Interview #7: Gwen Robinson

Name: Gwen Robinson

Age: 45

Where you live: Woodstock, ON, Canada

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
No, but played outside for hours in the summers and evenings so got exercise that way. Also loved to ice skate and toboggan in the winter.

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
In my early twenties, when I began taking aerobics classes. It quickly occurred to me that if I taught these classes, I’d still get the workout AND make money … so that’s what I did!

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
Treadmill / core / ab / weight workouts 3 – 5 times/week.

4. Do you have a mentor?
Nope.

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
A crazy beach volleyball game with my office coworkers a couple of summers ago. What we lacked in skill, we made up for in volume and effort.

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
Teaching aerobic dance – great music, fun ladies and an excellent way to make extra moula!

7. What was you least favourite activity? Why?
Not a fan of running for very long – very hard on my joints and feet, so now I mix a minute or two of running with something like an incline or regular walk.

8. Who do you exercise with?
With a trainer and my hubby once a week; the rest of the time with my TV friends. :0)

9. When do you exercise?
Usually mid-day – makes a great break from my workday.

10. Where do you exercise?
We have a fitness room in the basement with treadmill, weights, exercise balls, bands, a universal gym, etc. (including the must-have TV to help those treadmill workouts fly by) so I have no excuse for not making it to the gym. :0)

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
Variety is the spice of life … so go for it!

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
At my age (mid-forties), probably free weights. I’m also partial to my standing fan that helps keep me cool (but that would be more of a luxury than a necessity, I suppose.)

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
My ab rocker. Sigh.

14. Do you have anything to add?
Although I’ve managed to get a decent weekly workout routine underway, I still struggle with healthy choices when it comes to eating. Darn those delish desserts! I press forward with hope though.

Thanks for sharing, Gwen!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.
Blessings on the road to health

Interview #6: Donna Fawcett

Name: Donna Fawcett

Donna Fawcett is a freelance writer for a number of Canadian and American magazines and has three inspirational suspense novels as Donna Dawson.

www.authordonnadawson.com

Age: 44 years

Where you live: St Marys Ontario

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
A bit of baseball (wasn’t really good at it), swimming and outdoor play because computers hadn’t been invented.

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
High school. I joined the basketball team for one year and the cross country class for another. And then I got lazy for awhile. When we got horses I apprenticed to shoe them and spent several years in that physically demanding job.

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
I run 2 miles daily.

4. Do you have a mentor?
I would say that my father and oldest brother are unknowing mentors. As members of the Canadian Armed Forces they had to be in shape. My father at 79 still works a physical job for several hours a day. That’s enough to inspire anyone to stay in shape.

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
White water rafting and shoeing horses, I would have to say

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
Shoeing horses. (sounds dumb I know) It was such a good feeling to experience such intense work and know that it was helping an animal that would suffer without it. Watching a horse go from limping to frolicking in the field was satisfying and I felt good physically.

7. What was you least favourite activity? Why?
Strength training. I found it difficult to work out in a gym especially without a partner. I am a very goal oriented person and need to see a finish line immediately. I did gym work for five years with my mother to help her health but when she was gone, it fell by the wayside.

8. Who do you exercise with?
I exercise alone. I am too competitive so if I have only myself to compete with I can’t get too discouraged.

9. When do you exercise?
7:00 a.m.

10. Where do you exercise?
In the summer I run down the road. In winter it’s on a treadmill however, this year I’m going to try cross country skiing as a running replacement.

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
Begin with easy expectations. Four years ago I was running 10 miles every other day. I had to take time to work up to that. I started with five minutes a day, and then ten, and I kept building until I reached that so I could run a road race. I’d also recommend having your health checked so you don’t hurt yourself. Make certain you have the right equipment. Because I chose to cheap out on running shoes I side railed my running. I got Planters’ fasciitis two years ago and am now only beginning to build up my distance again.

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
Shoes that are designed for the task (You can’t buy new feet!) and a good trainer to start out with so you’re doing the exercise properly.
For me, it’s Saucony long distance running shoes. They cost about $150.00 but are a whole lot cheaper than a year and a half of not being able to walk.

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
The most useless piece of equipment I ever had was a cross country ski machine that stuck on its tracks. Talk about discouraging.

14. Do you have anything to add?
Yes. Age has no bearing on fitness. My mother was diagnosed with bone marrow cancer over a decade ago. The doctor gave her a year. She didn’t agree. She began to slowly exercise and went from a withered, shuffling invalid to a woman who saw her dream of learning to swim and ride a horse fulfilled. The right method of exercise can benefit anyone no matter what their circumstance.

Thanks Donna!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Blessings on the road to health!

Interview #5: Bonnie Way

Name: Bonnie Way

Bonnie is a freelance writer and editor and a stay-at-home-mom to her six-month-old daughter. She enjoys hiking, swimming, and sewing, and blogs regularly at www.thekoalabearwriter.blogspot.com.

Age: 24

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
Yes, but not organized sports. My brothers and I played hockey and baseball with neighbour kids or other homeschoolers. We’d just meet down at the pond in the winter with our sticks and pucks, or on our front lawn in the summer with our bats and gloves, and get a game going. Baseball was sometimes a challenge because we all wanted to be the batter and nobody wanted to be the outfielder. And hockey was interesting the first year when I had black-and-blue shins from my brothers shooting pucks at me.

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
Probably in my teens. Fitness was very important for my mom, and so she got me involved with her. We’d go swimming or biking together. I also started biking with a friend of mine before she moved away. We share a lot of memories of exploring the country roads around our home together.

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
Usually a one-kilometre swim. I start with ten lengths of front crawl, ten of back, ten of breast stroke, and finish off with a mix of kicking and front crawl to cool down. I also walk a lot, especially now that we’re living in a small town and I can do most of my errands without getting into the car.

4. Do you have a mentor?
Other than my mom? Not really. She taught me most of what I know about fitness and still inspires me to keep it up.

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
I love hiking in the mountains, and this has often gotten me into places where I have been stretched. From simply being able to hike 10-20 kilometres in one day while carrying a 20-30 lb pack, to having to ford rivers or clamber across rockslides, hiking demands that I be fit. And yet I love the feeling of achievement when I am able to successfully overcome the obstacles that each backcountry trail throws at me. You can see an example of this in a recent story I posted on my blog.

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
Swimming. I find it gives my whole body a work-out without being hard on my body. I also find it easy to focus and just go – there’s water all around me so I can’t get distracted by watching people or things around me.

7. What was your least favourite activity? Why?
Running. It’s very jarring and hard on the body.

8. Who do you exercise with?
Usually by myself, but occasionally with my husband or my mom.

9. When do you exercise?
When I can find the time.

10. Where do you exercise?
At the local pool.

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
Find something you enjoy, because if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t want to do it. Try out a few different ways of exercising or ask your friends what they like. Also, consider whether you exercise best by yourself or with someone. For many people, it helps to have another person there to talk to and to help keep them motivated. Others like exercising by themselves because they feel less pressure to perform or compete.

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
Shoes, a bike, or a swimsuit and a swimming pool.

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
An exercise bike. If I want to bike, I want to move and see the countryside around me, not just sit in one place. I find it more motivating to actually “feel” the distance that I’ve covered (and thus how much of a work-out I’ve gotten) than to just see the numbers on the bike.

14. Do you have anything to add?
My mom taught me the importance of fitness. She made it a part of her daily life and encouraged me to do it. Her story of running a marathon while she was five months pregnant with my younger brother prompted me to stay fit during my pregnancy. I think this was a big part of why my labour was relatively easy and why I recovered quickly. She now works at a pool where she coaches the swim team, leads aquafit classes, teaches swim lessons, and lifeguards – and still swims several kilometres a week on her own. I’m nowhere near as fit as she is, but that’s my goal!

Bonnie, thanks for sharing!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Blessings on the road to health!

Interview #4: Belinda Burston

Name: Belinda Burston

Age: 58

Where you live: Bond Head, Ontario

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
Just physical education in school. I was not a sporty type at all.

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
At the age of 16 or so, I started working on my weight and figure. Having been a chubby teen, I wanted to be trim and slim.

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
Walking. I walk 3.5 km with our family dog, 3 or 4 times a week. I also want to build in weight training and targeted exercise but I haven’t done this in a disciplined way or made it part of my routine.

4. Do you have a mentor?
No, but I learned a lot at Weight Watchers and still apply it.

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
I am so not wild! Sorry!

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
I love walking. I love the feeling of energy pulsing through my body, the opportunity to think and admire nature. It’s so good. In the winter I revert to Walk Away the Pounds on a DVD with Leslie Sansome. I enjoy that too.

7. What was you least favourite activity? Why?
I don’t like competitive sports.

8. Who do you exercise with?
A dog.

9. When do you exercise?
In the evening after work.

10. Where do you exercise?
Walking—out in the village. Exercise—in our bedroom

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
Just do it, but don’t overdo it and get discouraged. Small things done regularly can make a difference and are better than big spurts that don’t last.

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
Good walking shoes and a DVD too, with wrist weights and stretch band.

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
Where do I start? I think most equipment involves people buying a dream of a slender self, but they omit to face the fact that they actually have to use it. I’m not big on equipment.

14. Do you have anything to add?
It was fun to do this. Belinda

Thanks, Belinda. It was fun reading your answers!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Blessings on the road to health!

Interview #3: Marilyn Van Engen

Name: Marilyn Van Engen

Age: 49

Where you live: Millbrook, Ontario

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
I did like sports when I was a kid, loved volleyball and baseball.

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
I have always been body conscious and because of that have always tried to keep fit.

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
I am a full time dairy farmer so my job is very physically demanding. I have 1½ hours each morning and night milking which means steady walking, lifts and squats. Beside that are all the other jobs around the farm and house. My neighbour and I also try to walk 4K as often as possible, mostly about 3 times a week but as often as 5 depending on our schedule. When I can’t walk with Jean I do try to do it on my own but the motivation isn’t there and 4 K then seems like a long way.

4. Do you have a mentor?
I don’t have a mentor.

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
My wildest activity I guess was going white water rafting with my daughter. Loved it!

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
Walking.

7. What was you least favourite activity? Why?
Any exercise on a machine by myself is my least favourite. I need company and motivation.

8. Who do you exercise with?
I exercise at work with my husband and walking with my neighbour.

9. When do you exercise?
My best time to exercise is in the morning. I am very much a morning person and love to be busy, by evening I am toast.

10. Where do you exercise?
I walk around the neighbourhood, not only nice and close but also if I have to exercise by myself I can usually count on one of the neighbours being outside so I can have a quick chat. Bonus!

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
My advice to someone who wants to change a fitness routine is go with a friend. It not only motivates you but time goes so much quicker because no matter what Kim says exercise is boring and I need to talk to keep my mind off it.

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
The best fitness equipment is a good set of running shoes and realistic goals.

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
The elliptical trainer, it is now a clothes hanger in my back room upstairs.

14. Do you have anything to add?

I guess about the only thing I can add to this is that I felt so much better after I consistently took vitamins, no matter how healthy I thought I was eating and how much I was exercising it never seemed to be enough, I was still tired and run down. Now that I take vitamins (multi, iron, calcium and vit C) I am feeling so much better, my hair is stronger, my nails don’t break and I can make it past 9pm before falling asleep.

Thanks for sharing!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Blessings on the road to health!

Interview #2: Joanna Mallory

Name: Joanna Mallory

Joanna is a Canadian writer and homemaker who is active in The Word Guild and InScribe Christian Writers' Fellowship. She and her husband are parents to two teens and a pre-teen: all boys. Her husband and eldest son are much more into fitness than she is.

Check out Joanna's blog at http://joannamallory.wordpress.com/ for spiritual encouragement and the chance to win books by Canadian Christian authors.

Age: 45 (half-way to 90!)

Where you live: Nova Scotia

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
Nope – and I was terrible at them, except for dodgeball.

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
Over the past few years, as my body discovered some aches and pains and my clothes mysteriously got a bit snug.

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
I used to walk my boys to school until they outgrew me. Now on a good week I go to Curves three times. That hasn’t happened much over the summer.

4. Do you have a mentor?
No, but I have a friend who also goes to Curves, and we help keep one another accountable.

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
El Toro roller coaster, at Six Flags New Jersey. Not much physical activity on my part, but it sure got the blood pumping!

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
I enjoy walking. It’s not intense, so I don’t get uncomfortable, and I can think, pray, listen to music or chat with a companion.

7. What was you least favourite activity? Why?
Anything that makes me hot, sweaty and gasping for breath. I’m definitely not a fitness nut, but I’m old enough to see the need to keep in shape.

8. Who do you exercise with?
My friend Shirley, when possible.

9. When do you exercise?
Various weekdays, when the boys are in school.

10. Where do you exercise?
Curves, although that may change. I like a circuit-type system where I don’t have to count repetitions or pay too much attention to what I’m doing. I’d rather listen to my MP3 player.

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
Investigate different options, and really think about what sort of thing you like – or don’t like – doing. If it feels like punishment, you won’t do it. Find a friend or someone who can either participate with you or be an accountability partner.

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
Comfy footwear. (I really wanted to say an MP3 player and your favourite music)

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
One that you will not use, either because it’s too advanced for you or because it’s too complicated to get ready to use.

14. Do you have anything to add?
If you’ve heard people telling you for years that you should exercise, that you’d feel better etc, they’re right. If you can build exercise into your routine in a form that you either enjoy or at least don’t hate, you will see benefits. I actually weigh more than when I started (and it’s not all muscle!) but I have more strength and stamina. And if I’d lay off the chocolate, I might lose some fat. And… I always enjoy the stretch breaks Kim leads at Write! Canada. Upbeat music, laughter, and nothing too strenuous.

Thanks for sharing Joanna!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Found a New Toy!

I stumbled upon the program Movie Maker and had some fun playing with it. Here's what I came up with....


Let me know what you think!

Interview #1: Heather

Name: Heather

Age: 38

Where you live: Bowmanville

1. Did you participate in sports as a kid?
No way. I was the clumsiest, most uncoordinated child there was (I still really am)

2. When did your interest in health and fitness start?
21 years old

3. What does your fitness routine consist of?
Everyday I go to the gym over my lunch hour because if I didn’t I wouldn’t get there at all. I alternative cardio work outs (stair climber) with lifting weights.

4. Do you have a mentor?
no

5. What was the wildest activity you ever participated in?
I’m pretty boring so I haven’t done anything wild

6. What was your favourite activity? Why?
Ninjutsu martial arts. It was fun knowing that I could take out a man twice my size

7. What was you least favourite activity? Why?
Anything that I’m not good at (which is a lot). I get very upset at myself for not being able to do things and do them right (I’m a bit of a perfectionist)

8. Who do you exercise with?
No one

9. When do you exercise?
Between 1 and 2 p.m. every day

10. Where do you exercise?
At Goodlife Fitness gym

11. What advice would you give to someone considering a change in their fitness routine?
Just do it. It may not feel good right away but it won’t hurt forever

12. What would you recommend as the most useful fitness equipment?
Free weights

13. What would you say is the most useless piece of equipment?
Don’t know the proper name of it but it’s the squat rack that holds the bar for you when you’re doing squats. I think it gives you a false sense of what you are lifting

14. Do you have anything to add?
Can’t think of anything.

Thanks, Heather, for sharing!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Blessings on the road to health!

Need inspiration?

Looking for motivation to get started on the fitness path? Are you already on the path and want encouragement to stay on it?

Every Monday and Wednesday and Friday for the next month, I will feature an interview from regular gals – your garden-variety “average jill’s” – to learn what they have to say about their fitness life.

Their answers to 14 general questions are guaranteed to inspire and motivate you to become a fitness enthusiast!

Want to share your own answers? Email me at withinreach [at] nexicom [dot] net to ask for the questionnaire and I will send it to you.

Blessings on the road to health!

Think Snow?

My hubbie, Bob, just loves snowmobiling. When we first met, he warned me, "I'm a snowmobiler". At first I wasn't sure what that meant. But 10 winter seasons later I've got a pretty clear picture. (Bob is on the 3rd sled pictured here).

In early fall, he starts to exhibit signs of giddyness. He hums as he preps his garage for the beginning of season tune-up. With the first snow fall, he's just itching to get on the trails. Last year was a banner year with tons of snow and a very long season. He was out most weekends, and even took holidays during the week to ride.

I balked when he told me that snowmobiling was a good workout. But after a day of riding, I too, felt the muscles in my back and arms screaming for relief. Maintaining control while on a winding trail requires strength and stamina. I must admit that I now can add "snowmobiling" to my list of winter physical activities.

Happy riding!

Happy Trails!

The kids have started school, and I have started an intense exercise routine! I didn’t intend to go crazy like this in the first week, but the weather has been incredible and I can’t resist being outdoors.

On Tuesday, I biked the Rotary Greenway Trail from Peterborough to Lakefield (about 20 km) with my brother, Roger. We had a great time. He pushed me beyond my normal speed and I could feel my leg muscles screaming, but I loved it. The worst thing was that he didn’t let me stop for an icecream at Hamblins!

On Wednesday, my mom challenged me to bike from Peterborough to Omemee on the Omemee Rail Trail. It took us an hour and a half one way. I was glad to stop and enjoy a pre-packed lunch under a willow tree beside the Pigeon River.

Today, I walked all three trails with my mom at the Trent Sanctuary. The total 8.3 km trip took us about an hour and 35 minutes along scenic paths to appreciate nature.

I admit I am spoiled here in the Kawarthas with such wonderful trails. The Rotary Greenway Trail offers walking, cycling, rollerblading and skiing. It’s also wheelchair accessible. The Omemee Rail Trail was a former rail line that is currently being worked on to take us from Omemee into Lindsay. I can’t wait!

Tomorrow, I plan to strength train with my friend, Dawna, indoors because the weather forecast calls for rain.

Happy travels!

Riverview Park and Zoo

One of my favourite memories is when my mom and dad took the whole family to spend the day at the Peterborough Riverview Park and Zoo.

I remember "Joe" the crow who would call out "hello" as we walked by. I loved to ride on the train, roll down the hill, visit the Monkey house, and walk along the river's edge. We visited often and I came to love the nature and all the animals.

As a parent, I like to bring my own two children to visit the zoo. We need to arrive early because the parking lot fills quickly. Although there is no admission fee for this wonderful zoo, they continue to upgrade exhibits and play equipment. They have an excellent water splash pad for kids and a large playground for tons of crawling and swinging.

It offers the perfect spot for health-minded people. Last time we visited, my daughter wore rollerblades to ride around the park, I walked the paths, while my son enjoyed the "spider web" crawl.

The Park also hosts a frisbee 9-hole course. And in the winter, it's a super place to go cross-country skiing and tobogganing.

If ever in the area, make a point to visit the Riverview Park and Zoo.

Summer Challenge Grand Prize Winner

Congratulations to Melanie Martin!

Melanie is the Grand Prize Winner of the book "Fit for Faith - 7 weeks to improved spiritual and physical health."

Melanie is pictured here with her son, Alex, and husband, Jason.


The Summer Challenge was so much fun that I may feature a new contest in the Fall. Stay tuned...

Blessings on the road to health.