Barres. Bells — and Babies? By now, our digital photo albums are depleted of original photos that resonate with our weekly theme and I promise this newsletter isn’t turning into another baby blog. However on a Sunday morning, we walked to the studio, practiced our movements, and listened to the ambient sounds of the city. Even Teddy couldn’t help but to smile and have fun with Montgomery the Monkey and his kettlebell. This week in your exercise practice get serious with strength, but save some time to monkey around and have fun with movement.

Real Talk, Text or Listen

Next time you’re out for lunch with a friend, you might not have to strain your ears too hard to hear other people discussing their workouts, their aches, pains and the trials and tribulations of training the body. Or, maybe Lauryn and I are just a little bit nosey, or all ears about exercise sometimes.

Then again, when Lauryn and I go out and introduce ourselves as small business owners, personal-trainers, we don’t have to try too hard before people tell us all about their body, their workouts, aches, pains, and the trials and tribulations of training for fitness, form or function across the lifespan. “Dont get old” we were recently told. How so we asked in return, they didn’t have the answer.

While we may not have all the answers, here are three suggestions we have heard about recently. Below are examples of real conversations and one instance where Ian couldn’t help his big ears but to eavesdrop on a podcast playing out loud.

Do you take the time to listen to the birds? Smell the flowers? Or, to take a picture to pause and celebrate your walk, bike or hike about? That is exactly what the podcast told the listener to do — to enhance performance and enjoyment in the pursuit.

2 Conversations + 1 Case of Curious Ears

Get More, by Doing Less — In a heavy Scottish accent, the podcaster was sharing his strategy for improved performance by embracing a lighter approach to your physical training. “Take off your wearable technology, stop and take three pictures on your bike ride, go for a walk with your partner. Simply, but not easily, learn to relax.” Not forever, but for a little bit. Exercise creates a stress response in the body, and its the moments when you don’t train, that the results start to show.

Turn it Up, or Turn it Down? — It was a rainy morning at the cottage, and everyone else was still sleeping. But, we brought our rain gear, and headed out for a morning walk before family breakfast. Down the road, Ryan of Northern Leisure Sauna and his partner Brooke were having a garage sale. We stopped by, they saw the logos on our touqes, and quickly the conversation went from the going-ons at the beach to Barres, Bells and training the body. “In our workouts, we used to say lets go for 110%, but lately, its more like lets go for 70%” said Ryan. “I was a varsity athlete, competitive but I have to go to work tomorrow, and I want to train at an intensity that I look forward to doing it again in a few days” echoed Brooke. With each other, and their other training partners, they have learned to shift their training sessions to compliment their lifestyle with slower workouts, silent walks, and rejuvenating sauna sessions at the beach.

Another Cuppa? Or, Another Rep-a? — While on a vacation, a member reached out to us and shared what was on their cruise ship gym. “What machines should I use? How many days should I go to the gym?” Lauryn’s response: