Are you ready for a self-driving bike?

Living Well...together, while apart

Whether or not you think it’s a good idea – you will certainly find this video amusing and thought provoking!

Self-driving bikes, cars, aeroplanes… All those concepts leave many of us feeling extremely nervous… Can it possibly be safe? A vital question to ponder seriously.

Yet when faced with “driving” our own bodies, we can often be cavalier. Listening to music or podcasts as we lift or run and missing a vital opportunity to be mindful about our movements. To “drive” our own bodies with deliberate purpose. Being present when we train encourages higher neural drive, leading to better performance, improved symmetry and mechanics facilitating movement efficiency and safety.

The simple act of being in tune with your breathing as you move is powerful. Ensuring you inhale using the breadth of your rib cage and then exhaling purposefully and fully: allowing your diaphragm to contract, your intercostals and serratus anterior to shorten, and creating a powerful brace through your torso and core. This effective exhale should be timed for the more challenging portion of your lifts. And can be timed to alternated foot falls and pedal strokes on your run or bike ride to offer more symmetrical, efficient, and safe cadence rhythms.

Inhaling mindfully also creates improved torso/core tension and will help you maintain a stiff spine and stable pelvis; key positions including the bottom of your Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press, or Push-up. You then forcefully exhale to come out of that sticking point and are able to complete each movement with full, controlled, powerful extension of the joints, ensuring your body enjoys the benefits of being strengthened in its end ranges. Stronger, taller, better balanced.

Thinking about which muscles are firing will increase activation. In fact, NOT thinking about your glutes – for example – when performing an exercise that uses your legs, may lead to preferential use of your already-too-strong-and tight hamstrings and/or quads.

We automatically drive on the highways throughout our bodies that are well paved. So, the more dormant pathways don’t get activated and trained to their potential! If we are used to being rounded forward through the shoulders, neck craned to spy that oh so vital text, these postures can creep into our workout. Especially as we fatigue. 

If instead we are mindful of keeping our chests open, necks long, shoulders down and back, abs and glutes engaged… we access and strengthen more favourable strength patterns. We can start to unwind the musculoskeletal stresses and strains that our everyday movements create. We can fight a good fight against the pull of gravity. Create better stability and strength in the areas lacking… encourage tight areas to be more open and mobile.

Only if we pay attention. And occupy the driver’s seat in our own bodies.

Today’s Inspiration

“Rejoicing in ordinary things is not sentimental or trite. It actually takes guts.” - Pema Chödrön

Today’s Live Workouts

Today is going to be a great day because we’ve got our THREE regular live workouts for you to join!

MOBILITY & STABILITY WITH ADRIANA

Join Adriana for your morning pick-me-up! This workout will focus on moving through a full range of motion and develop your full body control, flexibility, and usable range.

Recommended equipment: yoga block or pillow

Join Adriana at 7:30am (45 minutes) from your own living room.

Click here to join the workout.

Meeting ID: 812 2541 6617
Password: 013104

CYCLING WITH JAMES

Get an amazing cardiovascular workout on an indoor bike. The workout will simulate an outdoor ride, including a mix of intervals and hills.

Recommended equipment: bike trainer

Join James at 12:00pm (45 minutes) from your own living room.

Click here to join the workout.

Meeting ID: 862 7308 7908
Password: 263088

RIP IT UP WITH GARTH (SUB)

This workout will challenge you to your max! Come out and perform the prescribed workout for the day. This workout utilizes all your skills, from coordination to endurance and strength.

Recommended equipment: dumbbells (or weighted objects)

Join Garth today at 12:00pm (35 minutes) from your own living room.

Click here to join the workout.

Meeting ID: 842 2984 9491
Password: 510345

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Click here to view this week’s schedule.

To learn more about our virtual live workouts, please reach out to Lauren directly.

Today’s Trainer Moves

Join Meg for a few examples of how you can use isometrics to increase your active range and then reinforce that little bit extra to give you a little more reach.

For questions about today’s Trainer Moves, you can connect directly with Meg here.

Today’s Bite

Veggie Power Bowl

This healthy power bowl recipe is an energizing, refreshing lunch or dinner! You can cook the rice and make the dressing in advance, so the bowl comes together in no time. Recipe from Love and Lemons.

Click here to view more incredible recipes in our Spice of Life Recipe Book.

Ingredients:

• Two handfuls mixed salad greens
• 1 cup cooked forbidden black rice
• 1 carrot, peeled into thin ribbons
• 1/2 avocado, sliced
• 1/3 cup frozen edamame, thawed
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced daikon radish or any radish
• 1 to 2 soft-boiled eggs
• Sesame Ginger Dressing (see below), for drizzling
• Sesame seeds, for sprinkling
• 1 chopped scallion (optional)
• Pickled ginger (optional)
• Lemon or lime wedges, for serving (optional)
• Sriracha, for serving (optional)
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Sesame Ginger Dressing

• 3 tbsp smooth tahini
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp tamari
• 1 heaping tsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 - 3 tbsp water, more if needed

Instructions:

For the Sesame Ginger Dressing

• In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, sesame oil, vinegar, tamari, ginger, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon water, until smooth.
• If the dressing is too thick, add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons water, until it’s a drizzleable consistency.

For the Veggie Power Bowl

• Assemble each bowl with the salad greens, rice, carrot, avocado, edamame, daikon, and soft-boiled eggs.
• Drizzle with the dressing, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Add scallions and pickled ginger, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and sriracha, if desired.

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Do you have a “Something of the Day” you’d like us to share?! Email Meg.