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Summer is here for sure! July, August and September are the hottest months, and so clients are always asking me what the best exercise is for this time, and my answer is always the same. The one you will stick with and you enjoy doing. Outdoor activities are limited due to the heat, so early mornings and evenings when the sun is not so intense are best. Summer is the time most of my clients schedules are different and it is pool time. So why not get in the pool and make it your place for your exercise routine.

You may not have an aquatics class near you or the class times are not ideal. Yet if you have a pool it’s open 24 hours a day and any time is a good time for you. The pool provides a low – impact environment and offers resistance that works muscles from all angles. So here are some great benefits to cross train this summer while protecting your joints, getting some vitamin D and staying active in spite of the heat.

Here are 3 great reasons to get in the pool:

1. The buoyancy of water reduces a person’s “weight” by 90%. Stress on weight – bearing joints, bones and muscles decreases, too.

2. Hydrostatic pressure aids aching joints, making aquatic activities beneficial to those who suffer from inflammatory diseases.

3. A study looked at the psychological benefits for people with Fibromyalgia found that participants experienced “significant decrease in pain and depression.”*

If you’re not sure what to do while in the pool, I suggest walk forward, backwards or sideways in at least mid chest level water. Be mindful about your posture. You want to make sure your abdominal muscles are engaged, head neutral, shoulders relaxed and most of all breath!!! Play games with the kids, swim laps or just move. Run or walk to increase your energy! So ready! Set! Splash your way to fitness this summer and see how great you will feel!

If you are stuck and need some accountability, call or email me today to book your COMPLIMENTARY consultation to coach you in the direction you want to go. You can reach me at 713-410-3376 or email me at [email protected].

Are you ready to get the gift of happiness and healthy? Gift certificates available! YOGA class times are Tuesday at 6:30 and Wednesday’s at 12:00 pm.

* Source: IDEA Fitness Journal July-August

In health,

Birgitt Haderlein
President & CEO
1750 Seamist Dr. Suite 170
Houston TX 77008
713-410-3376
Fax 713-868-4290

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Aging isn’t what it used to be. We have more opportunities to live a healthier life than ever before. The information is out there, yet most of us are not utilizing it on a daily basis. The old notion of “move it or lose it” still holds true at any age or stage in our lives. I have been in the fitness industry for over 25 years and I see not only mature adults but younger generations having difficulty with balance. We are sitting more that ever and losing muscle mass which is vital to keeping our skeletal system in tact. Falls can be disastrous at any age especially older adults, leading to long-term immobility and loss of independence. To help prevent falls, the American Academy of Orthopedic surgeons (WWW.AAOS.org) recommends seniors participate in an exercise program designed to improve strength, balance, agility and coordination. I recommend this for my younger, less active clients as well.

Strength Exercises
1. chair squats (3 sets of 8–15 reps)

• Sit on the edge of a chair or bench. Lean the trunk forward and reach the arms out in front of the torso.
• Push through the heels and rise to a standing position.

2. heel raises (3 sets of 10–15 reps)

• From a standing position, push through the toes of both feet and raise the heels off the floor while maintaining an upright torso.
• Pause for 1 second before slowly lowering the heels to the floor.

Balance Exercises

The following exercises are all variations on the single-leg stance.

1. single-leg stance, level 1 (3 reps per side)

• Stand next to a wall or countertop, using a hand to maintain balance.
• Stand on one leg and hold for up to 10 seconds.

2. single-leg stance, level 2 (3 reps per side)

• Stand next to a wall or countertop, using a hand to maintain balance.
• Keep the eyes closed while standing on one leg.

Exercises for Agility and Coordination

1. front leg swings (3 sets of 8–15 reps per side)

• Begin by standing tall next to a wall, using the hand closer to the wall to assist with balance.
• Swing the leg farther from the wall forward, with knee straight, then back behind the body while maintaining an upright posture.

3. heel-toe walking (3 times, 1–2 minutes each)

• Take a step forward, positioning the heel of one foot in front of the toes of the opposite foot. Try to have the toes touch the heel of the shoe each time a step is taken.
• Move forward or backward using this heel-toe pattern.

Tips for Preventing Falls

You can further help avoid falls by following these suggestions:

1. Remove throw rugs from your household.
2. Try a tai chi class.
3. Remove clutter from hallways, staircases and other areas of heavy traffic in the home.
4. Discuss any dizziness or vision changes—especially after a change in medication—with a physician.
5. Get regular eye examinations.
6. Keep staircases and hallways well lit, and consider installing night-lights in these areas.
7. Wear flat, rubber-soled, nonslip shoes.

In Health,

Are you ready to get the gift of happiness and health?
IF you are stuck and need some accountability, call or email me today to book your COMPLIMENTARY consultation to coach you in the direction you want to go.

Gift certificates available! YOGA class times are Tuesday at 6:30 and Wednesdays at 12:00pm

Hope you all had a great spring. I loved it! We have not had rain like this in quite some time, and, boy, did we need it. It is so green, and all the plants are healthy, and the bluebonnets were spectacular. Having said that, I had to change up my exercise routine not only with myself but my 5 dogs that are use to getting their walks in on a regular basis.

Which leads me to what my clients have learned from working with me. They all have a toolbox of choices when their routine is thrown off whether it’s rain, a meeting or a child being sick, they now find and make time to stay healthy and fit.

So no matter what you routine, you want to keep these wellness facts in mind from the University of California, Berkeley Wellness letter

• Even a small amount of exercise or other physical activity – about 20 minutes of brisk walking a day- can prolong the lives of sedentary people, suggests a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition of 330,000 Europeans (ages 25-70) who were followed for about 12 years. Increasing exercise was associated with reduced mortality rates in people at all activity levels and in all weight categories. But the researchers concluded that the biggest reduction in mortality rate would occur when transitioning from being totally inactive to merely moderately inactive. To accomplish that, all it would take is to burn about 100 calories a day in physical activity.

• To prevent or at least limit abdominal weight gain as you age, do strength training. Abdominal fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many other disorders, especially if it’s deep fat surrounding organs. In a large study of healthy male health professionals, published in the journal Obesity in February, those who increased the time they spent lifting weights by at least 20 minutes a day over a 12-year period averaged smaller gains in waist size (a measure of abdominal fat) than those who similarly increased daily aerobic exercise. Not surprisingly, men who spent more time being sedentary (notably watching TV) had the biggest gain in waist size. To get the most benefit in terms of body composition and overall health, do both strength and aerobic training, which is standard fitness advice.

• How can I lose weight? Slow and steady is best for weight loss, as opposed to crash dieting. You can cut 3,500 calories by eliminating 250 calories (i.e. That afternoon candy bar) every day for two weeks. Better yet, combine the two. That said, it’s not just simple arithmetic.

The body tends to adapt to the calorie deficit and weight loss, notably by lowering its metabolic rate – making it harder to continue losing weight or even maintain your lower weight. Long-term weight loss isn’t easy. But ” calories in, calories out” is still key.

So no matter what your challenges are through out your day remember to keep your commitment to your health and well being a top priority. There are so many distractions to throw you off track if you let them so let this be the time in your life to just say no to temptation and yes to your healthy lifestyle.

Are you ready to get the gift of happiness and health? If you are stuck and need some accountability, call or email me today to book your COMPLIMENTARY consultation to coach you in the direction you want to go.

Gift certificates available! YOGA class times are Tuesday at 6:30 pm and Wednesdays at 12:00 pm.

In Good health,

Birgitt Haderlein
President and CEO
1750 Seamist Dr. Suite 170
Houston, TX 77008
713-410-3908
www.tofityou.com

Wow! That’s my first reaction for the first ever 5K Run the Grove event! To Fit You was a sponsor of the event, and I am so grateful we did. It was great meeting so many people who wanted to keep the park intact. I got there at 6:45 a.m., and volunteers were ready to help with whatever I needed. Thanks goodness. it’s been awhile since I put up a tent. So thank you to all who made this run so smooth from the music all the way to the last booth standing. I will also post the winner of the auction and the winner for the sign up from the goody bag post cards in next months newsletter.

I love 5ks because they fit all fitness levels and that’s what To Fit You is all about. Meeting people at their fitness level not mine.

All fitness level have some common denominators. One is sore muscles. You may be sore or not sure how to stretch those stiff muscle after the days to come. I always tell my client’s to be well hydrated 2-3 days before the event. Ice sore muscles afterwards if needed and most of all do some stretches which really means relaxing tight muscles that were over stressed. So here are some guidelines and four stretches you can do, not just after your event but on going to keep you limber for your next endeavor whether it’s a run/walk or going out to do yard work! If you have any questions you can email me or come by the studio to make an appointment to help with your flexibility.

Click here to download these stretching exercises for your next run.

Stretching Guidelines

• Warm up the body before starting (walk around, etc)
• Stretch after each exercise session
• Correct breathing is important. Use deep slow breaths concentrating on exhaling and relaxing the muscles
• Perform the stretch slowly and sustain it to the point of minimal discomfort for a minimum of 15 seconds. Stretches held for longer durations (30-60) seconds may further increase range of motion
• Avoid Bouncing action when doing these stretches
• Remember to stretch both limbs. Many of the positions shown have the added benefit of stretching other muscle groups.
• To achieve good posture it is vital to tighten the abdominals, maintain correct back position and relax the shoulders.

Lastly I am looking forward to helping your community stay fit and active. I live in lazybrook and my studio is on Seamist so like they say at Kojaks it’s Timber Brook . So I have an eye on both neighborhoods. Please let me know if there are some specific things you would like to know and your questions may be my next article or I will do my best to get the answer for you. Together we can build a healthier and happier community. So I want to challenge all of you to be the change you want to see in others! Check out tofityou.com for more information about services to fit you!

Are you ready to get the gift of happiness and health? If you are stuck and need some accountability, call or email me today to book your COMPLIMENTARY consultation to coach you in the direction you want to go.

Gift certificates available! YOGA class times are Tuesday at 6:30 pm and Wednesdays at 12:00 pm.

 

In Good health,

Birgitt Haderlein
President and CEO
1750 Seamist Dr. Suite 170
Houston, TX 77008
713-410-3908
www.tofityou.com

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and you were able to tame your stress and enjoy your family and friends more this holiday season than the previous one. It’s that time of year when you might consider how you will fit exercise into your busy life. Whether it is stretching, cardio, or strength training there is a way to make it work. We all have the thought of daily burst of movement.

ClockJust 10?
Forget the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to exercise. Fitness does not live or die by 60- minute workouts; there is a middle ground. Short spurts of exercise, when they accumulate, have been shown to share similar benefits of longer workouts.

Easier than you think
Treat these 10 minutes like you would a regular workout. Take 1-2 minutes to warm up and get the muscles ready, including stretching. Follow with at least 7 minutes of exercise at a medium or high intensity. Then make sure to include a 60- second cool down.

Since its brief, it’s important to work at a fairly high intensity to obtain all of the benefits. Work at raising your heart and respiration rates. Just like regular workouts, try to include cardio, strength training and flexibility work in your routine. Either knock out all three during the 10-minutes, or plan a 10-minute segment for each area.

Example: Push out 10 minutes of cardio on the stationary bike. For strength, do push-ups, wall sits, or lift dumbbells. For flexibility, it’s helpful to just stretch every day. Work different muscle groups and keep it simple. After 10 minutes you will feel healthier and be on your way to developing solid fitness that can have definitely create great habits.

But I still don’t have time
It only takes 30 minutes a day, broken up into manageable chunks of 10. Start with a quick exercise when you wake up. The second session? A lunch break is possibly the perfect time to re-energize and get the blood flowing again. The last 10 minute blitz could come in the evening, even while you are watching TV. It’s an ideal way to involve the family as well. Go for a power walk after dinner or ride bikes with the kids.

It’s all about convenience; if you try, you can fit exercise into your schedule no matter where you are. Do it at home or work, outside or in the living room. Start building exercise spurts into your daily routine and you’ll start feeling more energized and positive about your day. The healthier and happier life is closer than you think. Call me today.

The more tools we use to be successful at staying healthy, happy and fit, the better we will feel about our day. Whether you are changing a new behavior or working on increasing your flexibility in a tight muscle, the key is keeping it simple and replacing the old tool with a new one.

Here are 5 tools to use and sharpen daily to increase your foundation and to build a better you.

• Schedule some fun time during your day.
• Tell someone you love them.
• Listen to someone unconditionally
• Do random acts of kindness
• Instead of sending an email to a colleague, walk to their office and say hi instead.

Contact me for a 30 minute complimentary coaching call. Dust off the tools you have and start using them today!