Tips For Keeping Your Kids Active And Entertained Over The Summer

With summer quickly approaching and school almost over, you’re probably looking for ways to keep your kids active and entertained this summer. If you’re lucky enough to be able to stay home with your kids over the summer months, make sure to plan a couple activities each week that are different and will keep your children engaged and away from the television. 

• Take a bike ride to a park a fair distance from home, bring and lunch and make a day of it. Pick up a friend or two on the way and create a cycling caravan! 
• You could also walk through the park and bring a book on wildlife so you can learn about the animals and plants you see. 
• The Peel/Halton region also has a multitude of conservation areas where you can go for an easy walk or a challenging hike, take advantage of the nice weather and see what’s in your backyard.

For those of you who are unable to stay home with your kids over the summer, or even for those who can, but are looking for a more structured program to keep your kids active, the Sports Training Academy is a great way to keep kids active over the summer. They offer 5 daily and weekly sport camps for children ages 2-13 including: multi-sport, hockey, golf, junior academy and gymnastics. All of their camps are a wonderful way to teach your kids new sports, keep them active and have fun this summer!

Synthetic Ice Surface

Trampoline/Tumbling Track

The Sports Training Academy prides itself on developing well-rounded athletes. The 25,000 sq ft indoor multi-sport facility comprises of a synthetic ice rink/skating treadmills, driving range/golf simulators/putting green, turfed field, fitness zone and gymnastics studio which allows athletes of all ages and stages to try their hand at a variety of sports. With everything you need under one roof, the Sports Training Academy is a one-stop shop for all of your children’s sport training needs. One child can be in the gymnastics studio learning a new tumbling routine, while another can be on the ice learning a wrist shot, or on the field perfecting their soccer dribbling skills. 

Many of the programs offered at the Sports Training Academy also focus on multi-sport instruction. The after school program, Junior Academy and the Summer/PA/Winter break camps all allow child athletes to test their skills at many sports each day. At the end of the day, it is their goal that a child will go home with a desire to learn more about a new sport, or tell mom and dad how they were finally able to hit a baseball without a tee!

At the Sports Training Academy, all accomplishments are recognized and the positive reinforcement from coaches and trainers steer athletes in the direction of success. The coaches are all trained in their fields (including university or national level athletes) and each department is run by individuals who also have extensive experience competing in each sport, as well as many degrees related to their department. Coaches and teammates work together to develop the best all-round athletes.

Check out their website for more pictures and information on how to register for their programs.

momstown Oakville moms lose over 100lbs and 50 inches in our first ever fitness challenge!

A big congratulations to all the momstown Oakville moms who participated in our first ever fitness challenge! Last night was the final weigh in and these Oakville moms knocked it out of the park!  Everyone did really well and whether they were in it to lose pounds, inches or just to become more active I think the challenge was a resounding success.  As a group, we lost 113 lbs and 52 inches in 6 weeks!

A big thank you to all of our sponsors!  momstown Oakville moms loved trying so many places and workouts that were new to them. To recap, here are the workouts we did:

Spinning with Quad Spin

Bootcamp with Fitdolls

Pilates with The Belle Method

Zumba with Binu

Sports training with The Sports Academy

Body Pump and Yoga led by one of our own momstown Oakville mamas

Whole Body Vibration Training with T-Zone Oakville

And we had a nutritional seminar with Living Force Nutrition.

For our final weigh in, we gathered together at Whole Foods where Ryan from Fitness on the Go took our measurements and we weighed in.  Ryan was professional and encouraging and stayed around to offer us some tips and tricks to continue down our healthier path.  I asked him what three exercises would he recommend to start each day with and he suggests push ups, squats and the plank.  We also talked protein powder, weight lifting and of course, his area of expertise, personal training.  Be sure to check out the Fitness on the Go website to learn how you can get Ryan to come and whip you in to shape right in your own house!  A very easy option for moms - get that workout in while baby naps upstairs!

We also had Paula from Body by Vi speak to the group about her transformational change (she lost 32lbs in her first 90 days and then another 50 lbs after that!) using the Body by Vi weight loss system.  Paula delivered great information about what worked for her, answered all of our questions and handed out some tasty samples!  In addition to samples from Paula, samples of Nature’s Qu Quinoa Cereal Embrace Foods were also given out.  Adding protein to your breakfast was a great tip we received from our nutritionist seminar and quinoa cereal would be a fabulous way to do that.

And then finally it was time to announce the winners!  

Congratulations to Jody who lost the highest percentage of body weight (9% in 6 weeks)!

Congratulations to Stacey who lost the most inches (10.5 inches in 6 weeks)!

I love that we could all get fit together and inspired one another to make healthy lifestyle changes and try new things.  Another benefit to being a momstown mama!  momstown Oakville is working on our next fitness challenge starting in mid September.  Want to join us?  Sign up here!

momstown Oakville moms train like athletes at The Sports Training Academy

momstown Oakville moms completed another fitness challenge workout last night at The Sports Training Academy.  The Sports Training Academy offers a wide range of sports training in the areas of hockey, baseball, golf, gymnastics and overall sports performance training.  I'll admit that I don't think that many of the ladies knew what to expect going in to this workout but I know that we were all impressed (and tired!) by the time the workout was over.

The Sports Training Academy's fitness expert Steve Teel took us through a 70 minute workout that included extensive stretching and hard core strength training.  Steve did a fantastic job at explaining the stretches he instructed us to do and everyone doing the class could be heard commenting on how the stretches felt great and were really effective. Steve was really upbeat the entire time and really encouraging too.   While we were stretching, Steve talked about the importance of mobility and the ability for your body to have balance and agility - something that many kids today are lacking even if they compete in sports on a regular basis.

After we stretched, we moved into some circuit training.  When I saw the huge ropes lying on the ground (that weigh 28 lbs each!) I immediately thought of the tv show Biggest Loser!  They often do workouts using things like a rope, kettlebells and medicine balls - all things that we used last night as well.

Steve led us through a circuit that included planks, side planks, pushups, pop squats with a kettlebell. squats with a medicine ball - sounds fun, right?  Fun might not be the word (although we did have quite a few laughs while working out) but it was an incredible workout that was challenging and made me feel strong.

Here is what what some of our members had to say:

"Best workout!!!" - Michelle

"I felt just amazing this morning - That stretching alone was gold last night!" - Melanie

I was talking to my husband when I got home and when I described the workout, he thought it sounded great and mentioned it was a type of workout that appealed to him as well.  If you'd like more information about working out with The Sports Academy training team, please email the owner, Mike Kennedy.  The Sports Training Academy also offers birthday party packages, after school programs and summer camps too!

momstown Oakville moms get fit and have fun with Zumba with Binu

momstown Oakville moms participated in another great workout last night as part of our fitness challenge. We got movin' and groovin' with Zumba with Binu! This was my first time doing a Zumba class and while I expected it to be at least a little fun, it was incredibly fun and I was pleasantly surprised.

Here are my three favourite things about last night's workout:

1.  I had a goofy (albeit sweaty) smile on my face the whole time.  It really is fun!

2.  This workout reminded me of being on vacation.  What??  It's true!  I felt like I was at an all inclusive resort in Mexico feeling the vibe of the nightly entertainment when they get everyone involved in the dancing.

3.  I was also reminded of dance parties with my university house mates, loved those and loved that this workout felt just as fun.

Bottom line?  This is a really fun way to get fit and Binu is an amazing instructor with great energy.

There was a pretty big group of participants last night and it ranged for many people having their first Zumba experience to those that had done a few classes before.  At the end of our class with Binu, we all agreed that her choreography was easy to follow and that none of us felt lost.  The music was fantastic and we had a great variety in the steps and routines that were used.  I had a lot of energy during the class and could feel my mood being elevated as I got more and more into the workout.

Getting down and funky!

Shaking it up!

I had a hard time getting good pictures as we barely stopped moving for the entire 60 minutes!  After we jumped, danced, shook, moved and grooved, we did end the class with some ab work and some stretching which was a nice way to wind down and finish up the workout.

Binu leading the group and getting our feet in the air, followed by some stretching.

Here is what some of our members had to say about the class:

"I loved her energy! It was a great class and not too hard to follow the moves." - Stacey

"I am sore today....a good sore.  I love workouts like that because you get so caught up in the fun and dancing that you forget you're working so hard." - Jody

Binu's current session goes until March 31st (daytime and evening options, click here for the schedule) and you can join anytime. Classes will be prorated based on number of weeks left in the session.  First class is always free! You can drop in if room is available. Drop in fee is $15. If you sign up for the session regardless of how many classes are left, the price is cheaper.  Binu offers weights classes for women as well and most of her classes are run out of the Sports Training Academy in Oakville.

Hope you take advantage of the free class option and try out Zumba with Binu - you won't regret it!

Oakville's Junior Academy Fitness Program for Kids Gets A Top Score!

For the past few weeks, momstown Oakville moms and kids were lucky enough to be able to participate in The Sports Training Academy's new Junior Academy programs.  While it was obvious that the kids were having a blast, I wanted to chat with the head coach, Carly Isic, to find out more about their programs.

Q:  What is the Junior Academy?
The Junior Academy was developed to facilitate the growth and development of children aged 2-5 and to encourage them to participate in sport and fitness activities that will lead to adopting a healthy, active lifestyle now and into the future. It is a day-time program that incorporates the fundamentals of sport, exercise and health (flexibility, strength, endurance) with the basic skills pertinent to healthy growth and development (such as hand-eye co-ordination, balance, gross motor skills, and spatial and body awareness).

The program introduces children, through weekly one-hour sessions, to the fun and exciting world of sport and exercise while at the same time building on developmental skills. The activities and games played at the Junior Academy are age appropriate using a variety of child-sized equipment making it easier for their little bodies to work with. The child’s self-confidence is enhanced through encouragement from coaches and class-mates, and feedback from coaches guides children to success!

Q:  Tell us how your background augments the programs being offered?
I (Head Coach Carly) have masters in Pediatric Exercise and Health and so Junior Academy programs offer more than just sport instruction. I am able to apply my knowledge of how children exercise, how their bodies adapt to exercise, and what affect physical activity has on children to the program to make it the most beneficial it can be.

Q:  What have kids loved best so far about your programs?
The kids have loved using their imagination and turning exercise into play. Jumping on the trampoline has proven to be a popular warm-up!

Q:  When are the next sessions starting?
A 7-week program runs from Monday February 4 - Friday March 29, 2013 (excluding March Break).  The cost of the 8 week program is $120, plus HST. For more information, I encourage you to visit our website.

The classes were very energetic and engaging and allowed the kids to enjoy every activity.  Here is what some of our members had to say:

"This is so much fun!!! Went today and my son had a blast!"

"Carmelo loves the Junior Academy class. The instructor Carly is great with the kids and the activities are fun."

Thanks to the Junior Academy for such a great time!