Well, Well, Well

We are changing that narrative around exercise to show it’s not just about losing weight, it benefits energy levels, mental health, body image and self-efficacy. 

Kate Ivey

Kate Ivey is founder and CEO of DediKate, an online health and fitness community for busy women, with a combined Facebook and Instagram (@kateiveyfitness) following of nearly 50,000. She tells Verve that February’s a good time to revisit and reassess our “idealist” January goals that might not have been so realistic. “Work out what is working and what isn’t, what you really want to achieve, and why,” she says. “Take each day at a time. I love to remind people that it’s normal to not feel like exercising, you are not alone. A simple goal to have is to still be exercising at the end of the year.”

The all-female Dedikate team combines the likes of yoga, pilates and HIIT to offer “a balanced and holistic approach to health and fitness” including nutritional advice and exercise psychology.

“Exercise psychology was my favourite paper at university. It’s so important because considering the benefits of exercise, too many people don’t exercise, or drop out. That’s why creating a community like DediKate, that women and mothers can relate to, is important. Women are seeing it’s for everyone, you don’t have to be sporty to be exercising regularly.

“We are changing that narrative around exercise to show it’s not just about losing weight, it benefits energy levels, mental health, body image and self-efficacy. It’s life-changing for so many women to see exercise as a tool for being their best or improving their mood, rather than as something to do to try and burn off dessert.”

Do many underestimate the importance of good diet for fitness?

“People certainly overestimate the weight loss benefits of exercise and underestimate the benefits of nutrition, often starting a new regime by eating as little as they can, which is unsustainable. The focus should be on fuelling your body to be at your best every day, to be able to exercise well for the physical and mental benefits. Set yourself up for success, don’t try and achieve everything at once. Allow some grace to learn, and remember we aren’t aiming for perfection – we’re not training for the Olympics.”

Has there been a greater interest in health and fitness since the pandemic?

“The main change the pandemic has driven is a move to exercising online. It’s positive because people are realising how much time they can save by working out at home. They can more easily make it a part of their lives and are more likely to stick at it.”

What are your personal goals for 2022?

“Firstly, to reduce the amount of work I do at night! I don’t often get a break and hurrying the kids to bed isn’t fair on them. Plus, working on the computer at night makes it harder to sleep. So, my goal is to get up – and go to bed – earlier during the week.”

What wellness trends do you expect to see this year?

“I think we will continue to see modes being intertwined, like on DediKate. Resistance training being HIIT and resistance training; HIIT infused yoga, pilates and barre. Mixing styles creates lots of variety and benefits – and prevents boredom. It’s also a great way to transition people from their favourite styles to others that they realise they enjoy.”

Is this holistic approach the key to good health?

“We all have our favourite way to work out but using just one limits the benefits. Including a variety means we can improve cardiovascular fitness, strength, and flexibility. Mixing it up keeps us challenged – ask someone that only does resistance training or HIIT to do a DediKate pilates class and they’ll find it tough! It’s also helpful to align the type of workout you are doing with your mood, stress, or energy levels. HIIT, weights or a run are perfect when we’re unmotivated whereas yoga, pilates or a walk are needed when stressed or wound up.”

DediKate is a supportive and collaborative environment, is a sense of community key to motivation? 

“Yes! People love to feel they identify with us and what we have created at DediKate. Some are really into community and interaction, whereas others stick to themselves but like to know they are a part of something that aligns with their values. Our members are really motivated by the fact that our trainers are just like them – all mothers, all busy, and all just doing our best to look after ourselves and balance life. We sweat with them, we struggle to finish sets, and have flat days. We share the good times and the bad, and women can see that it’s not about how much you can lift or how much weight you have lost – it’s about how you feel and being in control of your health and fitness for all the benefits.”

Learn more at kateiveyfitness.com

Goals are important, but we need to be more flexible and lenient on ourselves.

Lydia O’Donnell

Marathoner Lydia O’Donnell is a Nike Pacific head running coach, Insta star (@lydiaodo), and founder of Femmi, a group of female trainers who create personalised running and strength coaching programmes for women. Hailing from Bay of Plenty, but now based in Melbourne, Lydia tells Verve: “My home, Mount Maunganui will always have my heart, but I also love exploring. The great walks across the country also make amazing trail runs, earlier in 2021 I did the latest great walk from Punakaiki, and it was incredible.”

Where are you favourite running spots in Australia? 

“I have recently spent time in the high country of Victoria at Mount Buffalo. That is a beautiful spot to run. I love exploring new places by foot and there are so many places in Australia I am excited to venture out to.”

How do you sell running to those who find it boring?

“Running is a form of meditational movement. It is one of the most accessible tools to help with our mental health. If you find running boring, try to focus on the benefits that running can provide your health, both mentally and physically. This way you’ll always be motivated to move and feel good after every step. If you need further motivation, put on a podcast or a good playlist to help keep the mind ticking over.”

What are your personal fitness goals for 2022?

“The more time I spend training and competing as an athlete, the more I understand my purpose in why I love running so much. The way the sport connects me to others and creates an innate confidence in myself is what continues to pull me back. This year my goal is to continue to learn more about my own body and mind, and to live my purpose of educating and inspiring women to feel empowered.”

What are the common mistakes people make with new year resolutions?

“People give themselves the year to achieve their resolutions, and if anything interrupts it, they give up. Goals are important, but we need to be more flexible and lenient on ourselves.  If we miss that one day of moving, or eat the wrong thing, that doesn’t mean we’ve immediately failed. Understand that the end goal is just a point to have something to work towards, but the journey is where the magic is made, so enjoy it.”

And common health and fitness misconceptions in general?

“Everybody’s health and fitness journeys are different. I see a lot of people focusing too much on how they look rather than how they feel. We need to be more aware of how we feel and play into that. We tend to fall into the trap of thinking more is better, but this isn’t true. If you can vary your training, understand you don’t need to empty the tank every training session to make gains, and listen more to how you respond to different types of training, you will ultimately start doing the training that’s right for you.”

What are your tips for staying motivated?

“Motivation shouldn’t be seasonal. If struggling with your new year’s resolutions or long-term goals, create some shorter-term benchmarks to keep on track. Find goals that light you up and excite you. This can also help with your motivation levels to get up and get out each day.”

Are there any trends you expect to see this year?

“I hope to see the fitness trend for females to become more aware of their hormones and start training to their physiology. For so long, there’s been a huge misunderstanding and lack of research around female hormones and our menstrual cycles. There has been much recent research around how much our hormonal fluctuations affect the way we respond to how we train and eat – women who menstruate should be paying more attention to these changes. If we track our menstrual cycles, and understand which phase of the cycle we’re in, we can adapt our training to be sure that we are doing the best training for our bodies at that time.”

What are the plans for Femmi this year?

“Femmi is continuing to grow in many aspects. We now have 10 coaches spread across New Zealand and Australia, and new athletes joining our team all the time. We’re really excited to be launching Femmi Theory in February 2022. It’s a 12-15-hour online education course for everyone, including athletes, coaches, trainers and beyond, all about the female body and how to work with females better. Modules are built around female physiology and empowerment through conversation, mindset, and identity. We hope to become a globally-renown accreditation to give the world a better opportunity to learn about females.” 

Learn more at femmi.co

Calories in and out is the key, not one single food group. 

Jake Campus

More than 80,000 follow Jake Campus Nutrition on Instagram (@jakecampusnutrition) for the latest in fitness and nutrition. “What you put in your body will affect how you feel, your weight, health, mental and physical ability,” Jake tells Verve. “Whether it’s fat loss, muscle gain, toning, performance, or health, it’s essential to eat better and sleep better. The outcome of the training and nutrition will come down to energy intake.”

What are your tips for staying motivated?

“We set a framework for goal-achieving using the acronym SMART: ‘S’ is for specific goals; ‘M’ is for measurable data – such as weight lost or dress sizes dropped – in order to stay motivated; ‘A’ is for attainable, keeping those goals within reach in the long term; ‘R’ is for realistic, don’t set yourself up for failure; and ‘T’ is for time-bound, allowing for deadlines to keep motivation high.”

What common myths and misconceptions remain the hardest to dispel?

“Most common is that carbs are bad. The reemergence of the keto diet has further demonised carbohydrates, which, in reality are great as they’re our bodies’ go-to energy source. The problem is that carbs are easy to overeat, cheap to buy, and the base of most meals so you can accumulate calories fast. Fat loss is fundamentally ensuring you are in a net caloric deficit for the week through diet and exercise. A balanced diet of protein, carbs and fats can have you losing fat, or maintaining a healthy weight, with great mental and physical energy often lost with low-carb diets. Don’t cut out all carbs – yes, you can have them after dark and still lose fat provided that caloric deficit is adhered to. Calories in and out is the key, not one single food group.”

What are your personal goals for 2022?

“Last year came with many challenges, as it did for many others. Whilst I’m feeling optimistic, I have to be realistic with what I can personally achieve this year and put my physical and mental wellbeing first. I’ve had multiple injuries over the past 10 months, so am working with a team to rehabilitate and rebuild. Once I heal, I’d like to work towards a WBFF pro show. Businesswise, I aim to work with my team to introduce a variety of new services and products for the company – as a CEO, I have business goals, but a personal one here is to support my team to achieve theirs.”

What wellness trends do you expect to see this year?

“I believe more people will use group fitness, HIIT, and strength classes. With restrictions due to the pandemic, and lack of social interactions, I think we’re all craving that community and social engagement now things are starting to lift.”

You advise everyone has different nutritional needs when embarking upon a new fitness regime, about how do you assess that?

“Clients are assessed based on their current routine of food intake and activity along with food likes and dislikes, goals, and medical and diet history. We then work out energy requirements for each individual and use foods they enjoy, structured to work with their individual routines and goals. In-house clients receive a comprehensive body scan which breaks down more data to track. Our online clients can get this and send it to us if not able to work with us face to face.”

Any exciting upcoming projects for Jake Campus Nutrition in 2022?

“We’re constantly striving to enhance what we do and introduce new services and products, but unfortunately, this is all top secret! All I can say is that this year is going to be tasty, empowering, and next-level awesome.”

Find out more at jcn.co.nz