Just kidding... new weather announcements

New weather update:  We are closed all day today because of the storm.  It's quite nasty out there with some fairly deep snow drifts, especially on the side streets.  Weather permitting we will open at 5:30 as usual tomorrow. 

today's weather

If you live in a place with windows,  you may have noticed that the weather is less than desirable.  The current decision has been made to close the PWA until noon today.   This will allow time for workers in the city and at the hospital to clear away the surfaces.   ALL classes for the day are canceled, even the afternoon classes.  If you feel like you can safely get out and about come over to the fitness center for your workout but otherwise stay home, stay safe, and come visit us tomorrow. Remember, shoveling can serve as excellent strength training, but make sure to use good form to save your back.  We apologise for an inconvenience.  Stay tuned to KGRN or call 236-2999 for further notifications.

This lovely time of year

It's the lovely time of year where we all know of someone close to us that has some kind of nasty bug.  It's going around.  Strep, influenza, stomach distress, whatever.  We love to see you come in when you're feeling healthy, but when you're not, stay home and get better.  We also highly encourage all of you to make sure to wipe down the equipment before and after use.  And, of course, always, always wash your hands after you finish your work out.  We do our best to sanitize all our equipment routinely and you'll notice we have hand sanitizers placed around our facility.  However, we are a public gym and germs do happen in our kind of environment.  Take these easy precautions and it can help us all have a healthier winter!

Instructor's Choice 1/25/13

Dori has a circuit planned for tomorrow's Instructor's Choice class.  We have started creating an email list for this class.  If you would like to be on this list, please let us know!

Some ideas for the environment

Is your environment hindering your ability to lose weight? A refrigerator makeover and other tweaks to your surroundings can make the difference between dieting success and failure, CNN reported Jan. 18.

Get your personal space in harmony with your wellness goals by:

§ Throwing away any “trigger foods” in your fridge and pantry — those would be the unhealthy snacks you reach for when you are hungry/depressed/tired/etc. Also, move the healthy fruits and vegetables to eye level, where you are more likely to see and choose them.

§ Get the cookies, candy, and other munchies off your countertop and into the closet to limit the temptation to grab a handful during the day.

§ Close your laptop when you are watching TV; instead of surfing the web during commercials, do some situps or planks

§ Make a point of standing. Get a standing desk for your computer, place your printer across the room so you need to walk over to it occasionally.

§ Identify the temptations in your office — the snacks in the break room or on your coworkers’ desk, for example — and make a point of avoiding them.

§ Keep some healthy snacks in your car to help avoid the urge to grab fast food when you get hungry on the road.

§ Pack a gym bag and keep it with you at all times, so you can always squeeze in a workout when you want one.

Instructor's Choice Tomorrow (1/18)

Come to the 2nd floor of the Postels building tomorrow for our Friday 8:15 Instructor's Choice.    By request we are having a Powerflow Yoga class.  Come balance, sweat, strengthen, stretch and then relax to start your day right.  See you there!

Where have we been? Updates

I (Jen) hope all of you are having a good start to you new year.  You may see a lot of new faces around the fitness center.  This is that time of year that holiday indulgence/New Year's resolutions bring a lot more people through our doors.  We love to see new faces or familiar ones in new places.  If you're someone that is looking to amp it up to meet new goals, let us know how we can help. 

That said, last week we were barely around to do that help.  Holly, Grace and I were out three days for a (very detailed) training.  It was great but I know that we will all be glad to be back to a more normal schedule. 

More unfortunate news is that Dori was out sick so basically Lexie was left to man the fort.  Where was Cory, our supervisor, you ask?  Well, some of you may have heard that she was offered another job and has left Grinnell Regional Medical Center.  She thought it was important that everyone know she was not looking, she was approached.  Cory worked with us for 14 years, making the daily commute from Des Moines that whole time.  The offer with Welmark was a great opportunity in and of itself and you take a 2 hour drive away, it became nearly impossible to turn down.  After a lot of internal struggle, she finished with us last Friday.

You may also notice Chad Nath around.  He has long been a leader here at GRMC and will be our interim director.  Be sure to say hello! 

Like I said, let us know if you have needs with meeting goals and also let us know if you have any questions about the change in staff.  You know how we love to chat!

Realistic Resolution Solutions

You can keep your New Year’s weight-loss resolutions if you approach your wellness plan one step at the time, experts from the Mount Sinai Diabetes Center in New York City say. Here are a few of their tips, as reported by HealthDay News on Dec. 30.

§ Keep a food journal. The best, most effective way to control calories is to be mindful of what you’re eating, and keeping a record of your daily consumption via a food journal is the best way to do this, studies show.

§ Take literal steps for weight loss. The more steps you take in a day, the healthier you’ll be. In the fact, the healthiest people take 10,000 steps or more daily, while sedentary people take 3,000 or fewer. The average American takes just 5,117 steps per day.

§ Allow yourself indulgences from time-to-time. Allowing yourself to sate your desire for a favorite food once in awhile will actually make you more likely to stick to a weight-loss plan, since you’re not viewing the occasional splurge as a “failure.”