Nova Health Club

🎉Congratulations to Joel, our August Supernova!🏋️‍♂️💪

Joel has been a Nova member for nearly a decade, and in that time we have seen some incredible achievements from him. Most notably, in the last year he has cut out alcohol and sugar, which - along with his regular workouts - has helped him lose 15 lbs and decrease his body fat percentage. Way to go Joel!

He has also adopted new practices to help him reach his goals, like cold plunging - which he has done every day for nearly a year now.

Congratulations on these accomplishments and being our August Supernova Joel, your progress and dedication to your health and wellbeing has been inspiring to all of us at Nova!

🎉Congratulations to Christine, our July Supernova!🏋️‍♂️💪

Since January, Christine has lost 5% body fat and 10lbs of fat, while also rehabbing her shoulder and hip!

Christine is a long time member who has worked out consistently 3 times a week. Her dedication to fitness has helped her stay fit but this year she skyrocketed her results!

How you may ask?

By uniting fitness with nutrition.

When it comes to results, fitness and nutrition alone only get you so far.

Think of it like this:

Fitness = 1 & Nutrition = 1

but Fitness + Nutrition = 5

Seeing Christine’s success has been an encouragement for all of us at Nova. Congratulations Christine for being our SuperNova of the month!

🎉Congratulations to Alex, our June Supernova!🏋️‍♂️💪

Alex has been crushing it at the club and recently completed his 4th ½ Ironman!

For those who don’t know, a ½ Ironman is a 1.9km swim, 90km bike followed by a 21km run. An incredible feat of anyone and with Alex also being a busy family man this takes extreme dedication and organization to execute.

Alex’s dedication shows how effective the power of commitment can be. Congratulations Alex for being our SuperNova of the month!

We’re so excited to welcome our newest Nova coach, Heather, to the team!

Heather has been a personal trainer, nutrition and accountability coach for over 20 years. Her goal is simple - to help people make their exercise and health routine be as easy as lunch – it’s just something you do that you look forward to.

Heather lives in Edmonton and will support our online training specifically the Women’s Transformation program which will begin towards the end of May! If you are interested in joining this program please email [email protected] for more information or to register.

We’re so excited to welcome Heather to the Nova team and we cannot wait to see how she helps our community reach its goals!

🎉Congratulations to Daphne, our May Supernova!🏋️‍♂️💪

Daphne is an example of dedication and progress! Over the past 13 months of training with us, she's achieved remarkable milestones including gaining 4lbs of lean muscle while shedding 5lbs of body fat and being consistent with 3 training sessions per week for the past year!

Daphne's success shows the power of consistency and commitment to health and wellbeing. Congratulations Daphne for being our SuperNova of the month! Looking forward to see you crush your goals even further this year!

Congrats to our members and coaches who participated in the Indoor Triathlon Provincial Championship last weekend!

Andrew, Bonar, Jeremy, Graham, Molly and Zack crushed the triathlon which was held in Scarborough at the Pan AM Centre. The triathlon is split into 3 categories - swimming in a 50m pool, stationary cycle, and running on a 200m track. Participants get 15 mins to do each activity with the goal of getting as much distance in the time frame as you can.

Well done everyone!

🎉 Congrats to Sean, our March Super Nova! 🏋️‍♂️💪

Sean has trained with Nova for almost 2 years and has made a lot of progress over his training with us. In the last 6 weeks, since joining the LeanDads program Sean has accelerated his progress and broke through all plateaus, including dropping 11lbs, reducing his overall body fat percentage, and improving his digestion!

Congrats Sean, you continue to impress us!

If you are curious about our LeanDads program check out the link in our bio or DM us.

We’re so excited to welcome our newest Nova coach, Antonia, to the team!

Antonia is an energetic and charismatic Health & Exercise Practitioner, CHEK Holistic Life Coach L1 and also has a diploma in Fitness and Health Promotion. She has lived and breathed fitness since her dad got her on skis at the age of two.

You can catch Antonia living by her motto MEDD; Move, Every, Damn, Day. Whether she's lifting weights in the gym, hiking, spinning, boxing, doing yoga, running, snowboarding, dancing, or walking her labradoodle. Movement is her medicine and she encourages all her clients to fall in love with it, for physical and mental benefits alike.

As a Holistic Life Coach, she also understands that your health is more than simply exercising, and is critically impacted by your nutrition, sleep, and happiness. Combine these aspects with MEDD and you can achieve your higher self!

We’re so excited to have her on Team Nova and can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to our community!

🎉 Congrats to Francesco, our February Super Nova! 🏋️‍♂️💪

Francesco has had a great start to the new year. Since the holiday season, he has focused on getting daily purposeful activity in and eating healthy balanced meals. Not only has he made great improvements in his body composition, he has noticed higher energy levels, better fitting clothes, and an improvement in his entire family's health.

Congrats Francesco, we’re so inspired by your motivation and can’t wait to see what the year ahead has in store for you!

Dads - Overweight, tired, stressed out?

That’s how you might be feeling right now.

Overweight from not knowing how to eat for your body type or not having enough momentum to make it a lifestyle.

Tired because your body is under-recovered or it’s using energy to fight metabolic damage.

And stressed because there is so much coming at you that it’s hard enough to give attention to work and family let alone your health and fat loss.

Right now, you might even be ‘eating healthy’ and exercising BUT seeing that the results just don’t match your efforts.
..and that’s a serious problem because you’re likely wasting time and money. Money you can get back but time you can never.

But it’s not your fault.

However it is your responsibility to do something about it now IF you want things to change.

If you’re fed up with seeing weight gain year after year AND wondering how you’re going to have enough energy for what’s most important in your life, then you might be feeling unclear about how to make it happen in a way that truly works - not just for a few months but for the rest of your life.

That’s where the LeanDads 12 week Transformation program comes in. Lose up to 25lbs and 10X your energy in 12 weeks without having to eat less, exercise more and stretch your busy schedule. All the nuances, on how to make it like clockwork, are available exclusively inside our private coaching program.

Program launches next week. LINK IN BIO for more info and to apply.

📣Coach Spotlight - Josh!

Josh is our owner and has been operating personal training in Oakville since 2012! He is our lead transformation health coach and believes health comes from nutrition + lifestyle + exercise. Josh lives in Halifax with his wife and 2 children where he coaches clients online in our LeanDads program. Want to know more about Josh? Keep reading below…

Favorite exercise?

“There are two! The first is morning walks. The very first thing I do after I wake up is walk 3000-5000 steps between 5 and 6am. It allows me to wake up and it is a time where I dump any thoughts into a voice memo. My 2nd fave exercise is shoulder press. I like this because there is something about pushing weight over my head feels very primal.”

Favorite food?

“I keep it simple. So a plate with chicken, rice and salad is perfect for me. I only use salt, pepper and oil to enhance it. If I want more flavor, I add more vegetables (ginger, garlic, cilantro etc) or change the cooking technique (pan fried vs bbq). I do also love pizza and cookies but those are for rare occasions. I realized one thing about food - it doesn't matter how great it tastes, if it leaves me feeling sluggish it’s not worth it. I take my performance seriously so if I’m going to eat these foods I expect low productivity.”

Piece of advice that you follow that helps you stay accountable to your training?

“It’s more of a principle. It’s the WHY - why is training important to me? The WHY is my guiding star. It’s easy to skip a workout if only willpower gets you to the gym. But with a WHY, then it’s harder to skip. Example, if you go to the gym to ‘burn fat’, this will not be powerful enough to keep consistent. But if you can get the WHY like “I want to be healthy for my kids’ or ‘I want to live independently' then working out is harder to skip.”

A lesser known thing about Josh

“I love to draw and paint graffiti art. It's like solving a puzzle - trying to connect things in the right way, making it intricate, but with style and color. Color’s are something I love in this world. I'm always grateful when I experience color blends whether it's a sunset, a colorful canvas or mural that someone painted."

Happy New Year! We are super excited to kick off our best year yet! Below, we share some of our personal and professional goals with you. What are some of your goals for 2024? We would love to read your goals in the comments!

Josh:
““Creating more value and impact in the Nova team and community. All the goals I had for Nova that were put on pause from Covid and moving to Halifax are back on!”

Zack
“I am looking forward to training for multiple destinations with Nova Members!”

Mike
“Help more clients realize the importance of nutrition and how it can complement their workout plans to further achieve their goals”

Meredith
“I am looking forward to returning to the healthiest me I’ve ever been; in mind, body and spirit”

Graham
“Partner with a golf course for the 2024 season and make TPI golf training the level I know it can be.”

Colin
“Aim to increase my Deadlift to 1.5-1.75x my bodyweight (current weight 190 lbs) as a good measure of overall strength”

Working out hard, ‘eating healthy’ BUT still not getting the results you want?

You’re not alone. This is a common problem that many people face and…

… IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT

Because the real problem is that metabolic damage causes fat gain and energy drain.

Here’s Why I Say That…

When your body is in chronic 'fight or flight', metabolic processes become impaired forcing your body to store fat and zap energy.

DISCOVERY #2 of 3 about burning fat you did not know:

CHRONIC INFLAMMATION KEEPS THE BODY IN ‘FAT STORING MODE’

Inflammation is a natural part of our body’s defence mechanism - It's an immune response to a stressor. We need inflammation to heal and adapt to stressors…

… but the problem occurs when we allow inflammation to become chronic within our bodies. When this happens, it’s like the body is constantly putting out fires...

… and you can't lose weight if this fuel keeps being poured on the fire.

The reality is this - the more fat you have, the more inflammation you’re living with. Unfortunately, many of us are living with so much inflammation that it keeps our body in constant defence mode where it’s only focused on putting out fires - resulting in more stored fat.

To become lean we must combat this inflammation.

So what causes inflammation? - It can be caused by things including diet, poor sleep, infections, environmental toxins or nutritional deficiencies. For most people however, the biggest perpetrator is inflammatory foods.

Want to learn how you can decrease inflammation so that you can become leaner and with more energy?

Join the LeanDads 12 week group transformation program starting Jan 15, 2024.

LINK IN BIO

Merry Christmas! Here are some holiday health tips from your Nova team to help you stay true to yourself and your goals this season.

Josh:
“Have a meeting with yourself before January. In that meeting, ask yourself: ’what am I most proud of in 2023?’ Write it down. Then ask yourself: ‘What could I improve on in 2024? Write it down. Self reflection sharpens your instinct, intuition and creativity.”

Zack
“Stress from overthinking whether to eat something or not is not good. Rather, have a small portion and don’t beat yourself up for enjoying a tasty treat. Own your decision whether it is a yes or no.”

Mike
“Make sure to schedule time for yourself. Don’t skip your self-care and workout routines.”

Meredith
“Set your health intentions as often as you can. You can do this through journaling, meditation or quiet self reflection. Be clear about your goals!”

Graham
“Time with others does not have to just be about food. Seek opportunities to get active with others whether it is a short walk after a meal, skiing, building a snowman or a family workout.”

Colin
“The holidays are a joyous time - indulge yourself in things that make you feel happy, relaxed and stress free.”

Matthew
“Activity doesn’t have to be black and white, it can be an active hobby or something you enjoy. Just be active as true health isn’t restricted to one method.”

Happy Saturday, Nova community! 🌟

As we wrap up another great week at Nova Health Club, we want to wish everyone a great holiday over the Christmas season. 🎄

Have fun but make time for rest.

Enjoy treats but make sure they are the highest quality.

Take it easy but do not neglect daily exercise.

Spend time with others but give time to reflect with yourself too.

Feel worthy for all you receive but be grateful knowing that you have more than so many others on this planet.

Cheers to a happy and healthy holiday season! 🥂✨

NEW Transformation Program Starting in January 2024…
Introducing: “LEAN DADS” - Group Transformation for Performance Driven Men

Lose up to 25lbs and 10X your energy in as little as 12 weeks without eating boring meals, doing excessive exercise or exceeding your time, energy or mental bandwidth!

We designed this program for dads, and any man who wants to look, feel and perform at his best. Starting Jan 15, Nova transformation coaches Josh and Mike are going to help the guys kick off a healthy new year with this 12 week group program!

See LINK IN BIO for more info.

Limited spots… While this is a group program, each plan will be individualized. Therefore spaces are limited so we can give our best attention to each person.

🎉 Congrats to Bonar, our Super Nova of the YEAR! 🏋️‍♂️💪

Even with managing a business and raising a family, Bonar's unwavering dedication to his health and fitness this past year has yielded incredible results.

Even after an injured meniscus, Bonar conquered two Spartan races and has driven his body fat down to an impressive 8.9%!

We have been so impressed with Bonar that we had to recognize him one more time, as Super Nova of the YEAR! Check out the link in bio to read the inspiring full interview we had with him and learn about his accomplishments and how he does it all!

🎉 Congrats to Filip, our November Super Nova! 🏋️‍♂️💪

Filip’s journey at Nova has been an incredible one to watch! Filip has increased his training from 2 to 3-4 times/week AND is getting in 10,000 steps per day! We have watched Filip consistently reach his goals and are excited for him to bench that goal of 135 lbs!

Congrats Filip, we’re thrilled to be on this journey with you!

📣Coach Spotlight - Zack!

Zack is our club manager and has been with the Nova team since 2015! He excels as a training specialist and takes great satisfaction in his technical ability, customizing it to achieve the ideal intensity that leaves you 'feeling the burn' for days following the workout. Keep reading to find out some fun facts about Zack!

1) Favorite exercise and why
Cable oblique slings. It is the perfect synergist muscle movement that targets your entire body!

2) Favorite food
Sushi and Sashimi.

3) Favorite Sport
Baseball!

4) What is one piece of advice that you follow that helps you stay accountable to your training?
Make training a positive part of your life. If you see the positive in what you're doing it makes the task more enjoyable. So instead of saying things like "I have to workout" I say things like "I get to workout now!" Creating a positive mindset makes the experience more enjoyable and makes you enjoy the process more.

5 Nutrition Strategies to Combat Stress

1. Supplement with Magnesium - By regulating stress hormones, magnesium helps to reduce anxiety and create a state of calmness, fostering a peaceful mindset with less stress.

2. Hydration - Water plays a crucial role in facilitating cellular repair, maintaining homeostasis, and generating energy.

3. Eat carbohydrates - Carbs will help boost serotonin levels, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood and reduce anxiety. Plus stress uses up more cellular energy so carbs are necessary.

4. Eat enough calories. - Simply put, eating a low-calorie diet is a stress for the body. If you are experiencing more stress than usual in life, make sure to eat enough calories each day.

5. Avoid/Limit Caffeine - Caffeine is a stimulant. It affects the adrenal glands that produce stress-related hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. While some people handle it better than others, too much caffeine can elevate stress levels and deplete your body of water.

Check out our blog post via the link in bio to learn about specific foods and supplements that can help you combat stress!

Happy Friday, Nova community! 🌟

As we wrap up another great week at Nova Health Club, we're here to inspire and empower our community to prioritize their health and achieve their goals. 💪 Remember, it's never too late to embark on your fitness journey and be your best self! 🌟

It’s all about your mindset - believe in yourself, and there are no limits to what you can achieve. Let's stay committed to our fitness routines this fall and make every workout count!

Exercise truly works wonders, enriching every aspect of our lives and making each day more enjoyable. Together, let's keep moving forward and never settle. 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Do you cancel workouts when you are injured? This rookie mistake is counterproductive to your goals.

Don't let injuries hold you back! While it's natural to consider canceling workouts when you're injured, it's often counterproductive. A solution-oriented mindset is key. Just like professional athletes continue to train when injured, you can too.

Three crucial steps for injury management:

1. 💤 Rest: Give your injury strategic rest – avoid activities that worsen it, but keep moving in other ways.

2. 🏋️‍♂️ Rehabilitation: Use specific exercises to promote healing and blood flow to the injured area.

3. 💪 Maintenance: Don't neglect the rest of your body that works; maintain your overall fitness.

Nova coaches are experts in working around injuries. When injured, keep going to your sessions - often it is a great time to work on other areas of the body. For example, if you have a back injury, work on stretching or book an FST session. If you have a knee injury, work on your upper body. Stay active and stay on track toward your goals.

See link in bio for the complete blog about working out when injured.

🏃‍♀️💪👊

🥗 Discover Your Primal Pattern Type! 🧬

Are keto, plant-based, or fasting diets right for YOU? Find out in our latest blog post!

Take the Primal Pattern Type quiz in under 5 minutes to uncover your ideal nutrition plan. Every body is different according to our ‘Primal Pattern Type,’ the ancestral diet you genetically evolved with depending on where your ancestors lived on the planet.

Spoiler alert: It might not be what you think! Link in bio to download the Primal Pattern PDF! 💡

🎉 Congrats to Lesley, our October Super Nova! 🏋️‍♂️💪

Ever since joining Nova in November 2022, Lesley has consistently impressed us with her hard work and commitment. When she first joined Nova she experienced pain in her shoulder, neck, and upper back. Within 10 months, Lesley's continuous hard work improved all these areas for a pain-free life. She is much more aware of her posture and is stronger than ever!

Great job Lesley! We are very proud of you and love working with you to help you achieve your goals!

📣Coach Spotlight of the Month! 📣

This month we are highlighting Coach Mel, a very important team member who has been with us for 4 YEARS! Keep reading more about Mel!

1) Favorite exercise and why?
Anything upper body pull related like lat pull down. Working my upper back is my favorite mostly because it's my strongest part!

2) What's your favorite food?
My boyfriend. Ryan's ribeye steak!

3) What's one piece of advice that you follow that helps you stay accountable to your training?
You never regret showing up, even if it's not your best session. You do, however, regret not showing up. Remember that a little movement goes a long way.

4) What was the highlight of your summer?
There isn't a single moment but rather a combination of moments from home runs and long drives (notice I didn't say putting ;), to concerts (from metal shows to Beyonce) and to great eats, great company and everything in between!

DM to book a personal training or Fascial Stretch Therapy (FST) session with Melissa!

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in over 300 bodily functions! Here are just 3 of the many important reasons to supplement with magnesium:

1. Supports Muscle and Nerve Function
Magnesium is essential for muscle contraction and relaxation, including the beating of your heart. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to muscle cramps, spasms, and even irregular heart rhythms.

2. Bone Health
Magnesium is a key player in maintaining strong and healthy bones. It helps regulate calcium levels in the body and is necessary for the proper formation of bone tissue. A deficiency in magnesium can contribute to osteoporosis and an increased risk of fractures.

3. Stress & Anxiety
Magnesium supports this in many ways including nervous system regulation, muscle relaxation, stress hormone regulation, brain health and improved sleep.

Get your magnesium today from Designs For Health. Link in Bio.

Another warm welcome to our newest coach, Matthew!

Matthew grew up loving playing golf and hockey. The love of sport naturally led him to study Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa where he earned an Honors degree within the field.

Matthew has been practicing as a personal training coach since 2020 and has recently committed to expanding his knowledge by studying further at the Canadian Academy of Osteopathy where he plans to earn a Master of Practice in Osteopathic Manipulative Science.

He loves applying his knowledge in real life by working with clients that he trains and he is confident in being able to help them achieve their sport, health and fitness goals. Matthew Is a natural born leader who believes in being a positive mentor to others by continuing to live an active life dedicated to health, fitness and of course playing any and all sports.

Welcome to the team, Matthew!

We’re so excited to welcome Coach Colin to the team!

After getting a full athletic scholarship in Illinois, Colin wanted to learn about human movement, leading him to graduate from University of Guelph-HUmber with a Bachelors of applied science in Kinesiology. Since then, Colin became a certified Strength and Conditioning coach with National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).

With over 10 years of training, Colin believes in playing to your strengths while working on your weaknesses. Whether your goals are weight loss, increased strength or improved quality of living it all begins by developing a solid movement foundation which everything else then flows from.

We’re so excited to have him on Team Nova and can’t wait to see what he’ll bring to our community!

We're thrilled to announce our partnership with , a science-driven nutrition and holistic supplement company, dedicated to creating uncompromising health products while also advancing education, technology, and advocacy for holistic wellness.

For the month of September get 25% off by using promo code NOVA at checkout! Don't wait, get started on your supplement journey now!