5 fitness tips from a top trainer

Fit for life

When Geoff Bagshaw taught his first fitness class 26 years ago, he had no idea how far it would take him. “I’m fortunate that my job enables me to teach fitness, and to travel to such places as Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Yellowknife. It’s interesting to see which fitness trends take off in different cultures.”

Twice awarded Can-Fit-Pro’s Canadian Fitness Presenter of the Year award, the Vancouver native motivates tens of thousands of people each year through his classes, workshops and DVDs. “I’ve made incredible friends through fitness,” says Bagshaw, 45. Now living in Florida, he’s the group fitness manager at the Equinox fitness club in Aventura, and he knows what it takes to stay in optimal health. His mantra? “There is no finish line. We are on the road of fitness for life.”

Make every minute count

“Less is more-you don’t need to log long hours of fitness. By working out in a time-efficient manner, you can accomplish a lot in a short period of time.”

Learn to rest

“I look forward to my days off when I don’t exercise. This is when my body gets stronger and rebuilds its muscle. If you constantly push your body, you may experience symptoms of overtraining such as fatigue and even depression. Depending on your personal level of activity, I recommend one to two days off a week so your body can recover.”

Fuel for fitness

“By eating a wide variety of foods, my body gets what it needs to keep me going throughout the day. And I’m a strong believer in using supplements to complement my diet and keep my body at peak performance. Although we may do our best to eat well, it’s hard to get everything we need from our meals. I take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement along with omega-3 (wild salmon oil), vitamins C and D and alpha-lipoic acid (a powerful antioxidant).”

Eat dark chocolate, berries and carbs

“I choose foods that are anti-inflammatory and have a high level of antioxidants: blueberries, strawberries and açai berries, dark chocolate, salmon, nuts, green vegetables and whole grains.

What drives me crazy is the misunderstanding about carbohydrates: Fruit, vegetables and whole grains are good carbs; white breads, regular pasta and anything sugary-cookies, cakes-are bad carbs and should be limited.”

Enjoy cheat nights

“I believe in ‘cheating’ from time to time. One of my favourite pastimes is going out to eat. You can still take pleasure in treats when you maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.”

Related:
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• How to make exercice a habit
• How to ease muscle pain after exercice