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| Greetings!
Happy Spring Forward! March 8th marks the day to adjust those clocks; "Spring forward-Fall back." It's going to be so nice to have another hour of daylight to get in that extra cardio. Now there are no excuses! I decided to send out the March issue a little earlier due to the new schedule of classes which begin next week. Pre-registration is always advised to make sure your spot is reserved and to make the first day run a lot smoother.
As a mother of two children, I know what it is like to want the very best for my kids- to feel that tremendous high when they succeed. I also know the flip side of that- how hard it is to watch them struggle with disappointment. There is an epidemic facing our children that brings with it the potential for many additional challenges and disappointments: childhood obesity. Over 15% of American children are currently considered obese, with the number growing day by day. Kids today are growing up in a world that pushes immediate gratification and over-indulgence. They are faced with much more of a challenge when it comes to healthy eating habits and making exercise an enjoyable and desirable activity. What then can WE do as parents- are we able to take action, possibly creating a different and positive future for our children? Read the Spark the Fire of Fitness article below which contain tips to answer this very important question.
The first day of Spring is March 20. Let this be a time of growth and blossoming for you personally and professionally. Dream big and go for it!
Happy Training,
Jill Turvey
Team Fit, Inc.
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Spark the Fire of Fitness
A quote by Robert Fulghum really got me thinking. It said "Don't worry that your children are never listening to you; worry that they are always watching you". I could not agree more! The actions we take in front of our children are powerful. Our children are watching and studying us, memorizing patterns and habits that not only influence but also shape who our kids will someday become. When we make healthy decisions they are taking note. When we make fitness a priority, we are sowing the seeds of a life long love and connection to moving our bodies and finding fulfillment in it. Many kids today have lost that connection. They rely on video games and TV to fill the empty spaces in their day, instead of going outside and exploring the world around them. They are losing a valuable part of childhood, the freedom from worry and stress. They are now carrying embarrassment, shame and low self-esteem, which usually leads to more of the same.
As a personal fitness trainer this is a topic close to my own heart; as a parent I can understand the struggle with wanting something better for my children. There is hope however. Right now, this day, we can take action. That is the key: ACTION. Once we take action then we are in motion, moving to a better place. The first step of the journey has been taken. I try to teach my clients that the power to change your life and turn things around is already there inside them. When children learn that it is up to them to change, and that change IS possible, they are capable of limitless possibilities. All this sounds great but without a PLAN it is just words on a page. So I have come up with a few "Action Items" that will spark the fire of fitness, and create a touchstone for those of us looking for a way to fight the monster that obesity has now become.
Action Item # 1:
Model, Model, Model
What we do with and in front of kids is life and death when it comes to shaping good healthy habits. Evaluate yourself: How do you measure up? Do you make fitness a daily priority? Do they see you ENJOYING it or dreading it and saying how hard it is? If your attitude is negative, what do you think they will learn? What is your attitude about food? How and where do you eat your meals: as a family, or crowded around the TV? Showing our kids that exercise and healthy eating is fulfilling and enjoyable will set up a positive counter balance to the overindulging fast food adds and diet products that they encounter everyday.
Action Item # 2:
Make a plan
Sit down and make a family plan. What do your kids like to do? Do you live in a safe neighborhood where they can ride their bikes? Do you have any hiking trails near your house that you could explore together? Come up with ideas that could be alternates to TV- things your children enjoy doing that involve movement. It can be as simple as dancing to their favorite music, or blowing bubbles and chasing them. It really doesn't matter as long as you're moving your bodies and finding enjoyment in that. Mark it with a date and maybe a picture. You can look back on it and make it a special memory that involved going outside and using your body. Opening our children up to the world around them pushes back the limits that are created when they are sedentary.
Action Item #3:
Get up and do it TOO!!!
Be the parent who gets sweaty themselves: show your kids where you workout. Let them see you sweat and work hard. Tell them how many miles you run a day. Have them count as you do push ups, sit-ups and squats. Include them in your fitness routine.
Action Item #4:
Include them in preparing meals
When you include them in the cooking of the meals they realize what they are eating and the work it takes to put a meal together. Think of the available opportunities to teach them about food, and giving them the gift of knowing the correct way to fuel their bodies. Also, think about how you model eating snacks. Do you eat right out of the bag, or do you use small bowls, and portion it out? This will help them learn what healthy portions are. Look together at labels at the store. Have them read off to you the sugar content, making a game of who can find food with the lowest gram amount of sugar.
Action Item #5:
Write down goals together
Settings goals gives power to your plan and increases your chances for success. Start by getting out a calendar and marking the days with what activity you are going to do. You want to work out up to 30 minutes a day five days a week, which will shape the habit of making fitness a priority and a part of life as your children grow up. Let your kids pick some of the days and activities so they feel like they are part of the plan. Create a simple way to track your progress, maybe a smiley face on the days you were active. When you reach a certain goal, reflect with your kids on what it took to get to that goal and celebrate by maybe purchasing a new outdoor game or outdoor play equipment.
Make the activity FUN! Just get out and play tag, throw snowballs or build an igloo. Find activities that make you smile and that you enjoy. Have your kids make up games, and encourage their imagination, letting them explore their own creativity. Spending time as a family, playing games, and just having fun is a highlight in our home. On numerous occasions, I have gone up to the park to just run around with the kids- and they like it. I remember what it was like as a kid to just go out and play, feel the wind in my hair and the grass under my toes. Rediscover in yourself what it feels like to be a kid again.
Being a working mother in the fitness industry has definitely influenced my views on raising healthy kids, but anyone, anywhere can benefit from being more involved with their children. Just spending the time together can be a positive change. Most of all, I want it to be known that we can ALL do something to help defeat childhood obesity. By being healthy and active ourselves, we can empower our children with a desire to get their bodies moving and create a passion about being healthy that starts with having fun!
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Looking for an effective morning fitness program to rev up your metabolism and get you going for the entire day? Try the 6 AM Team F.I.T. Camp...Offered M/W/F with Jill Turvey! Next session begins March 16th. Class includes workout, dietary journals and daily protein shake. |
Cooking Corner
Shrimp & Whole Wheat Pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. large, peeled, deveined shrimp
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 24 ounce can marinara sauce (I use Trader Joe's brand, good and low fat)
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoon freshly chopped basil (Garnish)
8oz of whole wheat pasta ( I use Trader Joe's pappardelle)
In a large skillet, sauté the onions, bell pepper and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes. Add white wine and cook for another 10 minutes until reduced. Add marinara sauce, lemon juice and thyme and cook for another 10 minutes to combine flavors. In the meantime boil the pasta and cook as directed. Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook for 5-6 minutes until just cooked through.
When pasta is done, drain the noodles divide into 4 bowls and top with sauce.
Garnish with lemon zest and basil.
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Supplement of the Month:
(March Pricing: only $4.00/120 caplets)
1 tablet supplies 800 mcg of Folic Acid
Provides 100% of Established Daily Value for pregnant and lactating women.
Essential for energy production, protein synthesis and cellular production.
May inhibit the formation of homocysteine.
Essential for normal fetal neural development.
Helps fight depression and anxiety.
Low Folic Acid Intake May Be Linked with Increased Alzheimer's Risk.
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.: In its fifth year producing a national folic acid awareness campaign, the March of Dimes reported that in its most recent survey 70 percent of women of childbearing age fail to take folic acid--even though many are aware the B vitamin helps prevent birth defects.
In an annual survey conducted by The Gallup Organization and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 31 percent of women between 18 and 45 take a daily multivitamin containing folic acid even though 80 percent of childbearing-aged women report they are aware of the benefits of folic acid.
Despite this discrepancy, the March of Dimes is optimistic about its current education efforts. "We know our campaign is getting results because a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2001 showed that neural tube defects in newborns have decreased 19 percent from 1995 to 1999," said Jennifer Howse, M.D., president of the March of Dimes. "However, many more of these fatal or disabling birth defects could be prevented if more women took a folic acid multivitamin every day."
Interestingly, 53 percent of women who did not consume folic acid daily admitted they would be very likely to do so if their physician or health care provider recommended it. Another 37 percent reported they would be somewhat likely under the same circumstances.
"We call on physicians, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and other health professionals to use every contact they have with women of childbearing age to urge them to take a multivitamin with folic acid daily," Howse said.
The March of Dimes 2002 survey results were based on telephone interviews conducted earlier this year with approximately 2,000 women age 18 to 45.
The information contained in the newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your doctor or other health care professional. You should not use the information available on this newsletter (including, but not limited to, information that may be provided by employees or independent contractors with Team Fit, Inc.) for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. This is a legal disclaimer that needs to be inserted for purposes of people assuming that we are God and have packaged a miracle in a bottle that can heal and deliver people from their pain, suffering, discomforts, controlling ones appetite, etc. To sum up, consult with your doctor first before taking any new supplement. | |
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| Tip of the Month
Never underestimate the importance of warming up your body when you exercise. Whether you are heading outside for a run or hitting the gym for some resistance training, it's important to do a quick warm-up to get the blood flowing. Don't be afraid to get a little creative and fun with it either- it doesn't have to always be a "jog on the treadmill". Do a few sets of jumping jacks, bodyweight squats, or some quick agility drills to get those juices flowing! |
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Popular Classes Filling Up!
The new 6 weeks session begins March 2nd. Don't procrastinate in registering for our programs
The following classes are now limited in space:
Super Saturday Mornings!
Mon. Cycling
Wed. Cycling FULL
6:00 am Team F.I.T. Boot Camp (begins March 16)
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Class Schedule Change
Slide and Glide Booty Camp is now Interval Training
Team Fit will be lending the 15 slide boards to another organization for its young athletes. Therefore, until further notice, our Slide and Glide Booty Camp will be changed to an interval small group training with Jill Turvey. Available on Tuesday evenings at 6 pm. I will be instructing this cardio/strength training class which will still be priced at $36.00 (or m&m for $58.00). I hope to see you there!
Hatha Yoga Beginning/Intermediate
Our morning Hatha Yoga program will be moved to Xtreme Fitness for the upcoming session. Theresa will be hosting this class on Thursday mornings (10:30) as well as Thursday evenings (8:00). What a great way to de-stress, improve flexibility and circulation.
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