness sakes, keep them home.  Yes its tough to keep them home that extra day, but other parents will thank you and there isn’t anything like a little extra cuddle time with your babies.

7.)  Cover your mouth when you cough.  No, this doesn’t help  you much, but when others see you doing it, they may remember to do it as well.  Cough into your elbow, not your hands (refer to point 1).

8.)  Avoid refined sugar.  Ever wonder why Flu season starts just after Halloween, ramps up over Christmas and settles down at Easter???  Sugar!!!

9.)  Mind your minerals.  Just like vitamins, minerals are best taken before the onset of the flu. Zinc, selenium and Iron have all been proven beneficial in the flu fight.

There is no way to guarantee yourself a flu free year, but if you take these steps, you will be increasing your odds.  Tis the season to be a germaphobe so celebrate!

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The double standard

Posted on October 1, 2012 | 8 Comments

I have been meaning to write about this for a while. I think I ‘ve touched on this issue over the course of a few blog posts but now is the time to call it out.

I have talked about this with many of you, my awesome boot campers…the fact that there is a double standard in the health and fitness world.
This is for those of you who have lost weight and have committed to making it out to boot camp (or whatever your fitness activity of choice) 3 or more times a week, for those of you that have followed the boot camp nutrition plan or whatever healthy eating guide and have lost weight have all encountered the haters.
You know there are poeple who say that you are obsessed with working out or say you have become strict with your food, when they are actually the ones who are policing your food and what you eat.
Think of the people who say you have lost enough weight or that you are starting to look sick or the ones that have a laundry list of things to sway you off track.
Why is it socially acceptable for people to comment on how fit people live but heaven for bid we call out the non healthy people?
What kind of hell on earth would be released if you said to someone,”do you really need to eat that cookie” or “wow, you are so fat, are you just going to keep getting fatter?”
I think people who sit in front of the tv for 3-5 hours a night watching tv are obsessed and their minds are going to mush.
Why is it ok for those fit haters to say something but you could potentially be slapped or unfriended if you question someone overweight??
Why is it socially acceptable to be rude to healthy people? How dare we question someone who is overweight but they can question us about taking care of our health… holy double standard.
I know that it boils down to a jealousy issue. For those of us who want to be fit and healthy we commit to that lifestyle which at times can be hard.
ANYONE can sit in front of the tv or come up with excuses as to why they can’t.
Could you imagine if you question your co-worker about watching 3hrs of tv a night?  ”Who do you think you are” 3hrs is average. That’s awful and scary, but for some reason they can’t carve out an hour a day or pry themselves away from the TV to improve their health because they just possibly can’t miss their favourite show…really???
Priorities.  Easy is easy…..effort is AWESOME!!
I would love to say to someone who questions me and my health and fitness habits about how they are using tax dollars and draining our healthcare system.It is no badge of honour that you are on 5 kinds of meds for obesity related disorders.
Next time someone questions you and your commitment to your health tell them what they need to hear….reverse the double standard.
Political correctness or political niceness has gone overboard. I know that I am healthy and I am teaching my kids healthy habits and how to live a healthy lifestyle and that my needs are just as important.
I know all of you sports parents have 101 excuses why you can’t miss a practice but you are the same people hitting the drive thru and feeding your kids fast food on their way to their “healthy” activities. WHAT…hello double standard?????   Geesh….simmering down, that is a separate post.
Be healthy – be fit and be proud of it-you worked hard, wear it with pride….not only wear the pride you can also rock the skinny jeans…not many can, but you can because you worked for it!
Here is some strength in pictures for you.

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Weekend Gone Wild!!

Posted on September 21, 2012 | 5 Comments

You’ve stayed on track all week. You have made sure that you’ve had healthy meals, stayed on top of your water and stuck with your exercise.

Today is Friday and you are now  counting down the hours until it is officially the weekend. Some of you will start your weekend at 5pm and it will be an all out weekend fiesta.

Others will start tomorrow and wake up from a good night’s sleep and give into cravings of waffles, syrup and bacon and you’ll justify the calorie bomb because it is “the weekend”.

So many people fall off the wagon hard and fast on the weekend. No set schedules or over scheduled, whether it’s kids birthday parties, sports, get togethers, etc. We justify the big weekend binge because ”we were good all week”.

It starts with a crazy breakfast then it rolls into no lunch perhaps a quick snack and then a whopper of a dinner because you are starving and dehydrated because all you had was some coffee.

You’ve worked hard to stay on track all week and then you went bananas on the weekend.  You justify it because you were good during the week or because it was a long and stressful week.  Monday feels like you are starting from scratch because you have a weekend calorie hangover.
So I thought I would try to help you get through the weekends relatively unscathed with a survival guide for the weekend.  Your meals might be harder to plan but let’s be honest, you have a pretty good idea of what you are doing so you can plan.

1.) Set your goals. Plan your choices for the weekend.  That means, have an idea of what you are doing or where you are going so you can have the right food on hand to make things easier.
2.) Schedule in some activity.  It doesn’t have to involve burpees (but burpees are badass) it could be soccer with the kids, a bike ride with the family, etc–be active!
3.) Pack-a-snack.  You know ahead of time that you’ll be in a hockey arena or dance studio all day, so pack some healthy snacks so that you don’t hit up a drive thru on your way home.
4.) ALWAYS and I mean always have water with you.  Weekend, holiday, whatever day…always have water with you.  It’ll keep you on track and it will help lessen the desire for a pumpkin spice latte.  Speaking of which…. you notice the shape of Pumpkins? Round, stubby, fat… remember that when thinking of the pumpkin spice fatte.
5.) Be Smart.  If you know you’re eating out or going to a party/event choose wisely.  Just because there are 5 kinds of dessert does not mean you were meant to try all 5! I guarantee you will feel so much better walking away knowing that you made a healthy choice and not given into temptation.

PRO TIP:  It’s just food.  You already know what it tastes like, so having the bread with butter, special nachos or a bottle of wine is just a disaster waiting to happen to your hips/butt/thighs.

The weekend is not code for 2 days of all you can eat bingeing. Don’t go crazy. You know that you will feel gross and guilty.

Yes this takes some effort and some planning but really, is it THAT big of a deal???  Please, do not email me saying that YOLO and that you want to enjoy everything life has to offer.  C’mon people, yes, life does offer a number of decadent foods but with that comes obesity, joint pain, heart disease, diabetes.  Instead of “You Only Live Once”, think “You Live Only Once” , YLOO,  so do you want to live it in pain and medicated or happy and healthy?

You will feel better and mentally stronger that you managed to outsmart the weekend gone wild mentality!  Food is meant for nourishment.  It will never take stress away.  It won’t fix things at work and it won’t make mean people not suck.

Stay strong–have a plan and follow it!

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G’Town kicked Toronto right in the Tower

Posted on September 10, 2012 | 6 Comments

It is with so much pride that I am writing this blog post.
This past Saturday many of your fellow boot campers took on the “Toronto Urban Warrior Challenge“, a 10k course that had obstacles that you had to negotiate throughout the 10km dash.

To say that I am proud is an understatement!

Toronto Urban Warrior

Our group had:  young peeps, “experienced peeps”, peeps with pre existing injuries, fast peeps, competitive peeps (looking at you Sisters & Michelle), peeps there just for the experience, some there because their friend made them do it, newlyweds…we had a diverse group.

It was a fun challenge.

Kind of like Prison ID Font

Here’s some of what made it great:

  • It was a great confidence boot to those that thought they would never run 10k with obstacles thrown in.
  • We were able to do something active and have social time. Fitness + friends = fantastic
  • Being able to get to know each other just a little more in the car on the way down and back(looking at you Tanya with your wildlife stories…hey, is that a badger or a big ass cat??)
  • Diane’s significant other took photos for us AND provided us with healthy pre race snacks–healthy snacks….that guy is a keeper!!
  • The support/encouragement of each other was amazing! This cannot be stressed enough!!

Here are some little nuggets that made it better….

  1. We learned that some people in our group can really bust a move(looking at you Monique-shock and awe with your dances moves girl!)  We saw some hard-core dance moves in the warm up. I think that everyone learned that I don’t dance and won’t even do it for a warm up and we will NEVER have dance moves at boot camp! Best line during the “dance dance revolution” warm up came from Michelle who made me bust out laughing was ” I don’t dance…I’m Swiss”  Boot Camp is boot camp….not “So I think you can dance Canada”….Nevertheless, it made for some good laughs!!!
  2. It was also further exposed that my germaphobia is extreme…touching the sandbags that hundreds of sweaty peeps carried or using a porta potty had me wanting to squirt Purell in my eyes
  3. Our race time was 3:30pm we arrived early and decided to jump the line and go in the 2:30pm. It was funny that a few peeps did not want to break the rules. I loved how they tried to keep us on the straight and narrow and rationalize how we couldn’t jump into another group(looking at you Patti) The rule followers that tried to deter us from starting early with “it will be obvious that an extra 20+ people have joined this group” thanks for the effort but I am glad that we did start early!!

A big thank you to everyone that participated, who drove, who ordered our team t-shirts, who organized the registrations. This was a team effort.

Thank you to those that encouraged your fellow boot campers to try something new!

I am proud and so honoured to be a part of your journey!
Thank you all for giving 110% and having incredible attitudes!!
Be proud of yourselves!!!

Who’s up for the next challenge???!!!! I’m pretty sure there is a marathon in 3 months we could do in Florida.

Team G’Town Boot Camp

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No wonder people are confused about health and fitness

Posted on August 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

Over the last week I have read several articles about and a couple of studies about health and fitness. Specifically, diet and exercise were my primary focus.

The differences in the pieces that I have been reading are like night and day and it got me to thinking that because of the garbage that is out there, no wonder so many people are confused about the best ways to reach their health and fitness goals.

Hmmm… are you confused?

Diet

According to what I read, the best way to lose weight is through the foods you eat.  If you eat well-balanced meals, if you drink a shake, if you take these supplements you can lose weight.  You don’t need to even think about exercise while the pounds and inches just magically disappear.  Really?

Pills, potions and lotions

Exercise

According to several top researchers, all you need to do to lose weight is exercise.  Lift heavy weight, lift light weight lots of times.  Run for miles on a treadmill, take a yoga class, spin on a brass pole, air box.  These will guarantee rapid weight loss…so some people say.  Who cares about what you eat! In fact, eat lots of food and don’t worry about it being good and healthy food, just eat! Really?

Donut think so

The TRUTH

  1. No amount of exercise will make up for a crappy diet.  Food is fuel and if you are going to exercise, you have to re-fuel your body with the stuff.  You don’t put diesel fuel in a gas engine right? So why put crap in your body?
  2. Exercise builds and maintains lean muscle mass.  The muscles are where you will primarily burn energy (aka fat) when you are losing weight.  The more lean muscle mass, the more fat you can burn, so it stands to reason that by exercising you can burn more fat, faster.
  3. Your body is a genius at figuring out how to get by with what it has going for it.  Not enough food? It slows down metabolism and stores every bit of extra energy (fat) that it can to get by.
  4. Your body will adjust itself to your caloric intake so that it works with what is available and pretty soon, you’ll be putting on weight again (unless you starve yourself).
  5. Proper diet + Sensible Exercise = Health & Fitness

    This PLUS

This EQUALS

THIS!!

That’s it! There you go.  Confusion gone.  A proper diet is incredibly important for proper health and exercise is necessary to use that nutrition to make a better, stronger healthier you.

They go together, so forget the garbage about one or the other…the answer is both!

Oh and by the way… wonder what the reason “experts” have such different views?  That’s easy.

  • Food manufacturers and food product suppliers depend on you eating crappy food.  They have a vested interest in you eating more.
  • Gym facilities depend on you spending your money there but never walking through the doors.  They bank on that and lock you into contracts then if you do go there, introduce you to someone who texts their friends during your time and counts to 10 while looking at everyone but you!
  • Who do you think is funding the research that is skewed?

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Find your greatness

Posted on August 10, 2012 | 4 Comments
We’re in the final stretch of the Olympics and I still have Olympic fever. I will likely have withdrawal when the games are over.  I love that these games not only showcase international skill, talent, hard work, determination, dedication but they give us hope and motivation.
It makes us see the potential of who we could be when we commit ourselves to our goals. So many are stuck in the routine of life or the routine of excuses of why they can’t (exercise/eat healthy). The Olympics show us that you NEED to make your health a priority and that with commitment anything is possible.
Watch this video and listen to the words…really listen to them.
I want to give a shout out to the boot campers who showed up last night in the rain. I know it would’ve been easier to stay home, sit on the couch, relax, etc but you guys showed up.
Yes it rained, but it was just some rain-NBD (no big deal) You could’ve stayed home and stayed dry but instead you showed up and burned over 800cal. You made your health a priority–you kicked those excuses to the curb.  If you keep looking for excuses as to why you “can’t” you will NEVER achieve your goals.
So proud of you guys that tough it out in the rain, the heat, the cold and yes the snow. I think that its easier that we do it together -”we’re all in this together” cue High School Musical (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbrbUfYSt0E)
So proud of our group–proud to be a part of your journey!!

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