Happiness Workout

What a grey wet Monday it is in Toronto today. Blah! I've got my full spectrum light a blaze in the studio. Now all I need is some endorphins to shake the winter blahs.

My most recent iVillage Column is THE HAPPINESS WORKOUT.

I've picked some moves for the gym and also, some simple things to do right at your desk if you have golden handcuffs keeping you stuck in your chair.

Enjoy and take charge of your own happiness! Our bodies can bring us much joy and feelings of vitality when we move!

The truth behind Blue Monday- has it already happened or not?

Blue Monday is a name given to what some experts postulate is the most depressing day of the year. Cliff Arnall, at the time a tutor at the Centre for Lifelong Learning which is associated with Cardiff University, came up with a formula for calculating the bluest day of the year based on a number of variables including weather, debt, time since Christmas, time since failing our new year’s resolutions, low motivational levels and the feeling of a need to take action.

Apparently, Arnalls created a press release that was delivered to a number of academics by public relations agency, Porter Novelli, who offered them money to put their names to it.

Needless to say, there’s much controversy about the whole existence of Blue Monday. But who cares! January does suck and everyone needs to do things to pick up their mood this time of year. Why not pick a specific day to support each other in doing something to increase our level of happiness and by default, everyone’s around us.

So I missed the boat a bit on what I coin my happiness workout! I read different sources which said it was January 23rd this year but, alas, the masses seem to assert that Blue Monday is the 3rd Monday in January which seems to negate the need for the formula above. I like to call this, "Science through press release". Something is fact because it was in a press release and, let's face it, the press can be insanely lazy due to 'pressing' deadlines.

Even the Toronto Star is confused about what is actually Blue Monday. Check out today's article from the Star. Here's an excerpt.

It was supposed to be the Monday of all Mondays, when you’re more than justified for having a serious case of … the Mondays. And it was supposed to be long over.

Except that no one seems able to agree on the exact date of Blue Monday, the day considered the most depressing day of the year. Was it yesterday, the third Monday of January, which is the most often-sited date? Or is it Jan. 23, the Monday in the last full week of January? Or could it have happened as far back as Jan. 1, which is the shortest day of the month?


Stay posted for my simple happiness workout in my next iVillage Column! We can choose behaviours that will improve our level of happiness!!!!

Here's the New Order song Blue Monday to help us all celebrate, tongue in cheek ;)

23 1/2 hours and the SINGLE best thing you can do to combat depression

My most recent iVillage Column is an interview with the extraordinary Dr. Katherine Rouleau. I don't want people to take my word for it...that exercise is an essential element in the treatment of depression so I got to medical professional to back me up.

What I love about Dr. Rouleau is that she stays on top of medical research. She is so deeply committed to helping people.

To read the full column, click here.

But before I go, Dr. Rouleau suggested you all check out this video, 23 1/2 hours, THE SINGLE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR HEALTH. If this won't convince you to get off your butt for 30 minutes a day, I don't know what will.

9 tips for working out as a couple (without wanting to kill each other in the process)

My most recent iVillage Column should really be credited to the 7 wonderful contributors who shared their experience working out with a mate. They are Amanda Thebe, Sarah Robichaud, Sarah Currie, Cassandra Bach, Jackie Thompson, Rebecca Nixon and my bro James Clapp.

So go check out the full article.

But before you leave my blog, a few words of wisdom...

If your sex life sucks, it's often a function of how we are feeling about ourselves. I do believe one of the critical elements in keeping a relationship alive and healthy is in keeping our MOJO intact. If we feel like crap about our bodies and unhealthy and lethargic, what do we have to give to a partner. While working out with your mate might not be for you, if you really want your relationship to last and be nurturing, it's all about keeping yourself feeling good about you. Mark my words. I'm no spring chicken. And when I say feeling good about you, I mean more than having a nice ass. We need to feel proud of who we are holistically. Over and out.

Spirit Science: You can be anything you want to be and feel the way you want to feel

Just take a few minutes and watch this video. I truly believe that health starts with improving our consciousness, that is, being aware of our thoughts, motivations, defenses and negative self talk. We can change our lives just by opening our eyes to the fact we are responsible for ourselves.

How our food is designed to be addictive

Is our food refined the way cocaine is refined from the cocoa leaf, designed to make us addicted and spending more money on our food drug of choice?

This video provides an interesting way to look at food and addiction in today's society. Check it out!

Pre New Year's Resolution Exercise

Today I did an interview with 680 News in Calgary and wanted to share one of the central pieces of advice I have for people wanting to improve their relationships with their bodies.

True lasting change doesn't start with choosing the perfect type of yogurt or finding the next miracle food or even committing to a new exercise regiment. It's not about finding the perfect trainer or the next hottest fitness studio that will be the answer to your health and fitness problems. It doesn't start with micro choices but instead trickles down from our larger life intentions.

Transformation and improved peace in life starts with knowing what really matters to us, that is, getting in alignment with what is truly most important. When were are out of alignment with our core values, we are driven to dissociate or numb out from our internal dissonance. This internal struggle and departure from what really matters to us can lead to lethargy and suck our energy dry.

Getting out of alignment could be letting our ego/ambition dominate our choices, working too much, taking us away from enough quality connected time with our kids or enough time to exercise and care for ourselves. It could be taking on too much outside work in terms of volunteerism so we look like supermoms to the outside world. It could be not setting aside enough time to connect with ourselves or our spouses or partners. I could go on and on. But we all know when we stray from the things that REALLY matter in our lives. When we are in alignment with our deepest selves, we don't feel the same drive to overeat or engage in behaviours that help us forget about a lack of fulfillment. (AKA addictive behaviours)

We all know on some level what our guiding core values should be.

If you're serious about really making change in your life for the better, I suggest you take a few days to ask yourself if your overall life paradigm is in alignment with your true self.

After living in the question of "What is truly important to me" write down the top five most important things in your life. These are your guiding principles. Start asking yourself every opportunity you have in making a choice, big or small, if you are moving closer or further away from your true values. Give yourself a break when you don't honor your values and notice when you've strayed. And make the next choice in front of you with consciousness and a sense of responsibility.

Life is too short and sweet to waste on living someone else's life eaten up by regret about what we wish might have been if only we knew at the time.