Did you know that more than 40% of participants drop a fitness class shortly after it begins if they attend on their own? But if they work out with a friend, the dropout rate decreases to 6%. This suggests that social support encourages physical activity. Beyond the benefits of social interaction, working out with a friend is one of the best ways to keep you accountable, work harder, and stay focused on your goals. In fact, having the right workout buddy can often be the difference between failure and success. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider working out with a friend:

We’ve all had those mornings…

You wake up from a terrible night’s sleep (or maybe no sleep at all) when it quickly descends upon you: brain fog.

For the rest of the day, you’re just not sharp. You can’t seem to focus. You uncharacteristically have to read or hear information repeatedly before you ‘get it.’ As the day wears on, you become cranky and short-tempered, too. This groggy scenario is a common one facing many Canadians.

We ask our doctors about health care, seek guidance from financial advisors when making investments, we ask for support and guidance for raising our kids, maintaining our cars and sometimes even selecting the latest fashion. So why not ask the experts when it comes to reaching our fitness goals? Working with a personal trainer is informative, motivating and proven to lead to success. The YMCA is staffed with certified personal trainers ready to get you on track towards your fitness goals today. Still not sure? Take a look at what the Y’s highly sought after personal trainer, Shelley Everitt, has to say about hiring a personal trainer.

We’re all doing our best to adapt to this new normal, but it’s tough. We asked yoga instructor Emilie to share some techniques for building emotional resilience, or the strength we need to handle challenging situations (like the one we’re in right now!) calmly. Here’s her simple step-by-step guide to meditation that will leave you feeling a little more zen.

You’ve been invited to your first video job interview.  Congratulations! This might be a brand-new experience for you, as remote meetings with hiring managers have increasingly become the standard in a post-pandemic world. 

While  a virtual job interview is similar to one that takes place in person by allowing you to detail your expertise for the role and learn more about the position, there are a few  factors and things to be aware of that can help or hurt your chances of getting the job.  Be sure to check out our  video interview tips  below to give yourself that extra edge, nail the  interview and secure an offer!

Our YMCA Camps team has some experience that could help you protect your mental health. Try the super-simple, soothing activity they usually do during out-trips: soloing.

The experience of summer camp, whether it’s a day camp or an overnight camp, is incredibly impactful on a child’s life. It is often their first time away from home without family or friends. For young children, it can be a big step, but it allows them to grow and learn about themselves, while creating life-long memories.

Marika Heilker started out as a youth camper at YMCA Camp Elphinstone. Now, the 19-year-old is preparing to return to the Sunshine Coast facility as a counsellor for the second time in 2022.

When Marika Heilker thinks back on her early experiences at YMCA Camp Elphinstone, she’s mindful of how the young adults serving as camp counsellors made a lasting impression – one that she still feels to this day.

There are lots of great resources with activity ideas for young children. Here are three of our current favourites.

It’s confusing to figure out which direction we should be pulled among these highs and lows in our world– and we’re the adults! Can you imagine how it is for the children in our lives?

For a guy who works in YMCA Health, Fitness and Aquatics centres, you’d think the moment I decided it was time to take my health more seriously, all I had to do was step up to the starting line. But no. As a father of two busy, active children, I’d come to a place where I knew I didn’t want, as the years pass, to have to say to my kids, “No, I’m tired. Maybe later.” I want the energy to keep up with them (okay, within reason). I want to maintain, even optimize, my health.

February is a great month to talk about mental health, as in some places across Canada and around the world, the second week of February is dedicated to honouring Children’s Mental Health. If you’d like to do similar honouring in your practice for that week, or ongoing with the children in your lives, mindfulness is a great place to start. Why? Mindfulness is key to helping children manage stress and anxiety, and it helps foster the growth of a child’s self-regulation, positive emotions, and self-compassion. If you need suggestions as to where to start with Mindfulness, BigLifeJournal’s 5 Fun Mindfulness Activities for Kids has got you covered.

There are any number of reasons why we strive for lifelong health and fitness. Sports and recreation programs give us the opportunity to improve our health physically, mentally, and socially while also building relationships through common activities and experiences. It helps us develop healthy lifestyles, and engage more fully in living. Sport and recreation build stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities.

Everyone experiences anxiety, stress and low mood at some point. Throughout the pandemic, many have been reporting elevated stress levels and poorer mental health, so it’s never been more important to ensure we are adequately coping with life’s challenges.

Fortunately, there are a wide variety of tools and resources available that can help. Keeping your mental wellbeing top of mind and taking small steps toward self-care can go a long way in helping to relieve stress and persevering through periods of anxiety. Take a look at some of our recommendations below for mental wellness and mindfulness books, podcasts, apps and more!

As we enter the coldest winter months of the year, it could be tempting to use food as a way to manage difficult emotions and stress. But it doesn’t have to be this way!

We have some great tips from our partners at the Heart and Stroke Foundation about how to keep your relationship with food healthy and happy as we navigate the next few months together.

Morning-after aches can be a good thing — they’re often proof you got a good workout the day before. Still, they can be pretty uncomfortable, especially if you tried a brand-new exercise for the first time, or upped your reps. Here are four ways to alleviate that day-after soreness, so you can feel ready for one of our online classes again tomorrow.

If you’re looking to decrease screen time and get your kids more active, basketball can do exactly that. Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world, it’s accessible and a fantastic sport to start at a young age. Getting kids to learn basic skills has many benefits all of which have the potential to create a solid foundation for later in life. We took the time to break down two huge benefits of getting kids in the game at a young age. Read on for more information.

We spend approximately a third of our lives at work. That’s about 90,000 hours. It’s countless lunches and coffee breaks. And -- increasingly – it's where we meet and make lasting friendships, that carry on even if roles or jobs change.