Insta-eats and treats
RILEY CHERVINSKI, ARTS COLUMNIST
If you’re like me, you glanced at the calendar this week and realized with shock that it’s February — and you haven’t exercised since Harper was still Prime Minister and the Canadian dollar was worth more than a chewed piece of gum.
You also haven’t eaten a salad since you were able to grow it in your garden, and the freezing temperatures in Winnipeg have you chowing down on a few too many chili cheeseburgers to warm up.
According to a recent Ipsos report, 31 per cent of Canadians set New Year’s resolutions. Of those who make them, 73 per cent eventually break them. A scan of Twitter in January showed the most popular resolution was working out.
As a student, keeping fit mentally, physically and nutritionally is hard. A recent Statistics Canada report reveals sales of exercise and fitness equipment peak in January, but I’ve struggled to take care of myself — my money has gone to textbooks and coffee, not gym memberships and gluten-free, organic groceries.
After I lazed around again this week, I went online in search of cheap instructions for eating well and getting fit. What I found was that it’s almost impossible to find free, online resources that are Winnipeg-specific. Sure, my Instagram feed is filled with girls getting their cardio fix on sandy beaches and picking coconuts in their yards to add to smoothies. But living in Winnipeg means the only coconuts I get are in my Pĩna Coladas and I can only run outside five months of the year — the ones where every surface isn’t covered in three feet of snow and ice.
Thankfully I stumbled upon two online health gurus from Winnipeg with relevant content for people of the prairies. Johanna Seier is the girl behind Aurea Fitness, a boot camp and training program in Winnipeg. The University of Manitoba student posts a ton of free workouts, recipes and advice on her @ johanna.seier Instagram and Facebook page.
Another local Winnipegger named Brittney — @exploringhealthyfoods on Instagram — posts delicious-looking recipes. She uses produce that’s always in season whenever I head to the grocery store to find it. Plus, her Instagram page is beautifully styled with photos of vegetables that would have even the most meat-and-potatoes guy drooling.
Thanks to these two ladies, I’ve had something useful to look at on my phone as I lie on my floor panting after three minutes of cardio on the treadmill.
Riley Chervinski is a journalism student, soccer player and reader of cringe-worthy chick-lit. You can usually find her scrolling through Tumblr, scoping out recipe blogs or laughing at her own jokes @rileychervinski.
