YAM MAGAZINE
2015-11-27 4:00 PM
By Kerry Slavens
HOW I FOUND MY FITNESS GROOVE
I
File Name: YAM-3rd-2.39x9.58-VW-2016.indd Trim: 2.39” (w) x 9.58” (h) (Exported in horizontal layout to be flipped to vertical position in magazine) Bleed: 0.125” x 0.125” Live: N/A Colours: 4C Studio: SW Notes: No crop marks for YAM Magazine exports.
Vancouver Island’s
AD #: Volkswagen-YAM-01012016-2.39x9.58-2016jetta-JanFeb.pdf Client: Volkswagen Victoria Publication: YAM Magazine Insert Date: January/February 2016
Studio Revisions
REV.#
0
t’s the beginning of a bright new year and this is typically the time I would be making a few resolutions, but I confess that I got an early start on mine. Back in November, I decided the time had come for my all-out diet and fitness makeover. You might ask why I would choose the beginning of the temptation-filled holiday season to start a diet and get fit (was I setting myself up to fail?), but I was at the point where I simply could not wait one more day. My skirts were tight — I needed to take action. Good news: the pounds soon began coming off. Bad news: I liked the dieting but I hated the fitness workout. That was nothing new. Fitness is an F word for me and honestly, if I were ever to go missing, no one would ever think to search for me in a gym. I blame it on my school gym teachers. Who makes 13-yearold girls run up mountains for fun anyway? I finally figured out that for my exercise Was I missing some program to succeed, I needed to find a way essential exercise gene, to embrace, if not enjoy, exercise. The first thing I did was to eliminate obstacles: the one that says, Signing up at a gym near my home. Check. Choosing “Oh my gawd, I can’t a gym where I could have a permanent locker so wait for spin class!”? I couldn’t use the old “I forgot my shoes again!” excuse. Check. Setting a realistic (two pounds a week) goal. Check. It worked out beautifully. I was going to the gym, I was putting in my time and I was losing weight. But I still wasn’t enjoying it. Was I missing some essential exercise gene, the one that says, “Oh my gawd, I can’t wait for spin class!”? I’m not lazy, but something was preventing me from experiencing the joy of a good workout. Then I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal called “Hard Wired to Hate Exercise?” that talked about ventilatory thresholds. It seems that, for some people, the harder their bodies work, the less oxygen they get and the lousier they feel. It’s a chemical response based on genetic factors. That’s me, I thought. And true, I can’t remember my mother or my grandmother ever exerting themselves beyond, in my mom’s case, downhill skiing. I’m exactly the same. I like downhill skiing because it involves, well, going downhill. Perhaps the women in my family were meant to be ladies of leisure? Well, yes... but that wasn’t going to help firm my upper arms. The article did say, “By using tricks such as listening to music, people can continue to feel good even slightly past their ventilatory threshold.” Surprisingly, I never worked out with music, so I decided to get a Spotify subscription for my iPhone, buy some proper fitness headphones and see if music could move me. I downloaded a playlist of four decades of favourite songs. And because no one else had to hear my music, I went to town with some of my secret favourites (true confession, I love the music from Dirty Dancing). And guess what? It worked! Not only did I begin to regularly push past my threshold, I actually kind of, sort of, liked it. The music takes the grind and the monotony away, I get to listen to songs I would otherwise only sing secretly in the shower and my calf muscles are getting definition. I’m never going to be a stair-climber queen, and I’ll always choose cozying up with a good book over the treadmill. But there’s a quote on Pinterest I try to keep in mind: “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” So like it or not, I’m choosing metamorphosis. I’ll have mine with music, thanks. — Kerry 2546 Government Street, Victoria, BC, V8T 4P7 • T 778.406.1380 Ext 459 Premier Dealer Group
YAM-3rd-9.58x2.39-VW-2015-layout-copy.indd 1
Highland model shown for illustration purposes only. Vehicles may not be exactly as shown. *Starting from price of $17,600 is based on the 2016 Jetta Trendline 1.4 TSI, 5-speed manual transmission with a MSRP ($15,995) and freight/PDI ($1605). DOC ($395), environmental levies ($100), tire levy ($25), license, insurance PPSA fee (up to $45.48, if applicable), registration ($495), options, any dealer or other charges, and applicable taxes are extra. Visit Volkswagen Victoria to view current offers. “Volkswagen”, the Volkswagen logo, “Trendline” and “Jetta”, are registered trademarks of Volkswagen AG. ©2016 Volkswagen Canada. DL 49914428 #31186
Volkswagen Victoria A Division of the GAIN Dealer Group 3329 Douglas Street | 250-475-2415 | vwvictoria.ca
$17,600* Starting from
More aggressive stance. More premium features. More value than ever.
The 2016 Jetta. 8
EDITOR’S NOTE
Email me at kslavens@pageonepublishing.ca YAM is on Facebook and tweets @YAMmagazine