Category Archives: Fitness

Healthy Habits for Fitness or Exercise

So I’m struggling to get a weekly fitness routine back into my life. There was a time when I didn’t think twice about working out.

Fitness Routine for Fitness Competitions

In 2009, I decided to take care of my health in a new way and I would get up every morning early to do 30 mins of cardio. From there I found myself in the fitness competition world and I would work out every morning lifting weights and then cardio after work. I loved book-ending my work days because I would start my day on a great note and I would finish my day with some movement which would help me de-stress from the day. I loved having the drive and routine.

Fitness Routine - Robyn - Fitness Competitor

Fitness Routine for Obstacle Course Racing

In my fitness evolution, I went from sparkly bikinis and stripper heels to mud & monkey bars. I would still find myself in the gym every morning but would then train at the former Alpha Obstacle Training which has now become One Academy in Toronto in the evenings and weekends. I would do 2 – 3 classes a week and that felt really good with my schedule.

Fitness Routine - Robyn Baldwin - OCR Training

To be completely honest, I’ve struggled since moving to Ottawa to maintain a specific fitness routine. After running 20 races in 2015, I gave myself adrenal fatigue and never seemed to recover. I’d get some energy and try to throw myself back into a routine. Some weeks I get all jazzed up and workout in the morning at my husband’s new gym and other days I just want to sit in my home office, curl up and meditate and read and side hustle.

Some days I pack a gym bag and head to the gym after work and other days I have no energy and just go home to take care of the dogs. I crave consistency and routine and don’t really thrive with this go with the flow mentality. I’m trying to not judge myself for what has happened since moving here. I know it’s time to really bring some movement consistency back into my life for my health.

Fitness Routine - Robyn at the Lifestyle Centre

So here are the things I’ve done before to create a routine and that I’m going to try again to create the perfect environment (for me) for planning and doing my workouts:

Top 5 Fitness Routine Habits

1. Pack Gym Bag The Night Before

If you have a fitness goal that requires you to be in a gym or getting a resistance workout in outside of the home why “waste” time trying to get all your things together in the morning and simply pack the night before.

If you have a home workout, this could mean laying out your gym clothes, filling your water bottle or getting the DVD or YouTube video set up or playlist ready the night before so you just have to press play.

2. Sleep In Your Gym Clothes

Even if I lay out my gym clothes the night before I’m really good at ignore that pile of material. But if I sleep in my gym clothes I just can’t ignore the fact that I planned a workout.

3. Set Up Coffee Machine & Pack Lunch The Night Before

Making lemon water and coffee takes a good 15 mins in the morning, so setting things up the night before cuts down on that time so I can simply turn on an element for warm water and pressing one button to start the coffee maker.

Also if my meals are packed the night before I just have to slip them in my meal bag and take off out of the front door post-meditation and journaling!

Fitness Routine - Pack Your Meal Bag The Night Before

4. Set A Fitness Goal and Reverse Engineer The Training Needed

I just need accountability sometimes. So announcing a fitness goal, reverse engineering the training and then scheduling that into my life is a way I can create accountability to have a consistent routine.

So for me, my “big” fitness goal of the year is to run my first trail half marathon this Fall. I have in my calendar to run a 9 km trail race in July and then 11 km in August, then 15 km in September and the trail half marathon finale mid-October!

Fitness Routine - Robyn Baldwin - Trail Running

5. Create Appointments in a Paper Planner or Phone Calendar

Every Sunday I sit down to write out my weekly and daily goals and schedule in my appointments for the week so writing down my fitness workouts is important to make sure that what gets scheduled gets done.

To create a fitness routine though, depends on having a happy and healthy body. Right now I’m rehabbing from throwing out my back at a workout a few weeks ago. And then excruciating pain in my knee presented called patella femoral syndrome so I’m feeling pretty broken at the moment.

So first and foremost I’m scheduling appointments with my chiropractor, massage therapist and using all the anti-inflammatory tools to help my body heal.

Rehab for Fitness Routine

  • My husband is a fascial stretch therapist and he has me stretching daily, from couch stretch to rolling my glutes out with a therapy ball.
  • I’m taking Copaiba & Turmeric internally in a veggie capsule every morning
  • I’m having nightly Epsom Salt baths with Marjoram & Ginger and applying Deep Blue Rub to my back and knee nightly.
Deep Blue Rub

The Deep Blue Rub is available in the Daily Health Habits Kit that’s on sale until the end of May 2019!

alt="dōTERRA Healthy Habits Kit"

What They Don’t Tell You About An Intensive Yoga Teacher Training

This is my first Yoga Teacher Training. My understanding is that they are not all the same but I do wonder if you’ll see similarities in this post if you’ve attended an international intensive one yourself. And in case you’re reading this before attending one, have the most amazing time!!

alt="Yoga Teacher Training"
  • Your butt will be sore. If you get to sit on something other than the floor, your mat or blocks you are LUCKY!
  • If the Bhagavad Gita is required reading, and you buy the Easwaran version. Skip the introduction, thank me later.
  • Bring lots of pens, you’ll run out if you only bring one.
  • Bring a journal and a notebook. You’ll want a journal for musings in the morning or evenings or after meditation and you’ll want a different notebook for the class portion.
  • You will be nervous as you start to teach. If you have great teacher trainers they’ll start you out slow and build you up to the practicum so you gain confidence throughout your time!
alt="Yoga Shala - Pondok Pitaya"

These next ones are applicable if you choose to do your YTT in a warm climate. I attended the In Alignment YTT led by Jenna Switzer and Aleysha Derkson in Bali so I’m pulling tidbits from my time there!

  • Be prepared to be surrounded by wildlife. A day didn’t go by in Bali without an animal or insect adventure.
  • You can literally not wear shoes for the entire time (warning you may get bitten by walking through ant swarms)
  • If you’re in a 2nd world country, be prepared to throw your toilet paper in the garbage and not the toilet 🙂
  • If you’re a coffee fanatic bring your own coffee and way to make it. While we had Bali coffee everyday it just wasn’t the same as coffee from home.
  • You’ll always be sweaty unless you’re in your room with the air conditioning on.
  • Don’t bring makeup. You won’t wear it and your skin will be super happy to have the break.
  • Your mat will always be dirty. Get used to it!
  • You’ll learn to eat meals efficiently so you can spend more time in the sun or in the pool before the next session!
alt="Yoga Teacher Training"

If you’ve done your YTT what else would you add to the list!?

Stay tuned for Thursday’s post on what I learned about myself during my YTT!

Yoga Attic Review

I found heaven on earth in the Ottawa area. Here is my Yoga Attic review of the most beautiful yoga space.

I started seeing posts on Instagram of this beautiful yoga space in Greely, Ontario just outside of Ottawa. I wanted to experience this space immediately.

So I signed up for a Tuesday evening class I attended mid-January. I borrowed this photo from the teacher, Tesia Bryski who led us through an amazing flow class! Doesn’t it just look so cozy!?

alt=

You don’t have to worry about bringing your own mat as they have mats laid out for everyone, including bolsters, blankets, blocks, and even eye pillows for Shavasana. The class I attended was inspired by the elements and also was probably the most friendliest class I’ve ever attended with everyone saying hi to each other before class and introducing themselves. Most were local and shocked I would drive 20 mins from my house to attend.

But one evening class wasn’t enough for me, I really wanted to meet, the owner, Tina so I signed up for Yoga & Brunch which I attended last Saturday and it was everything I was looking for and more.

We started with a class in the attic. Still super cozy feeling in the daylight.

alt="Yoga Attic"

Tina, was prepping a few last minute items so I made myself a tea upstairs and just sat in silence while listening to conversations around me. A group of friends came together, a couple and a frienship duo. I was the only solo attendee but didn’t feel like an outsider. Tina asks you to introduce yourself and we did with our name and something we like or don’t like. I share that I like that I’m off to Bali on Tuesday but don’t like leaving my family (still able to keep it positive).

alt="Yoga Attic"

After class we made our way downstairs for a scrumptious brunch and we filled our plate with vegetarian deliciousness. Tina had cooked without gluten, dairy or nightshade vegetables to accommodate me! I filled my plate and even went back for more quiche! The conversation around the dining table was amazing.

alt=

I didn’t snap a shot of our brunch table as I wanted to stay present in the moment but borrowed this photo from their Instagram to show you what it’s like to attend a brunch there.

alt="Yoga Attic Brunch"

My heart is so happy and full and I can’t wait to return to more classes in March when I get back from my YTT in Bali.

If you’re in the Ottawa area. Book yourself into one of the many classes or retreats. I know I can promise you it’ll be amazing.

Believe New Year’s Eve 2019 Recap

December 31st was a magical night. Believe New Year’s Eve 2019, as our first inaugural event was absolutely beautiful, amazing and all the great adjectives!

alt=

The event planning started in September when I got back from our honeymoon and my friend Jenna Switzer approached me to ask if I’d like to co-host a NYE Yoga event with her. I didn’t even hesitate and just said yes! Over the course of the next few months the event would take shape and come together to execute so much in flow that it shocked us. I’ll explain more.

Jenna explained that she wanted a warehouse space but because we were planning so late in the year it was hard to find. I simply googled warehouse space Ottawa and found this amazing listing on thisopenspace.com which was near Hunt Club and Merivale with ample parking and no downtown New Year’s Eve traffic. It was the second floor of a commercial building that hasn’t been rented out by a corporation/company yet (we’re hoping it stays empty for next year too!) It was free for NYE so we booked it literally a day after finding it.

alt="Jenna Switzer and Robyn Baldwin"

Despite having no wall outlets and only 2 outlets in the beams in the middle of the room that was our only complaint about the space. I think we did a really good job of setting up the day before with all the ceiling lights, extension chords for the DJ and more. Mike had purchased solar-powered twinkle lights from the dollar store for our rehearsal dinner earlier in the year so those we easy to string along the windows and we didn’t need power for those!

alt=

To each and every ticket holder we couldn’t have been more grateful or amazed at the energy and community you created in the room that night.

The night started with people arriving to a food spread by Pure Kitchen, being greeted by some of our amazing volunteers, Jenna or myself and being able to peruse the 3 vendor tables (dōTERRA Wellness Advocate – Shannon Cadieux, Magik Mala, and Designs by Mumtaz). We also created a little cozy area from our own blankets, rugs and meditation pillows. Basically Jenna and I have a problem that we can furnish an entire section of an event with things from our house.

alt="Pure Kitchen Ottawa"
alt="dōTERRA Vendor Booth"

Mumtaz got busy by the light of the flashlight on her phone and created beautiful henna tattoos for anyone that wanted one.

alt="Designs by Mumtaz"

At 9pm, we handed out all the amazing Byoga Mats and got started with an intention setting led by Maddy MacKenzie which flowed into mala bracelet making with Magik Mala, I then led a mediation that I wrote inspired by the podcast Live Awake and the hypnosis I do on the Grace Space app, then we seamlessly transitioned into a yoga practice led by Jenna. We poured the Laurentien Brew Kombucha quietly during the yoga practice and handed out the champagne glasses to everyone shortly before midnight.

Throughout the evening we dolled out the amazing door prizes! 2 free floats from ISO Spa to the oldest and the youngest and a sit set from Half Moon Yoga to the person who had travelled the farthest and did a draw for 4 bottles of dōTERRA Essential Oil (2 Peace and 2 Cheer bottles) which I donated from my personal collection.

alt="Believe NYE Mala Making"
alt=
alt="Believe New Year's Eve 2019 Yoga"
alt=

We literally ommed in the new year, cheered each other, and handed out swag bags (thank you again to Pure Strength Bars, Elevate Yoga and Pranashanti for the donations – I also threw in samples of Deep Blue Rub samples & PB Assist Jr+ probiotics for people to try) as everyone hightailed it out of there as fast as we could tear down the venue and get home safely in crazy freezing rain.

We can’t thank everyone involved enough from my husband who helped us set up and tear down, to our amazing DJ, to Maddy, to our volunteers, to our attendees, to our vendors, our sponsors and the venue! See you next year!!!

alt="Believe NYE 2019 Crew"

2018 Ride to Conquer Cancer

From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank those that generously donated to the fundraising event I participated in this past weekend!

This was my second year tackling the Ride to Conquer Cancer and my first year completing the entire ride course! Last year due to the heat my body wasn’t doing well after day one so I was dropped off at the lunch spot on day 2 and only completed half of day 2. This year I tackled the full 106 kms on day 1 and 116 kms on day 2!

This year the ride raised $18.3 Million for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto

We ride with the Detour Gold team. Mike’s mom used to ride for the company and have been supporting the ride for 8 years! This is Mike’s 8th year riding and he has a goal of raising $1M for PMH. We’re so close and believe we can do it next year!

This year we raised $141K which is an amazing feat and I’m really proud to ride with these guys. Last year was a complete blur and I remember meeting a few of the riders along the way and at a dinner, the company hosts for us on Saturday night but this year it was nice to remember a few faces and chat here and there along the ride or at pit stops. 2 of our riders are cancer survivors and haven’t been very open about talking about it. They had a chance at dinner and there was definitely tears in everyone’s eyes talking about what it means to them to do the ride and I’m blessed to see how they are tackling this disease.

If you’re curious about doing the ride it’s an amazing event. From amazing pit stops, with hydration stations, ample snacks and food, medical tents and bike techs along the way, it’s so well executed!

The only frustrating thing that happens is bottlenecks along the way. From leaving Toronto on Day 1, to leaving Hamilton on Day 2. But if you stop and get off your bike you can have a genuine conversation with a human beside you. You’ll have lots of time on your bike. Don’t worry!

Mike and I rode Day 2 together which made me super happy. Him not so much. Only because he got jammed up in the bottleneck and a rider hit his Achilles from behind. So he was in a lot of pain for the entire ride. His parents were waiting for us in the sun and snapped a shot as we funneled through the finish line just as we were dismounting!

Have you done a long fundraising ride like this before?

Curious to tackle one next year?