The Final Countdown!
It’s the final week of the 100 Day Fitness Challenge, and next Wednesday we will draw the winner of the $1,000 travel voucher! Stay strong and earn your final entries into the Challenge drawing between now and April 24.
A reminder that we are also in the midst of our Final Days mini-challenge. Earn 1,000 MEPs between April 15-24 to gain entry into a drawing for a three-pack of personal training or Pilates sessions.
We may be nearing Challenge finale, but there are still ways to win great rewards. (The best reward is sustaining your fitness habit!) Congratulations to everyone for making this 100 Day commitment with us.
Find Your Perfect Yoga Class
Yoga is a form of exercise that blends body movement with breath. There are many benefits of incorporating a Yoga practice as part of your exercise routine. Those benefits include: improved flexibility and balance, decreased stress, and increased strength, focus and self-awareness.
The J offers a variety of Yoga classes, gentle to advanced, as part of our Group Exercise schedule, and we have recently updated our Yoga class names so that you can easily find the Yoga class that’s right for you. Choose your appropriate level and build strength, boost flexibility and increase balance through breathing techniques and postures.
7 Weekly Tips from our Fitness Staff
1. Get creative with your exercise – Your body adapts to the workouts you put it through, so it’s important to change things up. Try new group exercise classes, enlist the help of a trainer or try our Signature Training program for new ideas!
2. Marinate before grilling – Marinades may provide a barrier between the direct flame/heat of the grill and your meat entree preventing the buildup of possibly harmful chemicals created by cooking meat at high temperatures. Soaking meat in a marinade of alcohol (from wine or beer) and herbs for at least four hours can decrease the formation of these chemicals.
3. Spend more time in nature – Spring is the perfect chance to head outdoors. Spending time outside is a great way to de-stress, reduce levels of hostility and depression and to increase feelings of liveliness.
4. Just say “no” – FOMO, guilt, duty – all of these are reasons that we agree to plans, favors and other things that we really don’t want to do. Remind yourself that it’s okay to decline requests and invitations when you need more time for yourself. Respect yourself and your own time.
5. Eat responsibly-raised fish, meat and eggs – Wild-caught fish, grass-fed meat and free-range eggs can make a difference in the quality of food you eat. When animals are raised in their natural habitats on their natural diets, they tend to be healthier and better for us.
6. Reframe your thoughts – Sometimes it’s easy to see the negative parts of events rather than the positive. “I only lost two pounds this week instead of four!” But, remember, you still lost two pounds! When appropriate, learn to recognize your negative thoughts and focus on ways to frame them in a positive light instead.
7. Use healthier oils – Look for oils that have a high smoke point (such as coconut and avocado oil) so that they don’t break down while you are cooking. Olive oil is a great choice for adding to foods, sauces and dressings, but avoid using it for high-temperature cooking. And, in general, try to avoid highly processed vegetable oils in your diet.