How do you choose to exercise?

My trusty exercise assistant

Recently, a former student reached out to ask if I’d be willing to teach an Essentrics session for her and a few friends. I spent more than a decade teaching Essentrics in the Ottawa area, but it’s been a few years since I taught a group fitness session.  
So I thought about it for a few days—specifically, the work involved in setting up and preparing for classes again. In the end, I politely declined and directed her to other possibilities.

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I no longer teach Essentrics, but it’s still a part of my life. Even before I began the instructor certification process, I had been following the Classical Stretch by Essentrics episodes and DVDs for almost 10 years. It’s a no-impact, (mostly) equipment-free workout that can be done anywhere, and I still include it in my repertoire of exercise. 

That’s the key for me: it’s part of my exercise options, but it’s not the only one. I believe that variety is the spice of life when it comes to exercise. You see, I don’t live to exercise—and I didn’t either when I was a full-time fitness professional—rather, I exercise to live. As I get older, I appreciate more the importance of switching up workouts to avoid overuse injuries, keeping your brain in the game by learning new things, and making sure that I’m enjoying what I’m doing. 

So, I do still practice Essentrics, but much less frequently than when I was teaching multiple weekly classes. For the itinerant exercise consumers like me, I offer the following recommendations for incorporating Essentrics into your life.

Miranda’s books. Miranda Esmonde-White is the brains, heart, and soul behind Essentrics and is a true Canadian fitness pioneer. She has penned several books on the Essentrics technique, and these are presented below:

• The Miracle of Flexibility: A Head-To-Toe Program to Increase Strength, Improve Mobility, and Become Pain Free (2023)
• Fast Track to Aging Backwards: 6 Ways and 30 Days to Look and Feel Younger (2019)
• Forever Painless: Lasting Relief Through Gentle Movement (2016)
• Aging Backwards: 10 Years Younger and 10 Years Lighter in 30 Minutes a Day (2014)
  
  

DVDs—Classical Stretch & Essentrics. The workouts are hosted by various Essentrics trainers, including Miranda. All of the Classical Stretch DVDs are exclusively hosted by Miranda. These ones are my favourites:

• Classical Stretch Vintage Collection Vol. 1 & 2
• Classical Stretch - The Esmonde Technique: Complete Season 10
• Classical Stretch by ESSENTRICS: Season 12
• Classical Stretch - Age Reversing Workouts for Beginners: Posture & Pain Relief
• Classical Stretch - Age Reversing Workouts for Beginners: Mobility & Bone Strengthening
• Aging Backwards: Connective Tissue Workouts
• ESSENTRICS Pain-Relief Workouts
• ESSENTRICS Miranda's Fan Favorites
• ESSENTRICS The Ultimate Stretch Workouts
• Rebalance and Reboot Your Body
• Essentrics Toning for Beginners
• Essentrics Stretch Series Vol. 1
• ESSENTRICS Body Sculpting Series Vol. 2

No matter how you choose to move your body, please do it often. It will help you in the long run.

NOTE: I am no longer an Amazon Associate, so I don't earn commissions from recommended products.