Back to School, Back to Routine: Helping Teens Build Healthy Fitness Habits

Back to School, Back to Routine: Helping Teens Build Healthy Fitness Habits By Louise Malone, Manager, Fitness Engagement, Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA  September has a unique feel and rhythm.  School starts again, schedules fill up, activities resume, and it’s back to reality. Being here at the Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA, Montreal’s Jewish Community Centre, September also brings another New Year […]

So You Want to Become a Fitness Professional?

So You Want to Become a Fitness Professional? Here’s Where to Start By Louise Malone, Manager, Fitness Engagement, Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA Over the years, I’ve taught and worked with many people at the beginning of their careers in fitness. Some knew for years that this was what they wanted to do. Others came from completely different careers. […]

Without Health, Everything Is Nothing

Without Health, Everything Is Nothing Guest writer: Denyse Lewis, Y Fitness Integration Coach and Trainer A few years ago, I found myself sitting in a hospital emergency waiting room, scared and wondering what was wrong with me.  For weeks, my body had been sending signals that something wasn’t right. I’d lost a significant amount of weight without trying, my heart raced […]

More Than a Workout: Turning Your Passion for Fitness into a Profession

More Than a Workout: Turning Your Passion for Fitness into a Profession By Louise Malone, Manager of Fitness Engagement, Sylvan Adams YM-YWHA  For many people, fitness starts as a personal journey.  It begins with a goal, a challenge, a desire to feel stronger, healthier, or more confident. Along the way, something unexpected often happens. Fitness […]

Simplifying Strength Training

Simplifying Strength Training By Louise Malone, Fitness Team | Sylvan Adams YM‑YWHA  Walk into any fitness centre and you’ll see a variety of exercises, machines, programs, and advice. For many people, strength training can feel overly complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. At its core, strength training is simply the process of applying resistance to muscles, so they […]

Ask Louise: Your Real‑Life Fitness Questions—Answered

Ask Louise: Your Real‑Life Fitness Questions—Answered By Louise Malone, Fitness Team | Sylvan Adams YM‑YWHA  If you’ve ever walked into the gym at the Sylvan Adams YM‑YWHA or any gym for that matter and wondered, “Am I doing this right?” this one’s for you.  Here are some of the most common questions I hear on the gym floor.  How often should I work out?  While the American […]

Why Swimming Might Be the Smartest Workout You’re Not Doing (Especially Right Now)

Why Swimming Might Be the Smartest Workout You’re Not Doing (Especially Right Now) By Louise Malone, Manager of Fitness Engagement  As we move further into April, many of us start thinking about how we want to feel in the months ahead: stronger and more energized. For some, that means trying something new, especially when the […]

A Fresh Start for Your Fitness Journey

Out with the Old, In with the New: A Fresh Start for Your Fitness Journey By Louise Malone, Manager of Fitness Engagement There’s something powerful about this time of year. As the seasons begin to shift, many cultures and communities mark this moment with traditions rooted in renewal, reflection, and fresh beginnings. Whether it’s Passover cleaning, spring cleaning, […]

Fuel. Train. Recover. Repeat.

Fuel. Train. Recover. Repeat. Thoughts on Energy, Fat Loss, Muscle, and the Long Game By Louise Malone, Manager of Fitness Engagement Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: Your body is not the problem. The problem is that we’ve been sold decades of confusing, incomplete, and sometimes downright harmful information about food, […]

Strong Inside & Out

Strong Inside & Out By Louise Malone, Manager, Fitness Engagement, Sylvan Adams YM‑YWHA  International Women’s Day is a great reminder that strength isn’t just about muscles. It’s resilience. Confidence. Showing up for yourself, especially when life feels full (and late winter in Montreal feels very long).  Here’s the simple truth: your health deserves time on your calendar.     […]