OneUp Fitness Blog

How to Stay Consistent with Your Exercise Routine

Learn actionable tips to stay consistent with your exercise routine. Discover how to build habits, set goals, & achieve lasting results with OneUp Fitness.

Set Your Health & Fitness Intentions for the New Year

Although I am not crazy about New Year’s resolutions, the top of the year is a good time to pause and reflect.

Set S.M.A.R.T Fitness Goals for the Winter | OneUp Fitness

Stay fit this winter season with S.M.A.R.T fitness goals. Learn how to set Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound goals for success.

Is Machine Based Weight Training Functional

Find out if machine based weight training is functional, the benefits, and how to work it into your routine with the team at OneUp Fitness in Halifax & Bedford.

How to Build Muscle for Females: 8 Exercises to Try

Looking to build muscle? Read how to safely perform 8 different exercises that help females build muscle with OneUp Fitness in Halifax and Bedford!

Strength Training: The Key for Preventing and Managing Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a medical condition characterized by weakened bones, increasing the risk of fractures and breaks. This occurs due to a reduction in bone density and structural deterioration of bone tissue that is generally associated with aging making it more prevalent in older populations. […]

Why Hire a Fitness Trainer

When it comes to achieving fitness goals, the path is rarely a straight line. It's filled with ups and downs, twists and turns. […]

Unlock Your Potential: The Transformative Power of Strength Training

Strength Training (also referred to as Resistance Exercise) must be the core to your fitness regimen. Everything stems from muscular strength, without it, all of your other activities will eventually suffer as will your health. […]

Embrace a healthy lifestyle

A balanced lifestyle is not only beneficial for physical health, but also plays a role in emotional and mental well-being and performance. At OneUp Fitness we understand the importance of this balance...

Is supervised training that much better?

Here at OneUp Fitness we offer a 30 minute, evidence based and personalized solution to long-term health and fitness. Our trainers will supervise every rep, set and workout that you will ever do; ensuring you are safely performing the exercises at the appropriate level of intensity for your needs and goals. They will track your progress and offer regular feedback throughout your program.

Get Ahead of the Aging Curve

If you want to maintain the ability to continue the activities you love as you get older you will absolutely benefit from adding in resistance training to your weekly routine. The great news for you is that you can achieve this in as little as 20 minutes per week.

Create Lasting Change in 2023: Habits vs Goals

Most people struggle with making lasting change in their lives. Maybe it’s the idea society gives us that we must go big or go home; all in or all out! But it really doesn’t have to be that way.

Exercise & the Brain

What if there was something that could help with how you are feeling, your grades/courses and keep your health in balance all at the same time? Well there is and it is exercise.

Women and Strength

Regular Strength training (also known as resistance training) is the best known solution for these challenges. Here at OneUp Fitness we promote the concept that exercise is medicine and it is our passion as personal trainers to help you find the right dosage of ‘medicine’ for your goals and lifestyle. In as little as 20-40 minutes per week you can begin to have a positive impact on your hormonal regulation and live a healthier lifestyle. Building and maintaining healthy muscles and strength is a long term commitment that has far reaching benefits. It gives years to your life and life to your years!!

Sustainable Exercise - Strength Training for a lifetime

A consistent exercise routine is key to progress and long-term success on your health and fitness journey. We often hear from prospective clients visiting our studios that their biggest fitness challenge is consistency with their exercise routine.

The busy professional needs a personal trainer

The busy professional needs a personal trainer You’re not alone if you’ve ever thought, ‘I just don’t have time to exercise’ or ‘I really don’t like to exercise.’ We hear this from a lot of newcomers to our studios, and we get it. Life is busy, work demands are high and time consuming, and we […]

COVID-19 - Through struggle comes strength

Covid struggles and how as a team One Up is dealing with it.

How to avoid getting sick over the holidays

Tips and tricks for staying Healthy this holiday.

Exercise & Immunity

Exercise Immunity By: Matt Mombourquette, B.Sc.Kin, Trainer, Owner OneUp Fitness October, 2021 Introduction Disease immunity is a hot topic, and in this article we share some of the research on exercise and immune function. Additionally, we will quickly outline what you can do for yourself to keep your immune system strong.

Working out at home: Is it effective?

Working out at home: Is it effective? Resistance exercise is essential for health, fitness, sport performance, well-being, and staving off the effects of aging. But exercising properly, safely, and effectively is not common sense. And the widely available fitness information and videos seen in the media are mostly loud, trendy, and not backed by evidence […]

How to turn your stroll into a heart pounding interval session

If you are looking to increase your fitness, stamina and well-being even further we can take our walks to the next level. Here are a few suggestions how […]

The Importance of Routine

The Importance of Routine By Matt Mombourquette Have you ever had a day where you had no plan of what you were going to do, and then you executed that plan perfectly? In other words, the day ‘got away from you’ and you feel like you got nothing accomplished. You spent most of the day […]

Why physical exercise matters for speakers

Why physical exercise matters for speakers Performance is strongly correlated with confidence. There haven’t been many public speeches that went down in the history books delivered by someone who looked or sounded uncertain. How you feel plays a big role in how confident you are. If you are tired from poor sleep, hungry from not […]

Sarcopenia - Muscle Atrophy that Affects Everyone

Sarcopenia - Muscle Atrophy that Affects Everyone You are between the ages of 40 and 75 years old. You’ve noticed recently, or perhaps for a while now, that you don’t have the stamina, strength or endurance that you once had. Taking the stairs leaves you more winded than you remember; carrying groceries; shoveling snow; mowing […]

More isn’t always better when it comes to fitness

More isn’t always better when it comes to fitness For many years practicing as a physiotherapist, I faced the challenge of helping people safely return to activity. Exercise prescription was – and is – an essential part of optimal rehabilitation and, while it may seem straightforward, many people struggle to find the right balance of […]

Prioritize Strength

Prioritize Strength If you have time to do nothing else, prioritize strength! I’ve been a trainer for well over a decade now. I’ve performed hundreds of fitness consultations and have instructed thousands of fitness sessions. I’ve had the opportunity and pleasure to meet hundreds of people and hear many different stories, goals, aspirations, fears and challenges regarding […]

Staying fit through the summer – Do you still need your regular workouts?

Staying fit through the summer – Do you still need your regular workouts? Spring is here, and summer is in the air; the days are getting longer and the night is full of the sound of chirping frogs (my absolute favourite thing to fall asleep to). We now have the opportunity to enjoy more outdoor […]

Career Opportunity – Personal Trainer

Career Opportunity – Personal Trainer Career opportunity at OneUp Fitness! We are looking for a candidate who is passionate about health and fitness to help grow our team! A degree in the exercise sciences is encouraged but not mandatory for application. This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals looking for a career as a fitness […]

Striving To Win The Best Of Halifax In Our Categories But We Need Your Help.

Striving To Win The Best Of Halifax In Our Categories But We Need Your Help. We are once again striving to win the Best Of Halifax in our categories but we can’t do it without your help. Here are the details: Voting is done in TWO stages: Stage 1 – nominations… runs from June 1-July […]

Why Work With A One Up Kinesiologist/Personal Trainer?

Why Work With A One Up Kinesiologist/Personal Trainer? Here is what we hear people saying: “Why would I spend the money to work with one of our Kinesiologist/Personal Trainer when I could just go to the gym and work out on my own? It can’t be that hard to figure out, can it?” The benefits […]

Corporate Warrior is a great resource on resistance exercise, nutrition and overall well-being.

Corporate Warrior is a great resource on resistance exercise, nutrition and overall well-being. “If you are looking for more information on resistance exercise, nutrition and overall well-being, the Corporate Warrior is a great resource. The blog is fantastic and the podcast is even better. I’ve been listening to the podcast for roughly 3 years now […]

4 Must-Do Exercises To Get Ready For Spring!

I wanted to share a few quick videos of some exercises that will help you to prepare for your spring and summertime activities. These exercise demonstrations will be particularly useful for those of you who like to bike, walk, run, hike, golf, play tennis or other racket sports. The muscles these exercises will address are […]

Top 5 health tips for the holidays in Nova Scotia

Top 5 health tips for the holidays in Nova Scotia The Holidays can be a minefield for your health. That doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and indulge a bit too. Here are 5 health tips that will help you get through the holidays without the guilt and regrets in the New Year. 1. Sleep!Hands […]

Can strength training improve symptoms of depression?

Can strength training improve symptoms of depression? I’ve written about the benefits of strength training on mental health before here. I want to share with you a new article that I’ve come across which discusses new evidence to suggest that those who suffer from symptoms of depression and those who feel their cognitive prowess is not what […]

“You need to be in shape to get sick”

“You need to be in shape to get sick” A couple of months back I connected with a past client who told me that they had been quite sick. He stated that he was still consistently performing hard resistance exercise (before and after his illness) at least once per week. He believed it was because […]

What makes OneUp Fitness different?

What makes OneUp Fitness different? Safe Resistance Exercise Expert, Educated Instructors The most Efficient Workouts If you want to learn Why & How we do each of these things, keep reading. If you want to see/feel it for yourself, book a complimentary session with us by clicking the ‘appointments‘ tab above, or by calling our office . […]

Lead with action

Lead with Action The past few years leadership has been the buzzword, and everyone seems to have an elaborate opinion about ‘what it takes to be a leader’. The best definition that I’ve heard and that resonates with me most is ‘be first’, quite simply, lead. Leaders lead. It’s simple and really drives home the point. Everyone […]

Bone Broth – Make it a staple

Bone Broth – Make it a staple Just like grandma used to make. Chicken soup when you’re sick? There is actually something to it, but you have to do it right, the tetra-pack from the grocery store is NOT what Grandma used to make. Making bone broth is inexpensive, relatively easy, creates a big yield, […]

How Stella got her ‘Cardio’ back.

How Stella got her ‘Cardio’ back. Time travel Take a moment to reflect back to when you were 30. A two hour walk, no problem. Running to catch your plane, barely a huff. You’d work 9 hours, chase the kids around, go for a bike ride, clean up the garden and make supper. You’d shrug […]

Jennifer’s Story

Jennifer’s story: A client testimonial Our client Jennifer had just completed her 6th workout with us when she had this to say about how she already felt stronger and more independent as a result of her strength training at OneUp Fitness… Awesome Jennifer, keep up the great work! We’d love to hear your story too! […]

Get the most out of your vacation

Get the most out of your vacation Leaving on a jet plane One of my absolute favourite things to do is to travel. To see other countries and cultures; taste new foods; explore; hike; climb; shop; and play. I am super excited to say that in 8 days my wife and I will be boarding […]

Menopause Seminar: Thursday, February 23rd, 2017

Menopause Seminar: Thursday, February 23rd, 2017 Are hot flashes ruling your life? Nutrient density and exercise can help tame the flames. Join Matt Mombourquette of OneUp Fitness and Jill Haverstock, Nutrition Consultant at Santé for this informative workshop on how to redirect the fire of menopause into the most resilient time of your life. Find out how. We’ll […]

2017 ‘Kickstart’ Promotion

2017 ‘Kickstart’ Promotion Lean and strong. Who doesn’t aspire to look and feel lean and strong? What about sustained energy throughout the day, everyday? Better quality sleep, improved mood, improved blood sugar regulation, decrease or eliminate blood pressure or cholesterol medications…these are all achievable with the right approach to food and exercise. The biggest challenge […]

Menopause

Menopause The link below is to an article titled “Strength training during menopause offers multiple benefits”. This is an excerpt from a guide by Barbara Bushman, PhD, Janice Clark Young, EdD and the America College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) entitled “Action Plan for Menopause” – 2005. Here are (some) of the key points from the article […]

Partner Highlight: Afishionado Fishmongers

Partner Highlight: Afishionado Fishmongers At Afishionado Fishmongers we are passionate about sustainable fish and seafood and the incomparable health benefits it provides. Our soon-to-be launched FiT FiSH subscription program (available for pick up from either one of the OneUp Fitness locations Wednesdays) rounds out your nutritional needs with clean, lean, sustainable protein. OneUp Fitness and Afishionado […]

Strength training for young athletes

Strength training for young athletes Physical performance is hinged on strength. The stronger our muscles are, the more we can do and the longer we can do it, plain and simple. The best way to get strong in a short period of time is to train hard, pushing our muscles to exhaustion. This has to […]

Strong Kids = Healthy Kids

Strong Kids = Healthy Kids Strong Kids = Health Kids: Teaching Children to Strength Train Children are often busy playing sports and playing games. They are FULL of energy and while keeping them active may not be a challenge, can they also benefit from a program designed to keep them strong? Undoubtedly, the answer is yes! Everyone always […]

Partner Highlight: Parks Health Shop

Partner Highlight: Parks Health Shop At Parks Health Shop we are passionate about health and wellness. We believe true wellness requires a multi-faceted approach and that prevention is key to living well and aging well. As clients ourselves, we are confident recommending One Up Fitness to our customers. We recognize the multitude of benefits that […]

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 4: Stress Management

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 4: Stress Management How to build a healthy brain Part 4: Stress Management No matter how great your nutritional habits and exercise regime may be, if you aren’t practice good stress management techniques you will not achieve the health and fitness you are striving for. Un-managed stress […]

Why strength training is essential for overall health

Why strength training is essential for overall health There are a number of reasons why I recommend strength training for anyone who wants to achieve optimal long-term health. As a chiropractor, I have a triad of things that I believe are essential to optimize our physical well-being. These three things are alignment, flexibility/mobility, and strength/stability. Our […]

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 3: Nutrition

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 3: Nutrition In Part 1 we discussed how exercise can affect brain health and in part 2 we looked at the importance of sleep. Continuing our series on brain health we will be looking at a very important factor…nutrition. We decided to reach out to one of our colleagues in the […]

Free Exercise Workshop

Free Exercise Workshop Strength training at home or on the road This hour long session will take you through some essential exercises that you can easily perform from the comfort of your home, office or a remote office (for the travelling professionals out there). Date: Thursday, June 16th, 2016 @ 7pm Location: OneUp Fitness – Halifax […]

Partner Highlight – Summit Spa

Partner Highlight – Summit Spa As the owner of The Summit-Skin Care & Hair Removal I know that great skin health is not created by external factors alone. A healthy and fit lifestyle plays a huge part. Owning your own business or any other very busy work/home life means time for fitness can be hard […]

ARX OMNI? What is that?

ARX OMNI? What does that mean? In short ARX stands for Adaptive Resistance Exercise. OMNI is a Latin prefix meaning “all”. Put it together and you have an exercise machine that ‘does-all’ & adapts to your personal strength…in real time. In other words, you’ve never had a workout like this before. But is it safe for everyone […]

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 2: Sleep

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 2: Sleep In my last post I discussed some very interesting and promising evidence supporting the significant ‘brain boosts’ that come from regular exercise and activity. This evidence supports the idea that brain health markers improve when performing semi-regular (one or two sessions per week), intense workouts; and that resistance training is emerging as […]

Don’t Beat Yourself Up – Tips on Consistency

Don’t Beat Yourself Up – Tips on Consistency Don’t Beat Yourself Up – Tips on Consistency I’d like to share with you all one of my more recent workouts. I performed an impromptu, 15 minute, full body session with Quinn in our Halifax location. I wasn’t feeling particularly energetic or enthusiastic about the workout going into it, and […]

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 1: Exercise

How to Build a Healthy Brain – Part 1: Exercise I believe that there are 4 pillars to building a healthy brain; they are sleep, nutrition, stress management and exercise. Each is equally important and dependent on the success of the other categories to achieve optimal brain function. If one pillar is lagging, it will negatively impact the others. For […]

Keep it Up

Keep it Up A regular sex life is an important part of a healthy and fulfilling intimate relationship. Aside from sheer pleasure, there are plenty of health benefits from regular sex. Of course 'regular' is relative to the individual and it's normal to sometimes not feel 'in the mood'. If bedroom activities are becoming fewer […]

What are you training for?

What are you training for? In my experience the most common responses to this question are often ‘to lose weight’, ‘to gain muscle mass’, ‘to improve my race time’, ‘to look better in a bathing suit’, etc. There is nothing wrong with these goals and sometimes they serve as a powerful intrinsic motivator to remain […]

Just Lift Weights

Just Lift Weights Weight Lifting our way to a healthier Nova Scotia Although personal trainers are relatively new on the health care scene, our focus on wellness and prevention is extremely important for the future of health care. Our society has grown accustomed to counting on the health care system as a safety net and, as such, […]

Exercise, Body Fat & Sugar

Exercise, Body Fat & Sugar Exercise, body fat, and sugar: how these three work together to fuel our busy lives: As a species we took an evolutionary gamble in the early days of our existence. We developed an organ more complex than any other species, our brain. The gamble came from the fact that this […]

What does ‘Health’ mean?

What does ‘Health’ mean? This past year we’ve been discussing and writing about health and fitness in our province and what we can do to help our current situation. (1, 2, 3) What I'd like to do here is take a step back and ask 'what is health? What does it mean to be healthy?' Merriam Webster defines […]

Family Turned Fit

Family Turned Fit A healthier Nova Scotia…and a Family Turned Fit. I\'m often asked why I became a fitness professional and why I choose to work with the general population instead of athletes. So I\'d love to share with you why I am so eager for a new model for fitness and, like Matt, continue […]

Our first HITuni certified trainer!

Our first HITuni certified trainer! We’d like to say congratulations to Quinn for completing the HITuni Continuing Professional Development course for personal trainers. A brief course description is below: “The CPD Course will enable you to become a High Intensity Resistance Exercise Specialist enhancing your current skill-set as a Personal Trainer or Gym Instructor. This […]

A Healthier Nova Scotia

A Healthier Nova Scotia I love Nova Scotia. It has so much to offer from it’s landscapes to it’s cityscapes; wonderful people, awesome adventures, great wines and better food. It is no wonder that so many people choose to live and eventually retire in our wonderful little province. That said, we Nova Scotians have a […]

The ‘Nature’ of fitness

OneUp Fitness personal trainer, Matt, explains how high intensity exercise can reverse the signs of aging. Read on to see how much exercise is enough.

The Coast “Best of Halifax” 2015

Support OneUp Fitness - Best Trainer - Best Gym Halifax!

…currently no treatment besides exercise.”

OneUp Fitness can help you design a strength training program that will ensure you maintain muscle function and strength as you age.

Put Your Fitness to the Test

We live in an outdoor playground. OneUp Fitness can help you prepare for your next adventure.

Golden Years

Golden Years This week there was an article written about our clinic in The Chronicle Herald. It is nice to have our business recognized for the value we aim to create. That value lies entirely in our ability to positively impact the lives of our clients. The goal we really want is for people to be able […]

The often overlooked benefits

Find out the benefits of high intensity training. OneUp Fitness personal trainer Matt Mumbourquette gives you the inside scoop.

Strength training is safe.

Safety is top of mind for every strength training program we design. Check out these safe strength training tips for your next workout!

10 Reasons Why Runners Should Lift Weights

Love to run? See how OneUp Fitness can help you get more out of training with minimum time in the gym.

Do What You Love: Balloon Safari

Going on a trip? Strength training can put a whole new spin on travel. Get started on your fitness journey today!

Strength lends to courage

Strength training gives you the confidence to try and experience new things. OneUp Fitness can design a strength training program suited to your lifestyle.

Strength Through The Ages

Strength Through The Ages It is well understood that strength training is important for maintaining healthy muscle, but how does one keep score? This post, was written by Skyler Tanner, who holds a Masters in Exercise Science, and has been a fitness and nutrition coach for 15 years. I'll try and sum up the main […]

Up Your Game: Hiking Part 1

Hiking Part 1 Hiking to the ‘roof of Africa’ Prior to this trip I had never hiked a mountain. I hadn’t even considered doing something like this as I thought the altitude would be unsurmountable for someone who has lived at sea level his entire life. I was also concerned about what kind […]

Up Your Game: Hiking Part 2

Up Your Game: Hiking Part 2 *For part 1 click the link here –> Up Your Game Hiking: Part 1 Hiking to the ‘roof of Africa’ Our Experience You feel the mountain, no question. There really is no way to describe altitude until you’ve experienced it. Light headedness, shortness of breath, dizzy, disoriented, and the occasional […]

Quick Tips On Snow Shovelling

Quick Tips On Snow Shovelling I posted the video below a couple of weeks ago on our Facebook page, it seems kinda funny now as our snowbanks are so high here in Nova Scotia that there is no way you can just flex your wrists and dump snow in a pile at your feet…the piles are 4 […]

Resistance Training Reverses Aging Damage in Muscles

Resistance Training Reverses Aging Damage in Muscles This is old news. We’ve known this for years; and in fact the study that this article is discussing dates back to 2007. I’ve said this before but it’s worth stating again: Muscle health is the key defining factor to how we age. If we take care of it, we […]

And we’re live…

And we’re live… Well, officially. And we’re hoping most of the chaos of moving and building out new space is behind us for at least a few months. Last night marked the official launch of the new brand as we had the opportunity to celebrate with clients new and old! One of the most consistent […]

Why OneUp?

Why OneUp? It’s been an interesting journey so far. A vision long held is finally coming to life. People have been asking since we opened 10 years ago when we would be expanding to new locations. The launch of OneUp represents a big step up in the next phase of our company’s growth. The thing […]

Matt Mombourquette – Personal Trainer / Partner

Matt's vision is to employ a paradigm shift in how we approach health and fitness. He offers a science-based approach to resistance training.

Quinn Van den Heuvel – Personal Trainer / Kinesiologist

Quinn developed a passion for training and its relation to sport at a young age.

Strength Training & Biomarkers of Aging

Strength Training & Biomarkers of Aging Skyler Tanner, one of our colleagues at Efficient Exercise in Austin, Texas, has written a terrific summaryon the impact of strength training on the biomarkers of aging. The following 10 biomarkers were outlined over 20 years ago by leading researchers at Tufts University: Muscle Mass Strength Basal Metabolic Rate Body Fat Percentage […]

Creating Headroom

Creating Headroom Is your exercise program “ or lack thereof “ building up or tearing down physiological headroom? How about what you eat? http://www.sebringclinic.com/article.asp?a=31 What do I mean by physiological headroom? I mean the ability to restore organ capacity. I mean stimulating anabolic growth in your body rather than enduring catabolic destruction. I mean cleaning […]

Strength of Mind and Body

Strength of Mind and Body After years of promoting strength training as the “core” of any exercise and activity program, it is gratifying to see the mainstream media is increasingly aware of its importance. The scientific literature has been quite clear on this for a fairly long time. Almost all of the conditions we associate with […]

Understanding Pain and what you can do about it in less than 5 minutes

Understanding Pain and what you can do about it in less than 5 minutes Understanding Pain Great new video from an Australian group on understanding and overcoming persistent pain. Although it is a challenging and complex problem, there are lots of things you can do to reduce your symptoms and increase quality of life. 'Getting […]

Pain & the Brain

Pain & the Brain Lorimer Moseley is one of the leading researchers in pain science in the world today. Check out this great video lecture from a brilliant researcher and clinician. Knowledge does indeed work!

Maintain Your Muscle

Maintain Your Muscle Check out this recent article in the New Your Times called Doctors Seek Way to Treat Muscle Loss. It is a great overview of the problem we have been trying to make people aware of for a long time. Doctors, however, seem to remain largely unaware of the solution. The article concludes: 'Maintaining […]

Know Pain, Know Gain

Know Pain, Know Gain Patrick Wall, one of the world’s most respected researchers in the physiology of pain, once asked, “what are the appropriate motor responses to the arrival of injury signals [and pain]?” In other words, what movement is required to help someone avoid or relieve pain. To me, this ought to be the […]