fitness

Happy Nap Day!

Sam BLeave a comment

Nap Day is celebrated on the Monday after the move to Daylight Saving Time. That’s today. Yawn!

Founded to encourage rest and combat lost sleep, this unofficial holiday promotes taking a 20-30 minute “power nap” to boost alertness, improve mood, and enhance productivity. You can read more about Nap Day here.

woman in pajamas sleeping on white blanket on grass field
Photo by Denys Mikhalevych on Pexels.com

Past Nap Posts on Fit is a Feminist Issue

  1. Sleep! Or Happy National Napping Day! (March 11, 2018) — Sam reflects on sleep and napping in the context of her demanding new role.
  2. Nap Time! (Late to the party for #NationalNappingDay) (March 13, 2018) — Sam, proud self-described “professional naplete,” shares research on naps lowering blood pressure.
  3. Naps as a Form of Resistance… and They’re Good for Your Brain Too (April 30, 2019) — Tracy explores napping as a social justice issue and the work of the Nap Ministry.
  4. Sam Gives “Nap Yoga” a Try (January 14, 2020) — Sam tries restorative yoga (aka “nap yoga”) for the first time.
  5. Aren’t All Dresses Nap Dresses? (August 4, 2020) — Sam on the pandemic nap dress trend and the politics of who gets to wear one.
  6. Okay, I Gave Into Another Pandemic Fashion Trend and Bought a Nap Dress (and It Has Pockets) (August 19, 2020) — Sam buys an actual nap dress and defends the choice.
  7. Dec. 4: Take a Nap! (December 4, 2020) — A wellness calendar entry celebrating naps as resistance, quoting the Nap Ministry.
  8. Winter Nap Dresses! Sam is Holding Off, for Now (October 2020) — Sam considers (and declines) the winter nap dress trend.
  9. If Napping is “Linked to Poorer Health”, Does That Mean It’s Bad for Me? (July 27, 2022) — Catherine unpacks a misleading news story about napping and cardiovascular health. (Spoiler: naps are fine.)
  10. The Joy of Napping (March 10, 2023) — Guest poster Amy Smith on her love of napping and the question of who gets to nap in public.
  11. Happy Nap Day! (March 11, 2024) — Sam’s roundup post for National Napping Day, linking to past nap posts and mentioning her Philosophy office nap setup (yoga mat, pillow, alpaca blanket).

Zzzzzz!

fitness

Moving lots on vacation, and trying to keep it up now we’re home, but mostly photos from our trip West

Sam B1 Comment

This past week Sarah and I flew to Calgary. We then spent five days touring around the Rockies. We also visited the youngest of the adult kids. They are working at a ski resort out there.

Sarah did some skiing, but mostly we did a lot of walking. We had some beautiful hikes in the snow.

Here’s what that looks like on my Google Fit report.

A dashboard showing daily goals achieved over the last 7 days, with a total of 7 out of 7 marked as completed. Each day of the week (M, T, W, T, F, S, S) features a circular icon indicating goal progress.

But it looks much better in pictures.

Here we are walking on one of the trails at the Nordic Centre at Panorama Ski Resort, where Miles is working.

Scenic view of a snowy river valley surrounded by mountains, with a sign indicating a hiking trail.
Scenic view of mountains and a river, with snow-covered rocks and evergreen trees in the foreground under a cloudy sky.
A snow-covered path winding through a forest of tall pine and aspen trees under a partly cloudy sky.
Two women taking a selfie in a snowy mountain landscape with trees and a river in the background.

Here we are walking with a friend’s adult kid who is living outside Canmore. We had a great dog hike with her and with Sneetches, a retired sled dog.

A scenic view of a river surrounded by trees and mountains in the background.

And here’s Cheddar and me on our first day back. It was our first double-digit hike–sunny, windy, wet, and so much melting ice and snow. I’m excited about after-work dog walks now that the evening light is back, thanks to the time change.

A woman smiling and wearing sunglasses, with curly hair, standing in a wooded area.

a person tying the ice skating shoe lace From swimming to skating, Sam is expanding her horizons and learning new things
fitness · skate · snow · winter

From swimming to skating, Sam is expanding her horizons and learning new things

Sam BLeave a comment

Exapnd is my word of the year for 2026 and so far it’s serving me very well. See Expanding my horizons and my #26for2026 list before the year even really begins

Initially, I chose Stretch. I thought about Reach. You can spot a trend here. They all have in common a theme of growth, meeting new people, trying new things, learning new skills, and pushing out of my comfort zone.

Fit Feminists’ Words of the Year 2026: #WOTY

What have I been up to in the world of Expand? I started out with swimming lessons. See Chicken, Moose, Butterfly…Sam is back in the pool learning new strokes and Learning to swim as an adult.

That went so well that I’ve signed up for skating lessons. Sarah and I both think we need them after a wonderful weekend at Arrowhead, Sam’s winter weekend triathlon, where the cross-country skiing and the snowshoeing went very smoothly, but the skating not so much. It turns out, that for us at least, skating isn’t like riding a bike. And even riding a bike might not be like that for you.

Starting Tuesday evenings in April, we’re signed up for Skate Canada learn-to-skate here in Guelph at the rink near Exhibition Park.

Wish us luck!

blog · blogging · fitness · week in review

Fit is a Feminist Issue,  our week in review, March 8, 2026

Sam BLeave a comment

How many blog posts did we write? 13

Who did the writing? Cate, Diane, Christine,  Mina, Nicole, Martha,  Catherine, Nat, and me (Sam).

What did we write about anyway?

We started the week with Cate on trans rights, tying the horrible things that are happening to trans people, particularly in Kansas, to her post from last year,Why the conversation about trans women in sports isn’t about sports.

Also,  on Monday I fessed up to the stuff I bought during my month of no shopping. Bottom line,  despite a few purchases it still feels worthwhile trying.

Monday was also Diane’s birthday. She’s officially a senior lifeguard. Go Diane! Happy birthday!

On Tuesday Christine blogged about Mindful March in the morning and in the afternoon I continued exploring my fascination with placebo sleep.

Midweek,  on Wednesday, Mina wrote about why she meditates (almost) everyday. In the afternoon I wrote about the importance of sleeping in the dark. (I’ve got a thing about sleep lately.  If you do too, let me recommend a podcast, Sleep is the New Sex, with feminist philosopher Cressida Heyes.)

Thursday morning Diane blogged about medical decisions . Later that day Nicole wrote about barriers to physical activity, and also on Thursday,  our busiest blogging day this week, Diane says Aquafit is for Everyone.

And Martha’s monthly post on Friday was about Newfoundland spring,  which is slow in coming.

On Sat with Nat, Nat wrote about her brain possibly playing tricks with her when it comes to bike repairs.

And on Weekends with Womack, Catherine wrote on Sunday,  about silly season and March weather.

Abandoned mittens
Purple crici pushing up bravely through the snow. BY Pedro Netto for Unsplash. March is the season for silly weather
fitness · temperature and exercise

March is the season for silly weather

catherine wLeave a comment

It’s March, y’all. Where I live this means that almost every item of my wardrobe is on call for potential use, from short-sleeve shirts to merino wool base layers. This week, which is spring break for my university, features some higher temperatures than we’ve seen since early fall, but also some low lows and threat of snowflakes.

The weekly forecast for my town-- all over the place, as March tends to be.
The upcoming forecast for my town– all over the place, as March tends to be.

But this is no news to anyone who’s lived through a March, especially in northern climes. We have to be willing and able to swing wide in our clothing selections, to be nimble in our accessory and footwear choices.

I wrote about this a bunch of years ago when we had a record high temperature in February (73F/23 C) and then a big freeze. You can read about it below, and hopefully just have to experience the March weather shifts vicariously, rather than in person. Enjoy…

Upside-down mixed-up weather fitness tips
Sat with Nat

Nat’s brain lies to her

natalieh (she/her)1 Comment

I swear to you when last I fussed with my commuter bike in December I hadn’t resolved a shifting issue. Yet when I dusted it off this week the cable was perfectly aligned.

The Shimano internal gears has a diagnostic setting. You put it in fourth and two dots appear on the rear sprocket. You adjust the cable tension to align them. But. Uh. When I checked it was perfect.

I had avoided biking in to work a couple times in February because I thought I still had a mechanical issue to deal with.

It’s so weird.

I biked in 3 times this week and it felt really good.

Wednesday was foggy in the morning and gloriously sunny in the afternoon.

Thursday was damp in the morning and very wet in the afternoon.

Friday was damp.

But no snow. No ice. Easy riding.

I’m kicking myself for not riding in February but it was a good reminder of how my brain lies to me.

I need to check the facts because I am not always a reliable reporter.

A rear wheel of a bicycle looking shiny in the sun in front of green grass.

My butt is a little sore from 3 days in a row after 3 months of not riding. I’m the women’s local legend of The Colborne which is, quite possibly the shortest, flattest Strava segment in existence.

But hey. I’m out there doing my silly little rides and much happier for it. No thanks to my lying brain.

accessibility

Aquafit is for Everyone

Diane Harper1 Comment

In the aquafit class I lifeguarded earlier today, there was a younger middle-aged woman with an older man. Sometimes they would hold hands while doing exercises. I assumed he was her father (or someone similar) and she was providing support. Turns out she is blind and he is her guide. Aquafit really is for everyone.

Image says “Aquafit for All”, with a background of people standing in a swimming pool doing Aquafit. from the instagram account of aquafitforall.org, which has the mandate of making aquatics accessible for everyone.
cheerful runners participating in outdoor marathon Barriers to Physical Activity in Canada
fitness

Barriers to Physical Activity in Canada

Nicole P,Leave a comment

The FIFI bloggers often share articles amongst our group as potential inspiration to write a blog post. The other day, Sam shared, “The Generational Barriers to Physical Activity in Canada” by Wasif Chaudri in ParticipACTION (Helping people in Canada move more where they live, learn, work and play since 1971): https://www.participaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ParticipACTION_Generational_Barriers_to_Physical_Activity_in_Canada_report.pdf

In a nutshell, the survey conducted by ParticipACTION looked to understand the reasons why, “If physical activity is recognized as being valuable (for improved mental health, increased energy and reduced risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease), but participation rates are still so low, what is preventing people from living active lifestyles?”

The survey concluded these main takeaways:

Key Generational Barriers (Based on 2026 ParticipACTION Report)

  • Gen Z (18–27): Reports the highest number of barriers, including high self-consciousness, fear of failure, and lacking companionship or space for activity.
  • Other Generations (Millennials, Gen X, Boomers): While also facing constraints (work obligations, boredom with exercise choices, injury and other health issues, particularly for Boomers), they tend to report fewer psychological, image-driven barriers compared to Gen Z.
  • Universal Barriers: Across all ages, common barriers include lack of time, low energy/fatigue, and financial constraints. 

A key recommendation from the article was for individuals to seek supportive, beginner-friendly group activities and spaces that reduce social pressure to boost confidence. I agree with this recommendation.

The results of this survey got me thinking, what would have to change, on a bigger level, for factors such as time, low self-confidence, lack of energy, financial constraints, to not block increases in physical fitness across ages?

  1. REASON – as a society, we have to make a bigger change in the messaging about the reason for exercise. Existing societal messages leave many people with the idea that the main reason to get out there for regular exercise is to “improve” the way they look. While it can be great for people to feel more comfortable in their body because they workout more regularly, this should not be the primary driver. The primary driver should be – exercise will make you feel better overall. It will improve the health markers/outcomes described in the survey.
  2. We, as a larger society, have to do more than talk about “work/life balance”. We need to advocate for more green spaces, more time, better transporation options, more affordable ways for people to successfully incorporate fitness in their day. It should not be thought of as a “nice to have” but a “necessity”.

What do you think readers? What can be done to remove some of the barriers described in the survey?

A woman with curly blonde hair wearing large, stylish glasses and a headset, smiling while sitting at a desk in an office environment.
Nicole P. likes to make a habit of exercising in the morning so that it’s done and she feels better to start the day.
fitness

Winter blues shifting to spring greens

marthafitat55Leave a comment

I’m envious of my friends who live in climates vastly different from mine. Not long ago I saw a photo of a vegetable garden in full bloom. Help yourself to extra greens was the caption.

My garden is still an expanse of white, with almost four feet of snow.

Image shows a garden full of snow with tall drifts. In the background are leafless trees and fir trees.

See? Not a green leaf in sight.

But one can dream. I like fitness that has a purpose or that’s fun. Gardening is purposeful — raking, digging, toting, watering etc. I’m looking forward to doing more this year.

Shoveling snow is purposeful — snow removal is essential to leaving the house — but it is not fun.

Weight training is fun. It’s an opportunity to lift heavy things and put them down again. Swimming is fun. It is a form of meditation and puts me in a good mood.

Walking is also fun. It’s something you can do by yourself, or together with a friend. You don’t need any special equipment, as a pair of sturdy shoes will do.

You can add walking into everything: use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to work or the grocery store, park your car four lanes further away from the door, etc.

Theorist BJ Fogg suggests making new habits stick by attaching them to parts of your existing routine. For example, if you need to stretch more, add a set of stretches while you brush your teeth.

I’ve played around with Fogg’s approach. I programmed my Fitbit to give me an alert every hour at ten minutes to the hour. It’s my cue to stand and stretch so I’m not sitting for three hours straight writing.

Running down two flights of stairs to get tea counts. So does making my bed ( have you ever wrestled with a king size wool duvet? It’s a workout!). Or sorting laundry.

The point is to add extra movement where you can. Our lives are busier now. Finding a full hour to hit the gym can be daunting. When you add in the prep and post tidy, it can feel like more time than you can realistically commit.

Winter can be grim, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop moving. Finding or creating small pockets of activity that are fun and physical throughout your day can help ease the grimness and benefit your physical well being. Spring will get sprung soon in my world, and I’ll be ready!

fitness · sleep

Turn out the lights! Heart health and sleeping in the dark

Sam B4 Comments
A person lying on a bed wearing a light pink sleep mask, smiling. The image is presented in a collage format with four identical frames.

I blogged about my purchase of an eye mask for sleeping here.

I like it. No more being bothered by the hall light, the bathroom light, and the lights in other family members’ bedrooms when their doors are left open.

But it turns out that I’m not just doing this for the sake of family harmony. Sleeping in the dark is also good for my cardiovascular health. This week, I read that nighttime artificial light exposure is a big risk factor for developing cardiovascular diseases among adults older than 40 years.

What I read: Nighttime exposure to light may raise cardiovascular risk by up to 50% (Harvard Gazette)

Nearly 890,000 women and men wore wrist bands that collected data on light for more than a decade. Compared with the half with fairly to very dark nights, the 10% with the brightest nights had nearly a third higher risks of developing coronary artery disease.

This risk of heart attack, stroke and other heart failures, including atrial fibrillation, was high even after adjusting for the well-established cardiovascular risk factors. These include physical activity, smoking, alcohol, diet, socioeconomic status, polygenic risk and even sleep hours/interuptions. The women studied were slightly more prone to the effect than men.

Published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, the study strongly suggests that, in addition to current preventive advice for heart health, getting a good night’s sleep with no light at night is a useful strategy for reducing cardiac and vascular diseases.

You can read the study here, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2840489