Healthy No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

Healthy No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Balls

(Makes 12 Balls) ½ cup rolled oats ¼ cup whole wheat flour ¼ cup natural peanut butter (or other nut butter) ¼ sugar-free maple syrup Optional: 1 Scoop Vanilla (Chocolate would work also) Whey Protein Powder Optional: ¼ semi-sweet dark chocolate chips or Cocoa Powder Optional: 1 Tbsp H

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Improve Core Strength & Stability with Swiss Ball Mountain Climbers

Improve Core Strength & Stability with Swiss Ball Mountain Climbers

A question I get on a daily basis is “what is your favourite ab exercise?”  My answer to this questions is always “there are too many to choose from, but I prefer exercises that give me the most bang for my buck”, meaning I like exercises that work more than one body part at a time.  The e

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Tired of Treadmill Boredom? Try This Walk/Run Interval Program

Tired of Treadmill Boredom? Try This Walk/Run Interval Program

There are many different ways to work out on a treadmill, but the kind of workout I find most effective, least boring, and torches lot’s of calories is interval training.  If you are stuck working out indoors this winter, interval training can be done on any machine, in many different ways, and t

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Tips to Start Cutting Calories & Dropping Pounds Right Now!

Tips to Start Cutting Calories & Dropping Pounds Right Now!

Well it’s 2012 and I’m sure some of you have either not yet started your resolutions or have already fallen off the wagon.  Was your resolution to lose weight in 2012? Get in better shape? Or just live a healthier lifestyle? Don’t feel bad if you are one of those whom the new year’s resolut

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Free Weights or Machine Weights, Which is Better?

Free Weights or Machine Weights, Which is Better?

This is a question I get a lot from clients and regulars in the gym, so I thought this would be a great topic to discuss to start off the year right.  For starters, by free weights I mean dumbbells or barbells and by machine weights I mean large machines and pulley systems found in most gyms.  Whe

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CORE CONDITIONING FEATURED IN THE SURREY NOW NEWSPAPER FOR NEW BOOTCAMP

CORE CONDITIONING FEATURED IN THE SURREY NOW NEWSPAPER FOR NEW BOOTCAMP

FITNESS MADE FUN AT BOOTCAMP By Carolyn Cooke, Surrey NowDecember 22, 2011 Michelle Roots, fitness writer, trainer and owner of Core Condition, does a one-handed push-up. She's offering a new boot camp class in Newton. Photograph by: ADAM KVETON, for Surrey NOW   If you're contempla

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3 Ways to Make Exercise a Habit & Stick With It!

3 Ways to Make Exercise a Habit & Stick With It!

A common trend I see as a personal trainer is people falling on and off “the wagon” from season to season with regards to weight loss, eating healthy, and working out. Reasons for this could be that they choose a goal that is too hard to stick to long term, set too many goals all at once, or the

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Only 20 Spare Minutes to Hit the Treadmill? Make Sure you HIIT It!

Only 20 Spare Minutes to Hit the Treadmill? Make Sure you HIIT It!

This time of year is very busy for a number of people and many try to make excuses for not working out often leading to feelings of guilt, which then leads to overeating.  “Well I’ve already missed my workout, I might as well just eat what I want and start fresh tomorrow”.  Does this sound l

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NEW BOOTCAMP CLASS STARTING IN SURREY JANUARY 23, 2012!!

NEW BOOTCAMP CLASS STARTING IN SURREY JANUARY 23, 2012!!

ONLY 20 PEOPLE ACCEPTED PER CLASS SO SECURE YOUR SPOT NOW BY EMAILING MICHELLE@CORE-CONDITION.COM FOR A REGISTRATION FORM Pricing:   1 class per week (6 sessions) $102.00 + HST = $114.24 2 classes per week (12 sessions) $180.00 + HST = $201.60   CLICK HERE To Sign-Up Online  CLASS

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Christmas Gift Ideas for the Fitness & Health Nut in your Life

Christmas Gift Ideas for the Fitness & Health Nut in your Life

Christmas is a time of year when people tend to loosen the leash a little bit in their regular diet, allowing for a few more indulgences.  January is then a time when everyone wants to get back into shape and work off those “holiday pounds”.  If you have a loved one who is a fitness fanatic

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Make Every Trip to the Mall a Workout This Holiday Season

Make Every Trip to the Mall a Workout This Holiday Season

It’s hard to believe it, but Christmas is right around the corner and that means countless hours spent in the mall for many people.  Don’t let long hours of shopping and Christmas stress keep you from getting regular exercise.  Just 30-minutes a day of physical activity can go a long way; ther

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What is Metabolism and How to Increase your Own?

What is Metabolism and How to Increase your Own?

When is comes to diets, weight loss, and working out a word that is commonly thrown around is metabolism. A lot of clients ask me questions like: what exactly is metabolism? Why is it important? How do I speed it up? And does it get slower as I age? I felt this article would help clear up some myths

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Don't Forget the Stabilizers: Prevent Injury by Improving Hip Stabilization

Don’t Forget the Stabilizers: Prevent Injury by Improving Hip Stabilization

It is a very common occurrence people head to the gym to perform their leg workout consisting of exercises that focus on strengthening the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstring muscles; however, what many people fail to recognize is the importance of building strength in the hip stabilizers to prevent i

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8 Ways to Avoid Germs at the Gym This Flu Season

8 Ways to Avoid Germs at the Gym This Flu Season

Well, cold temperatures are moving in and cold and flu season is almost in full effect.  To prevent sore throats, sniffles, and body aches it is important to avoid the germs that cause these symptoms.  Places shared by many people are often high-risk areas and the gym, as much as we wouldn’t lik

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Burn Baby Burn!! Burn More Fat with Metabolic Workouts

Burn Baby Burn!! Burn More Fat with Metabolic Workouts

People are always looking for ways to be more efficient in their workouts and burn more calories during a in less time. If this is you, then perhaps you should take a look at adding metabolic circuit training into you exercise routine. The days of low slow cardio are coming to an end, people are ver

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PRODUCT REVIEW: Gymboss Interval Timer

PRODUCT REVIEW: Gymboss Interval Timer

Sitting in Starbucks I was pondering what kind of fitness tip I could provide my readers with this week, when I glanced over into my gym bag to see my trusty Gymboss interval timer clipped in it’s usual place (the inside pocket).   Perfect!  I can’t believe I have not told you all about one o

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Prevent Hockey Injuries with a Pre-Game Dynamic Warm-Up

Prevent Hockey Injuries with a Pre-Game Dynamic Warm-Up

  “The warm-up may be one of the greatest performance enhancers or detriments to an athlete’s performance” –Unknown What is a dynamic warm-up? A series of exercises geared towards getting the body moving in ways comparable with the demands of a specific sport. Body temperature

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Snack Your Way to Weight Loss Success!

Snack Your Way to Weight Loss Success!

Eating unhealthy snacks between meals or skipping snacks all together can truly be diet disasters.  The more sugar you consume, the more sugar the body craves; therefore, snacking between meals on foods that are high in sugar and low in protein will not keep you full and will leave a craving for mo

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3 Exercises to Tone & Firm your Glutes This Winter

3 Exercises to Tone & Firm your Glutes This Winter

This is usually a topic that interests women of all ages; however, both men and women can reap the benefits of strengthening and toning their glutes.  Women normally want tighter buns for the image of the popular “bubble butt”, but women should not be the only ones looking to increase muscle to

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What is the

What is the “Fat Burning Zone” and Does it Really Exist?

If you exercise regularly then I am sure you have heard about the “fat burning zone” and that working out in this “zone” will burn fat and lose weight most efficiently.  Most people begin working out or continue to work out for one main reason: to lose weight.  The fat burning zone has bee

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Setting New Fitness Goals? Make Sure they are SMART Goals!

Setting New Fitness Goals? Make Sure they are SMART Goals!

The kids have gone back to school and everyone seems to be falling back into their regular routines or starting new workout and weight loss regimens.  Goal setting is a vital part to success, but vague unrealistic goals will not get you to where you want to be.  Here is a great 5 step method to

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Circuit Training: What Can it Do For You?

Circuit Training: What Can it Do For You?

Circuit training is a type of workout program that combines cardiovascular fitness and resistance training.  It is based on the idea of building routines with multiple “stations” each focused on different muscle groups and is designed to push the body aerobically, while still challenging streng

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Fitness Buzzword Explained: What is HIIT & Why is it so Good?

Fitness Buzzword Explained: What is HIIT & Why is it so Good?

HIIT has been a popular buzzword in the fitness industry for quite some time, but I still get many people asking what it is and why it’s so popular? HIIT is an abbreviation standing for high-intensity interval training. It is a form of cardiovascular exercise believed to increase fat burn through

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Start Preparing your Body Now for Winter Sports to Reduce Injury & Unwanted Muscle Soreness

Start Preparing your Body Now for Winter Sports to Reduce Injury & Unwanted Muscle Soreness

With this beautiful August weather I know it’s seems absurd to begin thinking about winter and all the sports and activities that come along with colder temperatures; however, there is no time like the present to begin preparing your body to decrease the possibility of injury and excessive muscle

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Snack Time? Try a Pumpkin & Granola Parfait

Snack Time? Try a Pumpkin & Granola Parfait

If you love pumpkin flavoured anything as much as I do, then you will love this parfait recipe!  You can just use a little bit of granola instead of crunching up a granola bar if you want, just be careful with how much you throw in there ;) ENJOY!!   Ingredients: 1 container (6 ounce

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Drink More H20 to Avoid Unnecessary Snacking & Dehydration

Drink More H20 to Avoid Unnecessary Snacking & Dehydration

Well it’s August and summer has finally arrived! It took a long time to get here, but now that we are spending more time in the sun and warmer temperatures it’s imperative that we drink more water!  The average person should be drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day; however, increased ex

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Switch up the Flavour to Prevent Breakfast Oatmeal Boredom

Switch up the Flavour to Prevent Breakfast Oatmeal Boredom

  One of the best quick breakfasts you can prepare is a bowl of oatmeal, especially if you are active and health conscious. Oatmeal is rich in complex, energy-sustaining carbohydrates, low in fat and high in fiber. What's more it is economically priced and easy to make!  Pre-packaged oatmeal, alt

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Stretch the Hips after Running to Prevent Injury & Muscle Soreness

Stretch the Hips after Running to Prevent Injury & Muscle Soreness

  Running is probably down right one of the best forms of exercise you can do to improve cardiovascular fitness and lower body endurance, as well as decrease body fat; however, all these great benefits can come with potential risks.  Running can be very hard on the joints and increase muscl

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No Bake Protein Nutrition Bar Recipe

No Bake Protein Nutrition Bar Recipe

Getting sick of buying expensive protein bars from the store? Or hate eating all the unknown additives put in those bars to make them taste like chocolate bars?  Try these out! They containe healthy dietary fats, no sugar added, and no artificial ingrediants! YUMMMM!! Ingredients:  5 tbs

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Tips to Avoid Late Night Snacking AKA Diet Sabotage!

Tips to Avoid Late Night Snacking AKA Diet Sabotage!

  Most people can manage eating healthy throughout the day with well rounded meals and snacks; however, it’s after dinner when the “snacking bug” hits and will power is put to the test.  Giving in to late night cravings can be diet sabotage preventing weight loss and possibly causing

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CORE Talk: What is it Exactly? Why do we need to Strengthen it?

CORE Talk: What is it Exactly? Why do we need to Strengthen it?

CORE('Kor): "the central, innermost, or most essential part of anything" www.dictionary.com   The muscles associated with CORE Stability are muscles that link the trunk-abdominal region to the shoulder girdle and pelvic region.  When people hear the word CORE they normally think about th

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How to Build a Home Gym on a Budget

How to Build a Home Gym on a Budget

The term “home gym” can be taken way out of perspective when people imagine what they need to have in the room they exercise in at home in order to call it a “home gym”.  You do not need large pieces of expensive cardio equipment or weight machines to create a gym in your home; all you need

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How's your Squat? 6 Tips for the Perfect Bodyweight Squat

How’s your Squat? 6 Tips for the Perfect Bodyweight Squat

I spend the majority of my time each day in the gym training my clients and tend to observe a lot of people performing exercises with poor form, occasionally to the point that I am worried some will result in injury.  This gave me the idea for this week’s column: how to perform a squat with prope

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Great Tasting Energy Muffins

Great Tasting Energy Muffins

These muffins are a great healthy snack idea to keep you going between meals.  Get creative with different flavors and let me know which are the best!  I personally like making the chocolate banana muffins the most and occasionally add bluberries also! INGREDIENTS: • 2 cups egg whites •

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5 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain on Vacation

5 Tips to Avoid Weight Gain on Vacation

Vacation is a time to let loose and relax, eat foods you wouldn’t normally eat, and consume more alcoholic beverages; however, this often results returning home with unwanted extra “luggage” around the waist. Vacation is supposed to be a time to indulge and take a break from your regular daily

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3 Exercises to Help Improve Upper Body Posture

3 Exercises to Help Improve Upper Body Posture

Growing up as a kid I remember my mom always telling me to “sit up straight” and “don’t slouch”; however,  until I began to learn about how important proper posture is in living a pain-free, injury-free, and more comfortable life, I never really paid much attention to my posture.   Now

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Pre-Workout Warm Up: Static or Dynamic?

Pre-Workout Warm Up: Static or Dynamic?

It is very important to have a proper warm-up routine to ensure the body is prepared for the demands about to be placed in on during an activity or sport.  The body is more capable of performing at a higher level when the muscles are warm and more flexible decreasing the possibility of injury durin

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5 Benefits of Adding Plyometrics to your Fitness Routine

5 Benefits of Adding Plyometrics to your Fitness Routine

Plyometrics are a way of utilizing fast, powerful movements to develop lower body strength and power through improving the way the nervous system works.   Although commonly used by athletes to improve performance in sports, they can also be a very important addition to any regular fitness regimen.

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Low-Fat Peanut Butter Yogurt

Low-Fat Peanut Butter Yogurt

I like to eat this recipe on its own, but you can also use it as a dip for apples/bananas, or any other fruit or veggies you prefer.  This is so tasty, but make sure you watch portion sizes because it is easy to get carried away with this recipe!! INGREDIENTS: • 1 cup plain nonfat yogur

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Tips to Prevent Weight Gain this BBQ Season

Tips to Prevent Weight Gain this BBQ Season

Summer is finally here which means plenty of family picnics, barbecues, and other social gatherings. The wide array of chips, dips, grilled meats, homemade side dishes, and tasty desserts often poses a problem for those trying to watch their weight and stick to a healthy diet. Losing weight shouldn

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Fun Ways to Burn Calories Outside the Gym

Fun Ways to Burn Calories Outside the Gym

  It’s a miracle!  Summer and warm weather has finally arrived here in BC!  I am not sure how long it will stick around so we better get outside and enjoy the sun as much as we can.  The gym is a great weatherproof workout location, but there is no better way to switch up your workout than

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Pasta with a PUNCH!

Pasta with a PUNCH!

This great tasting pasta has the perfect combination of veggies, protein, and complex carbs to properly fuel the body. Ready in 20 minutes • Makes 2 servings INGREDIENTS: • 1/4 cup green pepper, chopped • 1/4 cup onion, chopped • 1 cup whole-wheat fettuccini (about 1/5 of box)

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VIDEO: One of my Favourite Pieces of Fitness Equipment-TRX Suspension Trainer

VIDEO: One of my Favourite Pieces of Fitness Equipment-TRX Suspension Trainer

A piece of equipment known for supporting a revolution in body weight training and a very popular “craze” in the fitness industry right now is the TRX Suspension Trainer.  Many professional athletes, MMA fighters, and celebrities have been known to train with the TRX making this piece of equipm

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Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin D?

I found this interesting post on EatingWell.com: By Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.   I know I’m not getting enough vitamin D, which—as a dietitian and nutrition editor of EatingWell Magazine—I hate to admit. Except for in my coffee, I don’t care much for milk (a food that’s fortified wi

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Java Protein Shake

Java Protein Shake

This shake is a great to get a healthy little kick start in the morning. Ready in 5 minutes • Makes 1 shake • 1 scoop protein powder • 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese • 1 6-oz container plain low-fat yogurt • 1/2 cup berries • 4 tbsp brewed coffee Mix all ingredients in a bl

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What is Better, Running on a Treadmill or Outside?

What is Better, Running on a Treadmill or Outside?

  This seems to be a question I get asked quite frequently, so I thought this would be a great topic to cover in this week’s article. With the long winter finally over, many people want to take their cardiovascular exercise outdoors and switch it up from the regular treadmill running routine.

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Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Chicken Shepherd’s Pie

 This is a great healthy twist on the traditional Shepherd's pie recipe without sacrificing taste. INGREDIENTS: • 5 to 6 yams (depending on size) • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 yellow or white onion, chopped • 1½ lb lean ground chicken • 3 cloves garlic, minced • 4 oz mushrooms, sli

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AMAZING MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

AMAZING MOTIVATIONAL VIDEO

Watch this amazing motivational video!! This is a great display of physical fitness and strength, but more importantly MENTAL STRENGTH! Remember in whatever you do or strive to do....."never, never, never give up!"-Winston Churchill Enjoy and share, Michelle

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Cinnamon Ginger Sweet Potatoes

Cinnamon Ginger Sweet Potatoes

These potatoes make a great healthy side dish to eat alongside a grilled chicken breast and vegetables of choice.  I also enjoy these potatoes with some asparagus and an oven baked salmon steak. YUMM!!!Ready in 20 minutes • Makes 6 servings • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth • 1/2 o

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Peanut Butter & Jelly Power Bars

Peanut Butter & Jelly Power Bars

These bars are great for a mid-afternoon snack to keep you metabolism ramped up and your body energized! Ready in 30 minutes • Makes 8 servings 1 cup dates 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds (2 tbsp whole) 1 cup whey protein powd

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