I'm Injured

Well it finally happened dear readers; I managed to hurt myself on Sunday. I took a basketball to the park and spent an hour with my boyfriend shooting hoops. I was having a great time. Jumping and shooting and dribbling and running and jumping and jumping and......................ARG!!  I felt a cramp in my left side after one of the jumps.  I thought nothing of it.

 

About 10 minutes after shooting hoops, my lower back seized up; all the muscles tightened and cramped together into one painful knot.  Pain was radiating out towards my hips and twinges down my legs. I felt marvelous!!!

 

Not really!!!!!!!!

 

Me, being me; I chose to ignore it the rest of the day and carried on with my dinner plans and other plans.  Well Sunday night I hobbled into bed and decided I should probably call the doctor in the morning, just to be sure I didn't do any really serious damage.

 

The next morning; I limped over to my doctor where she confirmed that I had seized up the muscles in my lower back.  She said it was a result of a build up of lactic acid that normally the muscles will release but this time they did not. She told me to use alternating heat and cold to help relax the muscles. She gave me prescriptions for an anti-inflammatory and a muscle relaxer.

 

So now, I lie on my back with my knees raised typing this blog entry. Yesterday was quite painful. Today is a bit better. Sitting is difficult. I haven't been to the gym since Friday, which is really bugging me, as I really enjoy my gym visits.  I am to "relax" with the hope that by Friday there will be improvement. If no improvement, I am to call my doctor again. 

 

Its only been 36 hours and already I'm going stir-crazy not being able to be active.  My doctor said walking will help, so I do plan on doing that today.

 

Injury does happen, and probably will happen if you are active. That does not mean that you should not try things that might be out of your zone. The body does heal and for me, I can only learn my limits once my body decides to tell me I've reached them.  I don't consider my age ever, I figure since I'm working out 5 days a week I should be able to play an hour of hoops without worry. 

 

What I learned is that even with 5 hours of gym time a week, I'm still not as fit as I'd like to be. SO now, I plan to continue my workouts; once I am okay to do so, and improve my core strength so that I can minimize and hopefully eliminate injury.

I will post again on Friday to let you know my progress.

In the meantime; don't sweat the small stuff!!

Cah Productions Designs On-Line

Gym Reviews: A little more Background

So I got to thinking that some of my readers may not be aware of my intentions for doing gym reviews and health and fitness posts. I figure just in case there is any doubt, I will re-re-itterate my intentions here again.

I'm not a fitness expert. I'm just an average person who happens to really like fitness activities and I strive to live a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity (I go to the gym 5 days a week) and nutritious eating habits (I do indulge in the occasional home baked goods and a handful of chips here and there)

My hope for this blog, my business activities and my daily interactions with people is that I will help to inspire others to take up their own lifestyle change and participate in a healthy lifestyle too. I would love to see everyone make fitness and healthy eating a normal part of their daily lifestyle.

I recently wrote an article for a local Hamilton blog which better illustrates my thoughts. You can read the full article here: Raise The Hammer

I also want to ensure that all owners or managers of any of the gyms or fitness organizations that I am reviewing will contact me regarding anything they see on this blog that might not be completely accurate. As a human, I may have some information on a post that is not as accurate as you may like. I welcome you to contact me with your comments, suggestions or ideas. You can email me at the blog here or you can post your comment and I will read and reply. Also let me know if you have some special events coming up or just want to post a health and fitness related article in my blog.

There are about 60 or so gym and fitness organizations in the main city of Hamilton. I will be focusing on these first then branching out to other sport organizations in the main city and much later reaching out to communities adjacent to Hamilton such as Burlington, Oakville, Winona and Caledonia.

If you have any suggestions, comments, criticisms, ideas or events you want to share, please feel free to do so.

Until next time...........don't sweat the small stuff!

Gym Review: All Canadian Fitness

 

All Canadian Fitness was established in 1993 in Hamilton. They are located in a strip plaza on Dundurn street. They specialize in providing fitness solutions to people who are frustrated and unsatisfied with their current fitness routine and not achieving the results they want. They help clients achieve their goals by working closely with them, providing a consultation at the start and checking on their progress during and throughout their membership. Training is provided one on one or in small group classes. There is no yearly membership. Members pay for sessions ahead of time individually or in blocks. Members are encouraged to call ahead to book a spot in a group session. Personal training sessions must be pre-booked. 

Facilities

The gym is located in the downtown west end of Hamilton on Dundurn Street. There is limited parking in the back with street parking also available. The entrance is tricky to find and is on the far left side of the building along a narrow laneway. The gym area is small and brightly coloured. Trainers utilize a variety of equipment from elipticals and free weights to exercise balls and TRX trainers. They also offer physiotherapy sessions.

Staff

The owner of All Canadian Fitness is Ernie Schramayr. His enthusiam and energy is contagious and he is clearly the driving force behind this gym. Ernie welcomes every single person who enters the gym. The staff are very knowledgeable in health and fitness. Consultations are thorough and include discussion of nutrition and lifestyle habits which are key to establishing a sucessful fitness regimen. The staff at All Canadian Fitness are one of its strongest assets along with the carefully detailed and highly personalized programing at the gym. 

Change rooms

There are no showers. There is a small change room. There is a washroom for member use.

Classes

Classes are run in small groups of 4 - 8 participants and start at 5:30am weekdays.  Each session is different and utilizes the wide variety of equipment available at All Canadian Fitness. Specialized classes include kettlebells, TRX suspension training, boxing and battling ropes.

Personal Trainers

All trainers are Can-Fit Pro certified at All Canadian Fitness.  Sessions must be booked in advance with the trainer of your choice.

Hours & Parking

This location is open:

Monday - Thursday:  5:30am - 9pm Friday:                     5:30am - 7pm Saturday:                 8am - 1pm Sunday:                   closed

Parking is available behind the building and on the street.

Overall, All Canadian Fitness offers a small gym with huge enthusiasm and energy. All Canadian Fitness is active in the community and provides some unique opportunities to their trainers and members to give back to the community through charity events during the year. If you are serious about your fitness goals and seeking a small gym with overwhelming energy, this is probably a good fit for you.  

Gym Review: 5 Star Fitness, Hamilton

 5 Star Fitness is located on the east mountain in Hamilton just across the street from Total FX Fitness. The building was previously home to the Hamilton Roller Gardens.  Upon arrival, guests and members are greeted with a warm and classy reception area complete with a water fountain feature, a waiting area with comfortable couches and a juice bar.   The gym offers the look and feel of a larger gym combined with the community aspect of a small organization. Cleanliness is a top priority at 5 Star Fitness, and I have not been in a gym that is cleaner than this gym.

Facilities

Located on Stonechurch Road in Hamilton the building provides a large parking area for members. The reception, change rooms and gym are bright and welcoming. The main gym has a wide variety of resistance machines, free weights area and cardio area. There is also a dance studio/group class area. My favourite part of this gym is the boxing studio which is the largest and cleanest I have seen in Hamilton. They also provide physiotheraphy services and child care on site.

Staff

Reception staff are friendly and personable. They provide member services in a variety of aspects including the main desk, equipment shop and the juice bar.  

Change rooms

Change rooms are large and very clean. Showers are very large and well maintained. There is also a sauna available in the womens change room. Plenty of mirrors are available as well as plug ins for hair dryers.

Classes

5 Star Fitness offers a wide variety of group classes ranging from Pilates and Yoga to cardio, boot camp and MMA boxing.  There are even martial arts classes for  youth aged 4 to 12. 5 Star Fitness also offers some very unique programming such as Zumba Fitness and a Golf Training program.

Personal Trainers

5 Star Fitness offers an impressive line-up of personal trainers from a wide variety of fitness backgrounds.   Sessions need to be booked in advance. Check with reception for details.

Hours & Parking

This location is open 24 hours from Monday at 5am to Friday at 11pm:

Saturday:       7am - 8pm Sunday:         7am - 6pm

Parking is available at the side of the building.

Overall, 5 Star Fitness provides its members with a classy environment to pursue their fitness goals. They offer a wide variety of programs to suit just about anyone. This fall, they are planning on opening a second location in Stoney Creek.