Are You Ready to Relaunch?

Fitness facilities are slowly reopening from coast to coast, and with everything in place to keep staff and clients safe we’re hopeful they will stay open. Are you ready to relaunch? Have you revised your products and services? Your pricing? We need to be incredibly well prepared to serve the clients who will be coming back, welcome new ones and, most importantly, have taken the time to create a brand new “post-crisis” strategy. Our industry will have undergone the greatest transformation since its inception because of the pandemic and the fitness pros who will enjoy lasting success are those who will

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Selena Isles

Selena Isles is a yoga +meditation steward, speaker, creatrix and international DJ Seriousblack. In my latest edition of “In Bed With…”, Selena is raw, unfiltered, and organically authentic. She shares how to fully embrace yourself while also embracing all of those around you. Selena packs a lot into this interview and I cannot wait for you to listen. *This interview has a few NSFW words… 

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Should Fitness be Tax Deductible?

The fragility of health care systems all over the world have come to light in the past year and the fitness industry quickly realized how it is not seen as an essential service by government officials, medical experts, or the general public. We’ve been surprised and hit hard by this realization, but I don’t think most of us were shocked. Less than 20% of the population exercises in a structured environment and if we’re honest with ourselves, we know that we’ve spent way too much time and energy talking about the bodies we sculpt, and not enough about the lives we

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Get Your Clients Moving with National Health and Fitness Winter Week

This February 1st to 7th is National Health and Fitness Winter Week in Canada. In collaboration with canfitpro, Fitness Industry Council of Canada has created a 7-day schedule to promote fitness that is accessible to everyone. I encourage you to share this event with your clients in order to help bring awareness to the importance of physical activity, getting in 150 minutes of exercise per week, as well as what our industry has to offer.  We’ve learned over the past months that making fitness accessible in all forms is critical to continuing to build trust with government decision-makers and the general

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Should You Quit Your Fitness Job?

Maybe you should quit your job in the fitness industry. We are all being asked to come face to face with the TRUE reasons we became fitness leaders and for some of us the passion has shifted.  There are oodles of opportunities in fitness, but there are also industries that have flourished since March 2020 and are heavily recruiting to meet the demand. If what’s required of you to continue in fitness no longer motivates you it’s perfectly reasonable for you to do what’s best in order to provide for yourself and your family.  A little over two years ago I

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The State of Our Fitness Industry

So many fitness pros have launched 2021 with incredible enthusiasm and positivity, bravo! I’m hopeful that you had sufficient downtime during the holiday season to reflect on the right projects that will render the results for our industry and the general public. Are you focused on the right things in 2021?? Here’s what you need to know: 1. Never before has the general public been more aware of their health: The pandemic caused a tectonic shift in the way people think about their health. The concepts of risk factors and pre-existing or underlying conditions are now mentioned regularly in the media

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Mo Hagan

In my interview with Mo Hagan, we discuss pivoting your business quickly and efficiently. But the only way to do so is to be linked with your purpose to serve in the industry. If you need some motivation, listen to her powerful message in the video below. https://youtu.be/P6ptgq0Fd4Q

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Healthy Humans Radio Interview

In December, I was asked to be a guest on the Healthy Humans Radio podcast. It was an amazing experience where I was able to have a conversation about using 2020 as an opportunity to grow and adapt instead of stop. Take a listen here (or wherever you listen to podcasts) and share with me if you agree with my stance of opportunity – not obstacle mindset.

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Sara Kooperman

From success to failures and everywhere in between, Sara Kooperman of SCW Fitness Education, shares with us her path to entrepreneurship in this episode of “In Bed with the Fitness Industry…”. From her flannel PJs and Grey’s Anatomy addition, she talks about leading a team through 2020 and our industry for many decades. Listen to her advice below. https://youtu.be/nqB1iLWFhis

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Great Holiday Gifts for Fit Pros: Part 2

To my fellow fit pros: feel free to share this blog and list with your loved ones Training and technology! The two themes that were omnipresent in 2020 as we adapted and pivoted our way around the fitness industry. Having enjoyed a 25 years fitness career I never thought I’d spent countless hours researching and re-engineering my bandwidth and wifi to optimize my AV streaming capabilities in order to provide my services!? But here we are, nearing the end of this oh-so peculiar year, having learned so much about ourselves and our capabilities that we should marvel at our resilience. As

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Great Holiday Gifts for Fit Pros

To my fellow fit pros: feel free to share this blog and list with your loved ones 😊 Training and technology! The two themes that were omnipresent in 2020 as we adapted and pivoted our way around the fitness industry. Having enjoyed a 25 years fitness career, I never thought I’d spent countless hours researching and re-engineering my bandwidth and wifi to optimize my AV streaming capabilities in order to provide my services!? But here we are, nearing the end of this oh-so peculiar year, having learned so much about ourselves and our capabilities that we should marvel at our resilience.

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Can We Set Career Goals for 2021?

Yes, we can set career goals for the New Year, with a steady dose of adaptability. One of the most impressive realizations of 2020 was how fitness leaders found creative ways to connect with their clients to continue to provide our much-needed services. Using new ways to serve participants remains critical to our success. As we look to varying the ways in which we can provide our services, here are three programming avenues that have become key markets for fitness: The Comfort of Our Own Homes  We know that about 20% of the population exercises in a structured facility. This creates

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Are You a Thermometer or a Thermostat?

Here’s my favorite analogy to describe the roller coaster ride many of us end up in time of anxiety – we’re like thermometers. Thermometers internal temperatures rise and fall in reaction to what’s happening around them. They have no control over their temperature; they get pulled in whichever direction their environment dictates.  Have you had days like that recently?  Thermostats however regulate temperature. They pay attention to their surroundings, notice when things are moving too much in a direction or another and respond accordingly in order to maintain just the right temperature.  This fantastic analogy shared by Dr. Martin Luther King

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Dione Mason

Dione Mason is an award-winning fitness instructor and presenter as well as the Founder/President of The Simunye Foundation. She is an advocate for a more inclusive industry and has some insight on how to elevate fitness to welcome all people. Hear what she has to say below.https://youtu.be/YCab-wI5L0U?t=2

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WIFA Waves Podcast

On the latest episode of the WIFA Waves podcast, I share how collaboration leads to growth. I talk about soft skills and why getting in touch with those makes it so you can really excel. Learn about the power of a positive mindset and how that can truly change your life & career. I give many tips and tricks on how you can succeed through collaboration, soft skills, active listening, and a positive mindset. Listen here.

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In the Bed with the Fitness Industry & Alex McLean

In my interview with Alex McLean, we discuss how to challenge the industry to be better, bolder, and more inclusive. Listen to his powerful message about choosing projects, knowing your own capacity, and taking your next career step below. https://youtu.be/eKxriPB3UMk

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Assata McKenzie

In my interview with Assata McKenzie, we discuss how she stays authentic while teaching virtually, how she’s overcome challenges with trolls, and how hopeful she is for the future. Listen to her powerful message on my below for tips on how to rise above the noise, nay-sayers, and old-habits. https://youtu.be/87mi5lEv5Gg

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I Fell Way Off Track Last Month…

I fell out of my routine in July, and I fell hard. I’ve been feeling the consequences; I’m having “cortisol wake-ups” around 3:30am, my food choices haven’t been good, I’ve struggled to get back to my regular workouts, and I haven’t been handling stressors very well. Have you had weeks like that? Sometimes the root cause is easy to identify and sometimes it’s a series of little crises that accumulate and wear down our resilience. July had two big life events for me: First, our sweet 12 years of dog Andy had a complete ACL tear and had been limping most

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How I Spent $0 on Tech to Teach Virtual Fitness

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of presenting at my first conference since March – virtually, of course. It was so fulfilling to reconnect with my SCW MANIA fitfam and e-meet new fit pros from across the US. Throughout the event and in my own “Yoga for Healthy Backs” session, 1 topic continued to come up again and again: providing fitness experiences on a virtual platform. Particularly, people wanted to know about the tech set-up required to make music sound great. I’ve also been asked similar questions by education providers, studio owners, and fellow group fitness instructors. They all want

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Is Virtual Fitness Here to Stay?

Yes, virtual fitness has become a permanent and significant fixture in our industry. I’ve heard my fair share of comments like “people are just fed up with Zoom” or “clients are SO happy to be back at the gym” and those are valid, but don’t negate the fact that online options for health and fitness are now part of our repertoire. Here’s why: 1. Habit-Forming Accessibility: in most of North America gyms will have been closed for more than 10 weeks which is long enough for our clients to form the habit of utilizing virtual fitness. It doesn’t mean they aren’t

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Beyond the Crisis and Chaos: Quebec’s New Coalition

Having had the honor of representing Fitness Industry Council of Canada’s Quebec Coalition of fitness clubs and studios through the COVID-19 crisis, here are a few remarkable insights gathered as we worked towards the reopening date of June 22nd. COALITION = COLLABORATION Close to 200 locations joined our Coalition to create a common voice to reassure both the government and public that fitness facilities were prepared to reopen safely. This included club chains, franchise studios, independent gyms, Yoga studios, etc. of all sizes and price ranges.  All of them have unique challenges and concerns, but they came together and contributed with

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Succeeding Online: Sometimes Just a Sliver Is All It Takes

Three weeks and 103 tests: that’s what it took for me to be able to fix the audio issues and teach a cardio class on virtual. I just could not get the sound right. Then this happened: have a look at the SLIVER of sound I managed to find between Mute and horrible; they described it as “perfect” and I crumbled to the floor in astonishment. Here’s what I learned from the trials and tribulations of teaching musically dependent group fitness classes on virtual: Different technology works for different situations: the common issue seems to be that Zoom is the best

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Amanda Grant

Many of us have pivoted to take our classes virtually and online. However, have you considered or struggled with being your authentic self while teaching these classes? In my newest vlog, Amanda Grant walks you through how she upgraded her technology, skills, and business to survive in this new normal while staying true to herself. https://youtu.be/nTFeRxzj5k0

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A Love Letter to Fitness Instructors

My dear colleagues, I know we’re feeling anxious and sad about the future of the careers we’ve dedicated ourselves too. I’ve had so many of you reach out to me asking if you should forget about teaching and look for something else. It’s heartbreaking and you’re entitled to grieve. I just finished teaching my virtual Yoga & Training class and felt compelled to share some thoughts. I’ve had days this week when I felt I had to rush to figure SOMETHING out to create revenue for myself this summer; yet I know that’ never going to be the mindset that will

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In Bed with Fitness Industry & Scott Wildeman

We may have thought the first stage of quarantine was tough, but most managers are finding this second wave of uncertainty is draining their team and clients. How can you keep your instructors, trainers and participants thinking positively about the upcoming additions, changes, and revamps of your business as you contemplate how you are going to open your doors? Listen to the advice of Scott Wilderman, the Senior VP of Fitness & Operations at GYMVMT, in this video. https://youtu.be/SBI7kzWs7Cw

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Soft Skills for Tough Times

You inspire me fitfam! I see you out there trying new things, reflecting on how you can best serve others, learning and growing. You’re working collaboratively and getting better each day and I’m incredibly proud of our industry. Please remember to make time to self-care and allow yourselves permission to have days when you are not “on”; it’s the only way you’ll stay in for the long road ahead as a lot is being asked of us as we strive to stay connected to our authentic selves and our clients. Here are some of the most common questions I have received

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Dan McDonogh

Dan McDonogh is known as one of the best educators and mentors of the fitness industry and I was able to chat with him for my In Bed with the Fitness Industry series a few weeks ago. Dan has a lot of advice to share about fitness professionals staying healthy during these difficult times and how our sleep is critical to self-care.

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Chad Benson

Are you using this time to focus on recovery? If you aren’t or don’t know where to start, take a few minutes to listen to this episode of In Bed with the Fitness Industry conversation with Chad Benson, the Director of Education at Innovative Fitness. https://youtu.be/TrsLKXHqeMc

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Top 3 Tips for Going Virtual

You may remember my last blog that stated, “You don’t HAVE to offer virtual workouts”. I still wholeheartedly believe that fact. You certainly can offer virtual workouts but you don’t have to offer any. For those of you who are choosing to do so, having mindfully reflected on the opportunity, I’m happy to provide you with the best key learnings and information I can source to help you quickly see the forest through the trees…and not lose your patience while on a live feed 😊. My dear friend and incredible resource Jessica Maurer has put together this fantastic “how to” for

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You Don’t Have to Offer Virtual Workouts

Today marks “day 8” of social distancing for me. I’ve spent a lot, likely way too much, time on social media. I’ve been both proud and inspired but also concerned about the amount of fitness professionals offering virtual workouts. You CAN absolutely do so, but please know that you don’t HAVE to offer virtual workouts! I know we all have ants in our pants and looking for a positive place to put our energy, however, I’m asking we take a moment to reflect instead of being reactive. Here are a few thoughts and suggestions that may come in handy over the

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Jessica Maurer

As you may have noticed, some of my previous Q&A sessions with fitness industry leaders have had to occur in a hotel room. So, I have renamed these chats “In Bed with the Fitness Industry.” Fun and fabulous, right? In this episode, I get to chat with my friend & collaborator, Jessica Maurer. Learn how she carved out her own path from leading a group fitness room to leading a Keynote presentation in my latest vlog. https://youtu.be/4b-3qD631Rs

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