Tag: Fitness

Fitness – I will share my fitness journey & keep you motivated with yours

Posted on

How Covid Has Affected My Business by Fitness Contributor – Fawn Gill

Never in my lifetime (almost 50 years) have I experienced anything like this. And I know I’m not alone.

We are all in this very unprecedented time together — Having to stay home to keep each other safe.

I was asked to write how Covid-19 has affected my business. Well, to be honest, this pandemic has put me out of work. I was working as a Group Fitness Manager and Instructor for a large chain that shut their doors and may be declaring bankruptcy. I suddenly found myself terminated, along with all the other staff. On top of that, the physiotherapy clinic where I was teaching Clinical Pilates also had to shut its doors temporarily.

Suddenly, I was unemployed. First. Time. Ever.

It was (and still is) surreal. I’ve been in the Fitness Industry for over 25 years. Teaching fitness classes almost every day to groups of people. Sharing energy. Receiving energy.

I went from teaching 2-3 classes a day to nothing. Boom. Just like that. So you can say, I’m in withdrawal.

Whenever something negative happens, I try my best to look at the positive side. 

For years I was working very hard at becoming an online entrepreneur. I offered different health and wellness programs online. It was super fun, creative, and I was making a good little side hustle. When I took on the Steve Nash Manager position, I had to give all that up as it was a conflict of interest.

Now, I’m an online entrepreneur again! Since the closure of all my jobs, I have started teaching LIVE Pilates and Barre classes on Facebook along with ZOOM noon-hour cardio blast classes.

I’m getting a great response from both and it is a lot of fun to teach from home … You can’t beat the commute!

It’s also an opportunity to keep in contact with many of my participants and I love that I’m helping them stay healthy and happy during this difficult time in our lives.

I am planning on expanding my online offers to group accountability sessions and one-on-one training.

Stay healthy everyone and remember…wash your hands!

Fawn Gill is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness instructor, Pilates Instructor, Barre instructor & Accountability Coach. Fawn has over 25 years experience teaching others the benefits of living healthy and has helped thousands of people lose weight & get fit. You can learn more information on her website: www.fawngillfitness.com

You can join Fawn’s fitness classes at her Facebook page: www.facebook.com/fawngillfitness

Posted on

Fitness Feature – How to NOT set resolutions this year by Fawn Gill

Happy New Year!

Do you get swooped up in New Years Resolutions? 

Have you vowed to work out every single day this January, quit sugar, journal & meditate every single day, quit caffeine, etc. etc.

While those are all awesome resolutions that can help you live a healthier life, sometimes setting too many resolutions not only sets you up for failure, but it also contributes to you feeling like crap when the resolutions fall to the wayside.

People get super stressed out about resolutions, and more accurately, failing at their resolutions.

So instead of setting resolutions this 2020, let’s focus on other, more positive ways you can set yourself up for success and focus on what you want in your life without all the stress.

Check out the tips below on how you can reduce your New Year’s Resolution Stress.

1. Set SMART goals.

SMART goals are specific goals to help you set up a plan for what you want to accomplish. These are great when you want to do something that has an ‘end’ date, like run a 5km or 10km or a tough mudder. They are also great when your doctor has said you need to lose 20lbs. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relative or Reward, & Timely. To use it in an example…I want to lose 10lbs (specific & measurable & attainable) in 10 weeks (timely) and when I do, I’ll get a new workout top (reward). Saying ‘I want to be fit’ would not be an example of a SMART goal because it’s not specific nor measurable. What ‘fit’ looks like to one person is different to the next. I want to run the Scotia Bank 1/2 Marathon in June is definitely a SMART goal. See the difference?

2. Set Intentions

I LOVE these because they deal with more how you want to ‘feel’ and how you’d ‘like’ something to go. You can set them in absolutely any area of your life. I set intentions for my day in the morning after I mediate. It goes something like this, my intention today is to be more present. Or my intention for this workout is to feel positive about my body. My intention for this meal is to nourish my body with fiber & vitamins. My intention for this time with my girls is to really listen. Make sense?

3. Set a Theme word for the year.

Invest. That’s my theme word for 2020. I want to invest in all areas of my life; business, community, relationships, and mindset. Theme words are super cool because they help you set intentions around what you want more of in the next year. They help you streamline your goals and figure out ways to make them happen.

For example take my theme word – INVEST. Because I want to invest in myself and my business, I am adding accountability coaching to my services. Adding that into my repertoire will help ‘invest’ my life in many different ways.

So, how does one find a theme word? It’s the word that keeps coming to your attention. One that resonates with you and makes you think. Maybe one you keep hearing lately. You don’t have to have just 1 word. Maybe you have a few words that pop up at you. That’s cool too. There really is no right or wrong to choosing a theme word(s).

Take 10 mins and sit somewhere quiet and comfortable and just envision your 2020. What does it look like? Who’s in it? What do you want more of in 2020? What do you want to leave behind in 2019?

Here are some words to help inspire you:  grateful, present, courage, focus, change, joy, release, trust, seek, balance, fearless, less, enough. faith…..is there a word that pops out at you?

Remember, the whole point is to not get overwhelmed so just pick 1 of the 3 tips to start your 2020 in a positive manner.

Once you feel you’ve got that 1 tip down, then choose another.

May the turn of the decade be AWESOMELY positive for you! 

Happy 2020!


Fawn Gill is the Group Fitness Manager of Steve Nash Fitness Clubs for the North Shore. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness instructor, Pilates Instructor, Barre instructor & Accountability Coach. Fawn has over 25 years experience teaching others the benefits of living healthy and has helped thousands of people lose weight & get fit. Check her out at www.fawngillfitness.com

Posted on

4 Myths That are Keeping You Fat! – Monthly Fitness Contributor, Fawn Gill

Are you working your butt off but still fat? I hear so many people complain about doing all the right things but not losing weight. This all leads to feeling frustrated, being overwhelmed and eventually the ‘forget this’ attitude that then leads to eating the whole bag of chips.  Sound familiar?

If so, then maybe you’re buying into these four myths.

Myth #1:  If I eat fat, I’ll get fat.

Truth:  Incorporating healthy fats into your diet will actually help you lose fat. Eating fat from sources like avocados, olives and coconuts can actually help you increase your metabolism, keep you full longer and each your body how to burn fat when you remove sugar from your diet. Choose fats like nuts, seeds, fatty fish, eggs, full fat yogurt and grass-fed beef. Remember, that non-fat foods actually have crazy high level of sugars and it’s sugar that makes you fat.

Myth #2: I need to do tons of cardio to burn fat.

Truth: While cardio burns calories, if you want to burn fat, choose HIIT (high-intensity interval training).  Incorporating HIIT into your workouts will make your body and metabolism function at a higher rate of burned calories for hours and hours afterward. So yes, you could be reading AND burning fat at the same time! Lifting weights will also help you increase your resting metabolism. When you have more lean muscle on your body, your metabolism increases. This basically means you could be burning fat while sitting and watching Netflix.

Myth #3: I need to significantly reduce my calorie intake.

Truth: This is actually partially true. The reality is, we eat too much. Take a look at how much you actually consume in a day. We often underestimate how much we eat and overestimate how much we burn.  And ultimately to lose fat, you do need to be in a calorie deficit. The calories you take in need to be nutrient dense meaning that they are full of the good stuff the body needs. Not empty calories from things like non-fat foods, processed foods, sugar, and pop.

Ultimately, what you eat is truly the most important factor when losing fat. Be sure to eat a diet high in lean proteins (whatever your source), vegetables, healthy fats, and carbs from plant sources. Don’t forget to move your body daily, get plenty of uninterrupted sleep, reduce your stress levels and you will find the weight will drop off.

Myth #4: It’s too late to start.

Truth: SO NOT TRUE! It’s never too late to start an exercise program or healthy eating! We CAN reverse the damage done AND move forward feeling better than we ever have! The trick is to get help! You can’t do it alone. Grab a friend and just start walking every day. Hire a trainer. Workout with a YouTube workout. Or join a program that will help you get there.

No matter what you choose, you can start today! Right now!!! 

If you have not taken the time to invest in yourself yet, today is the day.


Fawn Gill is the Group Fitness Manager of Steve Nash Fitness Clubs for the North Shore. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness instructor, Pilates Instructor, Barre instructor & Accountability Coach. Fawn has over 25 years experience teaching others the benefits of living healthy and has helped thousands of people lose weight & get fit. Check her out at www.fawngillfitness.com

Posted on

Want to Know a Secret to Lose Unwanted Weight? – Fitness Contributor Fawn Gill

Want to know a secret to lose unwanted weight? There is no secret. I wish there was a simple easy way to lose fat and to keep it off.

Trust me. I truly wish there was because if there was, I’d be all over it. I’d love to lose that last 10 lbs by simply taking a pill or getting rid of my cellulite by rubbing some cream on it. I’d buy that shit in a heartbeat!

But the reality is, there is no such thing. If there was, why is obesity such a major issue in our society? Science has proven time and time again, that in order to lose fat & to keep it off, you need to do 3 things:

  1. Exercise daily
  2. Eat a diet rich in whole foods
  3. Practice mindfulness

That’s it folks.

Now, within each of those 3 points are variables. For instance, there is debate as to what type of exercise is best for fat loss. But all agree that daily exercise is needed. Within the “diet” world, there is debate as to which way to eat is healthiest but all can agree that we need WAY more veggies & fruits and foods that are real and whole and not processed.

Mindfulness is a newer topic but again, all agree that in order to lose fat & to keep it off, people need to change their habits. And that is done through a mindfulness practice of some sort. Whether it be meditation or journalling or seeking the help of a counselor or all of the above. You can’t change your outside until you change your inside:)

I’d also like to add to that list “consistency” and “accountability”. Those are two subfactors that are just as important. We can all lose weight through radical dieting and sheer willpower, but it’s being consistent that will keep it off. You can’t change your diet, lose the weight, then go back to your old way of eating without gaining it all back. And you need to be accountable to someone other than yourself. Be that a support group or coach or online FB page, you need to be accountable in order to stick to your goals.

This is why the latest “fad” diet or weight loss supplement or whatever is being hocked out there at the moment does not work. They may temporarily work BUT if you don’t make lifestyle changes to support the change, it will not stick.

The diet industry preys on our pain. Our pain of feeling fat. Our pain of not fitting into our jeans anymore. Our pain of getting older and dealing with a changing body. I get it.

As a Fitness Expert and Accountability Coach, I’m doing the same thing. I point out your pain (not exercising, excess weight, lack of time, etc.) in order to get you to exercise with me. The difference being, I coach you through lifestyle changes to help support new eating & exercising habits along with keeping you consistent & accountable. I’m also going to be straight up and tell you this isn’t going to happen overnight. That you’ll have to work hard. And I’ll probably make you do push ups and burpees.

The diet industry is a billion dollar industry simply because we are in pain. We want an easier way to feel better. And quickly. So taking something that will accelerate our weight loss or suppress sounds really great. We want instant results. We want to feel better RIGHT NOW!

But then what happens? Do we take it for life? What happens when we stop taking it? Is our life magically better for once and for all? Yes, I know I’m starting to rant but this topic really pisses me off. I wish we wouldn’t get sucked into buying shit because we think it will fix us.

So, what’s the point of this blog? To remind you that ‘”f it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.“

Fawn Gill is the Group Fitness Manager of SNFC for the North Shore. She is a Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, Pilates Instructor, Barre instructor & Accountability Coach. Fawn has over 25 years experience teaching others the benefits of living healthy and has helped thousands of people lose weight & get fit. Check her out at www.fawngillfitness.com

Posted on

5 Essential Exercise Elements – Featured Fitness Contributor Fawn Gill

As a Fitness Professional with over 25 years under my belt, I’ve seen many people start an exercise program only to quit in 3 or 4 weeks down the road.


Everyone starts with fantastic intentions but something happens along the way that makes them fall off the fitness wagon. After years of observation, I’ve decided it comes down to 5 Essential Exercise Elements that people don’t take into account when starting an exercise program.


If you are a beginner just starting out on your fitness journey or returning to fitness after a hiatus and you want to be successful at maintaining a consistent routine, follow my 5 Essential Exercise Elements.


Disclaimer: Before beginning an exercise program be sure to let your Health Provider know.  It is always better to be safe than sorry.


Here are My 5 Essential Exercise Elements:
1. Schedule Exercise into the Reminders in your Smart Phone.
Mistake #1 – What I see happen to new exercisers….they do not schedule exercise time into their daily schedule.
You must treat your exercise time as you would any other appointment in your day. Would you ever just not show up to your dental appointment? Or your work review meeting? No way!
To ensure exercise adherence, actually sit down with & SCHEDULE IT IN your phone’s REMINDERS. If it’s not scheduled, it’s not real. Meaning, if life gets busy (which it will guaranteed), the first thing you will drop is exercise. If it’s not a notification popping up, it’s also super easy to get pushed to the end of your ‘to do’ list which pretty much guarantees it not happening.
Remember that it doesn’t have to be hours and hours of exercise.  A 15 minute walk does wonders for your health. Consistent exercisers schedule exercise in as the first thing they do in the morning. That way it’s done & off your plate for the rest of the day.  AND it fills you with great energy!


2.  Start with Baby Steps.
Mistake #2 – I see people at my gym going too hard, too soon.  After about 3-4 weeks of that, I don’t see the person anymore. They went big and then they went home.
To stick with an exercise program you must start small.  Plan for 3 days a week of 30 mins of exercise. Stick with that until it becomes a habit (which takes approximately 1 month). Once you have maintained that, then add another day. Once 4 days a week is a habit, add another day.  See where I’m going with this? If you start out too hard, too much you will end up either too tired to go or injured and then you miss a day and then you feel bad about that so then you’re hard on yourself and then you don’t go again, and on & on it goes. Set yourself up for success by starting small.


3.  Get Expert Help.
Mistake #3 – Another mistake I see is people do not hire a trainer to give them a program to follow.  Maybe they think it’s too expensive or just for celebrities but I have to tell you, successful exercisers have a trainer.
Do you know what to do when you’re in a gym? Most people do not. A trainer will give you a program to follow, based on your goals so that you do not waste your time while at the gym. It’s an investment in yourself.  A good trainer will cost you the same price as a good dinner out.  Going to the gym without a plan to follow is the same as trying to follow a recipe from the picture alone – impossible & frustrating.


4.  Set SMART Goals.
Mistake #4 – Why are you working out in the first place?  Is it because you’re training for a 5 km race?  Is it because you want to take up snowboarding this winter?  Is it because you want to lose 10 lbs? Setting fitness goals will help you “see the light at the end of the tunnel”. Goals will provide guidelines so you can actually see your progress & achievements. SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, reward & time frame. I want to lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks is very specific, you can measure it, it’s attainable for most people and there’s a time frame around it.  Don’t forget to reward yourself when you hit your goal (not with food, you are not a dog).  Your trainer can help you figure out your goals and write them down.


5.  Get an Accountability Buddy.
Mistake #5 – Not being accountable to anyone. If you want to be super committed to your exercise plan, workout with a friend.  Not only is it more enjoyable & fun, but you have someone else to be accountable to.  We all know how easy it is to skip our workouts BUT if you are supposed to meet your friend there too, you are more likely to not skip it.
Consistency is key to see & feel real changes in our health & physiques when it comes to exercise.  If you follow my 5 Essential Exercise Elements consistently, you will feel & see the positive results in no time.

Fawn Gill is the Group Fitness Manager of Steve Nash Fitness Clubs for the North Shore. She is a certified personal trainer, fitness instructor, pilates instructor, Barre instructor & Accountability Coach. Fawn has over 25 years experience teaching others the benefits of living healthy and has helped thousands of people lose weight & get fit. Check her out at www.fawngillfitness.com

Posted on

10 Reasons to Become a Member at Steve Nash Lonsdale Fitness Club

There are many reasons to become a member at Steve Nash Lonsdate but to keep this blog short and sweet like me I am going to share 10 reasons.

Reason #1 – You will receive awesome customer service from Mikaela, one of the nicest and friendliest staff members at the front desk. She will help you with any questions you may have such as the current promotions/contests, the sign in OR parking app.

Reason #2 – The Lonsdale location has one of the best views of the downtown skyline and Lions Gate Bridge.

Reason #3 – The club has plenty of cardio equipment to use: treadmills, stationary bikes, rowing machines, and step machines and TV’s to watch with closed captioning so we can listen to our music but still watch the news OR see ME & other Steve Nash members and staff featured on the gym’s TV’s.

Reason #4 – If you’re like me and love North Van Firefighters you can ogle them from the gym.

Reason #5 – Great group fitness classes and instructors. Classes such as Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Cycling, Circuit AND many more…

Reason #6 – A stretching room with mats, foam rollers, and giant balls with enough room to stretch, do sit ups, yoga …

Reason #7 – You get points when you download the Steve Nash app onto your smart phone and it also serves as your membership card to sign in with. You can redeem your points for merchandise from the club. personal training sessions.

Reason # 8 – You will also receive free personal training sessions during your birthday month.

Reason #9 – You get 2 hours FREE PARKING when you workout and register your licence plate number into the parking app.

And lastly reason #10 – Shopper’s Drug Mart and Whole Foods are downstairs in the same building and you can pick up necessary items before or after your workout – very convenient.