Studio C

Well, most of the equipment is ordered, the construction is well underway, and it is expected that the renovation will be finished toward the end of January.  That gives us a tentative opening date for Studio C right around the first week of March.  We’ll have a big Grand Opening/Open House and we’ll make sure you know all about it.  By then we should have added a new trainer or two to the mix and will be excited to introduce them to you!  Stay tuned for more details.

Boot Camp

Don’t fall off the exercise bandwagon this winter!  Come join our indoor boot camp being held at the Avalon at Arlington Square Basketball Court.  Classes are held from 6-7 a.m. M, W, F mornings January 10th to February 4th.  You bring a towel and water and we’ll bring the “toys” and a fun, unique and challenging workout every time.  Hu-rah!  Call Nina at 571.242.4775 for more details!  Space is limited.

New Wellness Service: Acupuncture!

Coming this March Health and Wholeness will be proud to start offering Acupuncture to our list of wellness services!  Many of you have heard us talk about it and soon we will have our very own acupuncturist ready to help you take your health to new heights.  I (Christian) came to a point in my own health last summer after a camping trip where my shoulder flared up again and nothing that had served me well in the past could alleviate the pain.  Short version of the story is that I found acupuncture to be tremendously effective, and opened up a whole new way of thinking about helping people with their health.  Now I am excited to begin to share that service with all of you.  Stay tuned for more details!

Finding a good trainer can take some work.  If my mom told me she was looking to hire a trainer, here is what I would suggest she look for.   In addition to being conveniently located, having a body that doubles as a good business card, and having specialties that match what she is looking for, here are four things worth finding out about the person she would consider hiring:

1. How much experience do they really have? What have they personally accomplished in exercise? Nothing compensates for breadth of experience.  You want a trainer who knows what it feels like to be in the shoes they might put you in and who can lead you through the process.  How many hours of experience do they have vs. how many years? In a couple years or less a full-time trainer can have 1,000s of hours of experience to draw upon.  In contrast, a trainer with “15 years of experience” may have only been working part-time with the same two people for 15 years.  What is the breadth (age, demographic, goals, etc.) of their clientele? Have they worked with anyone who has similar goals to you, and do they have a frame or reference to help you set new goals as the years and accomplishments accumulate?
2. Is their passion for what they do obvious? If not, it probably won’t be after you’ve purchased some sessions either.  Unfortunately, even the fitness industry is not immune to having “professionals” who are bored with their work.  Any of us can feel stale if we sit on what we know for too long.  Passionate trainers are plugged into networks that keep them motivated, current with the latest research and industry trends, as well as practicing what they preach.  Passionate trainers are always looking to enrich their client’s experience.  The others just count reps and collect a paycheck.  If you hire a trainer, his or her energy (or lack of it) is part of what will fuel (or dampen) your workouts.  Find a trainer whose enthusiasm is contagious.
3. Do they possess a combination of Confidence and Humility? Good trainers are confident, but not cocky.  Interviewing a trainer should give you confidence that they have tools that can change your life, but you should also see a humble side of them that recognizes they don’t know everything.  Confident trainers convey that with well-crafted routines and attention to detail, you cannot help but see results.  Humble trainers recognize that you are not a carbon copy of anyone else and that this journey of helping you be a better version of yourself will be a learning experience for both of you.
4. Do they understand their role as a part of “Team You”? Good trainers understand and demonstrate there is more to vitality than just a good workout.  They understand that their work with you is only a portion of what makes you whole and healthy.  Such trainers are typically plugged into a network of other health and wellness professionals who can help you accomplish your health goals and, in turn, benefit more from the wonderful world of exercise.

Food. I love food.

I love looking at it, preparing it, reading about it and of course eating it. So, naturally I get to write the section in our newsletter on food.

For many of you food is annoying.

It is that thing that interrupts the productivity of your workday, the thing that creates dishes and grocery shopping trips.  For others, food is more than just an annoyance; it is the enemy, the silent sabotage of the figure you can’t seem to unveil, or for some, the one thing in your life you can’t quite get control over.  Or maybe food sometimes makes you feel terrible, hinting that there is something in your diet to which you are showing signs of intolerance. Whatever food is to you, the reality is this: You can’t live with out it and will have to deal with it at least three times a day.  Thus, having a strategy surrounding your meals and what you eat is always smart. Here are some of the best tips I have heard and use in my own life:

1. Create Weekly Meal Plans.

Take inventory of what you have and create a menu that incorporates those ingredients. This minimizes wasting food due to expiration. Write down your menu for the week and display it somewhere you will see it such as the refrigerator.  I use a dry erase board hanging in my pantry! While writing your menu, fill out your shopping list for any remaining ingredients you will need.

2.  Expect Snacks.  You know you will want them.

Good snacks keep your metabolism running; they take you to the next meal and they prevent you from overeating, but if done wrong they can sabotage your weight management efforts.  Plan that one snack per day is a protein snack, involving ingredients such as nuts or hummus, protein bars or shakes. Plan your second snack to be a piece of fruit, and give yourself variety throughout the week incorporating seasonal fruits into the mix.

3. Be Diligent to Provide Your Body with Healthy Beverages

You need about 50 liters of liquid for every 50 pounds of weight, but this doesn’t have to be restricted to water. I love preparing a huge picture of something in the morning and making it a point to drink from it through out the day. Some ideas include:

• Fruit infused water with mint or basil (cucumber is also delicious)
• Tea with raw honey, hot, or cooled to room temperature
• Kombucha tea
• Coconut water- Caleb enjoys this!
• Water with chlorophyll drops. All these choices have heath benefits, among them having a higher mineral content!

4.  Make it Digestible!

We could have an entire article talking about increasing foods digestibility (which we just might, stay tuned!) but for now a few small tips.

• Include Something Raw in Every Meal. For example, a raw salad with that steak, some raw milk with your steamed fish and asparagus, raw garlic in the olive oil to dip your sourdough bread into…something raw provides an enzymatic boost and many health benefits.

• Have Some Type of Probiotic Daily be it yogurt of kefir, Kombucha tea or a supplement such as Garden of Life Primal Defense

• Whenever Possible–Marinade Your Meat—in lemon juice, yogurt/buttermilk, wine or vinegar mixture at least 7 hours before cooking. This begins to break down the proteins so that you have a meal that is not only more tender and delicious, but easier on the gut as well!

Here is a great and simple marinade recipe for chicken courtesy of Monica Corrado

• 1 cup plain whole yogurt
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 3-4 cloves of garlic peeled and mashed
• fresh ground pepper

• Stir all ingredients into a bowl large enough to fit 1lb of chicken. Add chicken and marinate for 7-24 hours in the refrigerator. When ready to cook, simply remove chicken from the bowl with tongs and pan sauté in butter over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. I love serving this recipe over lentils.

Not only has Renee been a loyal client from the day we opened–almost 3 years now–but her bright countenance around the studios and boot camp makes coming to work refreshing!  She’s more fit in her 40s than in her younger years and has even come to accept how bad hydrogenated peanut butter is for her.   While she jokes that she cheats when the trainer is not looking, she also understands that her health is her responsibility and that nothing replaces exercise.  She has found a way to make exercise a part of her lifestyle, and knows she is only cheating herself if she does not work hard at it.  Bravo Renee!  Keep up the good work and let’s get even younger this year.

Oh, and sorry fellas, she is off the market, but here she is in her own words:

What is/are your current fitness goal(s): My current goal is to continue to build muscle so that I can be stronger and burn more calories at rest so that I can lose a few pounds.

How many days a week do you train? Twice a week at H&W and two more times on my own (on average!)

What is/are your biggest motivator(s)? To maintain my fitness level as I get older and to try and keep up with Darlene!  I also like to have bragging rights when I achieve a new personal record.

What is the most significant change you have made/noticed since coming to Health and Wholeness? I have more muscle definition in my arms and legs now.

What advice would you give someone starting on his or her own health journey? I read a long time ago that the people who are successful at keeping weight off focus on exercising (not dieting) and that healthy eating will follow naturally.  Since I read that I’ve never dieted again and I’m a much happier person.  Exercise gives you a natural high and you just need to do it.  Almost everyone I know who is not overweight exercises on a regular basis and I’m one of them!