When?: Thanksgiving Day

What?: Boot Camp and RPM Xpress

Times?:                           Boot Camp      w/Scott                   8:30 am
                                          RPM Xpress    w/Cheryl                 9 am
                                          Boot Camp      w/Scott                   9:30 am

Take 1, 2, or all 3!!!!!

Join us for fun and BURN THAT TURKEY!!!!!

Please sign up at the front desk or call to reserve your spot

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

Just recently for the first time in it’s history, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released it’s 2008 Physical Guidelines for Americans.  These Guidelines describe the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to Americans. Physical activity, or the lack thereof, in this country has become so suspect that now the government feels they can and will provide the necessary push.  Is it enough and will it be effective? You be the judge.

A Sampling of the Guidelines  

Adults (aged 18–64)

• Adults should do 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate-intensity, or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes, preferably spread throughout the week.
• Additional health benefits are provided by increasing to 5 hours (300 minutes) a week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity, or 2 hours and 30 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.
• Adults should also do muscle-strengthening activities that involve all major muscle groups performed on 2 or more days per week.

Benefits

• Lower risk of: early death, heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, adverse blood lipid profile, metabolic syndrome, colon and breast cancers; prevention of weight gain; weight loss when combined with diet; improved cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness; prevention of falls; reduced depression; better cognitive function (older adults); better functional health (older adults); reduced abdominal obesity; weight maintenance after weight loss; lower risk of hip fracture; increased bone density; improved sleep quality; lower risk of lung and endometrial cancers

Where ever you are in regards to your health and fitness, know that you have a choice.  And what better choice than to come see why Pottstown Health Club is your PerfectFit for meeting The Guidelines - from cardio machines with no waiting, top notch strength training equipment, non-intimidating exercise classes, and the region’s best personal trainers to help you get the most out of not only your fitness, but your life!

Check us out TODAY!

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

Wouldn’t it be grand if getting rid of body fat was as easy as just taking a pill or doing a specific exercise?  Sure, the supplement and pharmaceutical industries would like you to believe that it is indeed that easy. The fact is, if it were that easy, then everybody would or could do it.  Unfortunately, that is not the case.  While losing body fat is not easy, it’s not impossible either. Newsweek just ran a story on the myth vs. reality when it come to fat loss. Here are some of the more common mistakes exercisers make in their quest to decrease body fat. 

1) Neglecting nutrition

Your nutrition is more important than your workout. Repeat. Your nutrition is more important than your workout. You must follow an eating program where you eat fewer calories than you need, and you must focus on high-quality, nutrient dense foods. An apple is a nutrient dense food.  A bagel is an energy dense food. No gimmicks, no pills, no powders, and no diets!

2) Worrying about how many calories are counted on the cardio machine

This number is irrelevant because there are too many factors that affect calories burned and none of the cardio machines have those capabilities.  What you can control is your intensity, or how hard you work.  It’s simple, common sense. The harder you work, the more you burn. Period.
 
3) Doing the same workout over and over again

Don’t get stuck on autopilot doing the same thing over and over, no matter how much you like it. Do something different on your off-days. Try different types of workouts. Change up your routine every 4 weeks - never go longer than 6 weeks on a program. Remember, change is good!  

4) No accountability

Who’s there to keep you on target when you fall off? How can you honestly track your success if you’re making it up as you go? Family, a friend, a spouse, or a certified fitness professional? Success is greater with support. Take notes. Keep track of your food intake and your workout output.

Take charge of yourself and great things can happen!

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

After what seems like months of endless debating, political commercials, and interrupting phone calls, it is our civil duty and right to vote in the 2008 Presidential Election.  Whether your vote is for Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin, you have a choice and a chance to make a difference. When it comes to our own health, we have a similar choice: a choice between exercising or not and having a healthy meal versus something we know is not good for us.  In the end, you ultimately have to live with the consequence of your decision but you have to know that your choice did indeed have an impact on the outcome.  And to think otherwise is just ignorant.  If everyone exuded the same passion and enthusiasm for their health as you see and hear people have for politics, our state of health would be much better.

So go out and make a choice, and to relieve the stress of it all, grab a workout and a heart warming (and healthy) meal along the way!

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

It’s almost cliche’ to say to someone who wants to earn a certain level of  achievement that in order to succeed they must “set goals”. I mean, doesn’t everyone set goals? Truth be told, no, and if they are setting goals then perhaps their behaviors aren’t in line with achieving their goals. 

A Major League Lesson

Take the Philadelphia Phillies for example.  After 30 or so preseason games, 162 regular season games, and 13 post season games, today they sit atop Major League Baseball as the 2008 World Series Champions! Do you think for one moment that anyone on that team did not set their goals on winning it all way back in February? No, and they did every little thing they could along the way to ensure that they would be in the best possible position to do so in October.

Your Fitness Lineup

Whatever your goal is: optimal health, weight loss, increased strength, greater flexibility, improved performance, better stamina, etc., there is nothing standing in the way of you and your goal except you!  Begin with the end in mind, and then work backwards, setting smaller, attainable and realistic benchmarks.  If you find yourself slipping along the way, stop and review what the big picture is and make sure your behaviors are in tune with what you wish to accomplish. Then and only then will you be sitting at the top!

At PHC, we are ready and able to help you achieve your goals.  From certified fitness professionals, to group exercise classes, and all the exercise equipment you can handle, we are your Perfect Fit to achieving all that you can possibly imagine. Get out of your slump and swing for the fences!

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

As the Phillies and Devil Rays see a slight break in their World Series playoff, the collective sigh of Delaware Valley baseball fans is “finally, a night where I won’t lose sleep.”  It’s funny how we won’t stop, take a break, breathe in deep, or just relax unless it’s absolutely pushed in our face, whether it be a cold or a rain delayed World Series. (the first in 100 years to be called on the count of rain!).  Sometimes you just have to say, TIME OUT!

Too Much Exercise?

Is there such a thing? Yes! Do most people get enough? No! When it comes to effective and efficient workouts, rest is just as important a component as intensity.  Problem is, we either continue to work harder because we think more is obviously better, or we rest too much justifying it as time needed to recover. 

The Balance

Exercise is a necessary component of optimal physical health.  It should be more challenging than most daily physical tasks, but it doesn’t have to completely break you down.  Likewise, rest is also a necessary component of optimal health and should never be overestimated or under appreciated. Train hard, get plenty of sleep, and recharge those batteries to take on all challenges head on. And when the rain breaks and the sun comes back out, it’s time to play ball!!!

Step up to the plate and see what new challenges Pottstown Health Club can create for you!

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

Forget about Palin and McCain vs. Obama and Biden!  While they continue to battle on the issues currently facing our nation, and world for that matter – the economic disaster, health care, the war in Iraq –one thing you won’t hear them talk about is the one thing you DO have control over – your physical health! 

Trust me. That’s good news, but if you don’t make that a priority, no bail out plan in the world can save you. It’s called taking responsibility – a powerful lesson to learn in today’s society. I don’t care if you work 15 hours a day, you can squeeze in a 10 even 20 minute workout. I don’t care if Starbuck’s offers you grande caffe mocha latte, you can still say NO. (or better yet, just skip Starbuck’s all-together).

Prioritize and take responsibility. Take control of your fitness and you can take control of your life.

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

Exercise is and always will be a part of my life. I’ve made a career of sharing that passion with others and my favorite type of exercise is riding my bike.  That is why for my 9th straight year, I have committed to riding in the 28th Annual MS City to Shore Bike Tour. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting movement, sensation, and bodily functions.  It is not a terminal disorder but the effects are devastating and there is no cure.  MS affects more than a quarter of a million people in the United States.

Good luck to those Pottstown Health Club’s Cycling Club members that are participating in this year’s event:  Myself (riding for Pepper Hamilton); Tom Curley and Tom McKee (both riding for Wyeth); Elliot Menkowitz (Jersey’s Team).  Even you can make a difference with exercise…but it’s up to you to make it happen!

If you would like more information or would like to donate or sponsor a rider, please go to http://bikepae.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_PAE_ePledge 

By Jeff Harrison
PHC General Manager

These are interesting times, to say the least, regarding the state of the economy.  Wall Street, unlike our nation’s waistline, is getting leaner and the only fattening up is in the number of  foreclosures and lost jobs.  In Wednesday’s USA Today, President Bush warned Americans and lawmakers reluctant to pass a $700 billion rescue plan that unless something is done, this can be a long and painful ride.

The Financial / Fitness Connection

I am not a financial genius, but I do know this - failing to plan, whether your long term investment goals or your even more valuable, precious health and you will inevitably be placed in a corner with no way out.  Just like your health, there are no guarantees that no matter how well you plan, unforeseeable events are completely avoidable.  Therefore, it is necessary that you do what you can with what you got.  And that begins by taking care of the only valuable asset that money can’t buy - YOU!

Your Plan

Exercise, in all its forms, is an investment: an investment in your health, an investment in yourself, and quite possibly an investment in your wealth.  A healthy lifestyle, one complete with good nutrition and consistent, effective workouts is an investment you CAN NOT afford to skimp on.  A healthy body is not only a savings, but it is an investment of which a value can not be placed, despite what happens on Wall St.

What are you waiting for? Get started today!