Exercise and Pregnancy: Questions Answered

Guest blogger Kristen Ross, founder of PregoFIT, answers questions about exercise during pregnancy. PregoFIT was a winner at the 2011 Tulsa Entrepreneurial Spirit Awards in Tulsa, OK. 

Is it safe to exercise during pregnancy?  Yes, it is safe to exercise during pregnancy – and recommended!  Clinical research shows that exercising during pregnancy is not only safe, but extremely beneficial for most expectant mothers and their babies.  Many women are beginning to understand that although exercise is healthy, it can be dangerous for Mom and/or Baby to do the same workout every month during pregnancy.   Women realize that the healthy/unhealthy decisions they make about their lives greatly affects another life, too.  The PregoFIT Workouts is the first prenatal program that honors each month of pregnancy for any fitness level and for any type of pregnancy a woman is experiencing – in the second month, as well as the fifth month or seventh month.

Whatever a woman’s fitness level, she should talk to her doctor about exercising while pregnant.  Her doctor will be able to discuss concerns that may be specific to you, your medical history, and your current pregnancy – every pregnancy is different.

Why should I exercise during pregnancy?  No doubt about it, exercise is a big plus for both Mom and Baby! It can help you feel better at a time when you wonder if this strange body can possibly be yours, exercise can increase your sense of control and boost your energy level.  Not only does it make you feel better by releasing endorphins (naturally occurring chemicals in your brain), appropriate exercise can also:

• Relieve backaches and improve your posture by strengthening and toning muscles in your back, butt, and thighs
• Reduce constipation by accelerating movement in your intestine
• Prevent wear and tear on your joints (which become loosened during pregnancy due to normal hormonal changes) by activating the lubricating synovial fluid in your joints
• Help you sleep better by relieving the stress and anxiety that might make you restless at night
• Look better – exercise increases the blood flow to your skin, giving you a healthy glow
• Prepare you and your body for birth – strong muscles and a fit heart can greatly ease labor and delivery.  Gaining control over your breathing can help you manage pain.  And in the event of a lengthy labor, increased endurance can be a real help.
• Regain your pre-pregnancy body more quickly – a woman will gain less fat weight during pregnancy. Don’t expect or try to lose weight by exercising while you are pregnant.  The goal is to maintain a woman’s fitness level throughout pregnancy and not gain excess weight, not to lose weight.

 Kristen Ross, Founder of PregoFIT

www.pregofit.com | kristen@pregofit.com

On PregoFIT’s 2011 Spirit Award win: ”Our experience in the 2011 Spirit Award process has caused us to dramatically change our business model (in such a short amount of time)….and I am so thankful! When we entered the competition, we were simply a company with a valuable product addressing a critical need, in which no other company or product was addressing. However, we were serving our market (pregnant women) with DVDs only. The Spirit Awards opened our eyes to see that to truly advance our product, we need to be more relevant to our audience and to our culture. They encouraged us to make our product available for digital download and, to convert our prenatal and postpartum products into a membership site. In addition to this big change — digital download and membership site, we are also launching PregoFIT Coaches throughout the US next year. This addition will continue to expand our company’s presence and voice. I truly feel that this Spirit Awards process has begun to turn our innovation (single product) into a realistic vision of ‘an enterprise’! I don’t think we would be at this point if it weren’t for our Spirit Awards journey….so, thank you TESA!”

Regular physical activity is associated

Regular physical activity is associated with living a longer and happier life! http://ow.ly/7YL2v

Thank you from the hearts of the Hollywood Fitness Repair Family

This year has been a very exciting and faith-filled journey. We have watched, supported and sighed with many of you as you have weathered the economy’s highs and lows. On a whole, in our territory of Oklahoma and NW Arkansas, it has been a very positive year for growth and remaining stable.

We moved our company out of the Tulsa Collaboratorium into our first true office location with a parts/training area and warehouse space. It was a big step, and we believe it helps us offer advantages for all of you.

In 2011, the Oklahoma City/Western Territory had a 100% retention rate with service agreements contracted organizations. We have increased this territory’s growth by 15%. We give a lot of kudos to Chris Barnett, who is lead service technician for this area. This year, Chris received certifications for Precor, Matrix, and Scifit.

The Tulsa/Eastern Territory has a new lead service technician, Clint Stice. He is doing a remarkable job and has embraced our “Can-Do” and “How can I help you?” attitude. In the short time Clint has been with us, he has embraced the industry and has taken the time to get certifications with Matrix, SciFit and Technogym.

Clint has also been instrumental in pioneering two new revenue areas of our business. He is helping to grow the Arkansas Territory, and is having remarkable success there. Clint comes to us with techno savvy and is developing our parts and inventory control department.

My partner in life and business, Michael Peabody received the Precor secondary level certification and Cardio Theater certification. As President of Hollywood Fitness Repair, he is developing the technical operations and securing a highly qualified and responsive service team. His plate is always full and he wears many hats.

Some of you will have noticed that this year was huge for technology. Our equipment asset management system took a huge leap forward; our service department operates on a paperless basis. All of your equipment information is stored in our data base system that allows us to bring up reports, locate equipment challenges and maintain warranty information. The success of this program can only be attributed to Colleen Stice. You may know her as the first voice your hear when you call our office. This lady is amazing and has skills in the technology that is allowing us to pioneer new ways of operating and serving you more efficiently. We are thankful to have her, and she will be your best resource person when it comes to data and facts concerning your facilities equipment.

Our equipment asset management system has been in the making for the last three years. We believe there are four stages to completion, and we just finished stage two: paperless automation. Phases three and four are in process, we expect to see the out come of these phases become reality useful to you during 2012.

Michael and I , and our staff, want to thank you, our customers, strategic partners, and manufacturers for all your support. Without you, Hollywood Fitness Repair would not exist. We are thankful to all of you for your loyalty and your input. We create and serve so that you can do what you do best, train, support and help people maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We wish you and all your families a very wonderful holiday season and a prosperous 2012.

We look forward to serving you more efficiently, reliably and with greater consistency in the future.

Keeping You And Your Equipment Running,

Phyllis Peabody

CEO/Co-Owner

RT @sweetdreamshypn: Make the decision t

RT @sweetdreamshypn: Make the decision today to improve your life. Join the Great American Smokeout on 11/17/11. http://fb.me/1eo71SJaB

Who Loves You Baby?

The month of November is National Smoke Out month.  I would like to share the most endearing memory of a past November in 1989.

David was a father of two small children under 4 years of age that my daughter babysat, and David was also the husband of my best friend. So, my family spent a great deal of time playing, watching movies and playing video games together.  In November of 1989, David decided that he wanted to quit smoking after over 30 years of the habit, but like many times before, he never could quite kick the habit.

My 8-year-old daughter, Ashlie, decided she would like to help him, so, that year she put together a “Who Loves You Baby” box. This box contained such items as, inspirational sayings, Bible scriptures that talked about how much God loved him, and personal notes from Ashlie telling David how much she loved him, his wife and his kids.  In the box, she included candy cigarettes, tootsie rolls, tootsie pops and tons of different flavors of gum.  On the day of National Smoke Out, November 17, I took Ashlie over to David’s house early before school.

Ashlie very sweetly and shyly went over to David and reminded him what he had said “I’m going to quit smoking this year!” And so, Ashlie handed him a gift wrapped box. Before he could open it, Ashlie shared how much she cared for him and that she knew his life would be longer lived and smell better if he stopped smoking. Unwrapping the gift while she was talking brought tears to his eyes. What he saw when he opened the box overwhelmed him. David laughed, cried and hugged on Ashlie.

Today Ashlie is 31 years old and every year she calls David on National Smoke Out day. Without saying who she is, she just says: “Who Loves You Baby!”  David never did smoke another cigarette. It wasn’t easy, but the love of one small girl was worth kicking the habit.

In this case the love of a friend was strong enough to endure the pain of quitting a stinky hurtful habit.  Do you know someone who you love that smokes? Perhaps with some creativity, like Ashlie, you can help that friend, loved one, or family member have a second chance at being free from the smoking habit.

Who do you love? Feel free to copy what Ashlie did; she would see it as a privilege and an honor. This November is a great month to say to someone “Who Loves You Baby!” It could save a life.

Phyllis Peabody

CEO/Owner of Hollywood Fitness Repair, LLC

Keeping you and your equipment running. 

Keep Healthy with Cardio Training

The fall season is quickly approaching and the holidays with the family will soon be here. The month of October is full of trees showing their fall colors, getting your jackets out of the closet, and of course, full of baseball. With the playoffs and the World Series in effect, we viewers see just how much professional athletes are in shape. Every athlete needs to have cardio workout in their daily routine.

Cardiovascular fitness  is one of the best ways to burn calories. This is where interval training could really be included in your workout routine.  Interval training involves alternating high intensity exercise with recovery periods and there are a variety of ways to set up interval workouts; it is an excellent way to burn more calories, build endurance quickly, and make workouts more interesting.

Athletes are especially about including interval training in their workouts, but for those of us with full time jobs and other responsibilities, this might keep us from visiting the gym . So for everybody having a treadmill or elliptical machine at home, offers all the standard health benefits of running  in your own space and on your own time. But for all those who have time for an outdoor run, go for it! Enjoy the scenery of trees showing their fall colors, as you track your way to better health.

 

Relieving Sore Muscles After a Work Out

Most of us who own workout equipment or belong to gyms believe that we will be rewarded for taking care of our bodies, and we will! But sometimes workouts can cause us to have extreme soreness in our muscles when we push too hard, too fast.

Avid runners and workout enthusiasts can attest that this pain can become very intense, so it is important to know how to treat your muscles when they have been overexerted.

Treating muscle soreness

There are several ways to treat soreness caused by overexertion. Try these four steps and feel your pain float away:

1. Give yourself a leg massage.  This may be painful at first, but start out lightly and use muscle cream to help.  
2. Ice it. It’s cold and uncomfortable – but placing a towel between the bag of ice and your leg helps. Icing your sore muscles for 15-20 minutes a day can significantly decrease your pain.
3. Take an anti-inflammatory. Ibuprofen and aspirin are good for blocking the pain, just make sure to read the back of the bottle and only take the recommended dose.
4. Take a bath in Epsom salt. My marathon-running, boot camp – training friend swears by this treatment. Make sure the water is not too hot – just warm and comfortable. The Epsom salt mixed with the warm water will leave your muscles – and you – feeling more relaxed.

Do you like these tips? Visit http://www.livestrong.com/ for more information on fitness and inspiration to be a better you!

Thought of the Day: A Question for Gym Owners and Personal Trainers

I work with many fitness facilities, personal trainers, and workout enthusiasts and, although we keep their machines running, we know that these owners and trainers are what keep their clients running, moving, improving themselves.

Because I, like the gym owners I serve, am in the fitness industry, I am very aware of the expectations of this market – people want to be listened to, helped, and made to feel comfortable. Most of the time I am a vendor, but recently I became a customer. My goal was to find a trainer that could help me trim down, tone up, and be generally healthier. I did not want to join a club, but I wanted a personal touch and accountability – so I opted for a trainer.

As most people who have embarked on a physical fitness journey will attest, just getting started was daunting. It was equally a mental challenge as I knew it would be physical, and I wanted to find the right person to help me.. I began by researching trainers at facilities that I knew had good reputations. What I learned about the way some of the gyms really handled their clients was shocking.

Below are the results of my experience:

ACTION: The first thing I did was call ahead at five different facilities to make an appointment.

RESPONSE: Out of the five, only three returned my call.

RESULT: Two were immediately eliminated. They obviously did not want my business.

Next, I did a free trial with all of the selected trainers.

ACTION: For three weeks, I worked out anywhere from 1/2 to 1 hour per day.

RESPONSE:

Trainer 1: Pointed to a machine, slapped a bottle of water in the carriage and left me.

Trainer 2: Asked me a few questions then immediately began the work out.

Trainer 3: Took ½ an hour to understand my lifestyle challenges and eating habits, and then, after a thorough assessment of my desires and abilities, crafted workout and nutrition plan specific to my needs.

RESULT:

Trainer 1: The experience left me with a feeling of inconsistency. The trainer was too casual in the approach (and shared what seemed to be this person’s entire life story, instead of listening to what I needed.) The experience was disappointing, because I actually got the best workout at this place, but would not want to go back

Trainer 2: The second trainer left me with a feeling of distrust. He seemed to imply “I’m the man, so I know best,” which made the experience uncomfortable and unpleasant. Also, the workout assessment was unorganized, and the cost was outrageous.

Trainer 3: This person asked me about my daily lifestyle and asked if I would realistically be able and willing to commit to a ½ hour per day workout if this trainer put together an exercise plan. The trainer discussed my nutrition, gave me tips, and was willing to work with my schedule.

CONCLUSION:

It’s probably obvious – I easily chose #3. They were more interested in my health and well-being than my pocket book.

I love the fitness industry, and I love the clubs and the trainers with which I work. Like most of you, my husband, Michael, and I entered this field with a desire to assist others. We love to be there for professionals who are trained to help real people, with real goals, that improve the lives of their clients.

So I ask you, what do your training programs look like? How attentive is your staff to the individual needs of your clients? I hope you like your own answer to this question, and that together, we can help people change their lives for the better.

Phyllis Peabody

Is your food safe?

Alert! Alert! Alert!

Another food safety crisis: contaminated peanuts, contaminated vegetables, contaminated eggs, turkey and hamburger.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 76 million people are sickened each year from contaminated foods in the USA and 5,000 people die. What are the high‐risk foods and what can we do to avoid becoming another statistic?

High‐risk foods
Many of the healthiest foods are also the most likely candidates when it comes to food contamination. For example, raw fruits and vegetables are grown in dirt filled with bacteria. They are handled by multiple people throughout the food production process and then they sit in the open air where heat, moisture and natural sugars combine to make the perfect breeding ground for contamination pathogens to grow.

Here is a list of the top 10 offenders according to “Everyday Health”:

1. Spinach and other leafy green vegetables
2. Eggs
3. Tuna
4. Raw oysters
5. Potatoes
6. Soft cheese
7. Ice cream
8. Tomatoes
9. Sprouts
10. Berries

Many of the healthy foods can be made safe with just a little effort and proper handling. However, tuna, raw oysters, soft cheese and ice cream will always be risky because of the nature of the food and the way it is served.

Proper food handling
According to several scholarly articles from such prestigious food science institutes as the University of Minnesota, Colorado State University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, food handling is the key to food safety. Follow these recommendations to reduce your risk of contaminated food:

• Keep your kitchen countertops, refrigerator, cookware and cutlery clean.
• Wash your hands before preparing meals.
• Keep fresh foods away from uncooked meats to avoid cross-contamination.
• Avoid bruised, moldy and mushy fruits and vegetables.
• Wash fruits and vegetables ‐ even “pre‐washed” packed produce ‐ just before you eat them.
• Also wash the parts you don’t eat (peel, rind, etc.).
• Gently rub fruits and vegetables under running water. Don’t use any soaps, detergents, bleaches or other toxic cleaning chemicals.
• Scrub firmer fruits and vegetables (such as potatoes) with a vegetable brush under running water.
• Remove and discard the outer leaves of lettuce and cabbage heads, and thoroughly rinse the rest of the leaves.
• Rinse berries and other small fruits thoroughly and allow them to drain in a colander.

Certainly, using just a little caution can help you avoid being one of the statistics; simply washing your fruits and vegetables may save your life!

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Email: info@hollywoodfitnessrepair.com

Dangers of Dehydration

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Hot Weather!

Hot Bodies!

During this time of intense heat our bodies need lots and lots of water! The body itself is over 90% water in its make up. Being a living organism, dehydration can make a person wilt. Wilted, wrinkled bodies do not equate to healthy wholeness. Nor does it help if you are working out in a gym, home fitness or the golf course. So be sure to carry plenty of water with you in the days to come.

Dehydration symptoms

It’s important to recognize dehydration symptoms early. Untreated, dehydration can develop into shock. The signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Dark urine
• Inability to urinate
• Dry mouth and nose
• Weakness
• Nausea and vomiting

Quick Test for Dehydration: Pinch the skin on the back of our hand. If your skin stands up at a peak for several seconds, you need to stop and get water. If you are hydrated your skin when pinched should go directly back down.

Find this blog interesting? Want more info? Here’s how you can find us! Check out our website to sign up for our newsletter.

Twitter: @HollywoodFitNow
Facebook: Hollywood Fitness Repair
Web: www.hollywoodfitnessrepair.com
Email: info@hollywoodfitnessrepair.com