“Daylight Savings Time Should Be a National Holiday”

We’ve heard that here at IMX Blue Bell more than a few times over the recent weeks, and we agree!

Sunday, March 13 2011, join us at the studio at 6:30pm as we raise a glass to Toast Spring (spiked and sober toasts available!) We’ll gather just for an hour or so, celebrate the fact that it’s STILL LIGHT OUT, then begin our new season on a good foot.

As always, friends and significant others are more than welcome to celebrate with us as well. See you on Sunday!

Vote for Karen O., plus two new recipes

Vote for Karen O’s project! She and her mom are working to decrease prescription drug abuse. If they win, their project will receive $50K in funding. Tell your friends!

Please help support efforts to decrease prescription drug abuse. Vote for our project every day in October: www.refresheverything.com/combatingprescriptiondrugabuse

Our project-Combating Prescription Drug Abuse: Raising Awareness and Improving Outcomes in Our Community (CRAb)-includes a webinar (live and archived) followed by a full-day, interactive educational seminar designed to help screen for & combat Rx abuse.  These unique educational interventions, including pre & post tests, lectures, story-telling, case vignettes, “tricks-of-the-trade” workshops, and small group interactions, will allow clinicians to network with and learn from local, regional, and national experts. The webinar and seminar will provide 8.5 continuing education credits for clinicians;those throughout the country may learn from the archived webinar.

CRAb includes educating teachers, parents, clergy & other citizens to combat  Rx Drug Abuse.

*****

There are also two new recipes up on our recipe swap. Check them out!
1. Candied Cranberries
2. High-Calcium Herbal Vinegar

It’s Pink Time Again

Pilates for Pink is a joint effort between Shape Magazine and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and this marks IMX Pilates Blue Bell’s third year supporting their initiative by hosting events to raise donation money.
This year we have 3 things going:

PILATES FOR PINK EVENTS
October 2010

Workout to Help Fight Breast Cancer

In-Studio Challenge
Get friends and family to sponsor your special
donation workouts, or sponsor yourself!, throughout the month of October.

Pink Apparel
Visit the IMX Blue Bell Spreadshirt shop to browse our selection
of items supporting Breast Cancer Awareness.
Each purchase includes a $5 donation to BCRF.

 

Click Here to Visit the Shop

Donation Class
Tuesday, October 19, 2010 – 6:30 pm
Everyone is welcome, no pilates experience needed.
Bring anyone who wants to try pilates or who wants to
support breast cancer research, or both!
OR
Set up a personalized donation class
with your own private group at a convenient time for you.

Contact IXM Blue Bell with any questions or to sign up for Donation Sessions

All proceeds will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Junkyard Pilates

“Little bit of that, once a week, couldn’t probably do you no harm.”
This is how one pilates participant at Ace Auto Parts in St. Paul Minnesota sums up their new weekly routine.

“I don’t think I’m fat. I don’t think I need pilates. I was doin’ it but I don’t like doin it… I don’t like it!… I think that’s for women.”
This from another man, who, during his voice clip, is seen not quite finishing his push ups. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t like it- it’s too hard!!

Proving that pilates is for everyone, this is a small business trying to reduce injuries, lower workman’s comp claims, and reduce workforce turnover. “…the Ace approach sends just the right message. “Other small businesses could really learn a lot of lessons from this company: Pilates is a great fix for this group, they’re starting people off gently and sending the message that the owners really care about them.”

Watch the video and be inspired. Who do you know that could be helped by pilates, who for now might be scared that it’s too hard, er, just for women?

Enjoy Autumn in Our Local Parks

Yelp.com has provided us with a wonderful list of local parks and outdoor spaces that are perfect for exploring this time of year. Why don’t you grab a friend or a pet (or both) and head out this weekend?

Yelp Takes A Hike

This Weekly Yelp brought to you by the Great Urban Race!

Jim H Historic ruins at Rolling Hill.

It’s been a while since a Weekly took you outside your comfort zone… well, at least out of town. But with cooler temperatures right around the corner, one thing is abundantly clear – it’s time to get out of the house and hit the trail. So grab a friend, pack some snacks, and venture forth! If no car is in the cards, Schuylkill Banks is near to hand. “Few things are as peaceful as a river,” writes Kate M, who also enjoys the “yummy shirtless runners when the weather is nice.” Elsewhere in town, the rails of the R6 line deliver Brian M directly to the “water, trees, birds, deer, horseback rides, and covered bridges” of the Wissahickon Valley Trail, “a nearly perfect urban oasis.” Or “pop a Claritin” and “get back to nature” with aptly named Autumn B at Morris Arboretum, tucked in the valley between Chestnut Hill and Lafayette Hill. Day trips don’t daunt Dave L, who’s been walking the “miles and miles” of scenic paths at Tyler State Park for “almost 30 years.” Todd K continues south on I-95 to Ridley Creek. He’s “always finding new trails” to traverse, but “if you aren’t feeling adventurous, the main road loop is a nice 4.3 miles with inclines and declines in both directions.” And hidden in the “winding roads of Gladwyne,” Jim H‘s family discover “large broken structures standing proudly amongst the wildlife” while exploring the grounds at Rolling Hill Park. E-ZPass your way up the PA Turnpike with Christian H for a taste of “kayaking, canoeing, and anything else you want to do on the water” in Nockamixon State Park. “Haycock Mountain is an easy hike,” he reassures, “and very pretty.” Cast farther north to find the “best fly-fishing in the state” at Hickory Run on the Lehigh River, a site of major father-daughter bonding for Vanessa W. And even though it’s a mite afield, Emmett M plans on camping lakeside at Ricketts Glen “until it’s physically impossible.” Another must do? “Hike the Falls Trail, with twenty-one waterfalls ranging from 11-94 feet” in height. Now lace up those boots and head for the great outdoors!

Another Fun Time

Thanks to all who braved the first evening in the 70′s all summer! Not pictured is Jen-n (aka TallJenn aka LawyerJenn!)- she had already departed before the camera made its appearance. We sampled the Corti’s fav tomato and pepper pie, and tiramisu!, Paula’s fav Franzone’s pizza, creme brulee stout and double chocolate stout, and some great reds and whites, along with some other snacky tidbits.

MMMM- Limoncello: Some History, Some Recipies!

NPR has a story on limoncello and all you’ve ever wanted to know about it- where it might have come from, how to make it and what to do with it. You’ve been introduced to this treat at our Limoncello Party earlier this summer (normally there would be a link inserted here to the party pictures but it seems everyone was enjoying themselves so much they all forgot to use their cameras!), so now is the perfect time to expand the scope of your understanding of this wonderful summertime treat.

Read it here: Have Your Limoncello and Eat It Too

Miss Teen USA

Emily B., an IMX Blue Bell member for almost 1 year, has some exciting news- her niece Emma Baker is competing for Miss Teen USA, for her home state of California, this weekend at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Emily is there right now acting as official “auntourage”.

Emily asked us to let you know that the competition will be broadcast live via the internet on Saturday July 24 at 8:00pm on  www.ustream.com.

You can also vote for her as Miss Photogenic at the Miss Teen website.  Good luck Emma and Emily!

UPDATE: Emma took second-runner-up in the Miss Teen USA pageant!  Congratulations, and good luck with the modeling your fabulous aunt mentioned!

Your “All the Time” Workout

Updated: Let’s retitle this post to Your “All the Time” Workout. You can do this for the holidays, when a little one is home sick, in addition to your regular workout when you had the extra glass of wine, any time! Read on, and maybe you’ll like to pretend you’re on vacation 

So you’re going away during the summer, and you don’t want to lose everything you’ve built up in your classes at IMX Pilates Blue Bell? Well, here you go- a simple, straightforward mat routine that targets your abs, butt and thighs. You can do as many of each move as you’d like- normally between 5 and 15- but make sure you do the same amount on both sides if it’s a split move!

You know the drill- exhale to exert, stronger for more power, pelvic floor and lats all the time, neutral spine, float your head… just hear our voices in your head! We’ve tried to do these in class with you so these are simplified, brief instructions for each move. If you’re not familiar with something, be gentle or skip it so you don’t get injured.

*Make fun of our photos and there are handstand pushups to welcome you back!!!!

Ab Curls

Lay on your back with the feet on the floor, knees bent, back neutral, arms overhead. Draw the arms forward and curl, maintaining neutral.

Do it again, with the legs straight out in front, anchored to the floor and back still neutral.

And again, with the legs straight up to the sky and, you guessed it, the back still neutral. From your last rep, do reverse curls.

Oblique Work
Now you’ll do it all over again, with the arms in a diagonal. The top arm comes up and over, reaching for an invisible center line extending from the knees or toes up to the sky. Do all one side, then the other.

Knee Changes
Legs in tabletop, NEUTRAL!, tap one shin then the other to change without rocking.

Oblique Knee Changes
Fingernails to the forehead, palms open. You’ll twist into these knee changes, but think RIBCAGE to knee, not ELBOW.

Leg Changes
The goal is to keep both legs straight, so if they don’t go to a full 90 degrees that’s fine. The other goal is to keep your spine neutral the whole time. Tap the back of the thigh, calf or ankle, not the knee joint.

Oblique Leg Changes
Put your arms on a LOW DIAGONAL- this really helps. Tap the inside of the thigh, calf or ankle, and twist the RIBCAGE again, not drawing from the shoulder.

Roll Ups
Sit tall and forward. Exhale and roll back 3/4 of the way. This is the point when either A) your feet leave the floor or B) your shoulder blades hit the floor. Exhale back up. After a few, roll all the way back and exhale all the way up.

Kneeling Butt Work
You can do this on the floor, or on a solid raised surface. Think picnic table bench, ottoman, anything that lets the working foot go below the stabilizing knee. KEEP YOUR BACK NEUTRAL!

Leg Lifts
When you lift the leg, don’t torque the back; only lift straight behind you.

Lateral Lifts
Keep your hips level and your spine neutral! Lift the leg to the outside.

Circles
Point your toe and draw little circles out to the side. Now bigger circles, challenging but not losing your neutral, stable spine.

Hip Circles
Lie on your side. If you’re on a mat, hips and shoulders at the back, feet at the front. You want a tripod position, with shoulder-hips-feet forming a triangle for stability.

Lift the top leg, pulse, lower, pulse. Point up and flex down. Lift and lower like you’re in water, doing lots of work.

Small circles with the top leg parallel to the floor, toe pointed. Reverse direction.

Big circles by tracing a letter “D” in the air- straight up in a lift, around and forward to come down. Reverse direction.

Have fun, and we’ll see you when you get back!

Eat Less to Live Longer

IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 1, Number 2

At a time when everything from sport utility vehicles to hamburgers comes “supersized,” the notion that less is more may seem out-of-date to some Americans. But when it comes to calories, eating fewer just might be a prescription for a longer, healthier life. Learn about the theory and research behind calorie restriction from Jenna A. Bell-Wilson, PhD, RD, LD, and assistant professor of medical dietetics at Ohio State University.

The Secret to Longevity?

Researchers were fascinated to learn that the island of Okinawa in Japan is home to the highest percentage of centenarians (those aged 100 or older) in the world; 39.5 for every 100,000 people, compared to about 10 in every 100,000 Americans, according to a Newsweek article (Takayama 2003). The Okinawa islanders consume a high-quality diet—mainly homegrown vegetables, tofu and seaweed; they also tend to live low-stress, active lives. Interestingly, while most Okinawans have protein and fat intakes similar to those of fellow citizens, the Okinawans’ calorie levels are 20 percent lower than the Japanese national average (Heilbronn & Ravussin 2003).

Longevity and Calorie Restriction

So, is eating fewer calories—without being undernourished — the answer to longevity? In animals placed on low-calorie, optimal diets, the typical signs of aging—such as declines in immune function and loss of functional capacity—slowed down (Roth, Ingram & Lane 1999).

Unfortunately, research on the effect of calorie restriction in humans is limited.

In the Biosphere 2 experiment, participants living in a self-contained ecological space outside of Tucson, Arizona, had to eat a low-calorie diet after experiencing problems with crop cultivation (Walford et al. 1999). Originally meant to eat 2,500 calories per day, the subjects averaged only 1,800 calories a day for the first 6 months, then switched to about 2,000 calories daily for the remaining 18 months. The diet consisted primarily of vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains and modest amounts of dairy, eggs and meat. At the end of 2 years, participants had not only lost weight but also reduced their blood pressure, blood glucose, insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (“bad” cholesterol) and triglyceride levels, all of which—when elevated—are linked to the development of chronic disease (Walford et al. 2002).

The Bottom Line

Calorie restriction without undernutrition may turn out to be a prescription for a longer and healthier life. However, more studies are needed before conclusions can be drawn. In the meantime, you can take small steps toward healthy lifestyle changes (see “Living Long, Not Large”).

SIDEBAR: living long, not large

Here are some strategies you can use to reduce unnecessary calorie consumption without creating nutrient deficiencies:

Make nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes, the mainstays of your diet.

Eat meat occasionally but focus on the leaner cuts. Try to include fish as a regular source of protein.

Avoid foods that are high in trans fatty acids and partially hydrogenated oils, found in margarines and many processed foods. Minimize consumption of butter, palm and coconut oils, and fried foods.

Include some essential fats in your diet. Good sources include unsalted nuts (e.g., pecans, walnuts and almonds) and plant oils, such as canola and olive oils.

Check food labels for ingredients, serving sizes and fat content, so you know what you are eating.

When evaluating calorie intake, don’t forget the “hidden” calories found in many beverages and condiments.

To get the best results, combine any reduction in calories with an increase in physical activity. But don’t overdo it, especially if you are new to exercise.

References

Heilbronn, L., & Ravussin, E. 2003. Calorie restriction and aging. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78, 361–9.

Roth, G., Ingram, D., & Lane, M. 1999. Calorie restriction in primates. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 47 (7), 896–903.

Takayama, H. 2003. The Okinawa way. Newsweek (January 13), 54–5.

Walford, R., et al. 1999. Physiologic changes in humans subjected to severe, selective calorie restriction for 2 years in Biosphere 2. Toxicological Sciences, 52, 61–5.

Walford, R., et al. 2002. Calorie restriction in Biosphere 2. Journals of Gerontology: Series A, 57 (6), B211–24.