| Join Our List |
 | |
|
 Dear Friends,
It's been a year now that I've been in business and I want to thank you for your support! I continue to rely on your business and referrals and as a token of appreciation, I've created a referral program as mentioned in an earlier email. You can see the details at my web site.
In the past year, I also earned my wellness coaching certification. Wellness coaching is a combination of principles from cognitive-behavioral science, positive psychology and life coaching, and is lead by a health and wellness professional to focus on issues such as weight loss, stress relief, better nutrition, more exercise, and smoking cessation. It is designed for people who need a little extra push to get to the next level.
Since so many of my clients have weight loss goals, I decided to create a weight loss coaching group. It will meet in Arlington for an hour on Sundays for 6 weeks and will cost just $20 per person/meeting. See the Announcements section below for details.
On a personal level, I've been working on some nagging injuries. My left knee has a roaming pain from time to time and certain muscles can be tight and sore longer than usual after a workout. I knew about a treatment called the Muscle Activation Technique (MAT) from a conference I went to in February. I go to the Teal Center in Ballston for massage, and as luck would have it, found a great MAT practitioner there named Tammy. The treatment feels like a combination of muscle testing, physical therapy, massage, and personal training. So far, I've had about 6 weeks of treatment and I can definitely feel a difference. So if you have a weakness you just can't fix, or muscle tightness or soreness, give it a try!
Otherwise, I hope you have a wonderful summer. Please check back on my Events page for various activities. I've also added an articles section to my website. If you have any questions or ideas for an article, please let me know and I will get it up there.
Best in health,
Danielle
Owner, My Fitness Coach, LLC |
DAILY LIVING: 5 Ways to De-Clutter Your Life and Lose Weight
|
|
In
his book Does This Clutter Make my Butt Look Fat?, Peter Walsh
writes that clutter and extra weight are both symptoms of America's love of excess.
We overconsume and overeat, and it's affecting our lives and waistlines. His
recommendation is to focus on what we need, how we live, what we eat, and
why. Basically, we need to live a simpler life.
The theory is that once you begin to let go of your extra stuff, your
attitude toward eating will also relax and you will learn how to live on less.
My Fitness Coach client Sally Reinholdt offers 5 ideas to help you get started.
These tips can also apply to weight loss!
1. When starting an organizing project don't try to take on
everything at once or it can become overwhelming. Break the project down into
small, manageable chunks.
2. Decluttering/downsizing is always the first step.
3. Never buy containers/organizing supplies until after the decluttering/downsizing
process is completed.
4. If possible, enlist the help of family members or friends.
Having an organzing "buddy" makes the job a lot easier and it can
even be fun!
5. Remember that staying organized is an ongoing process. Once you
are organized, dedicating just five or ten minutes a day to your home can go a
long way to keep the clutter from creeping back.
 Sally Reinholdt is the owner of Closets 911, a home organizing
company based in Alexandria, VA. Sally's specialty is residential
organizing including home offices, paper management and custom closet design
and installation. Call Sally at 703-845-1130, 703-919-0824 or email her at
closets911@erols.com. |
EXERCISE SPOTLIGHT: Dumbbell Shoulder Press
|
|
The dumbbell shoulder press is a great way to strengthen your deltoids and to create a rounded, toned look to top off your arms. However, some people may be putting too much pressure on the low back and spine.
I see it all the time...someone at the gym is doing a standing shoulder press and he/she is overloading the spine instead of focusing primarily on the shoulders. How? By compensating: the low back is over-arched and the stomach muscles are loose, unable to deliver much support to the low back and spine.
This is the WRONG way to do a shoulder press:
By following a few postural tips, you can take alot of the pressure off your back and return the benefit to your shoulders.
1. Use a full-length mirror to check yourself. Suck your stomach in as though you are trying to button a tight pair of pants.
2. Tuck your tail under. Basically, this is rolling your pelvis under so that the back of your pants is the same height as the front of your pants. You should see a much straighter alignment between your neck, spine and low back.
3. Stand tall with your shoulder blades slightly pulled back and keep your head from protruding like a turtle (remember--mostly straight from the top of the head down!).
4. If you have a difficult time holding this posture, lower the weight.
Here is what a shoulder press looks like the CORRECT way!
Once you master the posture, you can increase the variety of shoulder press exercises:
-1 arm or alternating arms
-standing on 1 leg
-standing on a Bosu or balance disc
-add at the top of a squat or lunge
-and by mixing any combination above
|
|
RECIPE IDEAS: HEALTHY SUMMER TREATS
|
|
|
It's easy to eat healthy in summer. Fresh fruits and vegetables are abundant, grilling is a lowfat, delicious way to prepare food, and the heat keeps us away from heavy comfort foods. Not to mention the added motivation of baring your arms, legs, and maybe tummy! Here are a few twists on the standard summer foods... Watermelon and Vegetable Salad
1 1/2 cups diced seeded watermelon
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cubed
1 medium cucumber, cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 ounces cubed lowfat/fat-free feta cheese
2 green onions
1 sprig sliced fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Toss first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon oil in large bowl. Add half
each of cheese, mint and green onions. Mix remaining cheese, mint and green
onions and oil in food processor or blender; add yogurt and oregano. Do not overprocess or dressing will be too thin. Add remaining ingredients into salad and mix in dressing.
Sweet Potato Salad 2 large sweet potatoes
4 tsp white-wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
3 tbsp olive olive oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Peel potatoes, cut into cubes and steam or boil until tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Whisk mustard, vinegar, and pinch of salt in a large bowl, then slowly add oil, whisking until emulsified. Drain potatoes and add to
dressing. Gently toss, then cool to room
temperature. Sprinkle scallions over the top.
|
| ANNOUNCEMENTS |
|
NEW WEIGHT LOSS COACHING GROUP
Sundays at 9:00 AM starting June 21. Location TBD.
If you enjoy the support of health-conscious peers and the idea of being accountable to someone about your exercise and eating habits, you would be a great addition to the new weight loss coaching group.
The group meets for one hour weekly (except for July 5th) for 6 weeks and includes discussion of vision and goals, motivation, strategies and successes. Learn new ways to avoid temptation, how to adhere to a program, basics of nutrition, tricks, tips, and how to overcome any obstacles in your path. Cost includes one, in-depth review of your food journal in a 30-minute phone discussion.
Cost: $20/person per meeting. The full amount must be paid upfront regardless of whether you make all of the meetings. Goal: to offer a safe, friendly environment in which to discuss your weight loss efforts and goals, to gain insight into what might be holding you back from success, and to develop strategies to ensure success.
Call Danielle at (703) 517-6073 or email her for more information. PILATES CLASSES AT SUN AND MOON YOGA STUDIOI'm still teaching Pilates classes on Monday nights in Arlington at Sun and Moon: 6:15 - 7:15 Beginner Pilates mat 7:30 - 8:30 Advanced Beginner Pilates mat Try one class for free. If you like it, you can sign up for the summer semester. Summer classes start July 12. (Back to Top) | |
|
|
|
