Posts Tagged ‘Blue Springs Fitness’
Saturday, February 27th, 2010
I recently read a study about how athletes can now measure their stress level to prevent over-training using heart rate variability. The researcher noted that one man who was monitoring his stress level in this way discovered that his normal work day left him so stressed that according to this objective measurement he was never in a state of recovery. Then he went on a week vacation and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and three days later, still on vacation, he was completely recovered! Yes, we carry enough daily stress that it is harder on us than climbing the second largest mountain in the world.
This research just got me wondering about the stay at home mom with a toddler to chase and maybe a baby or another child to watch over. Or how about the working mom who trades in one kind of work for another at the end of her “work day”? Now, granted I haven’t done any research on this but my instinct and experience tells me that some moms may be living in a state of perpetual stress with all the negative impact that would have on their health and emotions. And a week vacation may not be in the plans.
You do have a unique opportunity to reduce stress by working with two new additions to the personal training program at Blue Springs Fitness: Nikki Mueller and Jennifer Stevens. Besides being knowledgeable about fitness, they are both moms who will understand the special obstacles moms face when trying to get fit. Jennifer is one of the most respected group exercise instructors in our area and now that she has branched out into personal training you’ll want to take advantage of her willingness to help you reach your goals in the group exercise room as well as out in the gym. As for Nikki, as a busy mother of twins and business owner she finds time to stay in great shape and she can help you do the same. Just don’t tell her how busy you are-no excuses! She’ll help you get it done.
Interestingly, that researcher also noted that a day spent having lunch and shopping did nothing to bring down one woman’s measureable stress while napping and reading at home did. I wish he’d looked at how much stress you can put aside by attending a vigorous group exercise class or getting a personal training session. I suspect it would have been one of the best things you could do to feel more energetic and relaxed.
One of the features of my book, Exercising Values, is a section for moms that is devoted to helping them relieve stress. As the mother of six children, I can tell you that each age has it’s own brand of stress and of delight. I love the line in Father of the Bride where Steve Martin says about his daughters flight landing, “It’s better when they are on the ground”. So there is the stress Nikki faces keeping up with active toddlers and there is the stress I now face with a college student boarding planes and traveling the world. My son Skyler, a former instructor here, is off to Mexico to help build a house during spring break. Coming to an exercise class or taking advantage of some of the best priced training in the city might help you rejuvenate yourself so you can enjoy those special family moments.
Recently my daughter’s two year old got a hold of a package of dried cranberries which he spread all over the living room. My daughter asked him why he did this and he answered,” Snow”. Better sign up for a PT session today before a small one “snows” on your carpeting.
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, exercising values, fat-loss, group exercise, parenting, personal training, reducing stress, stress relief, weight-loss
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Saturday, February 20th, 2010
Our holiday fitness challenge brought a lot of new faces into the group exercise room and we are so happy to have you a part of the classes now. Cheryl Sellick was the winner of the contest and Cal McDole was the winner of the drawing. Congratulations to them and thanks to everyone for making our third annual contest a big success. Many of you invited your friends and they are now a part of the Blue Springs Fitness family. We appreciate your recommending us to your friends and family.
The aerobics room is getting a new look with new window coverings and fresh paint. We hope you enjoy the new atmosphere. We have also welcomed some new instructors, such as Heather, and new class formats with something for everyone. Please pick up a schedule and try a new class. Jennifer continues to offer a great class for children on Saturday mornings so even your little ones have not been forgotten. Friday nights are in full swing with Ann Marie’s Zumba class. As she says, “forget the workout and join the party.” It’s a fun way to get in shape.
Next month we’ll be putting out a new schedule so please let me know if there is a class you’d like to see added to the schedule. If you’ve never tried one of our classes the beginning classes might be a great place to start with Pilates at 7:30 on Mondays, CSI at 5:00 on Tuesdays, Cycle at 5:30 on Tuesdays followed by Step at 6:00 and Yoga is at 7:30. These are all half hour formats with the busy person and beginner in mind. The group exercise program at Blue Springs Fitness would love to have you as a regular participant.
Tags: aerobics, Blue Springs Fitness, children's fitness, exercise, group exercise, Zumba
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009
Join Scott, Pam and Jennifer for a fresh approach to getting rid of holiday weight gain. Box a little, cycle a bit, and jump for joy as the time flies by and you are on your way to a fit 2010. guaranteed to challenge you and inspire you to learn more about all the opportunities that abound at Blue Springs Fitness for you to get in the best shape of your life. We promise it will be fun and set up so anyone, even beginners, can have a great experience. Sat. Dec.26 9-10:30am will be a boost to your fitness and lots of fun.
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, boxing, cycling, fat-loss, group exercise, gym memberships, holiday weight control, holiday weight gain, plyometrics, weight-loss
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009
A gym membership may be the perfect gift for one of your loved ones this year. The gift of health, fun, new friends and fitness would be hard to beat.
Scott and Pam have a special class for you on the day after Christmas. Go ahead and sleep in but be there by 9:00 for a cross-training class like no other. There will be kick-boxing,cycling,weights, and aerobic drills. We’re calling it SWEAT. It’s the easy way to get a jump start on your resolutions and to begin eliminating the effects of so much holiday celebrating. We’ll keep you moving and promise you’ll have lots of fun while getting a great and very varied workout.
Dec. 21 marks the starts of the winter schedule and we will be adding a Monday morning cardio-kickboxing class with Cindi Rulon followed by a Zumba class with Ann-Marie. Monday morning cycle is moving to Thursday and the Friday evening Zumba at 5pm will occasionally also feature some Salsa instruction. Kids in Motion will be a regular feature for children 7-12 on Sat. mornings and is taught by Jennifer Stevens. For those with children younger than 7 please check out the parent/child workouts at exercisingvalues.com
Exercising Values is there to help parents of young children. The staggering rise of childhood obesity alerts concerned parents to be proactive where their young children’s health is concerned and anyone would shudder to learn that the Center for Disease Control now estimates that half of all children and adolescents in the United States will be clinically obese by 2010. Besides these health concerns, parents want to give their children every advantage towards excelling at sports and enjoying an active lifestyle. The daily short workouts in Exercising Values will teach children to love fitness while it also teaches good behavior.
We need to make physical fitness a routine part of every day. Walk as much as you can. A simple fifteen minutes of well-chosen body weight exercises can be learned by children as young as four years old. They will love it if you do the exercises with them. The best part is these same exercises along with your Blue Springs Fitness routine, will keep you fit and trim if you pair them with sensible eating habits. Choosing lean meats and fresh fruit and vegetables over packaged and processed foods will go a long way in preventing excess weight. Drinking water rather than soda is another smart choice. Little changes over time will add up and you’ll be on your way to ensuring that your children are healthy and fit.
A systematic plan for also teaching your children character qualities such as truthfulness, orderliness, obedience and kindness will also enhance their happiness and self-esteem. In teachable moments simply explaining what these words mean will inspire your children to better behavior. One of the best times to do this is while the family is enjoying a walk or other fitness activity. Just a little thought about what you deem important for your children to know and a little effort to teach it each day will lead to children that everyone loves to be around, including you. Time well-spent now will reward you with years of problem free child rearing. Include physical fitness and you’ll be on your way to leading your children to the ideal of a sound mind in a sound body. All of this is included in Exercising Values. exercisingvalues.com
The group exercise program cares about you and your family. Try one of our beginner classes on Tuesday evenings or try any class at any time. You’ll have a chance to win a free membership if you join the holiday fitness challenge. Sign-up at your next class and get more chances to win when you invite your friends to class. They are admitted free for their first class and pay a minimal class fee after that. A gym membership may be the perfect gift for one of your loved ones this year. Don’t forget the gift of fitness and fun that is a Blue Springs Fitness membership
Be sure to pick up a revised schedule on Dec. 21 and try one of our new classes.
Tags: aerobics, Blue Springs Fitness, childhood obesity, children's fitness, children's health, cycling, exercising values, family fitness, fat-loss, group exercise, gym memberships, holiday weight control, kickboxing, parenting, weight-loss, well-behaved children, Zumba
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Sunday, December 6th, 2009
About thirty people are participating in the Holiday Fitness challenge so far but it’s not too late for you to get in on the fun. The person with the most points will win a free 6 month membership to the Blue Springs Fitness gym but everyone has a chance to win a free two month membership. Your name will be entered into a drawing once for every point you have earned. The more classes you take the better your chances to win. Invite friends and your chances increase even more. You will get a point for the following:
1 point for every class you attend between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day
1 bonus point the first time you attend a class you have never attended before
1 point for bringing another gym member into a class they have never attended before
2 points for bringing a non-member to class for the first time. Your friend will be admitted free for this first class. After that a day pass or membership is required to attend class. Classes are free to all memberbers always.
5 points bonus if your friend joins
5 points if you never miss a particular class from Thanksgiving to Valentine’s Day
If your child attends the Kids in Motion class we’ll give you a point for that as well
Sign your name in the black book in the group exercise room and keep an eye on the leader board as your name climbs to the top. If you have never attended a class think of all the bonus points you can get! In addition, we have special beginner classes on Tuesdays to help you get started. Check out our winter schedule which will begin on Dec. 21 with new Zumba and kickboxing classes.
Scott and Pam are teaming up to offer a very special class the day after Christmas. Details to come!
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, children's fitness, exercise, group exercise, gym, gym memberships, holiday fitness, kickboxing, Zumba
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, November 16th, 2009
There are so many upcoming exciting events at Blue Springs Fitness that it’s hard to know where to start. This Friday night brings the return of the Zumba/Salsa special Friday evening event. It will be from 5-6:30 and will feature Zumba as well as traditional Salsa instruction. It is open to non-members so be sure to invite your friends. There is a nominal fee of $3 with a two for special of $5. This is a funfilled evening where you can burn some calories before your regular Friday evening activities.
On Saturday take a peek at the children who are taking Jennifer’s Kids in Motion class. When you see how much they ar doing and how much fun they are having I’m sure you’ll want to sign your kids up for the next round. Dates and times to be announced.
On Thanksgiving Day there will be just one class but it will get you ready for your feast. Dawn has some very special fat-burning plans for you and you won’t want to miss it.
Also on Thanksgiving we will be beginning the third annual Holiday Fitness Challenge. Attend a lot of classes and bring your friends and you may just be the lucky winner of one of our two fantastic prizes: a 6 month membership and a 2 month membership. But the greatest “prize” comes from the participation itself. Just ask our student intern and new Blue Springs Fitness member, Mary Schrage. She lost ten pounds in five weeks simply by attending a variety of classes.
I hope to see you at these special events as well as at our regularly scheduled classes. Invite your friends. Get ready to head into winter in the best shape of your life.
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, children's fitness, children's health, fat-loss, gym membership, holiday weight control, joining a gym, Salsa dancing, weight-loss, Zumba
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
I’d love to see you in Cardio Strength Interval class (CSI). If your goal is to drop body fat, research shows that a combination of cardio and resistance training is best. The CSI class here at Blue Springs is a great class to help you lose weight and sculpt the body of your dreams. It’s got a lot of variety and the time will fly by but best of all it is a very effective workout.
In one study, when overweight research subjects tried a 1500 calorie diet alone for twelve weeks they lost between 20-22 pounds of fat with seven of every ten pounds coming from fat. Those that added aerobic exercise to the same diet lost the same amount but eight out of every ten pounds were from fat. The best results came from those who added both aerobic and resistance training. They lost the same 20-22 pounds but virtually all of it came from fat. Better clothes fit and inches lost were obviously also most dramatic for this group. CSI uses both aerobics and resistance exercises so you too can achieve great results.
Let’s look at how this exercise combination effects your waistline. Studies show that exercisers who combine aerobic and resistance training lose almost three times more subcutaneous abdominal fat and thirteen times more of the inflamation causing visceral fat than those who do aerobics alone. Your health as well as your appearance will benefit from adding variety to your workouts by combining aerobics and weight training to your healthy diet.
These results may in part have been due to the length of time the exercise stimuated the metabolism. Generally, a 30 minute aerobics session will leave the metabolism stimuated for an additional 30 minutes after exercise. Resistance training on the other hand will cause metabolism to be significantly elevated 90 minutes after the exercise session concludes. This can be extended as long as 72 hours when a certain technique is used that I’ll tell you about next time! Be certain that this technique is part of the CSI classes I teach.
All of the instructors at Blue Springs Fitness stay on top of exercise related research so we can help you achieve the best results. We like it when you ask questions, love it when you bring your friends, and always look forward to having new people in class. Beginners are always welcome in every class and special beginner classes are offered on Tuesday evenings. So start conming to the CSI classes and try our other classes as well.
Here’s a few other exercise and diet tips that will help you avoid holiday weight gain as we all prepare for the upcoming holiday season. First of all, diet is everything so don’t let Halloween candy linger around your house. If you’re tempted do the math and I think you’ll be surprised how just a little trip down childhood memory lane via your hand in that candy dish can add up. It will be very difficult to exercise those indiscretions away. At least, don’t do it mindlessly. If it’s part of a legitimate special occasion you are allowing yourself that’s one thing but if you aren’t even really enjoying it put it down, put it in the trash or give it away. If fear of tooth decay and adding pounds don’t move you remember sugar is implicated in wrinkle formation as well. Some party.
Give some thought to your holiday traditions as far as food and exercise are concerned. You don’t have to continue to hand down any detrimental habits to your children just because they were handed down to you. An after dinner Thanksgiving walk to see which neighbors already have their Christmas lights up has more potential to create great memories than passing around a box of chocolates. Play some football instead of just watching it. If that’s too rough use a frisbee instead. Just play and move and have some active fun. On Thanksgiving morning make it your tradition to be a part of the special group exercise class we always offer at Blue Springs Fitness. Invite your friends for this special event led by two of our top instructors.
When it comes to holiday eating, mentally we can justify lots of exceptions but our bodies do not. Calories in and calories out continues whatever the calendar may say. Certainly enjoy the day. Even indulge a little. But when it is moderate, purposeful, and coached with fun activity it will in the end be more beneficial to you and a better heritage for your children. On November 7, our special Kids in Motion program begins for children ages 7-11. This is the perfect time of year to help your children stay active and learn about nutrition. Sign up today.
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, CSI, exercise, fat-loss, group exercise, group exercise classes, weight-loss
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
One look at Blue Springs Fitness owners, Kurt and Nikki Mueler with their twin daughters and you know that this is a family friendly gym. Moms and stroller classes, special teen classes, and family friendly zumba/salsa dancing night have all been offered over the past year. Now we are taking it a step further by offering special Saturday classes for children 7-11. Kids in Motion will be led by long-time BSF instructor, Jennifer Stevens. Children will have a great time and learn a lot about nutrition and how to stay fit. Register soon as the classes are getting very full.
The next Zumba/Salsa dance nights will be at 5:00 on Nov. 20 and Dec. 11. The classes are led by Zumba infomercial star, Anne Marie Cotto and dance instructor Okasaky Ramos. Okasaky escaped from Cuba many years ago on a tiny raft. He went days without food and water. Maybe that’s why he is so patient. He is the perfect person for someone new to salsa to learn from because he will break it down for you all the while making you laugh and enjoy the experience.
If you’ve missed me in class these past few days it is because I’m in Perth, Australia getting ready to race in the ITU Long Course Triathlon World Championship. It has been great fun meeting athletes from all over the world. We’ll swim 1.8 miles in the Swan River, bike 50 miles, and run 12miles. It’s a beautiful venue and I’m so happy to be able to participate. If you’re interested you can follow my experiences in more detail at http://exercisingvalues.com/blog. The race begins in less than 16 hours! To my cycle class buddies: I’ll try to represent and I’ll see you in class soon.
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, children's fitness, cycling, family fitness, group exercise classes, ITU LD Triathlon World Championship, Salsa dancing, triathlon, Zumba
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, May 1st, 2009
The Open House on May 9 is shaping up to be a fun event for the whole family. The parking lot will be filled with hotrods and the group ex classes will help you get a hot bod for summer. Throw in some BBQ and you’ve got a terrific excuse to make a day of it with all your friends at Blue Springs Fitness.
The Group Exercise staff will be on hand to help yiou find that perfect class. Feel free to bring your friends and try them all. Regular classes will still be held so you won’t miss your favorites. Then beginning at 10:30 we will feature special half hour classes designed to be beginner friendly. If you haven’t tried a class yet this is a great time to do so. Here’s the schedule:
8:00-9:00 cycle with Pam
9:00-9:45 step with Dawn
9:45-10:30 yoga with Dawn
10:30-11:00 cycle with Jennifer
11:00-11:30 body blast with Jennifer
11:30-12:00 yoga stretch with Jennifer
12:00-12:30 CSI (cardio strength intervals) with Dawn
12:30-1:00 beginning step with Dawn
1:00-1:30 strength with bosu withLeslie
1:30-2:00 beginning cycle with Leslie
We hope to see you and your friends for this special event. Remember all of our classes come free with your membership.
Tags: Blue Springs Fitness, bosu, cycle, exercise, fitness, group exercise, gym memberships, hot rod, step, strength training, weight-loss, yoga
Posted in General | No Comments »
Friday, April 10th, 2009
We are in the process of putting together a special event for our members to bring their friends for a free day of special classes and other fun events. So mark Sat. May 9 on your calendars and check here and at the gym for updates on the big event.
Revised spring schedules will be out soon. We always listen to your concerns so please feel free to let me know what classes you would most enjoy. We are sorry to be losing Jason Jones to Washington DC. He has always been one of our most popular instructors and we will miss him and wish him well. Be assured we will continue to find high quality instructors to help you have a great experience in group exercise. If you haven’t tried any classes yet please do so today. The Tuesday evening beginner’s class is a great place to sample shorter versions of our regular classes. Come meet the instructors at the Open House, May 9.
Please welcome our student intern, Dustin, from Heritage College. Dustin is finishing his personal training degree with us and will soon be an ACE certified personal trainer. Dustin has a wealth of knowledge but he also has a lot of personal experience to share. He used to weigh 135 pounds more than he does today. He will be offering a class on Tuesdays at 7:30 to help others lose weight and shape up, too. He will offer a thirty minute workout designed to rev up fat loss and also provide some motivational information as well. This begins on April 21 and you’ll see it listed on our spring schedule soon.
Tags: Add new tag, Blue Springs, Blue Springs Fitness, education, fat-loss, fitness, group exercise, Heritage College, personal training, weight-loss
Posted in General | No Comments »