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COVID STRONG WITH COACH AUSTAN TAIT & STUDIO FITRX

12/26/2020

Fitness for EveryBODY

Quarantine 15, anyone? I feel you, my friends. Coach Austan Tait here from Studio FITRx and I’m here to help! This year has been one for the record books. Increased stress, decreased social engagement, schedule disruptions and COVID closures have definitely made their impact on our health and wellness. People have asked me how to get back on track after months of inactivity, stress eating or other unhealthy behaviours, so here are a few tips to help you get back on track to feeling your best.

1. GIVE YOURSELF GRACE. The impact of COVID-19 has been felt universally. There was no handbook on how to navigate this pandemic so whatever choices you made, make peace with them and move forward with new goals.

2. NOURISH TO FLOURISH We have to nourish to flourish so eating a diet rich in whole foods will help boost your immune system and keep you feeling strong and healthy. I recommend reducing consumption of packaged/ processed foods, sugar intake (both natural and added) and alcohol for immediate health benefits. Set up for success by stocking up on local, sustainably sourced protein, plenty of fresh veggies and fruits. Explore all the abundance our local farms have to offer.

3. FIND YOUR TRIBE Getting healthy and staying on track is challenging but it can be easier and much more fun with friends.Finding classes you enjoy both online or in person can connect you with a community of likeminded folks which can help keep you motivated. Invite a friend along with you on the adventure and you’ve got yourself an accountability buddy!

At Studio FITRx, we have newbies to athletes all working towards self-betterment in a safe and judgement free space. No matter your age, fitness level, shape, size or experience, we are here to help you reach your health and fitness goals.

4. GET SWEATY Canadian Physical Activity guidelines recommends 150 minutes of physical activity per week for adults ages 18-64 with at least 2 days per week of strength training for healthy bones and joints. In addition to all the physical benefits of working out, exercise releases feel good hormones which help boost our mood, decrease stress, increase energy and improve sleep.

3 group fitness classes per week would net your 150 mins of required activity which could be supplemented with all the incredible outdoor adventures Mission has to offer such as walking, hiking and biking.

At Studio FITRx, we offer both LIVE classes and online or on-demand classes for the whole family. We specialize in low impact, high energy indoor cycling classes, strength training classes, boxing/conditioning and mobility/stretch classes for a well-rounded fitness program. We also offer private small group and personal training services.

Studio FITRx is home of Femme FITRx, our women’s only fitness and nutrition program that is changing the lives of so many women here in Mission and beyond. We have ladies joining us live and online from right here at home, throughout BC, Canada and even abroad!

Studio FITRx has your kiddos covered. We offer childminding services for parents to enjoy a workout while we keep their kiddos entertained. We offer a pre-k class for toddlers, KIDFIT for primary aged children as well as tween/teen classes.

Studio FITRX | 33072 1 Ave #102, Mission, BC | www.studiofitrx.com

December 08th, 2020

12/8/2020

Mission Downtown Biz: A Dressing Needs

by Joanna McBride

It’s nice when you hear a story about an entrepreneur who decided to start a business with the intent of helping others while doing something they love. Meet Amberin, owner and operator of A Dressing Needs-Adaptive Clothing located in historic Downtown Mission. They offer specialized outerwear and adaptive clothing for people living with medical and mobility issues. A Dressing Needs has been built on the belief that all people should have access to comfortable and functional clothing.

Amberin can't remember a time in her life that she was not around people with disabilities. While growing up, her mother worked with adults living with special needs and also hosted a home share in the family home. “I have always been comfortable around persons living with a cognitive developmental disability,” Amberin tells us. “Care facilities operated much differently when I was young and I would frequently be invited to the home my mom worked at to play Atari or board games with the residents.

Sewing was also an important part of her young life. After developing severe eczema/psoriasis as a young teenager she learned to sew things that helped her fit in with her peers while remaining comfortable. This ability to create functional fashion for herself set the foundation for helping others with dressing routines.

Amberin spent much of her early career providing applied behavior analysis therapy to children with special needs. Shortly after completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology/Sociology from SFU, she ventured out on a journey travelling across Canada and the US which changed her life.

It was on that trip in 1999 that the idea for A Dressing Needs was born. While visiting breathtaking Niagara Falls on a very wet afternoon, Amberin saw a specialized baby stroller equipped with an innovative, easily removable quality rain covering. Immediately she had an aha moment, “if users of wheelchairs had something similar, the ability to go outside would be so much easier and more comfortable.”

Determined to create the perfect covering for a range of motor skills and a variety of wheelchairs, Amberin spent the next several months experimenting with a variety of patterns and prototypes. Her business opened in March of 2000 with her main goal being to ease daily dressing routines and promote inclusion for people living with a disability. Over the next ten years, Amberin ran the business from several different home-based locations while continuing to work as a residential support provider. This experience expanded her knowledge of medical and mobility equipment and allowed her to better understand the benefits and limitations of adaptive clothing. In late 2008, Amberin found a wheelchair - accessible space with AlleyCat Hemlines and has been at this Downtown Mission location ever since.

Over the past 20 years of helping people, Amberin has managed to polish her designs and finalize several patterns. Her specialized rain ponchos for wheelchair and mobility scooter users are unlike any other adaptive outerwear available in Canada. “I know how beneficial and advantageous these jackets are for wheelchair users,” she says. “My designs help people everyday. Adaptive clothing allows people of all abilities to improve their daily dressing routines,”

Over the last twenty years in business she has heard many amazing stories of tragedy and how people find their way. On a daily basis, Amberin is reminded of the power of the human spirit and feels it brings an added richness to her life. It is people like Amberin that teach us all that you only need three little thing to make a big difference.

Your passion. Your talent. Your heart.

WHAT’S ON! MISSION IN THE COMMUNITY

COVID STRONG WITH COACH AUSTAN TAIT & STUDIO FITRX

December 08th, 2020

Mission Downtown Biz: A Dressing Needs

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