Smutty Fitness Articles

Hi Hayley,  I love your column and am all about intentional fitness and doing it to feel good, rather than look a certain way. I don't have a scale in my house and instead just try to exercise regularly, eat mostly veggies, legumes and grains, and don't stress about alcohol or bread when I consume it. Full Article

Hi Hayley, I was hoping you could help me with a quick, effective routine to do while on maternity leave. I don’t have much equipment and am hoping to do mostly body weight stuff. I am 16 weeks postpartum. I had a C-section and have been cleared to resume normal exercise.  I have access to: a spin bike at home (I’ve been doing a couple 20-30-minute classes/week via the peloton app), a couple exercise bands, as well as a 6 lb medicine ball and a pair of 8 lb weights. Full Article

Hi Hayley, The question I'm about to ask you might be an impossible one for you to answer. Self-esteem is such an elusive thing to understand, and I know that! I'm going to try to explain where I'm coming from. Growing up, I didn't have real issues with self-esteem, at least that I was aware of. Full Article

Hi Hayley,   I am in my mid-thirties. After being very lax with exercise in the previous 4-5 years, I made time these past 9 months to get fit again, return to my previous clothing size, and lose the extra pounds gained primarily in the last couple years. I have met the first two goals and I feel that my current fitness base is in many ways, an improvement compared to my late twenties. Full Article

Hi Hayley, I am hoping you could do a review of streaming apps and your thoughts on incorporating them (I have recently signed up to obé and LOVE it. But there are also so many options now like Yoga with Adriene, Beach Body on Demand etc). I know it doesn't replace going to the gym but I personally find that I've been working out more using obé and I look forward to taking a mental break during the day and streaming with thousands of others. Full Article

Hi Hayley,  I'll get straight to the point, after putting up with lower back pain I've just gotten a diagnosis from my physio of Severe Degenerative Disc Disease (L5-S1). Thankfully I have a physio that's caring and understanding, and really the first one who's taken the pain seriously (he's the one who finally ordered the x-ray to confirm). Full Article

It’s officially the second week of 2019 and I’m not sure how many of you did what I did this week, which was look at your credit card balance (ouch) and step on the scale, but this is the week when any New Year’s resolutions you have set are at most risk of failing. January tends to be the month where we decide to get into shape. Full Article

Hi Hayley, Any recommendations for running outdoors during winter in -5 temperature? Or is that not even worth exploring. I run on an on-off basis on treadmill (although more off than on these days) and would like to start running outdoors. It is starting to get chilly in Toronto so will it be too much diving in the deep end by starting outdoor running in the cold? Or should I just wait until when the weather gets warm?  Thanks! ___ Of course, start running outdoors now! There will always be an excuse to not start something and who knows, Toronto may not warm up until June!   Nothing needs to change in how far you run or how often you run but make sure you know that sometimes running outdoors can feel more challenging than running on a treadmill, for a little while anyway. Full Article

The other day my ‘little cousin’ (who is now in grade 12) asked me to answer some questions for her English project and it was interesting reading what she was asking. I got the sense that she, and maybe her peers, have a one or two dimensional view of health so I did my best to answer the questions with as much depth and truth as I could. Full Article

Hi Hayley, For the last several years my main workout has been commuting by bike to work (20+ km round trip), with outdoor activities like hiking, skate skiing, or road cycling on the weekends. I’ll be working from home from now on, so I won’t have the built-in weekday commute any more. Luckily there’s a gym not far from my home, and I'll have about an hour in the mornings 5x per week. Full Article

Hi Hayley,   I recently went through a very stressful life event. One of my family friends was diagnosed with terminal cancer at 37, and passed away shortly after. It is one of the most difficult things I have ever faced, and it has affected every single aspect of my life.   After his passing, I tried to get back into my regular routines but the scale is just not moving at all. Full Article