Free Mat Movement workouts every Tuesdays!!!

There are so many ways to move our body. Since lockdown getting creating with nothing but your body weight and a mat has been the focus and you can have a really challenging workout that keeps you mobile, lean and strong with only your bodyweight if you know how. 

Every Tuesday I am still teaching a Live BJJ based Mat Movement class at 5 pm PST on my private Facebook Group Here. The focus is only muscular endurance, strength and mobility. These workouts are fun and different and eager towards the athlete who is looking for a way to work out to help improve their performance. 

Take a look at some of these movement patterns and give them a try!

Girl in Gis Live Workout!

I’m so honoured to be guiding you through a BJJ specific work out at Girls in Gis this Saturday at 10 am PST. Join me for the live workout to help you stay strong and healthy throughout this time! And you may even break a sweat!!

The workouts can be viewed HERE!

I’ll also be available to answer any questions that you ladies might have about health and fitness training for BJJ and making weight for competition. Can’t wait!!

Quick tips to keep your immune system strong!

Now more than ever we need to keep our immune systems strong. What people don’t realise that bugs such as microbes, viruses and bacteria are around us constantly. In fact, they are on every inch of our skin.  There are good bugs and bad bugs. The good bugs are the ones in our gut which keep our immune systems strong because they are the ones that fight off the bad bugs. 

What we want to do is keep our immune system strong so that if we ever encounter the virus or other bad bugs, our immune system is better prepared to fight them off. 

Below are my tips and methods that BOOST your immune system!

The food we eat is very important for immune health since our immune system starts in the gut. 

Eat loads of fruit and veggies, particularly green lady veggies that are packed with antioxidants.  Eat good quality proteins from sources where the animals are free to roam, such as eggs from pasture-raised chickens, wild-caught salmon and grass-fed meats. 

Drink loads of fresh filtered water. Personally I don’t agree with bottled water because no one knows how long the water has been sitting around in the plastic bottles and if it’s been exposed to sunlight where the BPA can leak into the water. Purchase a good filter to install at your house and aim to drink up to a gallon a day. 

Sleep is where our bodies recharge and heal. This where your body releases most of the human Growth Hormone for healing and repair. If you skimp on sleep then your entire system suffers because it hasn't been recharged. Aim to get a good 8 hours sleep a night to keep your immune system strong. 

Here are some supplements that are essential for overall health and work to boost your immune system too:

Multivitamins are packed with all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs for optimal function. The brand I recommend is juice plus because they are natural rather than synthetic so your body can readily absorb the nutrients.  Check out their products here.

 Probiotics: foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables. Greek yoghurts with no added sugar is packed with probiotics. The bacteria from these fermented foods adds good bacteria to the gut. Supplementing with probiotics such as acidophilus and Bifidus is an option too. 

Fish oils reduce inflammation in the body which will help to reduce inflammation in the gut. If the gut is inflamed the internal flora is affected which can reduce the number of good bacteria and affect or immune-supporting bugs. 

Stress is a major factor in health. More and more studies are showing that stress is a factor in a myriad of health issues but also your state of mind affects your health. In a study performed by Richard J Davidson PhD, Author on The Emotional Life of Your Brain, he shares results for a test he performed whereby groups received the flu shot and those who reported they were happy and who performed specific stress-reducing practices such as focused meditation produced higher antibodies from the flu shot than those who did not practice stress-reducing activities. This indicated that the stress-reducing group had stronger immune systems responded more effectively to the flu shot.

Reduce stress by meditating daily. Results have shown that by spending as little as 10 mins a day to stop, breath and clear your mind can have powerful effects on your state of mind, your health and your immune system. 

working out and eating right for muscles

Way back when I had a tan. The tan comes and goes. But one things for sure, I’ve always had muscles.

Adding some lean tissue on your body requires 3 things: proper nutrition, the right type of training (including the movement patters, intensity, reprange and rest) and finally sleep.

For anyone who would like some more info on my personalized plans and to learn more about the fine details of diet and working out for weight loss and toned muscles feel free to email me at sophia@sophiaFIT.com.

My plans can be viewed here also:

Make your own perfect meals while eating out

If you are on point with your diet sometimes it is hard to find the perfect meal in the correct macros for you when eating out. I like to get a bunch of sides to make my perfect meal. I know I need a good natural protein source, a natural whole source of complex carbs, some good fats and lots of greens or veggies to get a high dose of vitamins and minerals. Eggs, curried cauliflower, avocado and sweet potato was my choice the other day when eating out. The eggs are a great source of protein, the sweet potato is a great choice of complex carbs, avocado is a great source of fat, mostly monounsaturated and the cauliflower is a good choice of veggie and adds some great flavor. You can’t go wrong from a nutritional standpoint with this plate.

Women's only BJJ classes start this Saturday, Oct 21 at the UFC gym

I am super excited to announce that I am starting a women's only class at the UFC gym Blue Diamond every Saturday at 12pm. All welcome regardless of affiliation or belt rank.  My focus will be on you ladies and teaching techniques that are better suited for women. My aim with these women's classes is to create a fun, supportive and safe environment where women can learn BJJ and feel empowered.  My mission is to teach BJJ and selfdefense to as many women as possible. Every women should learn the basic skills to effectively defend themselves. #empoweredwomen

Fit mums!

#fitmom Sophia McDermott Drysdale

A photo from the beach at my Lifestyle Camp this past week. It was so nice to have the chance to relax and take the time out with my baby girls. We all did a lot ofexercise and training. it is so important as a mother to stay in good shape to keep up with your kids, but also tobe the healthy role model and to set an example so that they too grow up fit and healthy.