Meagan Sbat
Author Archives: Meagan Sbat

Life is all about CHOICES

Throughout our lives and day to day endeavors we will make a lot of decisions and choices. Some may carry more weight and their impact will be felt immediately, while others may not seem so important but may affect us later down the road. Right now, I want to focus more on the little things and how they can sometimes have a bigger impact than we might think. 

For starters, when we decide to go to bed. If you’re like me, you may not give it much thought as to when you decide to hit the hay. You just know that you have to get up at a certain time. But sleep is very important to our health, and we need to make sure we get a good night's rest as much as possible. So, if we can make a conscious effort to set ourselves a bedtime, then we will be more energized throughout the day and function at a high level. 

Nutrition plays a huge role in our health. It can be the deciding factor in what gets you into the best shape of your life, or it can be the one thing that stops you. But I’m not going to talk about going on strict diets or anything like that, as it can be a big change. No, I’m talking about making small changes to our nutrition that we can do over time. For example, If you go out to eat, order water as your beverage. Next time you go shopping, pass up on all the little snacks or desserts that you may be tempted to buy. Or maybe try drinking tea with honey instead of coffee with sugar. That last one was mainly for me. It may seem like small choices, but over time those decisions can start having a lasting impact in the long run and help get you going in the right direction. 

And of course, training. You all have made a great decision to start exercising and working on your health. But now you have to be consistent. Now you have to make that choice to go on those days we may not feel like it. I get why we have a tough time getting into the gym some days, I do. Training can be difficult, exhausting, and push you. But let's be honest, nothing in life is rewarding if it comes easy. If you push through the hard work, you will be rewarded. You will truly feel accomplished and proud because of it. Then all those times you decided to go to the gym, will have paid off. Now it's up to you to start making that choice. 

Freak Accident Explanation

"What happened?"

I figured I would write a quick blog to explain why you will see my a sling for the next two weeks in hopes to avoid the same question hundreds of times 🙂

Allow me to paint a picture for this...

So there I was on a snowy Friday afternoon working from home when I decided I would grab a quick workout before grabbing my kids from the nanny. I was my second set into a turkish get up with a 40 pound kettlebell when I lost the stability in my shoulder and the kettlebell went back....with my arm. I dislocated my shoulder and after about 20 seconds of agony shoved it back in place. 

After calling Erin (the shoulder queen) in a panic she (and Adam) made me go to ortho urgent care where they put me in a sling and said no lifting for two weeks (BOO!) and then a very gentle ease back in as the likeliness of doing it again is greater if you don't allow time for ligaments to heal and scar tissue to build up around the joint. 

So, that is what happened. It was a freak accident. When I am healed up I will be right back to turkish get ups, because it is still an amazing exercise. I will use this as a (frustrating) learning opportunity. I learned a lot about dislocation when I had my visit at ortho and I am sure my PT follow up will teach me even more that I can then use on the training floor. 

Happy weekend,

Meagan

Tips for goal setting

With the Milestone Club in full swing I am compelled to talk about the skills that come with goal setting! The reason why it is so important to us to help you set these goals is because realistic, action-oriented and specific goals can be hard to define for yourself.

Here are words to AVOID when setting goals for yourself:

  • Eat MORE veggies
  • Eat LESS sugar
  • Go to sleep EARLIER
  • Eat HEALTHIER

Those are not specific or measurable goals. When setting goals that truly require a change and focus there are measurable words involved. Allow me to make those goals above  specific and measurable for your understanding…

  • Eat 4 servings of vegetables daily
  • No sugar 5 out of 7 days per week
  • In bed by 9pm with screens off
  • Protein ,veggies and healthy fat at each meal

Those are very specific questions. When you reevaluate your action steps it is hard to distinguish what “more” means and what “less” means. If you really want to create change in your mind and body be real and realistic. We are here to help you make that happen.

Coach Meagan

Hippo Best Of Awards are OPEN

Voting season is HERE! Buckle up...

The Hippo Best of awards are officially open. This year they have a few more categories that we would love to go after if you are feeling up to the challenge! We have won the best gym in Concord for 10 years and we are going for 11 years here in 2020. Last year we made a team decision to rotate which coach we vote for as best fitness instructor and last year Coach Adam took that title (for the second year in a row!) This year we have decided to vote for Coach Erin Constantin. Here are the numbers and questions so we can be the champions (and I do mean WE, because if we win then that makes you a winner too because you train here!) 

#17 Best Gym (Please include town): Get Fit NH Concord

#18 Workout class that will get you to your goal fastest (please include name of class, location and town): Smart Group Training Get Fit NH Concord)

#82 Best Crowd: Get Fit NH Concord

#104 Butt-kicking-est fitness instructor: Coach Erin Constantin Get Fit NH Concord

#113 Happiest place in NH: Get Fit NH Concord

You must vote for 15 for your vote to count. It is so easy to name drop local businesses. 

VOTE HERE


Thank you so much for your continued support!

Coach Meagan

Why don’t we roll the IT band anymore?

I hear the question every once in a while so I decided to do a short blog explaining
just why we hardly ever program it.

In talking with a physical therapist as well as some reading in the past I learned more about why it’s something that probably doesn’t need to be done often (some believe not at all). The reason is because the IT band is not contractile tissue. The IT band is actually a long tendon that stretches from the TFL (a muscle on the side of the hip) down to the knee. Its main purpose is to help stabilize the legs/hips when moving forward and backward. However, in  cases where someone has tight or weak lateral hips this smaller muscle goes into overdrive, which is why it can feel “tight."  More often than not, the cause of that tightness is actually the muscle on the side of the hip. Another reason can be someone who does a lot of something that involves a major need for stabilization moving forward or backward​ such as running.


I’ve spoken in the past about just how large of forces are involved with running, it creates a lot of demand from a relatively small muscle, the TFL, which is a muscle that we roll when we hit the glutes.  Also often that feeling of “pain” or “tightness” can actually be due to tightness from one of the quads that runs partially under the IT band, which can be rolled without directly rolling on the IT band, it's just assumed that it is the IT band because its in the same proximity.

It is just fine to roll it! We don't focus on it because it is not a muscle that actively contracts, so tightness is due to muscles up in the hip not the IT band itself.

Coach Adam

Just Do It

I have been thinking about this new year and asking myself how I am going to make my goals a reality. I read an article by Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, and I loved what he said,

“The odds have been stacked against us during my career, but never one to follow the rules or listen to naysayers; I’ve set out each day to turn our dreams into reality. If I could give entrepreneurs one piece of advice it would be: make it happen. The ability to get on and do it is what sets change-makers apart from dreamers.”

Now, I have never considered myself an entrepreneur, but I do want to make my dreams a reality! I think everyone does, but what separates the people who succeed from those that don’t? Many of us can relate to having the odds stacked against us. Maybe we battle an incredibly busy work and home life, illness, or injuries. We might even feel like the cards are always against us. I believe we all have “the ability to get on and do it”. It might not always feel like we have the ability, but I think fear often holds us back. We focus on the obstacles and fear the unknown. One of Branson’s favorite quotes is by Jack Canfield “Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” Branson had many failed business attempts but in 2007 he was placed on the “Time 100 Most Influential People in The World”. We must learn from our past, step outside of fear and “get on and do it”. 

Together we can Make It Happen!

Coach Erin

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