Given all the media coverage surrounding the national political conventions, I thought it would be fun to share the following story from ABC News about the sporting pursuits of not only the current presidential candidates but past presidents as well. For instance, did you know that George Bush Sr. had a horseshoe pit built on the White House lawn or that Richard Nixon had a new bowling lane installed underground on White House property?

What I find most interesting (and motivating) is that all of these men found the time to engage in some form of regular physical activity, despite the busy nature of their job. I figured if the President of the U.S. can take the time to go for a run, play golf, or pitch some horseshoes, then what excuse could I possibly have?

Here is the link to the article

As a special bonus for reading the above article, I am giving one free session to the first client who can find the name of the President who refused to be photographed while playing tennis, since he considered it too “effete”. Send your answer to james.borden@villanova.edu

So I encourage you to be like our Presidents and take some time to engage in a physical activity as often as you can, the benefits can be far-reaching.

To your health and happiness.

P.S. Last chance!! As a special offer for the month of August, we are offering our clients a free copy of Quantum Wellness, or any one of the following books: The Food Revolution, The China Study, The New Rules of Lifting, The Thrive Diet, Eat to Live, or The New Rules of Lifting for Women. To receive your free book, simply provide us with the name and contact information of someone you think would benefit from our services and we will send your book immediately.

You may have heard this reported in the news a couple of weeks ago – the promise of exercise in a pill. Millions of couch potatoes were hoping that they could reap the benefits of exercise by simply taking a pill. While the pill did show results similar to some of the benefits obtained from exercising, there is much more to the story than what the media reported. Here is a great article that talks about the research study, and calls into question if a pill could ever offer all the benefits associated with exercise.

Exercise Pill Is No Replacement For Exercise

“Recently, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a research organization focused on biology and its relation to health, published a study in the journal Cell on the results of a substance that increased exercise endurance without daily exertion when tested in mice. Media reports have described this substance as an “exercise pill,” potentially eliminating the need for exercise. Frank Booth, a University of Missouri expert on the science of inactivity, says the “exercise pill” study did not test all of the commonly known benefits of exercise and taking the pill cannot be considered a replacement for exercise.”

You can read the rest of the article by clicking here. I believe one of the highlights of the article is the listing of 26 known benefits of exercise that were not tested in the research study.

I can’t imagine taking such a pill even if it did exist. There’s something to be said about challenging yourself physically to see what your limits are, as well as the sense of accomplishment you get when you work hard and reach your goals. I don’t think a pill could offer such benefits.

What about you, would you take such a pill if it were available? I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.

To your health and happiness.

P.S. As a special offer for the month of August, we are offering our clients a free copy of Quantum Wellness, or any one of the following books: The Food Revolution, The China Study, The New Rules of Lifting, The Thrive Diet, Eat to Live (new!), or The New Rules of Lifting for Women. To receive your free book, simply provide us with the name and contact information of someone you think would benefit from our services and we will send your your book immediately.

I just got back from a vacation in the Poconos, my old stomping grounds. I went to East Stroudsburg University, and like many college students, just loved the whole experience and thought I wanted to live there permanently. While that did not come to be, I still enjoy visiting that part of the state. We did some hiking at Glen Onoko Falls in Lehigh Gorge State Park in Jim Thorpe, which offers spectacular views, making the challenge well worth the effort. We also floated down the Delaware, swam in the local lakes, saw lots of deer, and got caught up on some reading. It was a nice change of pace from vacationing at the shore.

These past few days I have been spending way too much time watching the Summer Olympics, but I keep telling myself they only come around every 4 years. Michael Phelps has been phenomenal, and I am looking forward to seeing Dara Torres compete as well. Watching all of these great athletes makes me think about the commitment they must have made in order to be among the best in the world, and it certainly motivates me to want to achieve the goals I have set for myself.

With summer winding down, Chris, Dan, Deirdre, Julie, and myself are all looking forward to getting our clients back into their exercise routines and re-focused on their health and fitness goals. Enjoy the rest of your summer, and go Michael!

Want to live a long life? Run

from WASHINGTON (Reuters) By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor – Mon Aug 11, 2008

People who want to live a long and healthy life might want to take up running. A study published on Monday shows middle-aged members of a runner’s club were half as likely to die over a 20-year period as people who did not run.

Running reduced the risk not only of heart disease, but of cancer and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, researchers at Stanford University in California found.

“19 years (into the study), 15 percent of runners had died compared with 34 percent of controls,” Dr. Eliza Chakravarty and colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Any type of vigorous exercise will likely do the trick, said Stanford’s Dr. James Fries, who worked on the study. “Both common sense and background science support the idea that there is nothing magical about running per se,” Fries said in a telephone interview. “It is the regular physical vigorous activity that is important.”

You can read the entire article here (it’s relatively short). Some other interesting findings:

• People who took up exercise when they were older also improved their health.
• The study showed that people cannot use the risk of injury as an excuse not to run — the runners had fewer injuries of all kinds, including to their knees.

One Year Anniversary Celebration – Sept. 20!

To celebrate our first year of operation, we are having an open house on September 20. There will be door prizes, a raffle drawing, tours of the studio, and free body fat measurements. For any client who brings a friend, you will also receive a book of your choice. Please mark your calendar for this event, and bring your friends and family to show off where you train!

Thank you to our “Oldest” Clients!

I want to give special recognition to the following people who have been with us from the start. Your commitment to your health and fitness is exemplary, and I wish all of you continued success. Congratulations on your 1-year anniversary, and thank you for the trust you have shown in Fitness Together!

Stephanie Dixon, Toni Kelly, Diane Lavelle. Cheryl Lynch, Anne Williamson, Jim Williamson, Ted Yuhas, Jill Zampino, Suzanne Zampino, and Betty Zingani

Creamy Pepper Soup

This recipe comes from the book, “The Thrive Diet”, written by Brendan Brazier. Brendan is a professional Ironman Triathlete, and a two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion.

Creamy Pepper Soup

A refreshing, nutrient-packed soup, this one is best served cold on a warm day.

1 avocado, pit and skin removed
1 red or yellow bell pepper
2 cups water or hemp milk
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp dulse flakes (sea vegetable, can be found in health food stores)
Pinch of oregano

In a food processor, process all ingredients together. Makes 2 servings.

You can read more about Brendan and his book at brendanbrazier.com This is one of the books I am offering for FREE to any client who simply provides us with the name of someone they know who would benefit from the one client, one trainer, one goal program offered at Fitness Together.

P.S. Keep an eye out for information about our Open House on September 20 to celebrate our 1-year anniversary!

What can help lower your blood pressure, reduce stress, increase your flexibility, strengthen your immune system, and increase your sense of well-being? For a change, I won’t answer with diet or exercise

These are just some of the many benefits of massage; for a more extensive list of both the physical and mental benefits of massage you can visit: Holistic Online: Massage Therapy

While reading about massage therapy, I also came across the following article from WebMD.com that I thought you would find useful. This article talks about how you can realize many of the benefits of a massage using your own hands.

“Massage Therapy for Stress Relief and Much More: Experts describe massage tips you can try on yourself to ease headaches, back pain, and to help you relax.

Few sensual experiences rival a full-body massage for pleasure and stress relief — at least among those things you can talk about in front of the children at the dinner table. Word on the health benefits of massage therapy for stress relief has spread. In 2006, 39 million Americans — one in six adults — had at least one massage, according to a nationwide survey by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA).

“Americans are looking to massage for much more than just relaxation,” says Mary Beth Braun, President of the AMTA. “Massage therapy can be effective for a variety of conditions, including arthritis, lower back pain, insomnia, headaches, anxiety, circulatory problems, and recovery from a sports injury.”

When you can’t get to a masseuse, you can still reap many of the benefits of this age-old healing practice — with your own hands. WebMD consulted several massage experts to find these simple, self-massage techniques that incorporate the best soothing rubs and pressure-point applications that massage has to offer.

Try them on yourself — or someone you love — throughout the day to boost your energy and increase concentration. You can also use them at night to relax and get a good night’s sleep. You’ll find the benefits of massage therapy for stress relief are only the beginning.”

The article then lists specific self-massage techniques for each of the following.

• Relieve Tired Eyes
• Ease Headaches and Tension
• Relax the Hands
• Relieve Neck Tension
• Loosen Tight Shoulders
• Release the Lower Back
• Soothe Tired Feet

You can read the details of each of these tips by clicking here.

In addition to learning these self-massage techniques, be sure to keep an eye out for the next incentive at our studio, which will be a gift certificate for a deep tissue massage.

To your health and happiness.

P.S. As a special offer for the month of August, we are offering our clients a free copy of Quantum Wellness, or any one of the following books: The Food Revolution, The China Study, The New Rules of Lifting, The Thrive Diet (new!), or The New Rules of Lifting for Women. To receive your free book, simply provide us with the name and contact information of someone you think would benefit from our services and we will send your your book immediately.