Reinventing your shape and reinvigorating your spirit this summer.
Words by Laura Schober
The conventions of beauty are constantly changing, but one fact has stood the test of time: the pursuit of true beauty has often been an uncomfortable process. In the 1600s, ladies of a certain age would place herb-filled pomanders inside their mouths to plump their cheeks and disguise age-related volume loss. And in Victorian times, ladies of leisure wore stiff corsets — some made of bone or steel — to cinch their waists in the name of vanity.
Though not much has changed today in terms of comfort (as anyone who has ever had a Brazilian wax or surgical procedure can attest to), there are more choices than ever and a dizzying array of beauty and fitness options that claim to help you look your best.
With swimsuit season on the horizon for many Mississauga residents, MississaugaLife took a look at the latest offerings that will help you attain physical perfection — or at least come close!
YOGA
For schoolteacher Stacey Lortz, the yoga studio is her go-to sanctuary for spiritual serenity, while the poses help maintain her svelte physique.
Lortz says the toughest part about yoga was getting rid of the competitive mindset she carried over from her years as a professional dancer (she studied dance at York University before becoming a teacher). Since attending her first class at MiraVena (formerly known as Moksha Yoga Mississauga) last year, Lortz still finds herself fighting to let go of her competitive nature at times.
But gradually, she has learned to go with the flow.“In dance, it was always about how long I could hold my balance, how high I could get my leg, how many turns I could do,” she says. “The difference here is, if my balance is off that day, I just have to modify how I do my pose.”
Lortz’s yoga instructor and MiraVena studio director Tara Brasier says yoga can help to regulate metabolism as well as strengthen, tone and detoxify the body. “With the physicality of it, you are awakening the body, both large muscle groups and small muscle groups,” she says. “It can also alleviate the crippling symptoms that keep us away from living our normal, day-to-day lives. It’s a good element to bring us into balance, to enjoy the present time.”
PLASTIC SURGERY/NON-SURGICAL PROCEDURES
If you’re looking to reverse the obvious signs of aging, then adopting a proper skin and sun care routine for your age is essential, but failing that, injectable fillers may be a good place to start. Along with plastic surgery, non-surgical procedures are becoming more affordable and accessible.
Dr. Michael Weinberg, a Royal College Certified plastic surgeon at the Mississauga Cosmetic Surgery and Laser Clinic, says the most popular summer procedures include breast implants, liposuction, facials, laser hair removal and injectables like Botox and Restylane. And it’s not just women coming in for the procedures. Weinberg, who is also chief of plastic surgery at Trillium Health Centre, says men are more likely to come in around summertime to remove “moobies,” or male breasts.
For people who would never consider plastic surgery, but desire some form of body shaping, the Clinic offers LipoSonix, a permanent non-surgical procedure that uses high-intensity, focused ultrasound to remove targeted fat around a person’s waistline. Weinberg says that ideal candidates for the procedure are people who are “close to their desired body weight,” but have a slight bulge they want to get rid of.
According to Weinberg, plastic surgery is safe “if it’s done by the right doctor, in the right place, on the right person, for the right reasons.” In Canada, doctors have to be Royal College certified and CAAASF accredited.
FITNESS BOOT CAMP
Streetsville resident Jenn McCarthy likes to start and finish her exercises early in the day. Five days a week, she wakes up at the crack of dawn to attend SurvivorBootcamp. (In Mississauga, programs such as Survivor Bootcamp and Bootycamp Fitness offer sessions at a number of different locations in the city). Boot camp participants are instructed to perform military-inspired exercises, including repetitions of strength-building and cardio exercises (planks, side-kicks, frog leaps), and use a variety of different fitness equipment like exercise balls, resistance bands and weights.
McCarthy is in good shape already (at 5’4 her BMI is a healthy 24), but says she wants to feel more comfortable in her summer clothes, mainly shorts and bathing suits. Her goal is to lose 10 pounds by summer.
But McCarthy’s main motivation is to set a good example for her three children.
“Before I had kids, I wasn’t necessarily that active, and once I had kids I wanted to make sure that they saw that physical fitness and activity was just a part of life.”
Since beginning the boot camp in May, McCarthy has completely overhauled her family’s grocery list, committing to a healthy, clean diet that features no processed foods, lots of water to drink and more fruits and vegetables.
Sue Vellinga, a certified Can Fit Pro trainer who runs the Mississauga and Brampton sessions of Survivor Bootcamp, recommends people start out with three days of one-hour exercise sessions per week if they want to lose weight. At that rate, she says most people will lose anywhere from one to two pounds per week, as long as exercise is combined with a nutritious diet.
So there are solutions of all sorts and as always they just need a bit of desire to work for you.
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