fitness

by NATHAN HALL

Functional training. Sounds very mechanical and dull, doesn’t it? Well, think again. While functional training has its roots in physical therapy and rehabilitation, it can be a lot more “fun” than you might think.

The basic premise of functional training is to mimic movements used in daily activities to strengthen the core muscles (primarily the abdomen and lower back). Many athletes incorporate sport-specific functional training into their workouts.

While you may not be an athlete, you may be surprised just how much you can benefit from similar types of moves and even have some fun in the process. Strengthening your abdominal and lower back muscles will give you better balance, posture and core endurance for a variety of activities. Put on some dance music and see if you can do each exercise to an entire song and remember — you’ll get out of it what you put in!

Amelia Mind/Body
Yoga & Fitness

Exercise your mind and body
LATEST NEWS:
-Half off private yoga lessons through spring.
-Let me know what classes your interested in Senior Yoga, Prenatal, another Hatha Yoga?
-Gentle Yoga on Wednesdays will start again this spring-call for more details.

**NO CLASSES FROM APRIL 16-21 **Yoga Classes:

Hatha Yoga-Thursdays at 6 pm. Yoga is a great blend to any other actives or it can also be used a sole method for exercise and relaxation. Practicing yoga regularly will help circulation, relieve back and neck pain, help with flexibility and bring calmness and clarity to your day.

Starting again later this spring!
Gentle Movement Yoga- Wednesdays at 11 am. This class is great for seniors, pregnancy, and those with limitations. Class will involve mostly floor stretches, and gentle flowing movements. Their will be some use of chairs to aid in postures.

by RAE LANE

Are you one of the many who set out to make this your year to get on an exercise program and stick with it only to fall off the wagon three months later?

Diagnosis: You might be allergic to exercise. Unfortunately, you’re not alone.

Those of us in the health club industry see it year after year. January and February bring a lot of new people eager to resolve to get fit, only to see a decline in spring and summer. My goal with this article is to motivate you to make fitness a regular part of your life.

Ever wondered why it seems that some people live to exercise and others are allergic to the very thought of it? My husband is a prime example of a guy who, I believe, came out of his mother’s womb raring to grab a pair of dumbbells and grunt. He would joyfully work out all day long if he could get paid to do it. It wouldn’t matter what mode of exercise, either. He’d do it and be his very happiest.

By Mary Myers Obenauf

In the last 15 years, we've learned a lot about the benefits of exercising more slowly than what we used to recommend. It needs to be emphasized over and over: Gentle exercise pays off!

About three months ago, I decided to see if this was actually true.

Having gained about 70 pounds over the last six years I begin to contemplate how to get "healthy" again. I was done with rationalizing the cause of the weight gain and decided to look at what I could do to get it under control for the sake of my overall health. Because I had quit gaining weight and actually had begun to lose weight (a little more than 15 pounds) over the last year, I had to assume that I was doing the right thing with diet, so what was left? Exercise.