06th March 2009
Copyright (c) 2009 Ainsley Laing
I started teaching fitness classes a long time ago. So long ago, in fact, that Jane Fonda was THE NAME in fitness and all the classes were called Aerobics. In those days, there was no certification for instructors and m...
22nd September 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
In July, my daughter and I went snow skiing (yes, I did say July - southern hemisphere winter). During the week we skied, both of us took lots of lessons. My daughter because she is new to skiing and me because the la...
02nd September 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
One of the most rewarding things about being a fitness trainer is empowering someone to accomplish their goals and watching them do it. Everyone has a different reason for embracing a fitness lifestyle, but the outcome...
17th July 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
As a trainer, I often get this question: don't I need to do long duration aerobic training to burn fat? The answer is (drum roll please) both aerobic (low intensity) training and anaerobic (high intensity) training will...
23rd June 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
Shmuley Boteach, an accomplished theologian, writer and moral leader, writes in his article "Six Values for Raising Outstanding Children" that it is important to stress purpose as opposed to happiness. He goes on to sa...
20th June 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
We have all been hearing a lot lately about our Omega-3 fatty acid to Omega-6 ratios and how the typical western diet has "flipped" the ratio backwards. Basically, we eat too many omega-6, not enough omega-3 and too mu...
11th June 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
Ok guys out there, it's unofficially official. Hollywood is right. Involved and caring Fathers are major "Babe Magnets". How do I know this? Through observation and experimentation, of course! A bit of background fi...
20th May 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
When my husband, Dave, and I first started housekeeping together (we are still newlyweds...), he used to shake his head and occasionally comment on my refusal to use artificial chemical cleaning products in the home. Ye...
06th May 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
Forty years ago, when I was a kid (and a vegetarian newbie), vegetarianism was not common. The statement "I am a vegetarian" was met with a simple "Oh". Then came the 1980s when it became fashionable to be vegetarian fo...
28th March 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
Kids have the most amazing insight if you stop and listen to them. Our daughter has an adult relative who lives far away who said to her "I wish I could see you more often". Do you know what she said later? I don't t...
27th March 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
One of the qualities I really appreciate my husband Dave for is that he knows how to listen to criticism without defense, evaluate it and use the knowledge. It's easy to see how this life skill (among others) has incre...
11th March 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
We live in a world where when someone wrongs us, often we are told "I'm sorry" and the reply is usually "never mind", "forget about it" or "it's nothing". This works 99.9% of the time. But what about when someone has ...
18th February 2008
Copyright (c) 2008 Ainsley Laing
Aah, Valentine's Day. What a great holiday. Did you know that the origin of this holiday is not really known? There are lots of suggestions by historians...but no one really knows for sure. Try doing a web search fo...
14th November 2007
Copyright (c) 2007 Ainsley LaingA large well known fitness facility company has a “no grunting” policy. Last year, they made news in the U.S. when they called the police to escort a member out of the gym for grunting. What’s the deal with that?Ok...
07th November 2007
Copyright (c) 2007 Ainsley LaingA win on the lottery is not the key to enduring happiness, according to researchers in the UK and US who study what makes people happy. Apparently, after the initial euphoria wears off, people return to the same level of ha...
