Active Living: Getting Dirty in the Trails

Getting a little bit dirty running through the trails, listening to some good tunes, and being surrounded by gorgeous trees and a view of the water and the mountains was just what I needed this week.

I have your typical 9-5 office job where the majority of my day is spent in front of the computer. I am a Coordinator, which basically means "firefighter." Staff issues, program concerns, deadlines, meetings...all of these factors make for stressful days at work a lot of the time. I like my job, but an hour escape at lunch time is the perfect way for me to rejuvenate and get ready to face the issues of the afternoon.

I have never been a morning workout person. I committed for one summer, working out 4 mornings a week for a Triathlon training program, but have not returned to morning workouts since. I would always have a sick feeling throughout the whole workout and would feel worse rather than better during the day. I've also tried to commit to after work workouts, but find that by the end of an 8 hour work day, the last thing I feel like doing is going to a packed gym and fighting for machines.

I therefore use my lunch time to fit in a daily 'active living' practice. I do not engage in one self-chosen practice, but rather engage in a variety of practices. For example, this week, on Monday, I taught a noon hour muscle conditioning class called 'Hard Core Bod.' Tuesday, I went for a run through the SFU trails and then went for a walk with my boyfriend along Kits Beach that evening. Wednesday, I led the warm up for approximately 1200 walkers and runners at the SFU Burnaby Terry Fox Run. Thursday and Friday, I went back to the SFU trails for a run again.

I enjoy engaging in different 'active living' practices rather than just one. I feel this gives me balance. Teaching fitness classes provides me with the opportunity to educate others on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and encourages me to continue to learn new exercises and fitness tips to share with my class. Going for a run by myself is a time for me and only me to reflect. When I reflect on the day and work, I always find my mind 'clears up' during these runs, and I come back to the office with a new solution to a problem. Going for walks with my boyfriend is a time for both of us to be doing something active together while reflecting and talking about our days.

With the fall coming up, I hope the rain and cold won't discourage me and that I will continue to run the trails at SFU. Sometimes getting a bit dirty in the trails is just the kind of 'active living' practice I need to get me through the day.

The Journey Begins...

Sense of Active Living

Vancouver born and raised, I have been lucky enough to experience the kind of outdoor pursuits that others can only dream of experiencing. Skiing Whistler, hiking Black Tusk, surfing in Tofino, scuba diving Porteau Cove, waterskiing in Pitt Lake, kayaking in Deep Cove, windsurfing at Jericho Beach, rock climbing the Chief in Squamish, playing beach volleyball at Spanish Banks; these are the kinds of activities that allow me to truly appreciate health and active living in the gorgeous outdoor setting of Vancouver.

In addition to my interest in recreational outdoor pursuits, playing on the soccer, basketball, volleyball and softball teams in elementary and high school and obtaining a degree in Kinesiology from SFU helped to pave the way for my career in health and fitness. Starting out in aquatics as a lifeguard, swim and aquafit instructor, I soon became certified as a land fitness instructor and personal trainer. At Club Med Florida, Mexico and the Bahamas, I gained experience as a fitness instructor teaching people from all around the world. At Club Med Colorado and Japan, I was able to turn my passion of skiing into a career as I became certified as a Level II Ski Instructor.

Rockclimbing in Squamish



Skiing Kicking Horse, B.C.

 

Waterskiing in Cancun, Mexico



Hiking Yamnuska in Canmore, AB

Beach Vball at Jericho Beach, Vancouver

Scuba Diving in the Bahamas



Surfing in Tofino

Work Experience

In between my Club Med jobs, I held roles as a Group Fitness Coordinator at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, Fitness Director at the Robert Lee YMCA in downtown Vancouver and currently hold the role of Recreation Coordinator, Aquatics at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby.

HEAL MEd Expectations

My work experience and life experience has been centered on the concepts of health and active living. I am therefore hoping the HEAL Med program will enhance my knowledge of health and active living and bring with it a new perspective. I feel that in Recreation, the focus tends to be primarily on physical activity and nutrition. I realize that “health” encompasses much more than just these two elements and feel I have already gained a new perspective from just one weekend with my fellow HEALers.

Career Hopes

I hope to be able to better educate University students on the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle by applying the knowledge I learn in this program to my job as Recreation Coordinator at SFU. Eventually, I would like to do this as an instructor at a post secondary institution.  

Health Interests, Concerns and Questions

I am interested in all aspects of health, but am most interested in the barriers to physical activity. Why are so many of us unmotivated to be physically active? How can we change this? How does one get motivated to start an active lifestyle? Is it up to the individual or society? Does this lack of motivation differ from culture to culture?


Thank you for taking the time to read a little about my life. I look forward to growing, learning, sharing and laughing with the rest of my cohorts throughout our 2 year journey through HEAL!