Passport to Fitness

Can you believe that August is coming to an end?! Where did the summer go??? With August 31st quickly approaching, the Passport to Fitness incentive program is winding down. I know some of you have been working diligently to complete your passport so be sure to get them turned into the PWA Fitness Center by Wednesday, August 31st. All passports will be entered into a drawing for a Tour of GRMC gift basket, so if you completed multiple passports, then you have multiple chances to win! Good luck :)

We hope you all enjoyed the program. It was nice seeing so many of you in our group exercise classes, at the fitness center, and on the blog. Change is always good, and trying new classes can never hurt. So even though the program is coming to an end, it doesn't mean that your travels have to!

Cy-Hawk Food Drive

He's at the 20...the 10...the 5...TOUCHDOWN!

Every academic year the University of Iowa and Iowa State University compete in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. The series starts in September with volleyball, football, and soccer, and it ends in May with academics. Simply put, the school with the higher score wins! Last year, Iowa took the series winning 15 events to ISU's 11 wins. Go Hawks!

This year, GRMC is hosting a food drive that will coincide with the Iowa vs. ISU football game on September 10th. From August 22nd through September 8th at noon, anyone wishing to contribute to the food drive, may drop off their donation to the PWA Fitness Center. When dropping off your item(s), inform the wellness staff of what you brought and what team you would like it to go towards. The wellness staff will determine how many yards you earn for your team by the items you drop off. The winning team will earn bragging rights.

Which items can earn you yards?! The following list will assist you in the grocery store:

10 yds. - Diapers

5 yds. - Instant tea/coffee, laundry detergent, feminine hygiene product

4 yds. - Razor, shaving cream, canned meat (chicken, spam, etc.)

3 yds. - Dish soap, cereal, juice, peanut butter

2 yds. - Pancake mix, pasta sauce, raisins

1 yd. - Shampoo, conditioner, canned food, canned tuna, floss, soap, noodles

Please help support the families and individuals in our community by giving all you can. With schools back in session, many families are in need this time of year. Your donations will provide comfort and a sensible, nutritional, meal to many individuals. Let's put out compassion in action and give back to our community!

Long term goals

I (Jen) just came from a planning meeting that discussed the health of our community over the next five years. Well, of course I made it all about myself and started thinking about what I hope the state of my personal health will look like five years from now. I have certain things I want to accomplish and some of those goals would probably take me the entire five years to actually achieve. I have some smaller goals that I could probably get in five months or maybe even five weeks. Whatever they are, I have to keep my focus and stay accountable. I have to acknowledge where my personal struggles are and figure out how to overcome them. I have to embrace my strengths and learn how to use them to my greatest advantages. I feel like I'm talking about something serious like going to war. Well, I suppose one could cheesily argue that I would be going to war on poor health. That it's a battle that I would have to continuously fight to remain victorious for the course of my life. Whatever... The point is that it's important and it's good for us to have frequent reminders of where we want to be and how we're going to get there. Think about yourself and the state of your health. Are you where you want to be? I hope so, but I know that not everyone is perfect health. If not, what can we do to change that? Setting long term goals can be difficult, but maybe now is a good time to sit down and truly think about where we need to be in the future. Think about this: if we aren't taking care of ourselves now, what is the picture of our health going to look like in the future? Yikes!

Favorites

Alright all you yogis, what's your favorite yoga pose? A while ago some members suggested this blog topic and of course the joke was that the obvious choice was final relaxation (for all you non yoga lovers, this is where we lay down and rest at the end of class). For me (Jen), there is a division between the poses that come more easily and then there are the poses that require some work. I love the sensation of a nice gentle stretch, it's probably what sold me on yoga in the first place. Then there are the more challenging poses. They take work, the stretch is a little more intense, the strengthening element tough. But completing those poses often gives me a sense of accomplishment when I'm done. It's exciting when I notice that my knee is much closer to the floor than it was this time last year or maybe I can hold a pose longer than I when I first started. To me, a good yoga practice has a mix of both. I find it hard to narrow it down to just one pose as my favorite. Do I say spinal twist because that's fairly relaxing, do I say lunge because I like the challenge, do I throw out a hip opener like pigeon since that is an area that is chronically tight on my body, or do I say final relaxation since that is the only guaranteed rest in my day? It's tough to narrow it down, but I think for me it might be downward dog which combines strengthening and stretching all in one. What's yours?

The Healthiest State Starts Here!

Our state is declining in health. The number of adults in Iowa that are obese has more than doubled in the past 20 years. Currently 27.9% or us have a body mass index over 30, which qualifies for the obese category. The Governor has decided that's not good enough people! We've started an effort to encourage people to get out and get moving. In October our entire state will be encouraged to go for a 1K walk together. Here's the exciting part: Grinnell was one of only two towns in the entire state chosen to hold a pilot walk before the main event. On Friday, September 2nd at 1:00 all of Grinnell will be encouraged to get outside and walk 1k. There are several possible locations to make participation convenient. Your walk can be at Ahrens Park, Grinnell College, Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance, here at GRMC, or just go in your own neighborhood. We need as many participants as possible to get impressive numbers and show off Grinnell.

New Schedule

I (Jen) haven't been around the PWA or Fly High as much as I usually am and I got a chance to teach Zumba this evening and whoa Nelly did I ever hear some concern about the September schedule, particularly the afternoon/evening classes. Yes, it is being revamped, revised, and revitalized. This is due to a lack of attendance for a number of classes, not just in the summer months, but also in the months before. We want to have some great numbers so that we can all have fun getting our workouts together.

Here's the deal: some classes are just being tweaked. Sadly, some (not many, but some) are being dropped. Some classes are being combined in order to be stronger than they ever were on their own. When the official class menu is printed, check it out and see what will work for you. This schedule is designed to get you the best bang for your buck with each class. I'm excited to get started and I bet you won't want to miss it.

I live with a five year old picky eater who I have to repeatedly convince to try new things. Usually after much drama and cajoling, he often finds that he doesn't mind it after all. Now, I'm certainly not calling you a bunch five year olds but I am asking you to try out something new before you hate it forever. You may find that this schedule fits better into your world. You also may find that you have a new favorite class that you never would have tried if it hadn't been put in your usual time slot. Change is uncomfortable but we have tried to organize this new schedule in a way that is as painless as possible for all. We are still going to have a great time and give you the work out you are looking for. So keep an open mind, get to class, try it out, or we'll make you stay at the table all night! :)

Bright Pink shoes, part II

Well many of you have noticed that I (Jen) regularly wear my bright pink shoes all over the place. In fact, now they are dirty, bright, pink shoes. You may recall from my previous post that these are the type of shoe that have a very flexible sole. Some of you have asked how I like it and if I missed the extra support. I have to say, these are very comfy shoes. I like to alternate shoes so I wear a different pair every other day, but on pink shoe days I don't notice any extra discomfort. This evening I was speaking with someone about jogging in these shoes and I commented that it really makes me notice when I run with poor form. I have to get up onto the ball of my foot, I can't be sloppy. Personally, I don't find requiring better technique to be a negative, more just an interesting observation. Other than that, I don't see any difference between these pinkies and my other, more standard shoes. And they are all better than flip flops. There are so many types of shoe available and it gets so confusing about what can be the right "shoe technology" for each individual. I think this current pair is working really well for me. Thanks for all the inquiries!

Passport to Fitness

At the beginning of June, the PWA Fitness Center and the Fly High Fitness Studio challenged all members to do some traveling this summer! Unfortunately, summer is coming to an end; therefore, the Passport to Fitness Program is dwindling down. If you have successfully completed the 12 activities on your Fitness Passport, be sure to turn it in by Aug. 31st to be entered into a drawing for a "Taste of GRMC" gift basket. The basket includes a massage, gift certificate to the Neon Cafe and The Glass Gift Box, a personal training session, and more! If you haven't started your passport, do not delay. Pick one up today and get traveling!

Food On-A-Stick

Healthy food does not have to be boring or difficult to prepare. Kabobs are a healthy and fun alternative to on-a-stick foods that are deep-fried in batter or covered in chocolate. Furthermore, kabobs are an effective strategy for portion control and an awareness of what you are eating. Last Christmas, I (Tiffany) was visiting my sister-in-law and her family in Louisiana, so I was introduced to Jambalaya. This spicy treat was delicious, but it was loaded with calories and fat! The following is a recipe for Jambalaya On-A-Stick!

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh or frozen raw shrimp in shells (peeled and deveined)
12 oz. lite smoked sausage, cut into 12 pieces
8 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
1 med. green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 med. onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce
3/4 tsp. minced garlic
24 8-inch wooden skewers
3 cup hot cooked rice
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley
6 cherry tomatoes

Directions:

1. Thaw shrimp, if frozen. Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse shrimp, sausage, chicken, pepper, and onion in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, tomato sauce, oil, thyme, bottled hot pepper sauce, and garlic. Pour half of the tomato sauce mixture over meat and vegetables. Seal bag; turn to coat pieces. Marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours, turning bag occasionally. Cover and chill remaining tomato sauce mixture.

3. Meanwhile, soak wooden skewers in enough water to cover for 30 minutes; drain.

4. Drain meat and vegetables, discarding marinade. On soaked skewers, alternately thread meat and vegetables (to secure pieces, use 2 skewers for each kabob-1 skewer through head end of shrimp and another skewer parallel to first skewer but through tail end of shrimp), leaving 1/4 inch space between pieces.

5. Preheat grill, reduce heat to medium. Place skewers on greased grill rack over heat for 10-12 minutes or until shrimp are opaque and chicken is no longer pink, turning occasionally.

6. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan heat chilled tomato sauce mixture. Combine cooked rice and parsley. Serve rice mixture and cherry tomatoes with kabobs. Pass warmed tomato sauce mixture.

Number of Servings: 6

Nutritional Information: Calories: 388.6, Fat: 14.3 grams, Carbohydrates: 28 grams, Protein: 35 grams

Recipe taken from www.sparkpeople.com

Fun With Fitness

I (Jen) just met with a coworker about promoting our after-school program, Fun With Fitness. I can't believe we're already to the point that we need to be thinking about school, but it is around the corner. In fact, registration for Grinnell schools is tomorrow. (I know all our teacher members just stopped reading out of disgust.)

I talk a lot about how much I enjoy my job and this is one of the many reasons. I meet such a wide variety of adults throughout my day, but Fun With Fitness gives me the chance to play games with kids after school. Not a rough gig, I say. My degree is in education and here is where I can still get that kid fix. We play games, learn about nutrition and fitness and our bodies, and just have so much fun. There's typically not a large number of participants, so I get the opportunity to spend more one on one time with each kid.

I really get behind the whole philosophy of Fun With Fitness. There are some phenomenal sports-related options for kids in town. However, not all kids are interested in sports. There are also those children that have reached the point where they don't feel successful when they are participating with other kids their age. This gives those individuals the chance to have a positive experience with fitness. We are looking to create an environment in which they learn how to stay healthy for their whole life in a fun way. We talk about choices and the effect our decisions can have on our health. Yes, you can have that one piece of candy, but not the whole bag and here are some other, healthier foods we need to eat as well, here are some activities we can do together while Mom and Dad are at work, here's why we need to be mindful of diet and exercise... You get the jist.

I have such a great time every year, it makes it worth the challenge of driving the bus (something nearly everyone has heard me jokingly grumble about on a routine basis.) It doesn't matter, bring on the school year. I'm getting excited just writing about it.

Leave your comments here

I (Jen) am so grateful to those of you who have left your comments on the blog or who have remarked in person after reading a post. We love all the feedback and I appreciate those of you who are willing to give it. For those of you out there who are resistant- don't be shy, hop on board. Based on the posts I leave you can tell this is a zone without strict topics that we must adhere to. There are no judgements or silly comments, we love it all. Let us know if there are subjects about which you want to hear us wax poetic. Let us know if there are certain types of recipes that you are looking for. Not only do you get a punch on your passport when you leave a comment, but it allows us some insight into what you're thinking and how we can better serve you.