August Newsletter

Greetings!

I hope this newsletter finds you well and you are enjoying the nice warm weather! A warm welcome to all of you who are new to yoga!  A regular consistent yoga practice is essential in leading a healthy lifestyle!

Please take a moment to check out the August Newsletter.  If you have been away from yoga for a while, find you way back, your body, mind and spirit will thank you!

Fall Book Club:  Core Power Chicks:  Sept. 29th
Great response/feedback on starting the fall book club.  If you love to read, enjoy wine and great healthy food (ok, not necessarily in that order), you are a candidate for the club!  A few non-complicated details are unveiled as follows:

-Club will meet monthly at someone’s house, restaurant, etc.  If the club is held at someone’s house, everyone brings a healthy dish and/or a bottle of wine.

-Book club pick will be based upon a drawing, enter in your book that you would like to share with the club, we will draw and see who the book winner is!

There, that is about it, simple, not many rules (you know I am not a big rule person).  Also, Michelle, from Rooted Wellness has offered to share her healthy food dishes.  Details will follow when we are ready.  I will offer my house as we roll out the first book club meeting on Thursday, Sept. 29th 6:30pm.
In the meantime, please forward me your book club suggestions, by Friday, Sept. 2nd we will draw at yoga class on Sat., Sept. 3rd! 

Yoga Class Offerings:  August
Classes for the month of August continue to be limited to the following:

Mondays at 5:30pm –Gentle Yoga
Saturdays at 8:30am –A variety of yoga, check flavor weekly on www.getcorepower.com.
Note:  Sat., August 13th there will be no class, as I will be in Boston all weekend for a Psoas Workshop.  Looking forward to sharing this fabulous info in upcoming yoga classes.

Note: RH Parks&Rec Strength Training –NEW session has just started!  There are still a few openings at  noon (11:00am is sold out) classes on Tues/Thurs!  If you are available at the timeslot, check out this total body sculpting class, give yourself 45-minutes and you will love the results!

Friend to Friend Promotion
Bring a friend to yoga this month and receive your class free!  Offer runs until August 27th!

www.RockyHillPatch.com
Check out the Patch, Rocky Hill’s new online newsletter!  Check out Core Power’s Blogs and upcoming info on the benefits of strength training as several participant’s have shared their feedback on the powerful benefits of this training!

Fall:  Looking Ahead
Looking at planning the fall schedule.  The second yoga class will be back in the fall in the 9:30am time slot.  The class will be Hot Body/Cool Mind.  Class has been redesigned to offer full strength training with weights/bands/bodyweight and incorporates yoga/pilates moves for core!  This will be a great addition to your current workout routine, but make no mistake, nothing will be routine here, you’ll see, come and check it out!

willPowerandGrace http://www.willpowermethod.com/
As always, Core Power tries to keep classes, fresh, new, fun, creative and non-routine!  Attending a certification workout on Sunday, August 21st, check out the willPowerandGrace website.  This is barefoot training with core, cardio, balance and so much more!  Look for upcoming classes!

Please share with me any thoughts/suggestions for upcoming classes as your feedback is essential in continuing to provide quality classes!  Once the fall schedule  is completed, I will share that with you!

Just wanted to let you know, I love this “job”,  I am so inspired by each and everyone of you!  It is extremely rewarding and humbling to witness all the emotional and physical transformations!  There is one particular transformation that I hope to share with you shortly from my strength class!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, be safe, have fun and remember to breathe!

Stay Well,

Lynn

Take 10!

Become healthier by sitting quietly and doing nothing!    Join Core Power and Take 10, (10 minutes of meditation daily for 10 consecutive days) find 10 quite minutes, turn off the TV, phone, computer or any other electronic device. Escape into your internal world, leave behind the external world and enter into a place of peace and tranquility!

Find a comfortable seated position, spine long, shoulders rooted down away from the ears, arms/hands on your lap, palms up or down, then lightly close your eyes.
Notice your heart beating, could be fast or slow, usually correlates to your state of mind, notice the sounds around you, feel the temperature of the air on your skin.  Begin to bring awareness to your breath, just observing the inhales and exhales, watching as each one comes and goes.  The mind will continue to have thoughts, just notice the thought, let it go without being attached to it.  Continue to focus on your breath.  After 10 minutes, gently soften your gaze, begin to notice your state of mind and notice if something has positively shifted for you.

The following is a list of benefits resulting from meditation (many of these benefits have been researched and verified):

• Reduce heart hate
• Lowered blood pressured
• Helps with weight loss
• Reduce breathing rate
• Drop in cholesterol levels, lowers risk
  of cardiovascular disease
• Leads to a deeper level of relaxation
• Reduced oxygen intake
• Reduces anxiety
• Improved relationships
• Improved digestion
• Reduces activity of viruses and
  emotional distress
• Enhances immune response

Oh, one more detail, most people who meditate are happier, healthier, more mindful and less stressed!

If you are so inclined to Take 10, please share with us your results!

Lynn/Core Power
www.getcorepower.com

Pretzel Bodies: Not Required

When was the last time you stretched your muscles?   As you know, flexibility is an important piece to the workout component puzzle.   Your workouts should consist of cardio, different types of cardio to continue to challenge your muscles, strength training, that too, should offer a variety of moves including core (crunchless only) and flexibility.   Better yet, try yoga, yes, yoga.  Regardless of what you are thinking, you do not need to have the flexibility of a pretzel to practice yoga.  A regular yoga practice will help to increase your flexibility and so much more.  Check out what you have been missing if you lack a regular yoga practice (see previous blog 40 Ways Yoga Heals) http://getcorepower.blogspot.com/, you’ll be surprised on what yoga can truly do to increase your quality of life!

Treat yourself to the gift yoga, you deserve it!  Your first class with Core Power is complimentary.

Lynn MacDonald
Core Power, LLC
www.getcorepower.com
Become a fan: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Core-Power-LLC/109781075766705

Read Any Good Books Lately?

Balancing nutrition, exercise and mindfulness……….these words are music to my ears. Recently, during an in-home personal training session, a client of mine mentioned a book about combining nutrition, exercise and mindfulness.  My ears perked up!  Three key components to living a healthy lifestyle.  I could not wait to get my hands on this book.    Interestingly enough, this book is titled TriEnergetics, authored by Sanford Severin, MD and Todd Severin, MD.

For those of you who know me, I am a health nut and a nerd when it comes to both fitness and nutrition.  Being in the fitness business, I constantly meet wonderful people who are seeking weight loss, muscle tone and 6-pack abs. The most popular question I am asked (actually almost daily) “how do I get rid of this” as they point to abdominal fat. I always respond the same, healthy nutrition, not technically a diet, exercise and mindfulness (meditation). Over the years, I’ve heard all sorts of stories (sometimes horror stories) on countless “diet” attempts for weight loss.  I’ve heard promises “with this specific weight loss program, you will be in a size 6 by December”.  What????  I try not to show my emotions, but can’t help but think, what kind of program or person makes those promises.

Anyway, back to the book!  TriEnergetics is everything I personally believe in and is how I live my life.  This book is easy to understand with testimonials on how people have transformed their lives with this program.  By the way, this is a 6-week program to yes, change your life.  This is not a loose promise, the only promise is to yourself, because you deserve to live a healthy life!   This book is about creating specific changes that lead to a healthier lifestyle, by blending high quality ingredients of healthy nutrition, exercise and mindfulness.

How do you become mindful your thinking? Incorporate a few  minutes daily of mediation (not easy, but if you do daily, it becomes a habit).  Have you experienced your body in stillness?  We go all day long 90-miles an hour.  Sit, chill for a second, close your eyes, just  be with yourself.   Relax your face, jaw, shoulders, feel your heart beating, feel the air on your skin, notice the sounds around you.  Just sit, do nothing and watch your breath.  Your thoughts will come and go, replaying a conversation from the other day or reviewing your grocery list.  All normal, I do it too.  But now, connect back into your breath, notice moments of no thoughts, thoughts, then no thoughts.  Open your eyes after a few moments, experience the difference.

Another way of becoming mindful is through the magic of a regular and daily yoga practice!  Ok, I am partial here, but it works! I’ll come clean, I have a small yoga/fitness  business( www.getcorepower.com).  I am the best example, as I never was mindful in my life, until I incorporated yoga into my lifestyle.  The biggest advantage about mindfulness,  you become aware of how you are feeling, your thoughts, emotions and how you feel after you eat certain foods.

It’s the 4th of July weekend, experience mindfulness as it relates to food.  Notice your body over the next few days after eating. Experience your body on how it feels when eating good healthy foods.  Notice if you have more organic energy (no caffeine needed), you may feel lighter, more energetic and your clothes may fit a bit looser!  Check out how your body feels after eating heavy fattening foods, ice cream, cookies or just an absolutely delicious fattening meal you love to eat!   Wait a bit, notice how you feel; maybe more tired, less energy, craving for sugar, maybe your meal is not complete until you eat something sweet.  I used to be that way, always craved the sweetest dessert I could sink my teeth in.  When you dramatically decrease sugar in your life, cravings magically disappear!

TriEnergetics will explain the physiology of stress, how your body uses food, understanding what foods are healthy, good carbs vs. bad carbs, diet myths, how your body digests foods, specific exercises(no gym required!), deep breathing for health/vitality and so much more.  This book is absolutely the real deal, nothing fake, just down-to-earth plain vanilla facts and no gimmicks. The best part of this book, advocates a healthy “diet” with exercise.  This is a marriage that can not be separated, you need one with the other, otherwise maintaining your weight is nearly impossible, especially as you age.

If you are looking to trade up to a healthier lifestyle, I would highly recommend this book filled with a wealth of health knowledge!

By the way, if you are so inclined to try this program, please share your transformation!

Lynn
Core Power, LLC

Confessions

 

Confession…..life seems to have gotten in the way lately, my home yoga practice over the last two weeks has been minimal.  Boy, do I feel it!  My Type A  personality seems to at times, be creeping back up, my focus on certain things is not where it should be and my ability to be in the present moment (which is where my life runs much more smoothly) is lacking.    The powerful benefits of a regular yoga practice linger, you know how euphoric your mind/body feels on yoga!   This magical practice (and tool) will help you find your way back to becoming more present and more mindful.  Two key ingredients to living a fulfilling life as well as helping to deal with stress, anxiety, addictions, promoting mindful eating habits, being more patient, kinder, gentler and so much more! 

If you have lost your way in life, consider a regular yoga practice, so fulfilling, so humbling, your life will depend upon it! 

Check out Core Power’s Summer Yoga Schedule at www.getcorepower.com, yoga is for everyBODY regardless of your shape, size, ability and experience!  Experience your mind on yoga, it’s addicting!

Yoga Meets Pilates

Can’t decide which you prefer, Yoga or Pilates?  You don’t have to take sides, the wait is over.  Hot Body/Cool Mind marries the best of both Yoga and Pilates into one powerhouse of a workout!  There is so much synergy between the two that the combination is lethal!

 If you are a walker, runner, yogi, fitness or non-fitness buff, golfer or tennis player, you too can benefit from Pilates.    Pilates focus is on core exercises which are executed rhythmically.  The repetitions are low, but the intensity is high.   A regular Pilates practice strengthens the abdominal and back muscles, glutes (hips),  quads/hamstrings and improves posture immensely, essential for a healthy spine.  Back pain decreases because your abdominals and other core muscles are strengthened, improves flexibility and range of motion.  Pilates promotes symmetry between both sides of the body.  Symmetry decreases injury as your body will “work” more efficiently.  You will gain more confidence and ease at doing regular daily activities. 

There are so many healthy benefits to a regular Yoga practice as well.  Yoga promotes body awareness, weight loss, mindfulness, calmness as the parasympathetic system is activated, increases lung capacity, increases lubrication of the joints, ligaments and tendons, massages internal organs and detoxifies the body.

Personally, over the last several months, I have added Pilates (mat) into my workout regime.  If you are an avid “exerciser”, it is imperative to be open to new modalities, which helps your body become stronger, less prone to injury as different muscles groups fire up!  My Pilates practice also includes a weekly intense reformer session which I love! 

I’ve noticed an increase in my core strength; the biggest improvements have been a reduction in low-back pain and chronic knee pain.  The most unexpected surprise, aesthetically my abdominals appear to have more definition, though I will still pass on the bikini!

The list of benefits for both Yoga and Pilates are endless.  Combine these two powerhouses and experience the benefits for yourself!  Check out Hot Body/Cool Mind, Core Power’s hottest summer class!  For more information, check out http://www.getcorepower.com/.

Aging Gracefully

 Humor, everyone needs humor, something everyone can relate to.  I thought my blog needed a sprinkle of humor and I do too! 

As we usher in the month of May, my birthday month, though I’ll set the record straight, I am not celebrating a “big” milestone, (thank goodness!).  As we age gracefully, the importance of “things” shift with a greater emphasis and appreciation of  life and things that we cherish so much more!

Check out my list as I reflect what I really appreciate in life, maybe you would agree:

•  Sharing a spectacular glass (or two) of Pinot Grigio with friends
• Girl talk
• Friendships/warm, caring and down to earth friends
• Family
• My twin sister
• Like minded people 
• Passion for “job” 
• Birthdays 
• Vegetables and antioxidants 
• Fruits and nuts 
• Savoring a morning cup of coffee 
• A big shady umbrella while sitting at the beach
• A stroll on the beach 
• Sunscreen 
• A great book 
• Time alone 
• Physical activity 
• Yoga 
• Meditation 
• Fitting into last years shorts 
• Weighing the same as  last week 
• A sense of humor 
• Stretch marks (from childbirth) 
• Health 
• Happiness 
• Delicious chocolate, savoring every bite!
•  Great tasting healthy food, especially when someone else cooks it! 
• A drop dead handsome guy you didn’t expect to see 
• A fantastic physical therapist 
• A superb massage therapist 
• Waking up listening to the birds 
• Waking up to the sound of the ocean 
• A sunny day
• A rainy day  
• A padded bra 
• A good night’s sleep 
• Vitamin D, Calcium and Krill Oil 
• A smart-great looking pair of half glasses disguised as regular glasses 
• Moisturizer 
• Push-up’s 
• My juicer 
• My mother-in-law 
• My sisters-in-law  

What do you appreciate more as you age?

Healthy Thoughts

Just taking a few moments out of my day, thinking of how grateful I am to have my health.  To me, having health is the ultimate gift, no money or material items can replace your health. Health is priceless, as it does not come with a price tag and sometimes you do not value health until you no longer have it.

 As I visit my ailing mother-in-law in a nursing home, I walk down the long depressing hallway that leads to her room.  I am so aware of the gift of wellness, as there are so many reminders around as to what can happen when your health fails you. 

 As we speak, my bother-in-law, a nurse, whom I used to enjoy 30-40 mile bike rides with is going through a target therapy clinical trial at Dana Farber.  Again, I am so mindful of how precious life is and having the gift of health.  I can only hope that my bother-in-law’s previous healthy body will get him through and back on the road of well being (for selfish reasons too, as I miss our long challenging bike rides).

 As I made my way through the American Lung Association 686 stair climb on Saturday, I felt so privileged and grateful to be able to participate and actually complete the climb.  My heart was pumping; my muscles were working, mind set on mediation mode as I briskly make my way to the top.  The best present you can give yourself is having a strong body to support any type of fitness goals or daily activity by living a healthy lifestyle!

How much do you value your health?  What do you do to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Fit to Teach?

 Teaching fitness classes is a passion of mine.  Quality is embedded, I want to give my classes the best safe and effective workout in order to keep them healthy and reach their goals.  In doing so, my classes are always pre-planned, with somewhat of a leeway for spontaneity; I strive to deliver creative superior and never pre-canned classes, no exceptions!  Though I am a bit of a health/fitness nerd, education of exercises and keeping up-to-date on health issues/studies is always part of my classes as well as my life.  This allows me to continue to provide the best most effective class I can deliver!

 Over the years, I have attended a variety of fitness classes and have encountered a wide array of talented and not so talented fitness instructors.  Personally, I’ve stated this before and do not hide the fact that I am extremely selective whom I take my fitness classes from.  Just because someone has a piece of paper indicating proper certification, does not necessarily translate to a competent instructor.  That being said, please note, a professional current fitness certification is a must as well as a current CPR/AED certification for a fitness instructor/personal trainer.   

 Check out these ten questions, answer honestly about your current or past instructor and be mindful of clues to determine if your instructor is “fit” to teach and I do not mean physically fit! 

 My goal here is awareness, next time you walk into a fitness class, my hope is you are more astute to the characteristics of a competent, capable instructor and enjoy an injury-free fabulous workout!

 How does your favorite fitness instructor rate, review the list of ten questions and see for yourself!

1.  Are you properly greeted by your instructor when walking into a class?  Is the environment warm, friendly and inviting?
2. Does the instructor give his/her name, ask if anyone is new, has an injury or if anyone present has not previously taken a class by the instructor?
3. Is the class presented in an organized manner and starts and ends on time?
4. Does he/she cue for safety (stabilize torso, bend knees, slow/controlled movements) etc?
5. Is the  instructor knowledgeable, able to identify muscles being used and offer modifications for injuries such as shoulder, hip, knee, low-back issues?
6. If the class is geared toward all-levels, is a basic exercise offered, then layered by level of difficulty?
7. Is the instructor motivating, are you learning new exercises or is the class the same old routine, you know what to expect and do not feel challenged?
8. Is the instructor getting a great workout?  Is he/she sweating and “working out” or is the class focused on YOU (class is never about the instructor, not a time for his/her workout).
9. Does your instructor give concise clear cues, visual (i.e. demonstrates the exercise/pose) and gives physical cues (i.e. hand to ankle)? 
10. Does the instructor walk the talk; does he/she practice what he/she preaches?

 How do you personally judge a high-quality fitness class and fitness instructor?  Is it by how much sweat is dripping all over you and the floor?

Blog by:  Lynn MacDonald, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, CPR/AED certified by American Red Cross, Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher and Therapeutic Yoga Teacher
www.getcorepower.com

What’s Your Taste?

What do you prefer, Yoga or Pilates?  Well, my curiosity got the best of me, as well as wanting to improve my core.  In my quest to eliminate boredom from my workouts, I decided I would give Pilates a try.  I have been working one-on-one with Maggie, the owner of Personal Euphoria, www.personaleuphoria.com.  We meet weekly for challenging, muscle shaking, and core tightening sessions utilizing the reformer.  The reformer is an amazing machine that has springs to vary the degree of resistance.  This machine allows your body to work precisely in helping to increase core strength and flexibility.  The reformer easily identifies weakness in the body, especially notable differences on each side.   My absolute favorite, the jump board, where you can jump, similar to ploymetric jumps, but is softer on the joints!  The jump board is not only fun but strengthens the feet, ankles, calves, hams, quads and inner/outer thighs!  I have several sessions behind me and I already have noticed a difference in my core and legs!  I guess I can say, I am addicted to the reformer!  So far, so good, I thought, now I’ll get a taste of Mat Pilates.

 The mat version starts with a warm up, usually “The Hundred” (a famous move) but these classes, like yoga, depend upon the instructor.  By the way, I am extremely selective who I take fitness classes from and Pilates is no different.  Just because an instructor has a piece of paper indicating proper certification, does not necessarily correlate to the level of a quality instructor.  Look for an upcoming blog on this topic.

 Mat Pilates utilizes breath control like yoga, (inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth) and continues to draw belly to the spine on the exhale.  Scooping the belly is synonyms to Pilates, as this engages your transverse abdominis, the deepest abdominal muscle that forms an internal girdle for your center.  Sitting on top of your transverse abdominis is your obliques, internal obliques sit deep and rest on top of your transverse, the external obliques are superficial.  Between the two, they help to support your center and let you twist and bend sideways at the wait.  The most famous that is linked to the 6-pack is the rectus abdominis, the long muscle that extends from your pubic bone to your sternum.  This muscle allows you to bend forward at the waist.  The reason why I personally never advocate crunches, is that the transverse muscle is never engaged.  If you are interested in toning up your “abs”, and want the benefits of a stronger core, eliminate crunches and work on Pilates/Yoga core moves or other functional core exercises.

 Pilates moves at a faster rate than yoga, repetitions are quick, short and you do not need to do 20 to feel the benefits.  Quality over quantity applies!  Pilates incorporates a full core workout, back, hip, shoulder girdle, the benefits also expand to increase muscle tone, more strength and endurance.  Pilates and Yoga do share some very similar moves.  While both systems, (Pilates and Yoga) are built on strength, breath work and control, yoga unites the mind, body and spirit.  Yoga movements can be slower, but depends on the type of yoga you are practicing.  Both systems have tremendous benefits; the blends of both are lethal!

 Join Core Power in May as a creative Yogalates mixture of Pilates and Yoga will be offered to give you amazing results, not just for a strong, defined core and body, but for the mind and spirit too!