All Things Fitness and Wellness

The cold plunge and cold therapy market is expected to see explosive growth through 2030. Chris Reid is the Founder of Coold in Vancouver, BC, which provides cold water collabs and equipment rentals.

Coold is a cold tub rental company that partners with fitness studios to help create curated experiences and community. 

In this episode Reid shines a light on his business model, where opportunities lies in the space, and why it was important for him to pursue.

Many people will kick off the New Year with their first step into cold immersion through a community polar bear swim. Through the episode Reid shares some cold plunge advice and benefits.

Firefighting is a physically demanding career path. Every year Vancouver Firefighters ramp up their fitness routines to the next level by volunteering their time to pose for the Hall of Flame Calendar.

The Hall of Flame Calendar is in its 35th year. Throughout it's lifetime the calendar has raised over one million dollars for Vancouver Firefighter Charities. 

Many of the models prep as if they were doing a fitness competition with structured meal plans and tailored workouts. All of their training is done above and beyond their regular call of duty.

On the podcast Vancouver Firefighters Joanne Crockett and Brandon Davies talk about their experience participating in the 2023 Hall Of Flame Calendar, plus share their journey to becoming a firefighter.

The Global Sauna Industry is forecast to surpass $4.6 Billion by 2025
Global Sauna and Spa Market Report*

For Valterri Rantala, sauna culture has always been a way of life. He grew up in Finland where it is estimated that there are 3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million.

Rantala moved to Vancouver, British Columbia and sought out a place to enjoy the benefits of sauna. When he couldn't find the type of space he was after utilized his entrepreneurial spirit to bring it to life.

The Finnish Sauna became a mobile sauna experience. It provided enthusiasts a space to take part in Squamish, Vancouver and wherever the mobile sauna could travel.

Now Rantala has expanded his venture to a permanent secret space in Vancouver and is introducing people to The Ark Spa. The Ark Spa provides sauna therapy and cold therapy through cold tubs in a natural backyard setting. Rantala shares aside from the health benefits of sauna the ultimate reward is the community and conversation sessions can generate.

This episode of The ATFW Celebrity Series podcast features Canadian Television Personality Chloe Wilde.

Chloe started out pursuing a career as a Doctor due to her love of science, however it was the MuchMusic VJ Search in 2013 that changed her entire life.

After taking the title she has now had a celebrated decade long media career. The journey has not been without struggle and Wilde is quite open about her battles with mental health.

On her quest to heal her relationship with mind and body she started using the hashtag #healthyishot. What started out as an accountability tool quickly transformed into a community. "Hot" (a popular word in the early 2000s) had nothing to do with a number on a scale or a body type. As Wilde shares seeking optimum wellness and health for oneself is truly what is hot at the end of the day.

Her hashtag evolved into a blog, podcast, and even a television series on Crave. Despite amassing a following and popularity the real achievement has been creating a community of like minded people to have a safe space to be motivated toward living a healthy life.

Rest is an essential component of overall wellness, creativity and productivity. Whether you are a C-Suite executive or an entry level employee, carving out space for deliberate rest can boost performance and productivity. However, rest is often slated to the side of the agenda until all the 'important work' is done. The reality is that generally what we view as our important work does not end and new tasks are always around the corner.

A newly released report (2022-2023 Aflac WorkForces Report) found that more than half (59%) of workers are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout. This is an increase for numbers reported in 2021. Burnout quickly destroys engagement and blocks new ideas from bubbling to the surface.

Author Alex Soojung-Kim Pang joins this episode of The ATFW Industry Series podcast to share how and why deliberate rest is a key tool for growing a business. He shares insights from his book Rest: Why you Get More Done when You Work Less, which illustrates that rest is a key component for unlocking your creative self. Some of your best business ideas may be blocked as you aren't giving your mind the time and space to draw them out.

If you wish to gain wisdom and knowledge, you have to be curious and ask about anything in life. You become wise when you start to wonder. - Socrates

When it comes to pillars of wellness, curiosity may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, getting curious about our minds and bodies is an ideal launchpad for creating the change we seek and life we envision for ourselves.

Entrepreneur and Adventurer Julian DeSchutter joins The ATFW Celebrity Series podcast to talk about the power of curiosity, the misconceptions over meditation and why we should be paying attention to our nervous system.

DeSchutter is a serial entrepreneur who co-founded Chasing Sunrise in 2016. The entire goal of that endeavour was to harness community and create epic memories. In the podcast he opens up about learnings from that experience and after watching you may strive to never miss a sunrise again!

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New episodes of The ATFW Industry Series podcast release every Monday.
New episodes of The ATFW Celebrity Series podcast release every Wednesday.

CEO Selene Dior of Vitae Apparel joins The ATFW Industry Series podcast to share how she started her own swimsuit and fitness apparel line at the age of 18. In a few short years she had transformed her idea into a 7 figure business. Her favourite quote when she started out was 'Get Shit Done', but the pressure of hustle culture ultimately led to burnout. 

In this podcast she shares how investing in her self-care and mental health has ultimately helped her become a better leader and grow her business in a more sustainable way. She opens up about her foray into therapy, meditation, and reconnecting with exercise. She shares her business growth story and provides helpful tips for leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs. 

Delvin Breaux Sr. is changing the game and the conversation around mental health.

Men statistically have been less vocal over mental health struggles and less likely to seek treatment when needed. When it comes to professional athletes there has often been even more pressure to appear tough, which has not helped the stigma.

However, the narrative is shifting. There have been many recent instances of high profile athletes speaking about their mental health and a shift from the industry to create safe spaces for these conversations.

Delvin is an open book about his struggles quite literally. He authored his autobiography Un-Breaux-Ken. In his book he details the years of abuse he endured at the hands of his father, his life growing up in the projects, and his suicidal ideations as a nine year old boy. 

Football was his release from the stressors his young mind was coping with.

Delvin Breaux Sr. has had a successful football career. He plays for the BC Lions in the CFL. He previously played with The Hamilton Tigercats and in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints.

His journey to the stadium was not without challenges. In 2006 as a highly recruited high school senior he broke his neck fracturing his C4, C5 and C6 vertebrae. His unstoppable mindset helped him move forward toward his goals.

In person gym session have been picking up steam during this phase of recovery, but so have operating costs.

The Global Energy Crisis is now putting significant pressure on health club operators bottom line. Jose Teixiera, Head of Customer Experience for SC Fitness in Portugal explained that operating costs for some gyms in Europe have increased by 200%.

In this episode Teixiera shares valuable data driven insights for client retention, how operators should navigate the energy crisis, and where there are opportunities to grow are in the current climate.

New episodes of The ATFW Industry Series podcast drop every MONDAY.
New episodes of The ATFW Celebrity Series podcast every WEDNESDAY.

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We are on a mission for everyone to live a life fit and well.

Bodybuilder Tyler Okowinsky joins The All Things Fitness and Wellness Celebrity Series podcast to share his journey to winning an IFBB Pro Card.

Okowinsky does not hold back as he opens up about the loss of his infant son, his struggles with drugs and alcohol, and how he shifted his life off of a destructive path.

His journey was far from linear and involved changing weight classes, missing shows due to covid cancellations, and having to work out solely with band exercises.

His tale is a true inspiration and emphasizes that we have a choice each day of pushing past perceived limitations and letting go of what is no longer serving us.

New episodes of The ATFW Industry Series drop very Monday and The ATFW Celebrity Series every Wednesday.

Be sure to like and subscribe.