About
About You Be You Wellness (UBU)
WHAT:
- UBU: Girls - Focuses on empowering young girls to be physically active, try new things, feel a sense of belonging, find ways to be more present, and communicate more effectively. It's all about empowerment, active wellness, and a mindful life.
*Life & UBU are all about adapting to change. Therefore, plans changed re: 2020's spring/fall multi-week programs because of COVID-19 and the need for physical distancing. Virtual programs, outdoor options, and more have taken place with more ideas on the go. Stay tuned to UBU's social media & website for what you can participate in.*
- UBU: Sports - Works on team building, leadership, inclusiveness & gelling on & off the court/ice/field for female youth U10-U17 team-based sports or group-based physical activities including gymnastics, dance or any sport. Typically, in a 2-3 workshop format per team/season.
- UBU: Schools - Offers variety for Gr. 5-9 Sport For Life/ Sport Fit/ Sports Performance or Phys. Ed. classes by blending fitness and mindful activities. Help students understand the connection of social, emotional, and physical well-being.
- UBU: Adults - Creates an inclusive space for women to workout at their own pace in a bootcamp/circuit-style setting, indoors and outdoors.
*Before COVID-19 shut schools down in Alberta, UBU offered programs to all genders, but for the immediate future, I'm narrowing my focus back on to girls and women, which is how UBU began. I want to direct my efforts in one direction in this time of uncertainty and will adjust again, as needed.*
UBU programs were founded and based on the learnings Michelle (UBU Founder) gathered courses, workshops, webinars, books, and more from evidence-based resources including Ever Active Kids, Sport Australia-Physical Literacy, Canadian Women & Sport (formerly CAAWS), Sport for Life - Physical Literacy, and books like John Ratey's Spark , Gary Mack's Mind Gym , and Shawn Achor's Big Potential .
Michelle's certifications and experience are listed near the bottom of this page. They bolster her hands-on/life experience as an athlete, mother of two girls, wife, journalist, fitness instructor, editor, sister, friend, daughter, student, teammate, coworker, volunteer, foster dog and cat mom, and basic good human.
UBU: Girls
In Feb. 2020, Michelle led a UBU: Girls one-off, 2-hr workshop for 8-10 year-old girls that was hosted by Forest Terrace Heights Community League to help build lifelong healthy habits and confidence in young girls to stay physically active and empowered to lead, battling the stats that young girls are dropping out of sports and don't feel confident enough to take on leadership roles.
In Sept. 2019, Michelle led a one-off 2.5-hr UBU: Girls workshop hosted by ivivva West Edmonton Mall for girls ranging from 8-14 years-old. The workshop gave hands on examples of the positive impact physical activity can have on mood, confidence, willingness to try new things, and ability to socially connect with others around you.
The original spring 2018 UBU: Girls program was followed up that fall with an 8-week program with the same goals, which set the precedent for UBU: Girls programs to run each spring & fall in Sherwood Park. (*Expanding into other nearby cities--Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan & Beaumont--is always a possibility. If interested in having a UBU: Girls program run in your city or community centre, please contact Michelle with ideas and requests.*)
- Host locations of past sessions: The Spark Centre & The Bridge.
- Follow UBU's blog for posts about previous sessions & programs.
The first multi-week, once-a-week UBU: Girls program targeted for Gr. 6-8 girls was launched in April 2018, with a focus on keeping girls physically active by teaching them about empowerment, active wellness, and a mindful life in a small group setting of peers.
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UBU: Sports
In Jan. 2020, Michelle worked with a U10 Girls SPDSA Phoenix Soccer Team to focus on courage, leadership, and positivity to encourage players to stay active and confident.
In Jan. 2020, Michelle also worked with a U12B Red Deer Ringette team visiting Leduc during a tournament. The focus was on grit, leadership, and effective communication.
Over the 2019/20 indoor season, UBU: Sports worked with a U15 SPDSA Phoenix girls T3 soccer team to assist in team-building, empower individual leadership skills & help players acknowledge the impact their mind has on their level of effort, endurance, and emotional regulation.
Nov. 2019: Michelle led a workshop for a U14AA Red Deer Ringette team to help with team-building, blending a team split in half of older and younger players by building communication tools, sharing positivity, and learning some leadership techniques.
Nov. 2019: A U10 SPDSA girls Phoenix soccer team requested Michelle talk to the players about girls in sport and inspire them to make activity a lifelong choice--combatting the stats of girls dropping out of sport around middle school age.
"When Michelle first brought the UBU: Sports session to our attention, we knew it would be a great tool for our U10 girls soccer team to bond and learn more about girls in sport. Michelle ran an incredible session. Our girls were engaged, energized, and a spark lit within them. Our session was only 60 mins but you could tell the girls wanted more. This is a testament to Michelle's commitment and hard work to the UBU Program." - Irfan Karmali, U10 Girls Sherwood Park Phoenix Soccer coach.
Oct. 2019: Michelle worked with U14A Red Deer Ringette team to help with team-building, building communication, and leadership techniques.
March 2019: A Sherwood Park-based U13 Phoenix T3 girls' soccer team asked Michelle to work with the team to encourage further team-building and off-field connection before the team's provincial playoffs.
"Michelle adapted the delivery of the program to suit the type of group she was interacting with. The girls are active, competitive, and full of energy all the time. There was a good mix of activities that allowed the girls to be active and have fun but understand the lessons and tools being given to them." - Mike Tennant, U13 Girls Sherwood Park Phoenix Soccer Coach.
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UBU: Schools
Michelle led 2/4 scheduled hybrid UBU: Girls/Schools sessions program sessions for 15 Ecole Michaelle-Jean Grade 7 & 8 female students between February-April 2020. The last two were cancelled due to COVID-19 and in-school instruction being cancelled for the 2019/20 school year.
At Vimy Ridge Academy, Michelle led Gr. 7 Sport Fit students through two workshops early in the 2019/20 school year encouraging increased self-awareness and helping students determine their "why". Why are they active? Why are they in Sport Fit? What are their goals and intentions this school year?
Between Oct-Nov. 2019, Michelle led UBU: School sessions with Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH) Catholic Gr. 5-8 Sport for Life students focusing on mindful fitness (the mind and body connection).
From Oct. 2-Dec. 12, 2019, Michelle led an 8-week UBU: Girls/Schools hybrid program at Ecole Michaelle-Jean with 15 Gr. 7-9 female students during their school day.
During the 2018/19 school year, UBU: Schools worked with:
Grade 5, 7 & 8 students in St. Theresa's Catholic School's Sport For Life program, which is based on the Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L) model that exposes students to a variety of sport and recreation activities to build athletic skill and leadership qualities and help create lifelong active and healthy lifestyles.
"From my coordinating position, the reason we had you in to lead some Sport For Life classes was that you provided a unique blend of physical challenges and activities, while also providing students with an opportunity to connect socially/emotionally with each other. You provided an environment and leadership presence that allowed the students to gain physical benefits while growing as individuals, partners, and groups. We will definitely be recommending you to schools in our division." - Kurt Davison, St. Theresa Catholic School, Sport For Life Program Lead
Hillcrest Junior High welcomed UBU: Schools to lead mindfully active sessions with co-ed Gr. 8 & 9 Sports Performance classes.
Vimy Ridge Academy had UBU: Schools lead mindfully active sessions with co-ed Gr. 7 Sport Fit classes.
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UBU: Adults
October 2020 - Michelle led five, twice-a-week, outdoor group fitness classes for soccer parents during the time of their child's practice, enabling busy parents to get a workout while also keeping their children involved in sport. Outdoor, spaced-out fitness classes were chosen to accommodate safety regulations required during this time of COVID-19 and keeping a physical distance.
Michelle led "What's Your Story?" - a 2hr mindful activity workshop on March 15, 2020 at NO MORE EXCUSES Fitness for participants to blend fitness, discussion, connection, and writing to become more self aware while blending writing with fitness to experience first-hand the mind-body connection.
In January 2019, Michelle led a 6-week, Women's only fitness program held in the Spark Centre for those just starting back into their fitness journey.
"I really like the fact that Michelle focuses on form over anything else. Getting the foundations right at the beginning is very important. Her approach is also very inclusive; I felt welcome in her classes, and did not have to concern myself with how I look, or what I saw in the mirror – because there were none! Although I am familiar with many of the exercises she taught, it was nice to have my form corrected – a good way to break some old habits." - Anna, participant in Jan/Feb 2019 Women's only adult 6-week session.
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WHO IS BEHIND UBU:
The founder and lead instructor of UBU programs and workshops is Michelle Lindstrom: a mom of two girls (10 and 14), wife, long-distance runner, group fitness instructor, journalist, editor, and multi-sport enthusiast, including playing junior high and high school volleyball and competitive softball from youth into adulthood.
CERTIFICATIONS/COURSES/POST-SECONDARY SCHOOL:
Michelle's Alberta Fitness Leadership Certification Association (AFLCA) certification designations are specifically in:
- Ever Active Kids (i.e., focusing on children and adolescent physical development; planning creative programming while being aware of physical, psychological, social, and moral factors of youth; using various positive motivational tools; and understanding physical literacy and fundamental movement skills.)
- Pre & Postnatal Certification (i.e., lead group fitness classes with the knowledge of modifications and exercise considerations, contraindications, and foundational information needed to safely lead pregnant and postnatal women through fitness-related movements.)
- Group Fitness (i.e., lead group exercise classes with an awareness of trends, media, music, movement and cueing, exercise analysis, and special populations.)
- Portable Equipment (i.e., specific to leading group exercise classes with non-gym-machine/portable equipment focusing on class structure and content; planning, leadership, choreography, movement combinations, safety, and providing alternate movements.)
Michelle has her HIGH FIVE Sport certification, March 2020
She gained her Mental Health First Aid certification through the Mental Rescue Society
She has her Standard First Aid with CPR C and AED through Red Cross, 2020/21
Michelle is a trained journalist (SAIT print journalism diploma) with more than a decade's worth of writing about many people and topics including youth and fitness, as well as interviewing local leaders, gathering research, and editing for publications including Avenue magazine (Edmonton), YEGFitness, IMPACT, METRO Edmonton, LEAP, Heroes, Calgary Herald, and more, giving her the practical knowledge of how journaling is a useful tool and taught a Next Step Continuing Education Mindful Journaling Adult course that she applies to youth UBU programs to help them express themselves and be mindful.
Links to some articles written by Michelle include:
- Just Show Up – Avenue Edmonton
- Get Moving, Girl – YegFitness Magazine
- Body Image Breakdown - new-normal blog
Or current newsletters Michelle edits for:
- The GIST's twice-weekly newsletter
Michelle is also a trained Architectural Technologist (NAIT Architectural Technology diploma) with roughly 13 years experience of manual and computer-aided drafting (AutoCAD) and design for interior, exterior, commercial, and residential projects with home builders, furniture dealerships, engineering offices, and an interior design firm.
CONTINUED LEARNING/RESOURCES
- Attend PLAY GREAT Physical Literacy and You-Greater Edmonton Area Team meetings since September 2019
- Fast and Female “Keeping Girls in Sport” webinar, August 2019
- The Sport Conference at the University of Alberta, May/June 2019
- Canadian Women & Sport (formerly CAAWS) “Keeping Girls in Sport” online course certification, April 2019
- “Power of Positive Coaching” with Jane King webinar, April 2019
- Health & Physical Education Council (HPEC) 2018 Fall Drive-in Workshop
- John Ratey, MD’s book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain
- Shawn Achor’s books, Big Potential and The Happiness Advantage
HANDS-ON VOLUNTEER COACHING/LEADING GROUPS
- Run/endurance coach for U13 girls’ soccer team to train for a MEC 5K, summer 2018
- Creation & facilitation of Walk the Talk Speaker School Series, Jan-March 2017
- Creation & facilitation of Girls Group, January-March 2016
- Creation & coach Lakeland Ridge Grades 3&4 co-ed Fun Run Club, spring 2016 & 2015
- Creation & facilitation of “Girl Empowerment” program, spring 2015 & 2014
- Running Room Learn to Run Clinic Instructor, fall 2014
STRENGTHS GAINED FROM DIVERSE EXPERIENCE:
- Attention to detail
- Ability to communicate/connect with various age & interest groups
- Innovative & flexible
- Ability to create & execute ideas
- Eagerness to improve on existing ideas/methods
- Willingness to collaborate/teamwork
- Ability to work alone
- Strong work ethic
- Effective time management
- Self-driven
- Desire to make the world better
- Always wanting to learn more & get better
- Continually setting new goals
UBU: Sports helps young players with teamwork, better communication, belief in self to lead. Connect More. Communicate Effectively. Play Better.
"After speaking with Michelle about what the program could offer to the girls, I was really excited about having them exposed to the ideas and tools that Michelle could bring them. We had a new team that consisted of two groups of girls coming together for the new season... . This was a great way for them not only to get to know each other better but to gain valuable insight into how to handle different personality types in general."-Mike Tennant U13 girls Phoenix soccer coach
UBU: Adults "What's Your Story" Workshop at NO MORE EXCUSES Fitness brought participants closer to their why & intentions.
"For many women and girls, social acceptance enhances group performance (in contrast to men and boys, for whom performance enhances social acceptance)." -Canadian Women & Sport.