I hope this newsletter finds you well and still focused on your goals.
I would like to share a little of my excitement with you. I just returned from Highlands Ranch, CO, home of the Fitness Together franchise headquarters. I attended a workshop called the Seminar for Higher Education, which was a two-day event focusing on how to bring your studio to the next level. There were nine other studio owners there from around the country, and it was a great learning experience. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear what other successful owners are doing, and I cannot wait to start implementing some of these ideas. So please be on the lookout for some subtle and perhaps not-so-subtle changes over the next few weeks and months as our Fitness Together team works to bring your experience to the next level.
Another reason for my excitement is the addition of two new trainers to our team this week, Deirdre McCullagh and Julie Partridge. They have received rave reviews from all of the clients they have worked with so far, and I am confident they will continue to exceed their clients’ expectations.
As we near the end of 10 months in existence, my excitement level is at its highest since our opening. We have a great set of clients and a great team of fitness professionals on staff. Such a combination provides a strong foundation to build on as we strive to make this the premier fitness facility in Pennsylvania.
Strength Training Myths
from the Exercise blog at About.com
Here are six interesting myths about strength training that I have heard many of you ask your trainer. To read more about any one of the myths, just click on the link.
Myth 1: I can reduce fat around the abs, thighs, etc. with specific exercises.
Myth 2: To tone my muscles, I should use lighter weights and high reps
Myth 3: For fat burning or weight loss, I should only do cardio exercise.
Myth 4: I should be sore after every workout.
Myth 5: Strength training makes women bulk up
Myth 6: I’m too old to lift weights
If you have any questions about these myths, be sure to ask your fitness consultants at Fitness Together!
7 Ways to Find Time for Fitness
from Success magazine
The reason it’s so hard to get, and stay, in great shape is because we are all just so incredibly busy. We’ve got work, friends, family, etc., etc. Every single day there is so much to do — so much going on! Obviously, those who are successful at transforming their health and maintaining good physical fitness have a lot less going on in their lives than we do, right?
Well, as much as we might like to believe a lack of time is what’s preventing us from building a lean, strong, healthy, body, the truth is, that isn’t the case. Believe it or not, people who are successful (and I mean remarkably successful in this endeavor) have exactly 24 hours in every day, just like you and I do.
Tip #1: WATCH LESS TV
Tip #2: PLAN AHEAD!
Tip #3: EXERCISE REGULARLY!
Tip #4: CONSUME A NUTRITIOUS DIET!
Tip #5: ELIMINATE MINDLESS PHONE CHITCHAT!
Tip #6: HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY!
Tip #7: DON’T GET SICK!
For more info/advice on any of the above tips, click here to read the rest of the story. If I were to add my own tip to the list, it would be a combination of Tips 2 and 3. When planning your schedule, block off a certain time each day for exercise; put it right in your schedule! One of the things our clients like about Fitness Together is having scheduled appointments for their workouts. This allows the client to make exercise a regular part of their planning process, enabling them to keep their commitment to their health and fitness.
Exercise is Medicine
from USA Weekend Magazine 11/4/2007
What if I told you I could write a prescription for a medicine that would do all of the following: lower blood pressure, blood sugar and weight; improve cholesterol, sleep, and bone and heart health; and decrease the risk for cancer? Imagine one prescription that could do all of those things and more. Would you be interested? I bet most of you would.
Well, that prescription really exists. There’s just one catch: You’ll need 30 minutes each day to take it. Yes, the “medicine” that I’m talking about is exercise.
Studies linking a physically active lifestyle to good health are numerous and profound. Many scientists, including several here at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, have spent their entire careers studying this interaction. Yet the majority of Americans don’t get nearly enough exercise.
The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Medical Association have teamed together with the goal of achieving the following objectives:
- Raise public awareness of the need for a physically active lifestyle.
- Drive home the medical importance of exercise to physicians and other health care workers.
-Instruct physicians in writing prescriptions for exercise.
May has been declared as “Exercise is Medicine” month, and you can read more about the initiative at http://exerciseismedicine.org/
The Presidential Fitness Test Grows Up
from the New York Times, May 15, 2008
The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, which routinely recognizes the physical fitness efforts of elementary school students, now offers a new fitness assessment for adults.
The test, for people 18 and older, was created because the council received so many requests for an assessment of adult fitness. Using an online form, exercisers can log their scores to find out how they rank among other Americans. For instance, a 40-year-old woman who can run 1.5 miles in 15 minutes (a 10-minute-per-mile pace) ranks in the 65th percentile – meaning she’s above average, but 35 percent of similarly aged women are in better shape.
To read the details of the test, click here.
To your health and happiness.
