Boost Your Fitness with Cardio Tennis

Ready for the ultimate cardio workout? Grab a racquet and head to the tennis courts for Cardio Tennis. This isn’t your average tennis game. In fact, it’s not a game at all—it’s a high-energy workout that combines the best features of tennis with cardiovascular exercise.

Don’t let the name mislead you. During a Cardio Tennis workout, you’ll focus on fitness rather than forehands and backhands. The program is designed to torch calories and deliver a full-body workout. This social, fun class is for players of all ability levels. If you’ve never played tennis before, this is a great introduction to the sport. If you’re an accomplished tennis player, Cardio Tennis will help you train and improve your tennis game.

So, what exactly is Cardio Tennis? It’s a 60-minute class focused on fun and fitness rather than tennis instruction. Here’s what you can expect:

·      Warm-up: Dynamic movement exercises, catching/tossing skills, and light hitting

·      Cardio workout: Expect about 45 minutes of non-stop action designed to keep you in your target heart zone. The class involves drills and games that are both cooperative and competitive. The workout usually involves 6-8 players per court and uses the agility ladder, transition balls (categorized as red, orange, or green with lower compressions to make the ball slower, easier to hit, and adding more cardio to the experience), music, and heart rate monitors. Basically, you’ll play non-stop tennis for an hour, burn hundreds of calories, and hit dozens of balls.

·      Cool down: Includes light stretching and activities to safely bring the heart rate down.

Cardio Tennis was launched by the Tennis Industry Association in 2005 and Zenergy is one of over 1,700 facilities offering the program in the U.S. In fact, there are more people playing Cardio Tennis than squash in the U.S. The purpose of the program is to help people train in their heart rate zones, burn calories, and train for tennis. Many players improve their tennis because of the repetition the large number of balls they hit, and the realistic and challenging play situations.

Ready to torch some calories, improve your tennis skills, and have fun? Rob Kolb offers Cardio Tennis workouts on Wednesday and Friday mornings at 9:00. Grab a racquet and a heart rate monitor and come sweat!

This is How We Roll

Roll your way to better fitness and fewer injuries with a foam roller.

Professional athletes know the benefit of regular sports massage for preventing injuries and improving range of motion. But there is another inexpensive and effective tool that can help you achieve your fitness goals—the foam roller.

What is a Foam Roller?

You may have seen these white, black, or blue foam “logs” in the gym. Like fitness balls and bands, the foam roller was originally part of the arsenal that physical therapists used in their rehabilitative work with patients—but this versatile tool has made its way into mainstream gyms and studios everywhere.

The firm cylinders are made of high-density foam and are typically 36 inches long and 6 inches in diameter, though they do come in a variety of sizes and densities.

Benefits of Foam Rollers

A foam roller is one of the most effective ways to break up and prevent the muscle knots that can occur from overuse, misaligned movement patterns, injuries, or inadequate stretching.

Just beneath the skin is a layer of soft connective tissue referred to as the superficial fascia. This fascia and our muscles comprise the myofascia system. Depending on our movement patterns, we can develop adhesions and knots in the myofascia system that can cause pain and restricted movement.

By using direct pressure to roll these areas on the foam roller, we can perform “myofascial release” to break up these knots and adhesions. If you want to improve your range of motion and work through the inevitable knots that build up after exercise, a foam roller might be just the tool you need.

How Are Foam Rollers Used?

Using a foam roller is as easy as placing your body weight on the roller to apply direct pressure and roll up and down the length of muscles.

When rolling out tight spots:

• Roll back and forth over the affected area for about 1-2 minutes.
• When you reach a “knot” (sometimes referred to as a “trigger point”) stay there until you feel a release.
• After spending time on the knot, roll the entire surrounding area again.
• After rolling, stretch the affected muscle.

Make Foam Rolling a Habit

Foam rolling is most beneficial when performed consistently. It is not only excellent for breaking up knots that have already occurred, but also preventing new knots from occurring in the future. To reap the most benefits:

• Roll several times a day for acute knots and/or injuries.
• Roll before and after exercise.
• Stretch after rolling.
• Stay on soft tissue. (Avoid bony areas and joints.)

Truth be told—foam rolling probably won’t feel great the first few times you do it. Some people joke that it “hurts so good.” However, if you stick with it, you’ll notice that it becomes more comfortable over time. Make it a habit—take a few minutes every day to roll—and you’ll notice huge results.

Need help with the foam roller? Join Yvette every Friday morning at 7:00 a.m. for Sport Stretch/Foam Roller class in the yoga studio. Your tight muscles will thank you!

Pedal Power

This valley is serious about cycling. We ride on roads and singletrack. We ride for fun and we ride for transportation. We ride in sunshine, wind, rain, or snow. We ride indoors and we ride outdoors. The bottom line: we ride—a lot.

A valley that takes its cycling so seriously needs a state-of-the art indoor cycling studio to stay cycle-fit all year round—and Zenergy has just delivered.

If you love to ride, you’re going to love our new indoor cycling studio. We’ve thought of everything—from lighting to acoustics to airflow and of course, the best equipment. The studio features Lemond RevMaster pro spin bikes complete with cadence meters and a flat-screen monitor with the Sunnto heart rate monitor system. This state-of-the-art equipment gives you real-time feedback on your power, heart rate, distance, and calories burned.

What’s more—our professional cycling instructors are the best in town and will take your indoor cycling workouts to the next level, using innovative technology and good old-fashioned know-how to improve your speed, strength, and endurance.

Why ride your trainer at home when you can experience the motivation, camaraderie, and energy of our indoor cycling classes? We offer 18 classes per week to keep you pedaling. Expect motivating music, effective coaching, and a sweat-inducing workout. These fun, innovative classes produce results!

Ready to ride? Grab your water bottle and cycling shoes, check out our online schedule, and get in gear. (All of our bikes are fitted with SPD and LOOK pedals, but we have plenty of toe cages available if you prefer not to clip in.)

Keeping a Food Journal

You know how when you track your fitness, you become more aware (and intentional) of how you spend your time in the gym? The same is true with food. By tracking what we eat, we become more aware of our food choices. The result—we make better food choices and may even lose weight.

This isn’t wishful thinking. There is sound data to back it up. Researchers have found that individuals who write down everything they eat and drink lose almost twice as much weight as those who do not.[1] If this sounds tedious, don’t fret—a food journal doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming to be effective. It simply has to be a consistent practice that works for you.

Why Food Journals Work

Food journals work for two reasons: awareness and accountability. By keeping track of your meals and snacks, you build awareness about your calorie consumption and eating habits. You may believe that you consume about 2,000 calories a day, but once you start recording every meal, snack, and drink you might discover that you’re actually consuming 2,500 calories a day. This provides valuable information and insight—and an opportunity to make choices about where you can cut calories. That 500-calorie mocha suddenly becomes a lot less appealing when you realize that it adds up to one extra pound per week.

Furthermore, food journals provide accountability—whether you show it to anyone or not. The simple act of recording the data creates a system of personal accountability that can help change behavior.

How to Keep a Food Journal

Remember, a food journal need not be complicated to be effective. Develop a system you can follow. Some people choose to use a notebook, others find an excel spreadsheet to be helpful, and still others use the online tracking journals provided by services like Weight Watchers. Some tips for success:

·      Track as you go. Don’t wait until the end of the day to try to recall everything you ate. Every time you consume something, record it immediately. You might choose to carry a notebook with you or you can download an app on your mobile device.

·      Be specific. Include portion sizes and calories. Did you have a handful of chips or the entire bag?

·      Be honest. You’re doing this for yourself and no one else. If you ate half a cheesecake, record it. This will help you build awareness. Plus, you’ll experience success when you see how your habits change over time.

·      Be consistent. It’s tempting to skip the food journal on indulgent days or vacation. Food journals work best when they are used as a consistent practice.

·      Be gentle. This is not an opportunity to berate yourself, but a chance to create lasting change. Look at your food journal as a gift you’re giving yourself because it will help you see your diet as it really is rather than how you wish it were.

And remember—if you're participating in the 90-Day Challenge, a food journal is critical to your success!

Reference:

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[1] Hollis JF, Gullion CM, Stevens VJ, et al. Weight loss during the intensive intervention phase of the weight loss maintenance trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2008; 35(2) 118-126.

The Four Pillars of Health

The Secret Formula for Increasing Your Energy and Enjoying Radiant Health:  A workshop with Dr. Jody Stanislaw

Being truly healthy is much more than just about avoiding disease. Optimal health includes waking up with energy and enthusiasm, feeding your body the right nutrients, getting adequate rest and regular exercise, feeling good in your body, and having joy and peace in your heart.

When you look at health from this holistic perspective, how are you doing?

This Thursday, February 21st from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., come join us as local naturopathic physician Dr. Jody Stanislaw presents her secret formula for how to improve on all of the above, including how to have more energy and radiant health.

At this inspiring workshop, you will learn:

• The essential ingredients for a healthy breakfastThe main 2 oils you should use in your kitchen
• The 4 rules of optimal nutrition
• Secrets to a good night’s sleep
• Simple tools for reducing stress and increasing joy
• Natural steps for avoiding colds & the flu
• ….and much more

February is the month of love…so don’t forget about self-love! Give yourself the gift of attending this exciting workshop. You will leave feeling inspired and with a toolbox full of wisdom for enjoying more energy and better health. Sign up today!

Free Seminar: Bio Identical Hormones

By Deborah Viehweg, Aesthetic Consultant and Director of Business Development for ReBlume Medical

Zenergy is excited to host a free seminar for the community on January 19th at 6:00 p.m. introducing ReBlume Medical's natural wellness approach to reduce or eliminate the symptoms that can come with age.

It is widely known that through the aging process, levels of most hormones decrease and the receptors that bind these hormones decrease in either number or sensitivity. So in most cases, more mature patients actually need hormone levels higher than they needed in their youth. Optimal levels of hormones are associated with lower rates of depression, cancer, heart disease and stroke. Other observed benefits include improved sleep, energy cognition, and libido.

Bioidentical hormones are the exact same hormones that are present in your body and they are created from a natural plant source. There is much confusion among physicians who have reviewed studies using synthetic hormones. However, please understand that synthetic hormones are not the same as bioidentical hormones. ReBlume Medical's  qualified staff works with you to replace the exact hormones you need based on your lab results and symptoms. The compounding pharmacy they use has a strictly regulated process, resulting in the highest quality product available. 

You won't want to miss this night to hear more on this important topic and have your questions answered. Call 1-855-REBLUME to reserve your spot!

Maximize Your Zenergy Experience with Our Health and Wellness Concierge

Joining Zenergy may have been your first step toward better health—but how can you optimize your Zenergy experience for the best results? There’s probably an app for that, but we have something even better—Tim Hanna, our very own Health and Wellness Concierge.

We know that the key ingredient to a successful health and fitness program is support. Everyone—from gym newbies to seasoned fitness junkies—needs a little support to stay on track to achieving their goals.

That’s where Tim comes in. He is the point person—or concierge—to help you navigate everything that Zenergy has to offer. Tim is an athlete and NASM-certified personal trainer, but more importantly, he’s a pro at developing customized fitness programs that produce results. That’s why he’s serving as our Health and Wellness Concierge—to help our members optimize their Zenergy experience.

Here’s what you can expect from Tim:

·      Gym orientations: Tim offers complimentary gym orientations for all new members—and even old members who need a refresher.

·      Goals: Discuss your interests and fitness goals with Tim and he will recommend the appropriate fitness classes and clinics to get you there.

·      Personal services: Interested in personal training, Pilates, or one of our other services? Tim will match you to the appropriate trainer and service for your skills and goals.

·      Scheduling: Ready to dive in and schedule activities that will help you reach your goals? Talk to Tim.

·      Support: Need a spot in the weight room or a quick tip on technique? Feeling stuck in a fitness rut and need a change? Just grab Tim for some extra support and direction.

·      Follow-up: Goals are only as good as our follow-through. Tim is here to keep us all on track and make sure we’re getting what we need out of the club. As a Zenergy member, you can expect Tim to follow-up with you from time to time and ensure that your needs are being met.

Offering Tim’s services as a Health and Wellness Concierge to our members is just another way for us to provide the personalized guest service you’ve come to expect from Zenergy. It’s the icing on the cake.

A Zenergy membership plus a Health and Wellness Concierge adds up to an optimal health and fitness experience.  

The Benefits of Massage

We all know that a massage feels great—but did you know that it’s good for you, too? It’s true. Massage is more than mere luxury; it actually offers a whole bunch of health benefits. So, if you need an excuse to book that next massage, here are several.

Massage can:

·      Reduce inflammation: Massage can reduce inflammation and help muscles recover. In fact, a study published in Science Translational Medicine found that a short, 10-minute Swedish-style massage after a hard workout reduced the inflammatory response.

·      Boost immunity: Massage stimulates lymph flow and increases white blood cell counts, which indicates a boost to the immune system.

·      Improve sleep: Massage promotes healthy sleep through its effect on delta waves, the kind of brain waves connected to deep sleep.

·      Reduce stress, anxiety, and depression: Massage can have a profound effect on mental and emotional wellbeing. It reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to an improved mood and reduced blood pressure. It also boosts the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, which can reduce depression. What’s more—after a massage, people show higher levels of oxytocin, a hormone that promotes bonding.

·      Increase joint flexibility: Massage can improve range of motion and improve joint flexibility.

·      Improve circulation: Massage pumps oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, thereby improving circulation.

·      Reduce pain: Massage releases endorphins, which work as the body’s natural painkiller.

·      Reduce migraines: Massage has been shown to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches.

·      Boost alertness: A study from the Touch Research Institute showed that adults who received a 15-minute chair massage were more alert and completed a series of math questions faster and more accurately.

There are plenty of reasons to find your way onto the table for an hour of relaxation!

The Ultimate Relaxation Experience

If you’re looking for the ultimate relaxation experience, look no further than our vibroacoustic chair. This simple tool takes relaxation to another level—bliss.

A vibroacoustic chair is exactly what it sounds like—it’s a chair that incorporates sound and vibration for a unique, relaxing experience. But this isn’t just any old chair. In fact, the comfortably reclining chair is actually more like an extra cushy massage table or bed—one that allows you to recline as much or as little as you like.

What’s more—the chair comes with several musical choices that are specifically designed for a variety of healing effects. All you have to do is place the headphones over your ears, like back, close your eyes, and let the chair do all the work.

Once you’re situated, your vibroacoustic session will begin. The sound and vibration permeate the table—and as a result, your body. This gently introduces the body to a deeper state of relaxation, which allows for more receptivity to any healing modality or meditation.

Depending on your musical selection, the experience will provide a variety of benefits designed to promote relaxation and reduce stress. It can also:

·      Induce various brainwave states

·      Enhance meditation practices

·      Clear emotional blockages

·      Balance the chakras

·      Use electronically reproduced frequencies to address specific physical disorders

Hearing the sounds—and feeling them through the table—allows the body to integrate the frequencies at a deeper level.

If you’re ready for a blissful, relaxing experience, give the vibroacoustic chair a try. All you have to do is lie back, close your eyes, and let the sound and vibration take you away. You’ll emerge refreshed, calm, balanced, and ready to enjoy life!  

The Pitfalls of Overtraining

Too much exercise can be too much of a good thing!

The benefits of exercise are no secret. We know we need to stay active to stay healthy and lean. But, it’s easy to fall into a common exercise trap—we think that if a little is good, then a lot is better. Nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes more is better (think vegetables), but sometimes more is just more—and too much exercise can actually have harmful effects. 

What is Overtraining?

Overtraining is a condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an exercise program exceeds the capacity for recovery. We become over-trained when we fail to build adequate rest opportunities into our exercise regimen. Overtraining can result in physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms and can actually impede fitness progress. In other words, when we do too much, we run the risk of losing—rather than gaining—fitness.

What Are the Symptoms of Overtraining?

Often, we don’t realize that we are overtraining until it’s too late and our body cries out for mercy. If you’ve been training for an event or simply exercising frequently, it’s easy to become engrossed in your regimen without realizing that you’re actually overtraining.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may be overtraining:

• Decreased performance
• Weight changes (surprisingly, when we are overtraining, we can actually gain, rather than lose weight)
• Irritability and moodiness
• Insomnia
• Chronic fatigue
• Elevated resting heart rate
• Loss of appetite
• Headaches
• Depression
• Increased incidence of colds or other illnesses

If you’re experiencing two or more of these symptoms, or you just feel “different,” you may be overdoing it.

Recovering from Overtraining

The best remedy for overtraining is preventing its occurrence in the first place by building adequate rest into your exercise regimen. If, however, you have become over-trained, the only thing to do is stop and rest.

• First, take a complete break from exercise to allow time for recovery. There is no fixed amount of time that works for everyone. Start with a week and see how you feel after that. Returning to intense exercise too soon will only prolong the problem.
• Increase the amount of sleep you are getting.
• Assess your diet to ensure you are consuming adequate calories and nutrients.
• When you resume exercising, start slowly and ease into an exercise routine.

Preventing Overtraining

In the future, paying closer attention to your diet, sleep habits, and exercise routine can help prevent overtraining.

• Build variety into your exercise routine. Be sure to alternate high-intensity workouts, with lower-intensity workouts and rest.
• Maintain healthy sleep patterns to allow the body to rest and regenerate.
• Eat a balanced diet.
• Monitor your resting heart rate each morning. If your heart rate is 10% (or more) above normal, your body needs a rest day. Listen to it.

Moderation is the key to building fitness. Sometimes less really is more. Listen to your body and choose wisely.