Is Santa Claus really public health enemy No. 1?

Absolutely, says an Australian doctor in a report published in the Dec. 17 online edition of the BMJ. Jolly Old St. Nick promotes obesity, drunken driving, speeding and general unhealthy habits, Dr. Nathan Grills of Monash University in Melbourne contends.

Grills may not be entirely serious: The journal devotes its Christmas issue — in which the report appears — to tongue-in-cheek research. Still, the findings provide food (the healthy kind) for thought.

For example, Grills suggested that Santa should share Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’s food — carrots and celery sticks — instead of fattening snacks. And the guy in red and white should walk or ride a bike instead of traveling at breakneck speed in his sleigh everywhere.

Because “Santa needs to affect health by only 0.1 percent to damage millions of lives,” Grills wrote, he might make a world of difference by becoming more health- conscious.

He noted that Santa is associated with unhealthy products, like Coca-Cola, and often appears with pipe in hand. In some countries, people leave a spot of brandy for Santa, and that could lead to drunken driving, Grills added.

And, finally, what about all those children who sit on Santa’s helpers’ laps each holiday season? If the jolly old guy impersonating Santa has a cough, he could spread illnesses to them. And that could lead to a very, very unmerry holiday.
(source: Business Week).

If anyone happens to see Santa this week, perhaps you can encourage him to stop by Fitness Together for a free fitness assessment and consultation; I know he’s kind of busy now, but next week would be a great time to get a head start on the New Year.

Wishing you a healthy, happy holiday!
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Videos of the week: The Wall Street Journal just named this commercial as one of the best of 2009, and the video won a Guinness World Record for the most-viewed online ad of all time. It is well worth watching to see how much videos of dancing babies have progressed in 12 years…

Personal training finally got some “Street Cred”.

As part of my job at Villanova University, I make it a habit to read The Wall Street Journal every day. While I do scan the paper for the key business stories of the day, I must admit that my favorite parts of the WSJ are those that don’t focus primarily on financial issues. One such story was written last week, titled, “Professional Training for a Healthy Life”.

We’ve got holiday gift certificates – see info below!

The story points out that for the past three years, personal training has held one of the top four spots in the American College of Sports Medicine’s study of international fitness trends.

For this year’s survey, the not-for-profit association with more than 20,000 members world-wide, surveyed 1,477 fitness professionals from Asia, Europe, Australia, Africa, North America and South America. Their conclusion: More and more people are willing, and able, to spend extra money on expert advice in the hope it will make them train more effectively.

“Personal trainers are now recognized world-wide as an integral part of the health-care delivery system,” says Walter Thompson, lead author of the fitness-trends survey. “People who join health clubs these days are increasingly aware of their personal finances as well as their personal health.”

We’ve got holiday gift certificates – see info below!

Alejandra Moore-Mayorga, the 41-year-old managing director of Madrid-based public-relations agency Grupo Albión, trains three times a week during her lunch break, and says the key to training regularly is to give the exercise session the same importance as a business meeting.

The need to spend time and money on personal trainers comes from people having realized that “going on their own as busy people hasn’t worked,” says Kathryn Freeland, a personal trainer and managing director of Absolute Fitness in London. “People have said to themselves ‘I am going to get a personal trainer and this is my long-term solution,’” she says.

For some, getting professional fitness help is about more than staying fit and slim. They are also looking to build up energy to sustain their long hours. In addition to a detailed fitness program, many personal trainers try to help their clients improve their overall lifestyle, using tools such as online nutrition-tracking systems.

Here is the link to the full story in the WSJ.

I also believe it is important to note that personal training is not just for highly-paid exectuives. It is ideal for anyone who lives a busy lifestyle and is committed to wanting to get the most out of life and recognizes the key role that health and fitness plays in achieving such a goal.

Holiday Gift Certificates

Give the gift of health and fitness this year. We have gift certificates available, ranging from 3 sessions to 12 sessions, at a special holiday price. These would make great gifts for anyone, including:

- a spouse who has talked about wanting to get started with some type of fitness program;
- a college or high school student with some free time over the holiday;
- someone who already has a fitness routine, but is just looking for a change, even if it is just for a week or a month;
- and of course, yourself!

To find out more about these gift certificates, please give us call at 610-355-0935 (Newtown Square) or 610-640-2325 (Frazer).

To your health and happiness,

Jim Borden
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Video of the week: The opening clip from one of my top 5 favorite movies – Annie Hall. To paraphrase one of his lines, I hope no one has decided not to join Fitness Together because it has someone like me as the owner

While I have never had a massage, I have heard people rave about how wonderful they are. I have written previously about the many benefits of massage and yesterday’s New York Times had an article about self-massage, sometimes referred to more formally as self-myofascial release (SMR), so I thought it would be helpful to talk a little bit about SMR. Be sure to keep reading to the end since there is a special offer available to both existing and new clients!

The benefits of SMR include:

* Correcting muscle imbalances
* Improving joint range of motion
* Reducing muscle soreness & relieve joint stress
* Reducing neuromuscular hypertonicity (muscle tension/spasms)
* Increasing extensibility (flexibility) of musculotendinous junction
* Improving neuromuscular efficiency
* Maintaining normal functional muscular length

When the same muscles are forced to do the same motions over and over, they become tight and injury-prone. This may be why many athletes swear by SMR, particularly those involved in endurance sports such as marathons and triathlons. While such athletes may prefer getting a professional massage, the cost of doing so on a regular basis can become prohibitive.

Any kind of massage -the professional type and the SMR – can stimulate blood flow and break up scar tissue, thus reducing an athlete’s risk of injury, according to Collette Glass, a sports massage therapist in Atlanta. “In massage, shortened, overworked muscles get flushed out and return to a normal length, which helps them properly recover.”

While Mrs. Glass acknowledges that a foam roller can’t alleviate deep trigger points the way an experienced thumb or knuckle can, she is still a proponent of self-massage. She and her husband, Dr. Josh Glass, a sports chiropractor, hold self-care seminars in the Atlanta area several times a year. “The message we stress through the whole demonstration,” she said, “is that self-massage keeps you out of our offices.”

Jenni Gaertner, a physical therapist and competitive cyclist from Idaho, also advocates a combination approach. “I go to a massage therapist only during racing season, because it can be so expensive,” she said. “But I use a foam roller year-round and prescribe it to patients and teammates.”

Abby Ruby, an athlete and coach from Colorado, used SMR daily while training for a 100-mile trail run. Convenience and affordability are the selling points for Ms. Ruby. “When I need a massage, I need it now, not next Wednesday at 3 p.m.,” she said.

I have used SMR many times, typically when I felt unusually sore after a workout. I must admit that it can be somewhat painful at times, particularly if there is an area of your body that is especially tight. However, that pain does go away, and the benefits of the massage soon become apparent. (Just writing this newsletter wants me to go home and use my foam roller!)

As an incentive to get you started with foam rolling, I am giving away Perform Better’s best selling foam roller to any existing client who completes just 10 sessions between now and the end of December. I will also give a free foam roller to any new or former client who signs up for one of our training packages before December 18. We will also give you a tutorial on how to use the roller most effectively. As with any physical activity, do not use a foam roller without your physician’s approval if you have any heart or vascular illness or a chronic pain condition.

If you would like to read more about SMR and take a look at some of the basic techniques used, here is a helpful web site.

To your health and happiness…

Video of the week: A video on how to do five of the basic foam roller SMR exercises.