Author: ChelsieJoy

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8 Reasons Why it’s Better to Workout with a Friend or a Group.

Over the past 2 years we’ve seen people drop off the fitness wagon soon after the gyms shut down and reemerge in Spring feeling tired and weak but motivated to move their bodies.  Why was it so hard to stick to a fitness routine from your living room? Pandemic stressors aside, for most of us, it’s simply not motivating to workout in isolation when the only person cheering you on is yourself.  I’d rather eat ice cream and watch Netflix than perform yet another bodyweight squat in my living room.

Let’s examine 8 reasons why it’s better to workout with others.

  1.  It’s WAY more fun

In addition to the jokes, laughter, and the high fives, you can also do super fun partner exercises like partner ball slams and high five planks! You actually release more endorphins when you workout with a group because you are having positive social interactions with others.

  1. Accountability and Commitment

Working out with a friend or a small group means you are more likely to show up for your workout.  It’s harder to make a commitment to yourself than if someone is waiting for you at the gym.  

  1.  Shared Agony

After a particularly grueling workout, you can commiserate together over a post workout smoothie, coffee, or beer (no judgement).  Having a friend to talk about the challenges and triumphs of a workout is half the fun!

  1.  Reduces Stress

According to this study, working out with a buddy or in a group reduces stress levels by 26% compared to working alone.  This is likely attributed to all the laughing and smiling you do when working out with others.

  1. More Motivating and Adventurous

Watching others power through a workout on days when you’d rather snooze on your mat, helps motivate you to get to their level.  You’ll feed off the energy in the room, making you work harder than you would if you had to face your treadmill alone. You’ll benefit from others cheering you on when you just want to give up and you’ll be more adventurous seeing others try new things.

  1. More Likely to Succeed

Whatever your personal goal is, whether it’s simply to establish a fitness routine, to build muscle, or perform a pullup; you are more likely to succeed when you workout with someone else.  Due to the accountability and commitment factor, simply showing up is half the battle; when you don’t show up, you don’t make strides.  You’ll also have someone to celebrate your successes with, even when you don’t notice them yourself!

  1.  You Always Have a Spotter

Maybe you don’t have a friend that you can workout with because your schedules don’t match or your friends aren’t interested in fitness.  Finding a group class or small group training program that motivates you can help you build relationships with those that share similar goals and lifestyles as you.  The healthy actions of others can rub off on you.  Working out in a group means there is always someone around to spot you, to help you out if you’re not sure how to use a machine, or to teach you something new and fun.

  1. A Break from Reality

When our days are filled with responsibilities; work, school, kids, errands, family, etc; working out can feel like another item on your ‘To Do List’.  When you look forward to meeting up with your workout buddy or group, it can feel like a well deserved break from reality.  During that 1 hour sweat session, you’ll laugh, commiserate, sweat, groan, and chat with others who have little or nothing to do with your ‘real world” life.

We’ve looked at the benefits of working out with a friend or in a group.  But are there any drawbacks?  Of course, but there are also solutions!

When you work out in a large group setting there is often an assumed fitness level.  Meaning, it is assumed that everyone can perform proper squats, lunges, pushups, etc.  Hiring a trainer can remove this danger, however many people cannot afford this luxury.  That’s why we (Studio MoFitness) developed a Small Group Training Program where you can reap the benefits of working with a trainer but share the cost with a group so you may also experience those super charged group exercise endorphins!

Send us a message to find out more about our Small Group Training Program starting January, 2021 and our Early Bird Discount!

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MoFitness: A Love Story

By: Jessica Desgagnes

What would become MoFitness originated when 2 strangers living abroad in Abu Dhabi – Chelsie, an art teacher at an international school, Moses, a freelance fitness coach –  had a most auspicious chance encounter.

Wedding in the Seychelles
Honeymoon
Wedding in Mwanza, TZ

Having energetically bonded over a mutual love of fitness, healthy and active lifestyles, and an obvious passion for imparting knowledge, it did not take long for a partnership to evolve beyond an obvious attraction to each other. Chelsie and Moses began to put their heads together to develop Moses’ freelance career into a small business beginning with Teacher Fitness Training together while in Abu Dhabi.

Teacher Fitness at Maplewood International School, Abu Dhabi

The bonded enthusiasts relocated to Montreal wherein Coach Moses worked at various gyms, building a professional network, while Chelsie took on the management and marketing of the to-be community studio. Their determination and hard work pushed them beyond obstacles, and in the summer of 2019 the duo ran a Family Fitness program and began developing a series of workshops.

During the initial pandemic lockdown in 2020 they continued to challenge themselves by filming “Daily Tips” videos, which led to the creation of their outdoor fitness class series, “SWEAT in the Park”. Their business took off and as luck would have it, a perfectly-located studio opened and they didn’t hesitate to jump at the opportunity. The studio remains open despite the challenging times as a result of the pandemic. The love for this fitness studio and its members never stops, as the small business owners continue to develop the programs and classes they offer, the newest being “Yoga Flow” and “Relax and Recharge”, a Yin class. Members continue to value one-on-one personal training, virtual small group training, and outdoor classes in the park, all in compliance with the safety codes. MoFitness is immensely thankful for it’s members both past and present, for their support and enthusiasm, which motivates them to continue inspiring an active and healthy community.

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How Regular Exercise and Yoga Help Me Conquer Negative Thought Patterns

woman doing yoga

By Jessica Desgagnes

Buddha said: “Life is suffering”. Not misery.

I can’t pinpoint exactly when I had convinced myself that I didn’t have to work at something to grow beyond whatever a 9-5 shift – or 19:00-2:00 – was bringing to my life, but it was apparent when I looked around me that I had.

I do, however, remember the day I decided to try something that I had dismissed.

An acquaintance had posted on social media that she was looking for a gym partner to join her for partner personal training at a fitness studio that offered small group training and for whatever reason, I decided to give it a shot. Did I believe I could do “it”? Nope. I was merely open to the possibility. I maintain the choice to show up is the hardest part, and continues to be, because the mind has the capacity to crush us more than any barbell can.

“I can’t do a push-up” – honestly though, I hadn’t the strength to do one, not even from my knees – reframed, became: “I can do a push-up with my hands on the wall.”

Maybe it was easier in the short term to feed that negative energy because it was what I knew. I’d been unwittingly doing it for years. The “I can’ts” are just one example of myriad voices I battle in my head. Not-so-breaking-news: I’m not so unique that I don’t share the same thoughts loads of people around me do. The difference is acknowledging the negative thoughts and choosing to challenge them.

Making regular exercise part of my lifestyle is a tool that translates to battling negative thoughts in other areas of my life as well. It’s as if that extra push to get just one more squat in when I think that I have nothing else left in me and the instant “kick” that comes with surprising myself builds strength of body and mind.

I combat negative thoughts via my yoga practice as well. Perhaps in part because my work is physically demanding, I find myself gravitating toward Yin yoga in particular; it is quite literally the match to my yang. It’s how I give myself time for introspection. I am increasingly learning to respond to situations rather than react, or lash out, if you will.

When I give in to negative thought patterns – and I must emphasize give in -, I increasingly hinder my potential; I cage myself. When I choose to challenge my fears (which are often a product of low self-esteem) with each seemingly miniscule personal milestone my confidence grows. When my mind and body are healthier, I can better serve myself, my inner circle, and my community at large. Neuroplasticity is real: build your mind, create your life.

I would love to read your stories on the MoFitness community Facebook page! We can all afford to learn from each other.

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Classes In The Park Summer 2023!

Sweat in The Park is our original class series that we offered throughout the pandemic. While we no longer offer park classes during the weekdays, our Saturday Morning class will be in Parc Georges Saint Pierre during the sunny months and in case of rain, we will move the class indoors. Sweat is a high intensity cross training class that combines strength, endurance, and bootcamp style exercises. We bring equipment to the park to maximize the efficiency on the workout.

What : Group Fitness (Strength and Conditioning, HIIT, Bootcamp)

Where : Parc Georges Saint Pierre (Upper Lachine/Oxford)

When : Saturday 10-11am

Flow & Yin Yoga in the Park

Flow and Yin Yoga is held in Girouard Park (Marcil/Sherbrooke). This class is the antidote to all the intense training you engaged in throughout the week. We spend 15-20 minutes of the class warming our muscles and joints up with a gentle flow sequence and then we settle into deep Yin stretches for the remainder of the class. We bring blocks and straps to the park, you must bring your own mat.

What: Flow & Yin Yoga (Yoga Flow (Hatha/Vinyasa and Yin Yoga)

Where: Girouard Park (Marcil/Sherbrooke)

When: Sunday 11:15-12:15

Price : 20$ /class, class packs available.

***You must use our reservation system (PushPress) to pay and reserve classes.

Rules

You must bring your own mat or towel; we do not bring mats.

Don’t forget a water bottle.

Reserve your spot in advance to ensure you get a place. If you need to cancel, you must do so at least 3 hours in advance or be charged for the class.

If you have an injury or limitation, please let us know in advance so we can modify exercises accordingly.

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Fitness Basics: Discover Your Gym!

Recently I took on the challenge of creating workshops for people who walk into a gym and just don’t know where to start.  The machines can be intimidating, confusing and potentially harmful if you don’t know what you’re doing. Effective, safe training requires knowledge of how to properly sit on a machine, how to position yourself, and important reminders to not do certain things in order to avoid injuries.  

Squat and Press-Highly effective when done right…CHEST UP!

As a Personal Trainer, of course I will recommend you hire a trainer to reach your fitness goals, but I see poor form in the gym all the time, even with people who look like they were born in the gym.  

My wife and I gave a workshop at The Brix apartment building to help their residents get to know a few machines in their gym, the feedback we received was consistently the same; that they just never felt comfortable in the gym, that they only knew how to use a few things and would get bored easily.  We were so happy to be able to elevate their fitness experience in their home gym and look forward to continuing to increase their fitness knowledge.  We were excited to be able to motivate them to use their gym.

Push-ups 4 ways

YouTube videos can only take you so far, they won’t look at your form and tell you specifically what you are doing incorrectly, what you can do better and what you may want to focus on or be wary of for your specific situation.  We taught these 10 participants how to safely use the Lat Pull Down, how to use the Rowing Machine successfully, how to squat and press like a beast, as well as 4 different ways to do push-ups.   From there, in the sessions to come, we will continue to give them the basics while adding on different movements to keep things interesting.

Working out in a small group setting means everyone can get the attention they need

We followed up the workshop with a mini-bootcamp to make sure everyone left with an endorphin high, eager to get back at it!

Meeting neighbours and forming a community

Here are the photos from the first workshop, contact us if you’d like to provide this service to your residents or employees!

With MoFitness we get fit and learn together!

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Preparation and Motivation

woman in green tank top holding orange bell pepper

There are so many obstacles to getting to the gym, often they have to do with feeling ill-prepared for the class, or for the day to day things you need to get done.  Most of the time our own mind is our biggest enemy when it comes to making time for fitness; we can find a million excuses not to work out and that break in your resolve to get fit is what you need to condition yourself to overcome.  As a father of a 4 month old, with both my wife and I working; it is really easy to say, I’m too busy, I have errands, I need to wash diapers, I’m exhausted; sometimes those are very valid reasons and I do skip the workout but the best way to avoid these conflicts is to be organized. I wanted to share with you a few tips to help you get prepared for a successful and healthy week!  The following tips are from my personal life, what my wife and I do to make sure we both get in enough exercise throughout the week.

Meal Prep: Planning out your week’s meals means that you know exactly what you need to buy at the grocery store for the whole week thus eliminating multiple runs to the store.  You can chop and freeze your veggies ahead of time, prepare smoothie jars, pack a few days of lunches, etc…Weeks that we don’t meal plan are always way more hectic and I found that we don’t eat as healthy either.

Shakshuka!

Pack your bag :  Pack your bag the night before, that way it doesn’t feel as daunting or rushed when the time comes to go to your class. 

Don’t sit down :  Some days you can’t imagine leaving your sofa after you get home from work, the best way to overcome this mental obstacle is to power through and just do housework until you have to leave for class.  Clean the house, cook dinner…doesn’t matter what as long as you stay active.  Another way to motivate yourself for an evening class is to put your workout clothes on as soon as you get home.  

Drink tea : My wife is a teacher and she says that at least once a week after lunch, she often feels like she knows she wants to skip the gym after work because she feels too tired.  On those days she will drink an afternoon tea so that she has the energy to get to the gym.  

Drink water :  It’s a really good idea to hydrate through out the day.  When you don’t drink enough water, your body can feel sluggish, drinking enough water can keep you energized throughout the day and make sure you are properly hydrated for a sweaty workout.

Eat Properly :  Make sure you eat enough throughout the day to keep your body happy but don’t eat so much that you need a nap after lunch.

The 2 Hour Rule : Do not eat anything heavy within 2 hours of going to exercise…It’s best not to eat anything at all within that 2-hour period but sometimes with our chaotic life we can’t always plan things out so neatly. If you are STARVING then have something small and easy to digest like a banana, a handful of nuts, a piece of cheese. 

Get Enough Sleep : I know this is a tough one but getting 7 good hours of sleep consistently, lays the foundation for a successful day.  You’ll have enough mental and physical energy to accomplish what you need to do!

As with any good habit you want to adopt, consistency and frequency is key.  Prioritizing your health might feel like you have to sacrifice down time, or social time, but after a while it won’t feel like a sacrifice at all and you’ll find yourself looking forward to that endorphin rush.  Tell your friends you’ll meet them after your workout and they’ll admire you for your resolve and lament their inability to get to the gym.  On the days that it’s toughest to get to the gym, those are the workouts that will make you feel the best because not only will you have those happy exercise endorphins rushing through you but you’ll also have the knowledge that you put mind over matter and really earned an evening on the couch!

Moses

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Let’s Get Started!

I would just like to take the opportunity to tell you a little bit more about myself, my background, what brings me to Montreal, and what I can offer to the community.

First of all, I love fitness, leading an active lifestyle makes me the happy and well rounded individual that I have grown to be over the years. I believe that you can achieve your goals through natural means, without harmful substances; I will never advise anyone to take supplements, but I will help you build muscle or slim down through a sustainable and meaningful training program. My goal is not to train you forever but to teach you to become a fitness lover and to have the knowledge and confidence to continue the journey on your own.

Originally I am from Mwanza, Tanzania, a beautiful city on Lake Victoria, where I grew up picking fresh mangoes from trees and climbing the massive boulders around the lake shore. Due to my aptitude for fitness and friendly nature, I got my first job as a trainer in Mwanza at a small local gym. After some time, I moved to Morogoro and worked for the first ever fitness club in that city before moving to Dar Es Salaam, the largest city of Tanzania, to work in a high-end fitness club in the city centre. I was eventually recruited to work for the United Arab Emirates military on a base near Dubai, where I helped create a fitness program for soldiers and other personnel on site. After that I went to work for Etihad Airway’s ‘Fit to Fly’ program, where I trained pilots and cabin crew and developed a fitness program for their staff. Since then I have been working as a freelance trainer and fitness instructor in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I enjoy freelance work because it allows me the flexibility I need to work with clients on an individual level. I can train people at their home, in their gyms, at work, or in the park. I aim to build positive, strong, and long-lasting relationships with my clients.

I relocated to Montreal in 2019 with my wife and we have since had 2 beautiful children. When I first moved here I worked for a few different gyms around the island until Covid shut everything down. My wife and I started to give classes in the park and from there we expanded into a studio. We gave classes in the park all through the pandemic and online as well. Last year (2022) we expanded our studio and have been working hard to help our community stay active and achieve their goals. Opening my own studio has been a lifelong dream and we are so happy to be able to offer fitness services to our neighbours.