Ron Zalko: Vancouver’s Fitness Guru on Nutrition and Fitness for 2021

Ron Zalko, an Israeli born graduate from the Navy Academy and served in the Navy of the Israel Defence Forces-turned Vancouver’s legendary Fitness Guru is the Founder and CEO of the exclusive fitness club, Ron Zalko Fitness & Yoga. He pioneered the fitness revolution in Vancouver in the late 70’s and became Vancouver’s most influential person in the fitness industry in the 80’s up to the present.

He has worked with the likes of the original Wonder Woman, Linda Carter, Sylvester Stallone, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jessica Biel, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Micheal Clark Duncan, Alanis Morisette, Zac Efron, Amanda Seyfried, Bif Naked, Faye Dunaway, Diane Carol, Donny Osmond, Seal, Triple H, Eric McCormack, and most recently, Lady Gaga. Jane Fonda has also worked with Ron in the late 70’s in Vancouver when she was on the cover of Time magazine as the Queen of Aerobics — she endorsed the iconic Ron Zalko Workout. Lululemon’s Founder, Owner and fellow Vancouverite, Chip Wilson credits Ron for inspiring his yoga pants; they both have deep respect for each other and for their contributions to the Vancouver business community. They also enjoy great friendship up to this day.

Ron’s fitness club was the first fitness centre to offer aerobics in Canada and the first fitness centre to offer yoga & spinning classes in Vancouver. In the 80’s, he had a chain of fitness clubs all over Vancouver until he decided to become more exclusive and higher end by retaining only one club. His end goal was to provide members a more world class quality in terms of fitness and health. His equipment is top-of-the-line, made of steel and iron. His exclusive club boasts members from the likes of Canada’s most respected and famous scientist and environmentalist, David Suzuki to Hollywood royalties such as Ryan Reynolds and (Ryan’s Mom) are both honorary club members, Jessica Biel, and Chris Evans to name a few.

Ron’s vast experience in fitness allowed him to have a facility with a unique concept and programs which attract members of all ages to his club. Aside from the top-of-the-line gym equipment, Ron Zalko Fitness & Yoga Club takes great pride in their in-studio classes: Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, Zumba, Tabata, Hatha Yoga, Flow Yoga, Power Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, Dance Sculpt classes, and Kickboxing classes. The advantage of owning an exclusive club is that you get to hire Vancouver’s elite fitness instructors.

Ron was the first Canadian to complete the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships in Kona in 1981 and also raced again in 1982. He is also the Founder, Visionary, and Architect of Ironman Canada, an annual event for 30 years in Penticton before finding a new home in Whistler. In addition, Ron has many marathons and 10k races under his belt.

Ron has become such an inspiration to many people and has become a pillar of the fitness community in Vancouver. He pays it forward by being a youth mentor, he provides in-studio classes for those living with Parkinson’s Disease, and donates to various charities that supports handicapped athletes in BC, Canada.

Here are Ron’s tips on nutrition and fitness for the year 2021:

Ron Zalko on Nutrition. “Healthy eating is essential for good health and longevity. To maintain a well-balanced lifestyle and to achieve your weight goal, what you eat and what you put in your body is 75% chunk of a healthy lifestyle. You should eliminate sugar, fat, processed foods, and salt from your diet. Eat fresh fruits, raw vegetables, and lots of protein. We are indeed what we eat.”

Here are the foods that he recommends:

Eat more fruits. Choose real fruit over “fruit flavours.” To put it simply – keep it natural. Avoid chemically-induced products. Natural fruits are excellent sources of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and other berries provide a wide range of health-boosting antioxidants. Eating a diet high in fruits can reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, inflammation, and diabetes.

Eat more proteins and less carbs. Eating more proteins than carbs helps us with metabolism and increases fat burning. Eating more proteins reduces appetite and hunger levels; it helps us to reduce our cravings and desire for late-snack eating. It increases and strengthens muscle mass.  It lowers our blood pressure. It helps us to maintain our weight loss. Carbs are the exact opposite of proteins hence it is better to eat more proteins than carbs. Fresh wild-caught salmon are more sus­tainable than farmed salmon and are rich in omega-3 fats, which may help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Eat more leafy greens. Collards and kale are rich in calcium, which ensure strong bones and teeth. It has antioxidants such as vitamin A, B, C, E and K, folate, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, and fiber. It helps reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Check the label nutrition before you purchase any food. Checking the nutrition label at the back of the product helps us understand what we are putting into our bodies. It is a great way to know how much protein, sodium, and carbohydrates we are putting inside our bodies. If there are too many ingredients, it means it is more artificial.

Stay away from sugar and salt. Sugar has lots of calories – you don’t want calories. Sugar will increase your blood sugar, which is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Eating sweets will only feel and taste good for a short time but the effect it leaves long time is not what you would want for your health. Salt, on the other hand, increases blood pressure because it holds excess fluid in the body, and that creates an added burden on the heart. Too much sodium will increase your risk of stroke, heart failure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, and kidney disease.

Avoid processed foods, eat whole foods. Eat whole foods such as whole grains, tubers, legumes, fruits, and vegetables – foods that are not processed and unrefined. Processing takes out all the healthy nutrients such as antioxidants and fibre. Processed foods also have more sodium and sugar. For meats, best to get them straight from the butcher!

Ron Zalko on Fitness. “It is important that we start the New Year with focus on our health and wellness — it is the best gift we can give to ourselves. We only have one body so we must take good care of it. For 2021, our goal is to stay positive and test negative. I believe in fitness and having a healthy lifestyle. Daily exercises should be a part of our lifestyles. Walking is the best exercise and I highly recommend walking on a daily basis. During this unprecedented period that we live in, doing exercises is vital to boosting our immune systems.”

Ron advises to do at least an hour of the following exercise routine once a day:

Do a 30-minute cardio. Whether you’re at a gym or at home, it is highly recommended you start your exercise routine with a 30-minute cardio. If at a gym, spend 10 minutes on the treadmill, 10 minutes on a stationary bike, and 10 minutes on a rowing machine or elliptical machine.

If you are at home with no workout equipment, spend 10 minutes either running in place or doing stationary jogging, spend another 10 minutes doing jumping jacks, and lastly, spend 10 minutes squat jumps.

Followed by 10-minute core exercises. The Bird Dog and the Leg Lifts are both core exercises that you can do either at the gym or at home.

Start with the Bird Dog core exercise for 5 minutes:

Get on all fours, with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Remember to keep abs engaged and keep your back flat.

Reach out with your right hand and extend your left leg out behind you.

Round your back and head to connect your right elbow with your left leg under your body. This completes one rep.

After the Bird Dog core exercise, do 5 minutes of Double Leg Lifts core exercise:

Lay flat on the ground with your legs extended straight up toward the ceiling. Place your hands underneath the back of your head.

For added stability, place your arms out to your side, allowing your palms to grip the floor.

Pressing your lower back into the ground, slowly lower both legs down toward the floor.

Slowly raise them back up. If this is too difficult, lower them as much as you can, or lower one leg at a time.

This counts as one rep.

Followed by 10-minute strength training.

Alternate between lunges, squats, and push-ups.

Lunge exercise:

Start by standing up tall, feet shoulder-width apart.

Step forward with your right foot and lower your hips toward the floor until your right leg is at a 90-degree angle and your left knee is parallel to the ground. Make sure your front knee doesn’t go beyond your toes.

Lengthen your spine to keep your torso upright.

Hold this position for 5 seconds or longer.

Then step your right foot back to meet your left and repeat this movement with your left leg.

Repeat 10 to 12 times, then rest briefly and do another set.

Squat to Overhead exercise:

Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips and your arms alongside your body.

Slowly lower your hips down into a squat position.

Press up to come back into standing and raise your arms overhead.

Return to the starting position.

Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions.

Push-Up exercise:

Start in a plank position with your palms directly under your shoulders.

Keeping your back flat and bracing your core, lower your body by bending your elbows until your chest almost touches the floor.

Immediately push your body back up to the starting position.

Repeat 8–12 times. Start with 1–2 sets and build up to 3 sets as you get stronger.

End it with 10-minute stretching. Alternate with Downward Facing Dog, the Cat-Cow, and the Standing Squat Stretch.

Downward Facing Dog stretch:

Start in a high plank, with your hands under your shoulders and feet slightly wider than your hips. Push your hips up and back. Make a mountain shape with your body, with your tailbone at the peak.

Keep palms flat on the floor with fingers spread wide and press into your forefinger and thumb to protect your wrists.

Straighten your legs or keep a soft bend in your knees. Drop your heels down toward the mat (it’s OK if your heels do not touch the mat).

Keep your ears in line with your biceps to prevent straining your neck.

Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

Cat-Cow stretch:

Start on all fours with your back flat, your hands under your shoulders, and your knees below your hips.

On the exhale, round your back toward the ceiling, tucking your tailbone and bringing your chin to your chest.

On the inhale, arch your back downward, dropping your belly and lifting your chest, chin, and tailbone.

Continue alternating between the two poses, flowing with the pace of your breath, for 5 to 10 breaths.

Standing Squat stretch:

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, using a chair or wall for balance if necessary.

Bend your right knee and lift your foot behind you, grabbing the top of it with your right hand.

Keep the pelvis tucked and right knee pointed toward the floor (and aligned with your left knee). Use your arm to pull that heel toward your glutes until you feel tension in the quad muscles.

Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

Release your leg, and repeat on your other side.

What are we waiting for, world? As Vancouver’s legendary fitness guru Ron Zalko would say: Let’s get our bodies moving!