Christie’s Fitness Tips
Check out the latest exercise tips, quick workouts, awesome stretches and how-to videos.
Yoga or Pilates: Which is Better?
As a personal trainer who teaches and practices both Pilates and Yoga, I am often asked which is better. My answer: both disciplines can have amazing effects on your body and mind, although the benefits differ. Yoga Yoga is well-known for its relaxing, meditative...
Healthy Recipe: Chickpea Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Cookies
Who can resist a chewy, delicious chocolate chip cookie? Not me! And we don't need to anymore, thanks to my friend and subscriber Karen Cattell (who always has the best cookie recipes!) March is National Nutrition Month, and to celebrate I'll be posting my favourite...
Walk This Way: Three F’s For Better Health
"An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." Thoreau My client and friend Annie is an avid walker. She averages 40-60 minutes at a time, strides with a brisk pace and prefers forested areas over city streets. She's slim and fit, never seems to get sick,...
Quick & Healthy Recipe: Avocado Mango Coconut Smoothie
I know what you're thinking: avocado in a smoothie? Yuck! Doubters, be assured -- this creamy and filling smoothie is absolutely delicious. Great as a light lunch! Scroll down to see how easy it is to prepare. Christie's Avocado Mango Coconut Smoothie 1 cold, very...
Five “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t As Healthy As You Think
Making healthy food choices can be pretty confusing. For every time we read about some exciting new miracle superfood, it seems another, innocent seeming edible is placed on the Naughty List. Remember when we all thought fat was bad for us, and ate nothing but pasta...
Neck Pain during Pilates Exercises? This Will Help
Many people experience some neck pain during Pilates, especially those newer to the practice. In my classes I'm asked regularly about how to prevent or eliminate this unpleasant tension in the neck and shoulder area. Weak neck muscles can definitely contribute to...
Floating: How To Experience Nothing – And Love It
I'm lying naked in complete and utter darkness. I can hear nothing but the sound of my own deep breathing. I'm unable to sense where my skin ends and the space around my body begins. Suspended in a dreamlike trance, I've lost all awareness of time passing. Where have...
“I Want A Six-Pack!”
When I ask clients about their long term fitness goals, defined, washboard abs - the six-pack - often makes it onto the list. Who among us (myself included) hasn't craved that magazine cover beach body? Take my client Jen for example. Jen is fit and athletic, and...
Should I keep my core engaged all the time?
Do you have a question about your fitness routine? Is there an exercise you just don't "get"? Or maybe you're curious about the benefits of one workout versus another. Every week I'll post a question submitted by a reader, and answer it right here. If your question...