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Power Crunch gets expert feedback on a different workout routine every week. This week, ParticipAction CEO Kelly Murumets shares her exercise regimen.

As president and CEO of ParticipAction, Toronto-based Kelly Murumets, 44, is head cheerleader of the movement for a more active Canada. Moribund for years, the organization recently received a $5-million injection of cash and a renewed mandate from the federal government to promote physical fitness.

My goal

"My fitness goals are really simple. It's to be the healthiest that I can be and to have fun. And I know that sounds sort of trite, but it's true. ... I love being active and I love the people I get to meet while I'm being active."

My workout

Ms. Murumets divides her fitness regimen into three components: gym workouts, "ad hoc" exercise and everyday physical activity.

Works out for one hour twice a week with a trainer. "We do lots of different routines, and we mix up exercises, we mix up reps, we mix up sets, we mix up tempos, we mix up rest. The idea is that I can keep my body adapting to new and greater demands." Currently, her trainer is leading her through German Body Composition, a form of training that switches between upper- and lower-body exercises with short rest periods in between.

Works out on her own three times a week for one to two hours, doing 30 to 60 minutes of cardio (running or on the elliptical), then free weights and stretching.

Goes swimming, scuba diving, hiking and mountain climbing. "I was trekking in the Himalayas this year for 10 days with a guide - we made our way up to 4,400 metres. So, serious stuff like that I try to do once a year. ... I have a house in the country and we have trails at the back of my property, so we'll hike on the weekends."

Walks whenever possible (including to work) and always takes the stairs. "This is what ParticipAction's all about - just to move more."

My lifestyle

"My lifestyle is crazy busy. The only thing I don't have enough of are hours. ... I meet Steve, my trainer, at 5:30 in the morning; oftentimes, I've already been working before I meet him. I run - almost literally - all day. I'm out for dinner most nights. I travel a great deal. I say no to very little, which is a big problem for me.

"I eat really well. I'm lucky - I like healthy foods - so I eat tons of fruits and vegetables, and I have fish probably four or five times a week. ... I drink tons of water, tons of water.

"And I've also started meditation. I'm not a very good meditator, but at night before I go to bed, I do my eight minutes and it just sort of calms my head. I would say I don't really sacrifice on anything, except sleep; I don't get enough sleep."

My motivation

"It's just part of who I am. I know that sounds a little bit hokey, but it is, it's just who I am. It feels good and it's fun, so I can't actually imagine not doing it. And also, I think it's really important as the leader of ParticipAction that I walk the talk.

My workout anthem

Respect by Aretha Franklin: "Aretha and I do weights together. And then on the machines, I'm either watching the news or sports - I'm crazy about sports - or listening to Black Eyed Peas. They're my favourites."

My challenges

"The biggest challenge for me is my travel schedule. I've been trying to visit our partners in every province and territory coast to coast to coast. And when I'm travelling, sometimes it's really cold outside, and sometimes there are no gyms available. But if there is no gym, I'll run outdoors - and it's a great way to see Canada, by the way. And then I'll just do my little routine in my hotel room - push-ups, sit-ups and stretching - and you can pretty much take that to any place that you go."

The critique

Go past the zone

Intensifying her cardio sessions would make Ms. Murumets' strong routine even stronger, says Paul Plakas, an Edmonton-based trainer and host of the Slice network show X-Weighted. "Long-duration aerobic zone exercise is outdated," he says. "High-intensity intervals are the way to go." And he does mean high intensity: reaching 90 to 100 per cent of maximum heart rate, instead of the 70 to 80 per cent targeted in an aerobic zone workout. For the best results, Mr. Plakas recommends 10 to 30 seconds of high-intensity intervals, limiting the session to 40 minutes maximum. "Quality in workout time is more important than quantity."

Skip the elliptical

"Using the elliptical is a waste of workout time," Mr. Plakas says. "The elliptical trainer makes your body dumb. It forces you into a restricted movement pattern that you would never use in any life activity." In his opinion, "The only person that should be using the elliptical is someone who's overweight, has no balance and can't walk" - definitely not Ms. Murumets.

Get competitive

If Ms. Murumets wants to ratchet up her fitness level yet another notch, Mr. Plakas suggests she sign up for a competitive sport. "Competing against others gives you a focus," he says, "a reason to keep the intensity high." It will also let her evaluate herself against others of a similar age and fitness level, he says.

Zzzs are good

No matter how invested she is in her workout, Ms. Murumets shouldn't shortchange herself on sleep, Mr. Plakas says. "Sleep is vital for the secretion of growth and repair hormones," he says. "It's during rest that your body gets fitter, not during the exercise session." Drop an hour from those two-hour-long workouts, he advises, and budget an extra hour of sleep instead. "It's important to train hard, but just as important to rest hard."