Health Savings Account

Recently a client was trying to flesh out her goals and, more importantly, the reward. This was the first time in a long time she was dedicated to regular exercise. She was proud of her efforts, but was afraid she would not be able to maintain her momentum. She really needed a fantastic reward to keep her focused. We kicked around a few ideas, but nothing seemed powerful enough to hold her attention until we hit on the idea of a spa day.

At first the idea was not appealing. She had been to several local spas so this reward did not seem catchy enough. Then we started talking about spas we had been to while on vacations. She thought about a resort out west that had captured her imagination a few years earlier. She had thought about the resort several times, but never took the idea of actually going there seriously until now!

The plan began to develop. Create a health savings account! She got a jar and decorated it with pictures of the resort. From that day forward each time she worked out she would deposit money into the jar. Thus starting her travel fund for a dream escape to the spa. The more she worked out the faster the jar would fill and the sooner she would be relaxing under the western sky.

I share this story because I want you to think about what exercising is worth and where your fitness could take you. What if you paid yourself $10 each workout? What if you worked out 5 times a week? $200 a month is pretty good. $2400 a year could open up a lot of possibilities!

Take some time and think about your own health savings account. Could a daily deposit of a few dollars finance a new adventure? How could a small stash of cash help you to celebrate your health and well-being? If you come up with a great idea let us know! You may help inspire someone else to start their own health savings account.

Free? How Does That Work?

It happens almost every time I meet someone new. The question is asked, "What do you do for a living?" When I tell people I am an in-home trainer one of three things happens. My favorite response is when people ask if I could train their dog...wrong kind of trainer! Then there are those people who are sorry they asked, because they think I am going to make them workout on the spot. Some folks are curious and ask, "How does that work? You go right to their house?"

That is exactly it. Our trainers show up at our client's front door. We ring the doorbell and that means it is time to workout. Having your trainer come to you also means most excuses for not exercising are taken out of the argument. Why fight traffic or the weather? There is no time wasted driving to and from the gym, no waiting for equipment, no questions about cleanliness or germs, and no uncomfortable locker room. It is guided exercise in your own private space.

Now, many of the people reading this are already clients of Body Within. They know we are punctual, we don't cancel appointments, and we work hard to make each workout count. For those who are already clients of Body Within we have something for you. For those who are not yet clients we have something to offer you as well.

If you are currently using Body Within for personal training we would like to offer free sessions in the month of March. For every friend you bring to a workout we give you that workout for free. One friend...one free. Another friend...another free. We want to show as many new people as we can how our business works.

For those who are not training with Body Within we would like to offer a complimentary consultation. This consultation is a chance to sit down with a trainer and discuss what your fitness goals are and learn what we have to offer. This is not just an hour long, high-pressure sales pitch either. Our consultations are comprehensive and include a medical and fitness review. We discuss realistic goals: whether it is firming and toning, weight loss or specific sports training. We work together to formulate an ongoing personal exercise program. Then once your program begins we continually help manage every detail, including skilled nutritional guidance and education.

If you are interested in contacting us please call or email. Chris can be reached at (517) 404-3488 or chris@bodywithinfit.com. Jenny is available at (517) 304-2282 or jenny@bodywithinfit.com.

The Whole Truth Including Whole Wheat Pasta

The tomato-mushroom lasagna recipe featured in January's newsletter was a BIG hit! This recipe generated the most comments we've ever had from a newsletter article. Several people tried it, loved it, and then wondered, "This is really good! How many calories are in this?"

Good question! Cooking this dish in a crock pot can save time, but if you eat too much you'll spend the time you saved in the gym burning it off. Typically this recipe will yield eight servings for about 380 calories. For those who are counting points on Weight Watchers this equals 6 points. So, be careful with the serving size and choose a salad as a side dish instead of bread.

Of course there are ways to keep the calories in check and to give the dish a nutritious boost. Be mindful of how much cheese is being used and try low fat or fat free varieties of cheese. Also try whole wheat pasta instead of white noodles. This will add extra fiber which will keep you feeling fuller longer.

Admittedly, whole grain pasta has a different taste and texture than white pasta. However, there are a wide variety of pastas available. If you try one and it doesn't suit you, try a different brand. You may also want to take a look at this clip from The Today Show. It gives a great overview of whole grain pasta: appropriate serving size, what make a pasta whole grain, option beyond pasta, and quality brands to try. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/35100999/ns/today-today_health/

We appreciate people taking the time to comment and welcome any further questions or comments. Happy cooking.

Tri- Somthing New.

There are those who can exercise for the sake of exercise. Then there are those who need a reason. For those looking for a way to stay on track during the winter, we have the perfect idea: an indoor triathlon.

These are great events! Courses are designed around time, not distance. Each leg of the triathlon is run against a clock. Points are given based on how many laps are completed, how far a bike is pedaled, and how much distance is traveled on a treadmill in specific time frames. Plus the event is completely weather-proof.

I completed my first indoor triathlon last winter at Life Time Fitness. It was really cool! Although indoor triathlons vary from event to event, this competition was broken into a 10 minute swim, 30 minute bike, and 20 minute walk/run. In about an hour I finished a great workout and met some really nice people.

No need to be intimidated either. There were a wide variety of people participating. Some were seasoned triathletes. Others were senior citizens. Some people swam like fish in the water and then walked on the treadmill. Then there were novices like me. I wasn't much of a talent in the pool, but I made up a lot of points on the treadmill. Either way, it did not matter. Everyone was there to have a great race and earn a free t-shirt.

I will definitely participate in another indoor triathlon this winter and I would love to see some of our clients give it a whirl. Below are links to indoor triathlons in our area. If you want to brush up on your swimming stroke check your local high school pool for information on when open swims are available. If you have any other questions fell free to email me or if you have participated in an indoor triathlon please comment on our blog.

Life Time Fitness has several upcoming events. lifetimefitness.com/events/indoor-tri/

The Howell Recreaction Center is sponsoring an indoor splash and dash. howellrecreaction.org/splashanddash.html

Eat, Drink & Be Merry

The holidays are in full swing. With all the parties and family gatherings over the next several days many people realize food is more abundant and calorie dense. People think about the amount of food they eat, but rarely consider the amount they drink. Most people don't realize how many calories are in their favorite festive cocktails. It is easy to over do it, but if you have a plan prior to merrymaking you can limit the calorie damage.

First, it is important to look at the calorie content in some favorite holiday drinks.

Mojito: 214
Cosmopolitan: 200
Chocolate Martini: 438
Martini: 160
Bloody Mary: 118
Red Wine: 120
White Wine: 120
Alcohol-free Wine: 20-30
Champagne: 106-120
Godiva Chocolate Liqueur: 310
Eggnog with Rum: 370
Hot Chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps: 380
Hot Buttered Rum: 292
Spiced Cider with Rum: 150
Mulled Wine: 200
Vodka and Tonic: 200
Screwdriver: 190
Mimosa: 75
Gin and Tonic: 200
Long Island Ice Tea: 780
White Russian: 425

Two White Russians and a cookie push you toward 1000 calories! And most people's resolve is lowered as they drink. More alcohol consumed usually means more food consumed. This is why it is important to have a plan before you start drinking.

• Alternate drinking alcohol and water. This slows down the number of drinks, plus helps keep your body hydrated.
• Start with a glass of water to satisfy your thirst.
• Dilute your drink with diet soda, diet tonic or lower calorie juices. Four ounces of cranberry cocktail juice has 65 calories. The same serving size of light orange juice equals 25 calories.
  
• Skip the mixers! This is where calories get packed into your glass. Try a drink over the rocks or stick to the old holiday stand-by, champagne.

Most importantly take care of yourself and drink responsibly. Remember you have put in many hours working on your healthy and fitness. Limiting alcohol will help you stay on track and get you to your goals faster.

Is It Contagious?

Does one person's good mood have far-reaching effects? A recently published theory states the answer is yes. The researchers go as far as saying that people you don't even know can influence your happiness. In other words, if a co-worker's friend is having a great day you could be influenced by that happiness.

Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, professor of medical sociology at Harvard Medical School and associate professor, James Fowler, from the University of California San Diego measured the emotional well being of 5000 people over a twenty-year period. Their findings concluded you were 15% more likely to be happy if you were directly connected to a happy person. There was a 10% increase if a friend of a friend was happy. There was even a 6% increase if a friend of a friend of a friend was happy!

These are impressive numbers, so do you believe someone else's mood has an influence over you? Can happiness be contagious? I say, "Yes!" I see it everyday in my line of work. Someone shares a funny story with me and I pass it along to other clients and my family. I spread the joy. On the flip side if someone comes to a training session angry over office politics, I feel it and I carry some of that with me for a short while.

I think feelings, good and bad, are contagious. I would go even further than just saying feelings are contagious. I think people are very influential over one another. For example, I think how people eat is influenced by whom they are with. It has happened on more than one occasion when Chris and I have met other couples for dinner. When it comes time to choose food the other couples will insist we order first. They gauge their meal by what we order. They wait to see what the personal trainers will eat and then they decide.

I don't think this is uncommon. Food choices are dependent on who surrounds a table. I will go even further to say whether a person will or will not exercise depends on whom they hang out with. I firmly believe this. If you hang out with your friends in front of the TV, you'll stay planted there. Maybe once in a while you'll go to the movies, but for the most part you'll just sit around with your friends.

So, I pose these questions to you: Do you agree with me? Are moods contagious? Is lifestyle contagious? Have you ever influenced a situation? Or, do I assume I am way more influential than I really am?

Hurray for Hollywood

I am not an avid movie goer, but I am very excited about a few new releases. I can not wait to see New Moon! (Yes, I am a fan of the Twilight series and am on Team Jacob.) Plus I am very excited to see the musical extravaganza, Nine, coming out on Christmas day.

So, what do either of these movies have to do with health or fitness? Nothing really. It is not the movies, rather the movie snacks that I want to highlight. The Today Show on NBC aired a segment on popcorn that I found very interesting...even a bit shocking. Do you know how many calories a bag of popcorn contains? Can you guess how much saturated fat comes with those whole grains?

If you can not see a movie without buying a bag of popcorn just take a moment and follow the link below. It may give you reason to change your movie going habits.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/34023406/ns/today-today_health/