Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST)

Congratulations to Daphne Marisco, our May SuperNova! Daphne has been training with us for 13 months and in this time has gained 4lbs of Lean Muscle and has lost 5lbs of body fat. Not only that, Daphne has gone from performing ZERO push ups to completing 3 sets of 10 Full Push ups, and from not being able to do a chin up to now being able to do 2 good chin ups unassisted! We’re so impressed with how Daphne has learned to prioritize her nutrition better, and we are amazed by her consistency of working out 3x/week for an entire year now. Read on to hear our interview with Daphne and some specific strategies she has employed to reach her success! 1) What motivated you to start your fitness journey with Nova Health Club? “A little over a year ago when I started at Nova, my son was two and half years old and the heavier he got, the weaker I felt and I knew I had to make a change. I had never been able to find a new fitness routine that fit my life after becoming a Mom. Right when I found out I was pregnant with my son, the next day the world shut down with the pandemic and like many people, my normal gym schedule was gone. Throw in moving from Montreal to Oakville, and I just didn’t know where to start and couldn’t seem to find a fitness routine I could commit to. When my husband signed up to Nova, he encouraged me to just try it, then there was no looking back and I couldn’t be happier!” 2) Can you share some key strategies or habits that helped you achieve your success? Any specific workouts, diets, or routines that made a significant difference? “Having the dedicated 'me time' three mornings a week to work out while being accountable to show up for my coaches the same way they show up for me is very motivating, especially when first starting back at the gym. I have been able to achieve and exceed some personal fitness goals I set for myself, which also keeps me motivated to keep aiming higher! I love the mix of exercises I get from my coaches which always keeps my body on its toes, and of course Tabatas always test my endurance. I have incorporated a protein shake into my diet after every workout as one of my goals is to increase my muscle mass.” 3)In what ways have you noticed positive changes in areas outside of fitness such as in your mental well-being, energy levels, or overall confidence? “I have noticed positive changes in all aspects of my life! I have so much more energy to get through an early morning workout at Nova, a full day at work, and still have lots of energy to play with my son when I get home, which is truly the best feeling. When I surprise myself at the gym by either lifting heavier, getting lower, going faster or whatever small win it may be, that gives me a boost of confidence that I carry with me throughout other aspects of my life. Having found a fitness routine again provides a source of stress relief when life gets busy, knowing that I will always make time for myself and my health.”

Congratulations to Sean, our March SuperNova! Sean has trained with Nova for almost 2 years. He has made a lot of progress over his training with us but in the last 6 weeks since joining the LeanDads program he has accelerated his progress and broke through all plateaus. Here is some of the results he has experienced: Weight Loss: Sean was already a lean guy but had that extra ‘10lbs’ that has been hard to get rid of. In 6 wks he went from 186 to 175lbs. Fat Loss: With a few small lifestyle tweaks he dropped his body fat % from 15.5% to now 10.7%. To drop 4% in this time is incredible and it is the lowest it has ever been! Digestion: While fat loss was one of the goals, there was an underlying thing that has been bothering him and that was his digestion. Heartburn, relying on antacids, bloating, and other digestive issues have been a normal part of his life. However, in 6wks his digestive score went from a 4/10 to an 8/10. Running: Feeling better and carrying less weight has made running become easier and much more enjoyable. Read on to hear our interview with Sean and some specific strategies he has employed! 1)What motivated you to start your fitness journey with us 2 years ago? I had never trained or exercised in a particularly organized way – for years I did running as my primary exercise, but I had picked up various nagging injuries that were keeping me from doing it regularly and when I started at Nova I wasn’t running at all because of that. So I started at Nova to try to rehab those injuries, and to try resistance training. And it's been a great experience – I’m back to running regularly (and pain free), I move much better, and I’ve never had the general strength that I have now. 2)In the last 6 weeks, since starting our LeanDads program you have got some amazing results. What are the biggest changes you have noticed through this program? The biggest change has to be the weight loss and change in body composition – I’m amazed at the amount of body weight and body fat that I’ve lost while keeping my general muscle mass. A close second is the improvement in my digestion – I didn’t even realize how much better that could be than it was. For me this has translated into feeling and looking better, and improved athletic performance. I’m excited to continue this and see where it goes! 3)Can you share some key strategies or habits that helped you achieve this success? Any specific workouts, diets, or routines that made a significant difference? I’ve introduced a number of new habits and focused more on things like hydration, but I think the most significant impact has come from the changes I’ve made to my diet – eliminating inflammatory foods (especially gluten), eating regularly, focusing on a balance of macronutrients, and incorporating more vegetables. I’m eating more food than ever, but my body is handling it better and all that food is actually causing me to lose weight. And feeling better has helped me to stay consistent – sticking to the program and avoiding the temptation to have “cheat days”. 4)In what ways has achieving your health goals made a positive impact on your life - for example are there things that you can do now that you were not able to before? Or are there people in your life who you are now better able to serve than before? Being able to run again, and with the progress I’ve made through LeanDads to run better, has been great – I’ve always really enjoyed it, and I’m glad I’m able to do it again and to do it well. And the whole experience at Nova and with the LeanDads program has opened up new goals for me that I want to continue to pursue. 

Congratulations to Francesco, our February SuperNova! After the winter holidays, Francesco set new goals and targets for himself to achieve in 2024! Since then, he has focused on getting daily purposeful activity in and eating healthy balanced meals. He has lost 8lbs overall, dropped 3.1% body fat and still managed to gain some muscle mass! Even more, he has rehabbed his shoulder and is now pain free and able to enjoy more activities! Great job Francesco, we are pumped to see you maintain this momentum! Read on to hear our interview with Francesco and how he has attained his goals. 1)You’ve hit 2024 running with great stride - what made this year different from past years? I turned 48 this year and I knew it was time to take my health and wellness more seriously, so I set goals, wrote them down, and revisited them once a week. I also had my family set their fitness goals and share them so we could hold each other accountable and support one another throughout our journeys. I also have started using InBody once a week which keeps me on track with my progress. 2)What key strategies or habits can you owe some of your new results to? Any specific workouts, diets, or routines that you feel are making a significant difference? I have implemented food Tracking to keeping calories, fat, protein and carbs in check to achieve 2lb/week weight loss. Since back from the holidays, I have had 18 straight days of 2 training sessions at Nova, 2x one-hour cardio sessions on treadmill and elliptical and 3x 30-minute sessions on stationary bike. I have also prioritized getting 7-8 hours of sleep, drinking warm water and lemon first thing in the morning, cutting back on alcohol, no refined sugars, processed foods. I also have been avoiding snacking after dinner and drinking minimum 3 litres of water a day. 3)How do you see these positive changes impact your life beyond these results? For example, what will it help you do that you can’t do now? Who in your life will this have a positive impact on? Overall the results have been very positive. My energy levels are higher, I have a better ability to complete tasks, and my clothes fitting better! I’ve also noticed a huge improvement in family life.