Fitness Together - Portsmouth

National Stroke Awareness Month

Tue, 08 May 2012 15:05:00 -0500

National Stroke Awareness Month: Be Healthy, Be Aware, Save a Life

As we prepare for summertime activities, we typically are focused on achieving a strong, fit and healthy body. In honor of National Stroke Awareness Month this month, elevate your body’s fitness to new levels by focusing on the importance of maintaining a brain healthy lifestyle, while understanding the risk levels and signs of a stroke.

According to the American Stroke Association (ASA), a stroke is a “brain attack,” as opposed to the most commonly known “heart attack,” that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts. When this happens, part of the brain cannot get the blood (and oxygen) it needs, so it starts to die. While heredity can play a big part in the risk factors associated with stroke, lifestyle choices and patterns can be leading contributors to reducing the risk of this life threatening disease.¹

Three Important Factors to Lowering Stroke Risk

High Blood Pressure: High blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke and the most important controllable risk factor. According to industry research, there is a 55 percent increase in your stroke risk if you have prehypertension, which is blood pressure levels of 120 to 139 or 80-89 diastolic.²Living a healthy lifestyle that can help to lower blood pressure levels includes exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol intake, avoiding tobacco, reducing caffeine consumption, reducing stress, reaching out to family/friends for ongoing support, and visiting your doctor regularly.³
Healthy Diet: The way you feed your body not only contributes greatly to your body’s overall health and fitness, but also works to lower your risk of heart and brain disease. Research suggests that low fat, low cholesterol diets that include dark vegetables and fruits, which contain antioxidants, may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. In general, dark-skinned fruits and vegetables (kale, spinach, brussel sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, beets, red bell pepper, onion, corn and eggplant, prunes, raisins, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, plums, oranges, red grapes and cherries) have the highest levels of naturally occurring antioxidant levels. Cold water fish contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna) and some nuts (almonds, pecans and walnuts) are a good source of vitamin E antioxidants.⁴
Physically Fit Lifestyle: Constant, regular physical activity is the cornerstone to a fit body, healthy heart and strong brain. Physical activity 3-4 times a week in 45-60 minute increments is important for maintaining good blood flow throughout the body and to the brain, encouraging the growth of new brain cells, and significantly lowering the risk of heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke. The personal trainers at Fitness Together can help you put an individual or small group workout plan in action to help you elevate your health and fitness goals, while reducing your risk of brain and heart disease.

Know the Risks to Act FAST

The ASA reports that the chance of having a stroke approximately doubles for each decade of life after 55; however, the risk of stroke can affect anyone at any age. It is essential to know the signs of stroke so that you can act quickly if you or a loved one is showing any of the following signs. Time is of the essence when it comes to strokes.

The ASA has released a new stroke detection method called FAST, which stands for the four items to check in a suspected stroke victim – Face, Arms, Speech, and Time. Specific stroke warning signs include:

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body. Ask them to smile and raise an arm. If the face droops or looks crooked and/or if a raised arm droops down, then these are signs of a stroke.

Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Ask them to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.” If they slur their speech or sound different, then this could be a sign of stroke.

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Ask them to read a sign a short distance away with each eye. If they have difficulty making out words or letters that they normally can see, this could be a sign of stroke.

Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.

Sudden severe headache with no known cause.

By living a lifestyle that includes healthy food, fitness and awareness, you are equipping yourself with the tools to reduce the risk of disease and prepare yourself for identifying the signs of stroke for yourself and your family. Certified personal trainers at Fitness Together are available today to help you get started on living a heart and brain healthy lifestyle that focuses on consistent exercise and healthy eating. Contact your local Fitness Together studio to begin one-on-one personal training or group PACK training focused on a healthy you.

Sources

¹ American Stroke Association

² Neurology

³Mayo Clinic

⁴ Alzheimer's Association

Kick Start Your Summer Body by Focusing on a Healthy, Fit Lifestyle

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:19:00 -0500

With the countdown to summer in full swing, it’s time to start focusing on a total body health and fitness routine. Whether struggling to shed the last few winter pounds, maintaining weekend warrior fitness levels or competing as an endurance athlete, everyone can benefit from a fit, healthy lifestyle built around brain wellness, body fitness and belly health.

This month is the perfect time to start putting in the work to achieving overall health and fitness with National Public Health Week (April 2-8) and World Health Day (April 7) leading the way to a healthier society. As the theme for National Health Week states, “A Healthier America Begins Today: Join the Movement!”1 It is time to put all excuses and distractions behind you, as today is the day to start moving toward a healthy lifestyle that will lead to positive mental, physical and overall well-being results. Let’s get started!

Brain Wellness

A healthy brain and a healthy body work hand-in-hand to achieve overall fitness and well-being. A happy mind and happy body are derived from a healthy fitness routine that is focused on keeping you motivated, pushing you to do better and helping you reach goals you never thought were possible. Consistent fitness routines, especially in a small group setting, not only help release feel good endorphins in your body that support a healthy lifestyle, but working out with friends/peers also can serve as a mind and body therapy session for sweating out negative attitudes, while building total body endurance and strength. A study in the Journal of Sports Sciences even found that focusing on a team or group’s strengths instead of your own can improve your body’s performance levels because working out in a group may ease your brain’s performance anxiety so you can relax, focus and reach your health and fitness goals.

Body Fitness

April is the perfect time to get your fit on by switching up your routine and combining a mix of cardiovascular and strength training exercises. If you have spent the winter months stuck within the walls of a gym, it can be good for your body and mind to take your workouts outside as the weather gets warmer and the sun shines longer. Instead of logging endless miles on the treadmill, hop on a neighborhood track for a quick interval sprint workout or dust off your bike for some strenuous cycling workouts.

It also is important to not get stuck in a time rut by making sure that your fitness routine is burning calories and boosting your metabolism without draining the clock. A fast-paced, interval workout that incorporates short bursts of explosive cardio and strength exercises will not only cut your workout time in half, but it can be more effective for feeling your best, looking your best and performing better than you ever thought possible.

Belly Health

Americans’ mid-sections are not getting smaller, on the average, and the size of your belly can be a good indication of the state of your body’s health and wellness. To achieve a healthy lifestyle, it is important to focus on your body’s core, as a healthy core can lead to healthy cardiovascular systems, digestive functions and strong muscular structures. Busting out hundreds of sit ups, though, may not be the best approach to achieving a healthy middle section. Shedding an extra layer of belly bulge takes a two-prong approach of exercise and nutrition.

While sit ups can be a part of your core workout, it is important to focus on toning all of your abdominal muscles for the best results. Effective total body exercises that work the core can include planks (elbow, hand, side), knee/leg lifting exercises and standing on a balance ball when doing your regular strength training exercises. On the food front, a healthy eating routine should include cooking more meals at home, focusing on whole, nutrient-dense foods without extra additives/preservatives/chemicals, watching portion control and drinking adequate amounts of water. A healthy belly not only leads to a reduced risk of disease, but it also supports a more confident, energetic lifestyle.

Ready to Kick Start a Healthy Summer Body?

With only 12 weeks left until summer, it is time to get your body and mind in shape for optimal summertime fun and activities in the sun. By focusing on brain wellness, body fitness and belly health, you will have your body summer-ready in no time!

The experts at Fitness Together can work with you in one-on-one personal training or small group PACK training sessions to help you establish a healthy lifestyle that prepares you to look better, feel better and perform better this summer. Give our studio a call today to kick start your healthy, fit lifestyle!

1 American Public Health Association, www.nphw.org.

2 Men’s Health, Cardio Bulletin, March 2012.

Experience Healthy Tax Relief by Deducting Your Personal Training Expenses this Tax Season

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 16:05:00 -0500

As the April 17 tax deadline nears, do you find yourself looking under couch cushions, going through office files and combing through bank statements in hopes of finding any last minute receipts or tax deductions that you may have overlooked? Well, you may not need to look any further, as good tax news may be found around the corner at your local personal training studio.

Does finding tax relief while working out sound too good to be true? Surprisingly, you may be able to financially benefit from your personal training by deducting the session costs on your tax returns this year. According to the Internal Revenue Service, there are certain medical expenses that can be deducted on your tax returns, which may include personal training, in some instances.

Personal Training Tax Basics 101

While it is always recommended to consult your trusted financial advisor to confirm any tax deductions, it is important to take note that it may be possible for you to deduct part of the costs of your personal training as a qualified medical expense under the IRS tax code.

Interested in Receiving More Detailed Information?

If you think you may be eligible to start deducting your personal training sessions on your tax returns this year, contact your local Fitness Together studio today to learn more. Fitness Together is here to help support your efforts to qualify for this deduction and to help you reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and tax relief this season.

Is Personal Training Tax Deductible?

Click Here for your Free Report

Try China's National Fruit- Kiwi

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:25:00 -0500

Don’t be deceived by the size of this exotic egg-shaped furry fruit. Kiwis (also known as Chinese gooseberry) are nutrition giants, packed with health-promoting phyto-chemicals, vitamins and minerals. A mere 60 calories, China’s national fruit should be on your kitchen table.

Eat Greens!

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:08:00 -0500

It’s spring—eat some spring greens!

Glorious spring greens (usually a combination of mizuna, tatsoi, red oakleaf, sorrel, arugula and frisee) are simply packed with nutrition, high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron. They’re also low in calories, fat and cholesterol-free. Just don’t drown them in fatty dressing—a light spritz of lemon and olive oil is all you need.

You Bite It, You Write it!

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:53:00 -0500

Write down what you eat

New Year’s Resolutions are a distant memory so now is the time to refocus and get back on track for bathing suit season. The single best tool at your disposal for helping you eat healthy, eat light and eat often is your accountability journal—you bite it, you write it!

Take Your Sweet Time...

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:42:00 -0500

Take time to eat your meals

The healthiest way to eat food is to eat it slowly, enjoying each bite. This simple concept may be foreign to many of us, as fast food is the American way. This behavior could also be a contributing factor to eating too many calories—a problem for many of us. So put your fork down between bites, savor delicious food and conversation and get on the road to healthier eating habits.

Pineapple- Nature's Candy

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 06:26:00 -0500

Don’t be afraid of the natural sugar content of this sweet as candy fruit. Pineapple is a highly nutritious, low-calorie, source of vitamins, minerals and fiber. One cup of pineapple more than fulfills your daily requirement for vitamin C and contains about 10 percent of the daily minimum requirement for fiber. All this for a mere 80 calories!

Join FT Newburyport at the Home, Garden & Business Expo April 21st

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 09:43:00 -0500

FT Newburyport will be exhibiting at the Home, Garden & Business Expo this coming Saturday April 21, 2012 from 9-4. Join us and other local businesses at the Tannery Market Place on Water Street in Newburyport. Bring your friends and family too-we hope you'll stop by!!!

Try Rhubarb!

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 06:29:00 -0500

You may have heard about rhubarb pie but do you really know what this is? Often thought of as a fruit, rhubarb is actually a vegetable—a cousin of celery! Very versatile in cooking, it is often used as a fruit in baked goodies. Packed with potassium, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A and fiber and super low in calories—this is one vegetable you should give a try.

Strawberries are Sweet & Healthy!

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:55:00 -0500

Eat strawberries!

Ripe, red and sweet as candy, these fragrant berries should be a staple in everyone’s diet. Packed with nutrients, one cup of strawberries contains 100 mg of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, folate and potassium. And all this for a mere 50 calories!

Asparagus is a Super Veggie!

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:43:00 -0500

Grill it, roast it or steam it, either way you’ll be getting over 100% of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin k (essential for bone health), in just a few bites. Delicious dressed with just a touch of olive oil and grilled; don’t forget to take advantage of this season’s low calorie veggie side dish as you get the BBQ fired up for spring cooking.

Got Vitamin D?

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:40:00 -0500

Vitamin D is the new hot nutrition topic of this decade. Adequate Vitamin D circulating in the blood is important not only for bone health (calcium relies on vitamin D to help it travel to the parts of the body that need it) but also insufficient D has been implicated in a host of health problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

Your body can make vitamin D from sunlight, but most of us can’t get enough from that route, so you'll want to get most of your vitamin D from food and supplements. The best sources are fatty fish including salmon (wild), herring, mackerel, and sardines; milk (fat-free, 1% low-fat), soy milk, and fortified yogurt. Because few foods are rich in vitamin D, you may need to take a supplement) in order to take in 1000 IU of vitamin D daily. Ask your doctor to test your D level and if it’s low, discuss supplementing.

FREE Healthy Dinner and Fitness Event...You're Invited!

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 16:15:00 -0600

Why Weight?

Healthy Dinner & Fitness Workshop

Nutrition & Fitness SECRETS to lose weight the healthy way!

DISCOVER how to eat & exercise effectively
Feel EMPOWERED to reach your weight loss goals!

Enjoy a FREE DINNER and get nutrition and fitness answers from field professionals!

Presented by:

Dr. Jennah Dieter, Clinical Nutritionist

Hannah Horton, Personal Trainer

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

6:30 PM

260 Merrimac St.-Towle Bldg-Colonial wing

Newburyport, MA 01950

Why Weight? Seating Limited.

Reserve your seat today! (978) 499-WELL (9355)

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone!

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 13:09:00 -0600

Go Outside Your Comfort Zone

Convinced you “can’t” run a marathon, or sprint at level 10 on that treadmill? … Are you sure about that?

Even if you have a physical challenge or condition that limits you in some way, most of us also create false boundaries for ourselves — “no-can-do’s” that are only in our heads. And more and more studies are showing that the thing you think you can’t do just might be the one thing you MUST do to light a fire under your workout results.

Breaking through these false limits can also lead you to be more consistent about your workout regimen.

“Intensity is by far the most important factor affecting increases in, and maintenance of, cardio fitness,” notes Jeffrey M. Janot, PhD, technical editor of the IDEA Fitness Journal. “Although we do not know the exact level of intensity that provides optimal health and fitness benefits, we know the optimal range and that it is directly related to exercise program adherence. You may not enjoy an exercise program if you get sore or injured because the intensity is too high. On the other hand, you can grow bored with a program if intensity is below the optimal range and you aren’t improving.”

Why push your limits in your workout regimen?

The body is wired to adapt to routine. Once your body gets used to a routine of walking 2 miles a day, for example, you’ll likely see less or slower weight loss than when you first began that routine. Extensive research has shown that to keep seeing results from an exercise routine, it’s essential to continually include intervals of higher stress and demand on the muscles and cardiovascular system.

Many people work out only hard enough to maintain their existing weight and physique. Going outside your comfort zone includes adding some intense workout challenges to build muscle and get stronger, faster, leaner. That doesn’t mean you have to run a marathon or work out 6 hours a day to lose weight or reach your goals. The point is to keep adding new challenges and different ways of pushing past your limits for speed, distance, weight you can heft, etc.

Why don't more people go "outside the lines" with their workouts?

Challenging yourself is uncomfortable by nature. It’s normal to feel a sense of fear or angst when you think about pushing beyond the places where you usually stop, ease up, or take a break. Common fears include whether you can handle an intense “burn” in your muscles and not get injured; or feeling embarrassed about getting out of breath, or even sweating more than you’re used to.

Can a personal trainer help you break through that fear — without yelling at you?

Yes! A great personal trainer should confidently instill in you the belief that you can do this.

“We know they can, even though you might not know it yet,” says Russ Yeager, owner of Fitness Together in Atlanta. “The empowerment our clients gain once they actually do it is awesome. We recently helped a client who at first could barely get through a workout and was very self-conscious. She’s now lost 50 pounds and did a 3.5 mile hike with a straight-up climb at the end!”

You or your personal trainer can determine your optimal cardio exercise intensity range via a number of methods including percent of maximum heart rate, the “talk test,” or rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Whether you’re training for a triathlon, hitting a weight loss plateau or ready to give up on ever having toned upper arms, one-on-one training can help you go where your mind has never let you go before.

Grand Re-Opening

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:49:00 -0600

GRAND RE-OPENING OPEN HOUSE

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

5:30 pm – 8 pm

Come meet the new owner, new trainers, new program and the new you!

Tell your Friends, Family, & Co-Workers

IT’S NEW: Check out our new PACK Workouts

(Small Group Personal Training)

Join us for a Free Fitness Assessment, Door Prizes, Refreshments, and all the support you need to reach your fitness goals!

January Weekly Tip#2 - Black Tea

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:30:00 -0600

DRINK BLACK TEA

Surprise: You don't have to spend big bucks on fancy green tea to get a potent antioxidant health brew. Regular black tea is super healthy as well. Why? It's packed with flavanoids (protective compounds that neutralize health-damaging particles called free-radicals), plant chemicals that retard aging and help our bodies fend off disease. Plus, studies show tea sippers have less skin wrinkling as they age. So take a healthy tip from the Brits and take a tea break in the afternoon—Cheerio and all that sort of thing…to your health!

January Tip #1- Eat Dark Red Kidney Beans

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:19:00 -0600

EAT DARK RED KIDNEY BEANS!

Don't be fooled by their small size, beans pack a huge nutritional punch. They are loaded with figure-friendly protein, filling fiber, energizing B vitamins and heart-healthy antioxidants. Go for the dark red kidney beans, as this variety takes the budget super-food prize because they have one of the highest antioxidant counts of all beans and cost the least, a mere buck a can. Add kidney beans to your favorite chili recipe or mash them with some chicken broth, sautéed onion and garlic for a creamy dip. Toss them in your salad, but just be sure to give the canned beans a quick rinse to get rid of the excess sodium. The culinary bean possibilities are endless…so eat up!

Weekly Nutrition Tip, Dec. #2

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:35:00 -0600

Eat CRANBERRIES! It’s holiday time so make sure you go for those super-nutritious, low-calorie cranberries! Why buy the expensive, over-hyped, pomegranate fruit juice when you can get serious healing power from a locally grown berry for a fraction of the price? Dried cranberries rank among the highest on the ORAC scale (measures antioxidant content) of any fruit, which means they may help reduce risk of disease. What’s more, cranberries contain compounds that help prevent urinary tract and other pesky infections. Toss them into salads, bake them into muffins or toss them into your morning cereal. Make your own cranberry sauce by boiling up fresh cranberries with some OJ, sugar and perhaps toss in some fresh oranges or apple slices.

Weekly Nutrition Tip, Dec. #1

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:22:00 -0600

Try KALE! Few foods on earth can compare, nutrition-wise, to this leafy green—a true superfood. The dark green hue is a giveaway that kale is packed with vitamins, minerals and health-enhancing antioxidants such as beta-carotene. What’s more, kale’s filling fiber, bone-building calcium and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help support the body’s ability to fight off disease. Plus, kale is easy to prepare. You can buy it pre-bagged, washed and de-stemmed. Or you can buy it in bunches. Simply remove the center ribs of its leaves, rinse well and then slice it into thin ribbons. Add this healthful pick to soups and stews in the last 20 minutes of cooking; coat lightly with olive oil, season with a touch of sea salt and roast in a hot oven to make yummy kale chips; or sauté it with a splash of olive oil and garlic for a delicious side dish.