Why don’t people like working out? The most frequent reasons I hear are related to exercise being boring and repetitive. I see two options around this. 1. Make the workouts more exciting. Try different styles, classes, equipment and whatnot. The downside of making workouts more exciting is that the boring […]

Start by answering these three questions: 1. Why do you want to start exercising? Aka, what’s your goal and the why behind it? The more meaningful your reasons for starting, the easier it is to stick with exercise once the novelty/excitement/whatever wears off. 2. What kind of exercise do you […]

Almost everything works when you aim to improve general health, fitness and strength. Pick a plan, or do random workouts. Both work as long as you progressively challenge the qualities you want to improve. The guardrails go up when the goal is more specific. That multi-day hike that’s coming up? […]

“Workout companies and fitness studios are constantly competing for business with all sorts of gimmicks and tricks to draw people in.” “Fitness is experienced in this country [Joonas: the USA, but could be said of any country in the West] mostly as a consumer product, so the rules of the […]

Come January 1st, a bunch of folks are kicking off the year with a diet. Cutting carbs and whatever else is in vogue. Maybe you’re one of them. Most will fail to make noticeable progress before they give up. Those who do see results will revert to their starting point […]

“Compared with men, they [women] report higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression and burnout, while also performing the lion’s share of care work. They feed their families while food costs soar… Running alongside this imbalance are the familiar pressures to enhance the body, radiate poise, master impulses (hunger, rage) and […]

You strength train because you care about your health. It’s not easy. You wouldn’t consider it as your favorite pastime. You might not even enjoy it. But you value the physical and mental benefits. So you keep showing up. -J

These studies are about young female cross-country skiers. But they highlight a trend I’ve noticed coaching women over 40 who are into running and other recreational endurance activities: Not eating enough calories to support their activities. Especially around training time. This can hurt your performance and recovery. And when you’re […]

No. If you’re happy with where you are, and things are chugging along nicely to keep you there, you do not need to plan a whole lot. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with chugging along and staying where you are. That’s probably where we should spend most of […]

As you might know, Monday is when my clients and I look back on the last week and plan for this week. There is a strong correlation between the plan and the success of the week ahead. Yes, shit happens. But in general, the more thorough (but not rigid) the […]

There are no simple answers. There’s no ONE thing standing between you and the results you dream of. There’s no secret to getting where you want to be. You will not transform your fitness, health, and life in 6 or 12 weeks. The results you dream of are a culmination […]

You already know about the physical benefits of strength training. But strength training also improves mental resilience, sharpens cognitive abilities, and helps with emotions. And by doing so, strength training is the glue that binds together the things that are an essential part of a fulfilling life. And it’s freely […]

Most people approach daily workouts as punishment. To burn off calories you accumulated after participating in all the joy life offers. Or to train begrudgingly so you can get your body ready to do something you actually enjoy. Like a long hike. What if you flip your workout attitude on […]

If HIIT (high-intensity interval training) is the cool auntie, SIT (sprint interval training) is the uncle with the social skills of corned beef. The one that no one really wants to hang out with. But people put up with him because he owns a big boat. Whereas HIIT revolves around […]

Why HIIT – Better blood sugar control, metabolic benefits to help with body comp. Especially belly fat – Anti-inflammatory effect (inflammation being naturally higher from peri-menopause onward) – Improving aerobic capacity, aka heaps good for your heart – Improved cognition and working memory How to HIIT – Around 80% of […]