Mountain Home Athletic Club
March 2009 Newsletter
Look Fine, Feel Fine In 2009
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In This Issue
- Healthy Living - by Jerry McDonald
- Fitness Isn't an Overnight Sensation - By Gina Kolata
- Member of the Month Program
- Physicians Health & Fitness Center Opens!
- Silver Sneaker News
- Athletic Club Staff Gets Training
- Reppell Diabetes Learning Center
- New Equipment Has Arrived!
- Free Equipment Orientation
- Tennis News
Healthy Living
Diet plus exercise is the healthiest method and the most effective weight management plan. Increased caloric expenditure and decreased caloric intake creates a dramatic effect when combined.
Congratulations on your decision to invest in your health and wellness. The choice you've made to live a healthy lifestyle will pay huge dividends. Being fit WILL bring more joy, happiness and success to you than you've ever known.
There are three very important things to remember about healthy living. If you can keep these three directives in mind everyday, you will achieve your fitness goals without any problem.
First, fitness is a lifestyle. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Most people find living a healthy lifestyle difficult because it's a drastic change from what they are accustomed to. Living a healthy lifestyle is only hard when you first begin to change. Once you've created healthy habits, it's much harder to change back to unhealthy ones.
Second, healthy living is three dimensional. It includes exercise (cardio, resistance, and flexibility), nutrition, and attitude. To be truly fit, you must incorporate all of these aspects into your lifestyle.
Finally, make it fun. Very few people can stick with something if they don't like it. You have to find something you like about staying healthy in order to be successful. Have fun and be consistent! Remember, being fit is an investment in your self!
Nutrition: Five Main Components
It's important to get the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins & minerals in your diet. High quality protein, water, and vitamins & minerals are usually the components that are neglected. Carbohydrates and fats are abundant in the processed foods available today, which most people find so convenient. This convenience can lead to excess. These convenient foods are also very low in vitamins & minerals. If you consciously eliminate the types of food that usually make up most of your diet due to convenience such as fats and simple carbohydrate, and replace them with more inconvenient types such as protein and complex carbs, you will more than likely eat less and therefore lose weight. However, balance is the key to getting the proper nutrition your body needs and managing your weight. Below are some general guidelines for the five main nutrients you need in your diet.
Carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body. Without them, your energy levels drop, you feel lethargic and your activity and acuity will suffer. If you've ever experienced an episode of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), you know what it's like to not have enough sugar in your body. You will literally pass out! The body uses carbohydrates during all forms of activity. Highly intense activities use carbohydrates as the main source of energy because they can be accessed very quickly. With lower intensity exercise, carbohydrates are used secondarily to fats to supply energy to the working muscles. There are two main types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. A healthy diet is high in complex carbs (whole grains, vegetables) and low in simple carbs (sugar, sweets, processed flour). You should consume between 40-60% of your daily calories in carbohydrate form.
Protein. Protein is the main building block for the body. Protein can be used as energy, but there are several negative side effects. Probably the biggest mistake both novice and experienced exerciser's make is not eating protein in amounts proportionate to the level of activity being pursued. When you workout, muscle tissue is damaged. The burning and soreness you experience during and after exercise are partly the results of this damage. By literally tearing down muscle tissue, your body can rebuild it bigger and stronger. In order to rebuild that muscle tissue, you must supply the body with sufficient quantities of protein. A good rule of thumb for the average person is to ingest .5 to .75 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. This is really a minimum amount. If you are exercising strenuously 3-5 days per week, including weight lifting and cardio training, you will need closer to 1.0 gram per pound of body weight per day. As an example, competitive body builders regularly ingest up to 2.0 grams of protein per pound per day to stay in top shape. Remember, as the intensity, duration and frequency of activity increases, protein intake should also increase. You should get 30-40 % of your daily caloric intake from protein.
Fat. Fats are a secondary source of energy for the body. As a whole, we eat way too much fat! Of course you must have fat in your diet. Fat is essential for cell membrane integrity, for warmth and protection of internal organs. Fats also serve as an energy source. With lower intensity, carbohydrates are used secondarily to fats to supply energy to the working muscles. Fats take longer to be converted to a usable source of energy but provide more energy per gram than carbohydrates. If you consciously cut out all the fats you can recognize, you would very likely still get all the fat you need in your diet. The bottom line, you can reduce fat in your diet and be perfectly ok. In fact, fat is the quickest way to start cutting calories. Fat has 9 calories per gram, more than double that of carbohydrates and protein, each with 4 calories per gram. The key is moderation. There are two main types of fat; saturated (mainly from animals) and unsaturated (from plants). It's important to get most of your fat in the unsaturated form. You should get no more than 15-30% of your daily calories from fats.
Water. Staying hydrated is extremely important. The body is approximately 75-80% water! You can actually loose a great deal of weight in a day through dehydration. This is the main reason so many diets promise such rapid weight loss. You're not actually losing any fat, you're just becoming dehydrated. The only way to keep the weight off this way is to stay in a mode of perpetual dehydration, which is very dangerous.
Drinking beverages that contain water is not sufficient for hydration. Many of these beverages such as sodas, tea, and coffee may also contain caffeine which acts as a diuretic and removes water from the body. As you down soda after soda, you may actually become more dehydrated.
Being dehydrated as little as 10% can cause significant problems. Headaches, lethargy, inability to focus, muscle cramps, constipation, bladder infections, muscle weakness, lack of endurance, fidget legs, insomnia, weight loss and skin problems, to name a few, can all be caused by not drinking enough water.
You should drink at least .5 to 1.0 ounces of water per pound of body weight per day! If you're active, you should lean toward the higher end. If you're trying to lose weight you should also aim for 1 ounce per pound of body weight as increased water intake helps with weight loss.
Of course, just like anything, you can take in too much water. Hypernutremia is a condition where you upset the electrolyte balance in the body by being over-hydrated. You basically drown from the inside. This is highly unlikely and should be of no real concern to most people. As a rule of thumb, your urine should be clear to pale yellow and have no odor when you are fully hydrated. Finally, you cannot re-hydrate quickly. If you become dehydrated, it may take as much as 12 to 24 hours to fully re-hydrate, so drink lots of water often.
Vitamins & Minerals. Most people do not get enough in their diet. We suggest a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement. Low quality products tend to pass right through your system and do nothing. If you know you're hydrated and your urine has a strong odor and is darker yellow, it may be the low-quality vitamins passing through. Check with the Mountain Home Athletic Club about a good multi-vitamin or contact your local health food store.
LINK - Fitness Isn't an Overnight Sensation
By GINA KOLATA
There are many examples of people who took up exercise and markedly changed their appearance. But how long does it take?
Member of the Month Program
We are starting a Member of the Month program at the Mountain Home Athletic Club. The program will be geared around health and wellness. For example, you may know someone who changed their life through exercise. We are open to anyone being nominated for good reasons pertaining to health and wellness. We will also be choosing members based on other criteria which we have defined. If you would like to participate or nominate someone you know, please submit an email to jerrymcdonald@suddenlinkmail.com and outline your reasons for nomination and/or your personal story. Please include MEMBER OF THE MONTH in the subject line and provide all contact information.
Physicians Health and Fitness Center Opens
Dr. Mike Hagaman has partnered with the Mountain Home Athletic Club to offer our community a medically supervised clinical weight management center based on the three cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle; Education, Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Physician's Health and Fitness Center has begun holding new prospect orientation classes on Tuesday evenings and Thursday afternoons. You may call 870-492-5993 to schedule your no-obligation orientation. Physicians Health & Fitness Center offers several options for weight management and healthy living including nutritional meals from Health Management Resources, educational classes and a complete 24/7/365 fitness center with state of the art cardio and resistance equipment along with personal training and diet planning. Please contact PHFC at 492-5993 if you have further questions.
Silver Sneakers News
Arthritis and You
On January 21st, Danny Ponder and Christina Garman made a presentation on Nutrition and Arthritis in the Group Fitness Room at the Athletic Club. They are a wealth of information, and we plan on having them return often to share their knowledge and talk about the importance of nutrition for everyone.
Heart at Work
Stay in the zone with a healthy heart and the SilverSneakers® Fitness Program.
Come in to take a class or work out 12 times between Feb. 1 and Feb. 28 and win a SilverSneakers® scarf! Pick up an activity card at the front desk and have it initialed at each visit. At the end of the month, turn in your activity card to receive your prize.
Build a Stronger Heart!
YOGA FOR EVERYONE
If you haven't tried SilverSneakers®YogaStretchTM yet, you might want to consider its' multiple benefits. Not only is it a great way to warm up or cool down before or after other workouts, it is a proven way to calm the mind, and increase your breathing ability. It can help you restore and maintain flexibility and balance, and has many other therapeutic benefits when recovering from an illness or health event. Yoga is a beneficial for balancing body, mind and spirit. You will get a complete stretch from head to toe. Check the schedule for Tuesday classes, in addition to the Thursday 8:00 am class.
ACCESS CARD REMINDER
Please be sure you use your Mountain Home Athletic Club access card EVERY TIME you visit and enter the Main Building, or Gym. Every individual must use their card upon entering the facility.Even if someone is holding the door open for you, you must use your own card and hear the beep at the proximity reader.This will ensure we receive our Healthways credits to keep the program going. Thanks for your cooperation!
Athletic Club Staff Gets Training
Several Certified Personal Trainers from the Mountain Home Athletic Club recently attended a continuing education seminar in Springfield, Missouri. The seminar, held January 20th, 2009, focused on Effective Techniques for Total Body Strengthening and The Physiology of Strength Training and Program Design.
Attendees included Athletic Club owners Kim McDonald & Jerry McDonald, Jana Manchester, and Kelley Nosari all certified trainers at the club. As part of their certification requirements, the Athletic Club trainers must obtain over 30 hours of continuing education per year in their respective field. If you are interested in speaking with one of our personal trainers please call 870.425.4342 and ask for Kim, Jerry, Jana or Kelley.
MHAC Owner to Serve on Diabetes Learning Center Board of Directors.
Jerry McDonald, co-owner and certified personal trainer of the Athletic Club has been asked to serve on the Reppell Diabetes Learning Center Advisory Board for 2009. The Learning Center is sponsored by the Baxter Regional Hospital Foundation and support from the Twin Lakes Community. The Reppell Diabetes Center is recognized by the American Diabetes Association for Quality Self-Management Education. If you would like more information about the center you may contact them at 870.508.1765 or the Hospital Foundation at 870.508.1770. March is Diabetes Awareness Month.
New Equipment Has Arrived! YEE HA!
Your membership dollars at work!! You may have seen several new pieces of equipment arrive recently at the Athletic Club. I know many of you have been eagerly awaiting it. In total, we received 14 new pieces of equipment. They include the following:
Hammer Strength Olympic Free Weight Flat Bench Press
Hammer Strength Olympic Free Weight Incline Bench Press
Hammer Strength Olympic Free Weight Military Press
Hammer Strength Half-Seat Utility Bench
Hammer Strength Seated Preacher Curl Bench
Hammer Strength Olympic Leg Press
Life Fitness Assisted Chin/Dip Selectorized Weight Machine
Life Fitness Ab/Low Back Selectorized Weight Machine
Life Fitness High Pull Selectorized Weight Machine
Troy 20lb. to 120lb. Fixed Weight Bars and Rack
2 Life Fitness Classic Series Cross Trainers
2 Life Fitness Classic Series Tread Mills
If you have questions on how to use any of the NEW EQUIPMENT please contact the Athletic Club at 870.425.4342 or ask one of our staff members for help. We are here to serve you. Thanks for your continued patronage. You are the reason we are able to add new and exciting equipment and features to the club. Thank You!!
Free Equipment Orientation For Members
Sometimes being a member of a health club can be intimidating. There are so many pieces of equipment with so many features it can be confusing not only on how to use them but also what equipment to use, when to use it and for what purpose. At the Athletic Club, we offer a free equipment orientation with every membership. And you're not limited to just one orientation. You can come to as many orientations as you like. We currently offer two orientation classes per week, Thursday evenings at 5:30pm and Fridays at 12:00pm. Space is limited so please call the Athletic Club Office at 870.425.4342 to sign up for your free equipment orientation class. As an additional reminder, the following free services and benefits come with every membership at the Mountain Home Athletic Club:
24/7/365 Member Access
Outdoor Pool (June thru mid September)
Sauna
Towel Service
Equipment Orientation
Free Locker
Membership On-Hold Privileges (up to 2 months per year)
One Free Guest Pass Per Month
Free Monthly Newsletter
Personal Attention to Your Fitness Questions
Free Kids Play Room
Free Kids After School Program with a Family Membership
Free Memberships with Personal Training Packages
Referral Rewards
If you have any questions regarding your health and wellness please contact us.
Mountain Home Athletic Club - 514 Coley Drive - 870-425-4342
Tennis News
It is time to start thinking about team tennis (if you haven't already thought about it).
Teams are forming now and if you are interested, call the Athletic Club at 870.425.4342 and speak with Toni Fisher, Tennis Coordinator, or Matt Beavers, Club Pro.
Our policy regarding team play is players should play your NTRP level first, then if you would like to play up, contact that team's captain. The teams need players for every level. There is also a new interim level this year; 3.75 Ladies Doubles. There are still 2.75 and the 3.25 levels. These are just doubles and unless there is more than one team in a local league, you will automatically advance to state. All of these levels will have senior divisions.
Some facts about NTRP:
- Data not used to calculate year-end ratings: BMW Combo Doubles, Non USTA Fun/Flex Leagues, NTRP Tournaments, Non-Sanctioned Tournaments, 6-0, 6-0 match results.
- Does playing up increase your chance of being moved up to a higher level? Ratings are calculated based on individual player ratings and matches not being played. So... Your rating depends on who you play and how competitive you play against rated players who are competitive.
Why Play Tennis?
Its historic moniker has been the Sport For A Lifetime. According to world-renowned scientists from a variety of disciplines, there is no doubt that tennis is one of the best sports for you to play.
Here are the facts:
1. People who participate in tennis 3 hours per week (at moderately vigorous intensity) cut their risk of death in half from any cause, according to physician Ralph Paffenbarger who studied over 10,000 people over a period of 10 years.
2. Tennis players scored higher in vigor, optimism and self-esteem while scoring lower in depression, anger, confusion, anxiety and tension than other athletes and non-athletes according to Dr. Joan Finn and colleagues at Southern Connecticut State University.
3. Since tennis required alertness and tactical thinking, it may generate new connections between nerves in the brain and thus promote a lifetime of continuing development of the brain, reported scientists at the University of Illinois.
4. Tennis outperforms golf, inline skating and most other sports in developing positive personality characteristics according to Dr. Jim Gavin, author of The Exercise Habit.
5. Competitive tennis burns more calories than aerobics, inline skating, or cycling, according to studies on caloric expenditures.
Physical Reasons to Play Tennis
1. aerobic fitness by burning fat and improving your cardiovascular fitness and maintaining higher energy levels.
2. anaerobic fitness by offering short, intense bursts of activity during a point followed by rest which helps muscles use oxygen and efficiently.
3. ability to accelerate by practice in sprinting, jumping and lunging to move quickly.
4. powerful first step by requiring anticipation, quick reaction time and explosion into action.
5. speed thought a series of side-to-side and up and back sprints to chase the ball.
6. leg strength through hundreds of starts and stops which build strong leg muscles.
7. general body coordination since you have to move into position and then adjust your upper body to hit the ball successfully.
8. gross motor control through court movement and ball-striking skills which require control of your large muscle groups.
9. fine motor control by the use of touch shots like angled volleys, drop shots and lobs.
10. agility by forcing you to change direction as many as 5 times in 10 seconds during a typical tennis point.
11. dynamic balance through hundreds of starts, stops, changes of direction and hitting on the run.
12. cross-training by offering a physically demanding sport that's fun to play for athletes who are expert in other sports.
13. bone strength and density by strengthening bones of young players and helping prevent osteoporosis in older ones.
14. immune system through its conditioning effects which promote overall health, fitness and resistance to disease.
15. nutritional habits by eating appropriately before competition to enhance energy production and after competition to practice proper recovery methods.
16. eye-hand coordination because you constantly judge the timing between the on-coming ball and the proper contact point.
17. flexibility due to the constant stretching and maneuvering to return the ball toward your opponent.
It's not too late for adults and seniors! The human system can be trained and improved at any stage of life. There may be other sports than can provide excellent health benefits and some which can provide mental and emotional growth. But no other sport has ever been acclaimed from all disciplines as one that develops great benefits physically, mentally and emotionally!
Psychological Reasons to Play Tennis
1. develop a work ethic because improvement through lessons or practice reinforces the value of hard work.
2. develop discipline since you learn to work on your skills in practice and control the pace of play in competition.
3. manage mistakes by learning to play within your abilities and realizeing that managing and minimizing mistakes in tennis or life is critical.
4. learn to compete one-on-one because the ability to compete and fight trains you in ups and downs of a competitive world.
5. accept responsibility because only you can prepare to compete by practicing skills, checking your equipment and during match play by making line calls.
6. manage adversity by learning to adjust to the elements (e.g. wind, sun) and still be able to compete tenaciously.
7. accommodate stress effectively because the physical, mental and emotional stress of tennis will force you to increase your capacity for dealing with stress.
8. learn how to recover period between points which is similar to the stress and recovery cycles in life.
9. plan and implement strategies since you naturally learn how to anticipate an opponent's moves and plan your countermoves.
10. learn to solve problems since tennis is a sport based on angles, geometry and physics.
11. develop performance rituals before serving or returning to control your rhythm of play and deal with pressure. These skills can transfer to taking exams, conducting a meeting or making an important sales presentation.
12. learn sportsmanship since tennis teaches you to compete fairly with opponents.
13. learn to win graciously and lose with honor. Gloating after a win or making excuses after a loss doesn't work in tennis or in life.
14. learn teamwork since successful doubles play depends on you and your partner's ability to communicate and play as a cohesive unit.
15. develop social skills through interaction and communication before a match, while changing sides of the court and after play.
16. have FUN... because the healthy feelings of enjoyment, competitiveness and physical challenge are inherent in the sport.
Is it any wonder that scientists and physicians around the world view tennis as the most healthful activity in which you can participate? There may be other sports than can provide excellent health benefits and some which can provide mental and emotional growth. But no sport other than tennis has ever been acclaimed from all disciplines as one that develops great benefits physically, mentally and emotionally. Tennis is a sport for kids to learn early in life. What parent wouldn't want their children to get these benefits through their growing years? It's not too late for adults and seniors too! The human system can be trained and improved at any stage of life. Here's the key...you must begin playing tennis now to get these benefits throughout your lifetime. And that brings us to reason # 17: Tennis is truly the sport for a lifetime! It's been proven.
10th Annual White River Run for Your Heart!
5K and 1 Mile Fun Run!!
March 14, 2008 at 8 a.m., Rain or Shine!
Sponsored by Cardiovascular Associates of North Central Arkansas in association with Mountain Home Christian Academy.
Both courses begin at Cotter Springs Park, in downtown Cotter, Arkansas, and are mostly flat, out-and back courses along the scenic White River. Both over-all and age division prizes will be given, as well as door prizes. Each entrant will receive a T-shirt as well as post-race snacks. Proceeds will benefit our own Mountain Home Christian Academy's art and playground.
Registration is $15 if postmarked by March 7th . $20 after March 7th. Day of race registration is available at Cotter Springs Park from 7a.m. to 7:45 a.m. Call 870.424.2104, or email boardermama2004@yahoo.com for questions.
Mountain Home Athletic Club
514 Coley Drive
POB 2265
Mountain Home, AR 72653
870.425.4342
