Life is short, live it!

It has been a tough couple of weeks for some of our Get Fit NH family. My heart goes out to Laurie, Pattie and Linda, who all lost a brother over the last week or so. Patti J. had a bike accident and had surgery today for a broken collar bone. Sue, Carol, Deb and Scott are also out taking care of some long term health issues. Families in the Strafford area are grieving over the loss of a 13 year old boy. There are no doubt others out there with hurting hearts that we don’t even know about. This week is a challenging week for my family as we remember the anniversary of losing our little boy Derek.

And yet time, and our lives, march on. It’s been said it’s not what happens to us that matters, but how we react to it that defines our lives. Face it, life is not all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns, we know that. Stuff happens. For my part I am grateful for the support of my family, friends and for you all – my Get Fit NH family. Nancy and I never take for for granted the love and support you have shown us over the years.

At Get Fit NH we are physical preparation coaches, and it is our job to help you lose fat, get lean and look and feel great. But if that is the only impact we make I consider it a failure. To build the body and neglect the soul and spirit would be a great tragedy. There is more to life than bulging biceps and tight glutes (good thing, huh) 🙂 Health is an important thing for a rich life, but it’s not the only thing.

So when the junk is flying around you and it seems like life is about to crush you, know that you have a family that is here for you. We laugh together, cry together and love together. If that’s too mushy for you, too bad. I don’t say it enough, but you all mean the world to me.

My challenge to you today is to hug someone just a little harder, smile just a little wider, and remember that you make a bigger impact on the world than you can ever imagine.

Believe it, and then go Make It Happen.

Coach Dean

Something HUGE is coming…

It’s true, and you will want to be there!

Mark your calendars:

When: Saturday November 1, 2014
Time: 8 AM – 1PM
Where: Get Fit NH Concord
Who: You, your family, your friends, and some of Concord finest businesses
What: November Family Yard Sale & Fundraiser

This will be our first annual yard sale and vendor fair. We want this event to go down in history so we need your help! Here is what’s in it for you:

Get Fit NH students: Forget spring cleaning! Let’s spare ourselves some time this spring and do some pre-winter cleaning. We are inviting all of you to gather up any items that you would typically sell at a yard sale (ie: clothes, dishes, books, etc) and bring them to Get Fit NH on November 1st and sell away.

We are inviting the entire community to come shop around so if you have things you want taken off your hands we can help! And here is the bonus- You get to KEEP your profit. That’s right- keep it. All we ask is that you invite your friends and family to come check out the big huge yard sale at 287 South Main Street in Concord.

You do however have three choices if you wish to participate in the donation part of this event:

• You can choose to donate 10% of your yard sale profit to Operation Hat Trick. Operation Hat Trick is a NH based organization dedicated to the support of our wounded warriors. (Read more here: www.operationhattrick.com)
• If you so choose- any items that are not sold will be donated to our local homeless shelter, Open Hands Resource Center.
• Or you can keep your profit and bring any unsold items home with you 🙂

All we ask is for you to invite and share the good word.

So what else is in it for you, you ask? GREAT QUESTION!

We have invited some really great local businesses to come hang out with us as this will also be a vendor fair! We invited Amy Troy from Chichester Massage & Bodywork Center, Evolution Rock and Fitness, Runner’s Alley, and several other businesses to come out and talk to you all, so come join us in supporting these local businesses!

If you are planning on participating in the yard sale please contact Coach Meagan by October 25th.  If you are interested in donating to Open Hands Resource Center please bring your items to the gym by 1 PM on November 1st. We will be happy to donate them for you 🙂

Open Hands Resource Center mentioned they mostly need clothes, linens, food, and hygiene products. You never seize to amaze us with your generosity.

Thank you for reading and again please help us make this event HUGE!

Coach Meagan

Save The Date – SkiErg World Sprints!

Save the Date!

The 2014 SkiErg World Sprints event is coming up!

We’ve been challenging everyone at Get Fit NH, including the coaches, to ski 50,000 meters before the end of October. Many of our Get Fit NH family members are taking up the challenge.

Why not use all that practice and compete in the World Sprints?

This 1000 meter race allows you to compare your time to the time of others around the world in a one-weekend showdown of speed. See how you stack up before you strap on your skis for the season!

Mark your calendars: the 6^th Annual SkiErg World Sprints will be held November 7-9, 2014.

You don’t want to miss your opportunity to shine as a world champion! Laurie and Lynne have been shining as they’ve already completed their 50,000 meters.

Goosebumps at Get Fit

I have to share with you my goosebumps coach moment on Thursday morning.

You know when someone hits those notes during the National Anthem that give you goosebumps and make your arm hair stand up? Well, imagine those goosebumps, because that’s how a proud coach moment feels!  As many of you remember we finished our last “session A” on our training cards Thursday. For those of you who have been here over the past 4-5 weeks you have had the chance to complete this training day on 4 separate days. Now hold on…I need to go a little off track before I go into the goosebump moment. No skipping ahead- this is important!

Training cards. Let’s talk about these real quick- Why are training cards important? Great question.

– We are all here for results, right? So what better way to track our progress then to write it down? If we did (for example) kettlebell deadlifts one week and then you didn’t see that exercise again for 3 weeks would you remember how much load you used and/or how many repetitions you completed three weeks ago? Allow me to answer that for you- no!
– If we keep the same timing and the same exercise and you record your results over 5 weeks then you will see where you got better. Maybe you did more repetitions or maybe you bumped up your load selection.The important take away here is that your body does not want to change. You must make it change. At Get Fit NH we want you to get results safely, effectively and efficiently. If you deadlift 100 pounds one week and then next time you deadlift 70 pounds because you can’t remember how much you picked up last time, but hey those dumbbells are pretty heavy- do you think your body is going to change? NO! It already knew it was capable of that so it doesn’t have to change. Get comfortable being uncomfortable and make your body change.
– Just like we encourage body composition tests we will stress the importance of these training cards. If your not measuring your success then your hiding from your potential.

Now my goosebumps moments that you have all been waiting for…

On Thursday we finished our 4th “session A” training day and I asked a couple of the training times, “who saw improvement over the last 5 weeks?” and every single student in the room raised their hand. Everyone! Seriously that is incredible. Now let’s take it back to before training cards and imagine if I asked that same question…who could raise their hand with 110% confidence that they made improvements over the past 5 weeks? I know many would assume or raise their hand because they measure in other ways, but for everyone to raise their hand and be able to look at their card and say “I got stronger” is pretty stink’n cool!

And that, ladies and gentleman, is why training cards are here to stay. It’s all about getting better and we want to congratulate you for doing just that over the past 5 weeks!

Keep making it happen,

Coach Meagan

Healthy for the Holidays!

Starts November 3, 2014 – All new manual with Fabulous Fall Recipes, plus 3 level of Detox to choose from just for you!

Expectant Moms Exercising Their Right to a Healthy Pregnancy

Proper care and fitness coaching can lead to easier deliveries and quicker recovery

Sep. 30, 2014 – CONCORD, N.H. — At Get Fit NH, Dean and Nancy Carlson encourage their clients to make training a habit and to integrate it fully into their lives, and their clients have done so. There is no better evidence of this than the fact that in the past year, five Get Fit NH clients, Carolyn, Jill, Kim, Amanda, and Katie, have continued to train throughout their pregnancies. None of these women considered for a moment stopping their training because they were pregnant. As Jill put it, “Part of my reason for joining the Get Fit Family was to lose weight and get in shape to have kids.  I will not let 4 1/2 years of hard work go to waste!”

People might be shocked to hear that these women train 3-4 times a week while pregnant. While they are certainly dedicated, they are also smart.  They know that anything that helps mommy stay strong, fit, and healthy is also good for the baby. The lowering and raising of the heart rate when training resembles labor. A woman with a strong healthy body can have an easier delivery and recovery than those who choose not to exercise.

Herself a mother of 6, Coach Nancy understands that energy levels and a body’s readiness to train can change frequently, especially when pregnant. The women all credit Nancy’s care and dedication for allowing them to continue training throughout their pregnancies.  “This pregnancy I am hooked up to a heart monitor during training.  This may be the most interesting part because I am really able to control my intensity and workouts all while keeping my heart rate in check.”, says Jill. Nancy also  monitors them closely, checking in with them frequently. Each lady is required to subtly check in throughout training and encouraged to respond with at least five words so Nancy can gauge how they are doing. She will quickly and discreetly modify exercises if the women are experiencing any discomfort.

Carolyn S. described her experience. “During my first trimester, I was able to participate in all of the exercises although there would be days where I felt so tired that I appreciated being able to choose a modified version of the exercise.  I felt like I had plenty of energy during my second trimester.  On certain days when I was uncomfortable, Nancy quickly came up with another option for me to do that would allow me to continue training.”

Perhaps most important, Nancy cares for her expecting clients’ current emotional state. As Jill puts it, “Nancy understands when you break out in tears for no reason, and doesn’t hold it against you.” She makes sure to remind them that their bodies are changing in multiple ways to prepare for childbirth, that they may not be able to do the same exercises that they could before and encourages them not to get frustrated.

Nancy sounds like a proud mother when she talks about her clients who train throughout pregnancy. “Training when it is just you is difficult. We should all get a high five each day for making it happen. But when you are training while feeling morning sickness, or uncomfortable at nine months pregnant you deserve a double high five!”
***

Get Fit NH has been named Best Gym in Southern NH five consecutive times from 2010 to 2014, and Coach Nancy has been recognized as the Best of the Best Trainer 3 times during those years. Call 344-2651 today and request your no obligation Success Session to see if Get Fit NH is right for you.

Capture Your Now

Over the weekend I spent a little bit of time packing up my house. As many of you know I sold my home and will be moving to Nashua very soon (not to worry- I am not leaving the Get Fit NH family. You can’t get rid of me that easy!) Anyways as I was packing I came across a binder my mother kept for me while I was in boot camp. She saved every single letter I wrote her all the way from day 1 through day 80. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that she saved these letters. It was funny (now) to relive some of those memories.

Letters/journals are funny like that. They capture the “now”. They capture exactly what you are feeling and how you are feeling and what is making you feel that way. As I read these letters I honestly revisited some of those emotions. At first all of the letters were sad filled with expressions like why did I do this, what was I thinking, I am going to fail, time is dragging, I don’t understand….then the next month the emotions eased up a little. Expressions like I am starting to understand, I really like _____, I need to work on ______, I killed it on _____ and then last month there were hardly any letters, but the ones that I did write were all positive filled with stories about what we did that day and what kind of events were coming up.

So what is the purpose of me sharing this with you?

This can be applied to any goal. My goal was to earn the title Marine.

Was it easy? Heck no!

Was it an emotional roller coaster? Absolutely

Did I learn a lot about myself? Yes

Did I GIVE UP? NO!

If I gave up then, I can assure you I wouldn’t be writing this today and you need to think about your life in the same way. Set a goal today and get excited to share your story. All of those emotions apply. At first it is hard- really hard- but it does get “easier.” By easier I mean you fall in to a routine. You know what works for you. You strive to get better because you know how far you’ve already come. Keep a journal if it helps. Capture the moments and look back on it. You’ll realize on those days that your feeling weak that it is not worth going back.

-Coach Meagan

I Am Stressed Out (but doing something about it)

Yeah, like that’s different from anyone else in this world (the stress part anyway).

What is different is that you, like me, can do something about.

Stress is a fact of life. In fact you need some stress in order to live and thrive. What you don’t need is the excess stress that causes so many health problems.

Too much stress and you are just inviting overtraining, injuries, and illness. “Come on in Mr. Cold/Virus/Muscle Pull (or worse)”.

And that is where measuring HRV comes in.

HRV, or Heart Rate Variability, is something that most people outside of geeky training circles probably haven’t heard of, but I assure you it won’t be long before you will.

Having used Joel Jamieson’s BioForce HRV myself over the past year, and with some of our coaches and clients over the last few months, I assure you there is good reason for all the noise.

The research on HRV is massive, some of which you can reference at the end of this article. For a cool overview of exactly what HRV is and why it matters, check this article out – http://www.8weeksout.com/2011/12/05/heart-rate-variability-research-review/

Why am I so excited about HRV and what it can do for you our student?

Consider this:

What if there was a quick, easy, and totally non-invasive way to measure your stress and fatigue levels, and your readiness to train, in only 2.5 minutes a day?

What if there was a way to know if you should crank it up as hard as you should go in the gym today, or back off? If that 8 or 10 miles you ran or 30 miles you biked caused excessive fatigue, or if it is all systems go?

What if there was a way to know if you were doing the right things outside of the gym (The Other 165) to make sure you are getting the best results in the gym and all that hard work is actually working for you? If you could see how your stress levels, sleep and/or nutrition are affecting not only your training, but your overall health?

Sounds too good to be true?

Well from a coaches perspective this is amazing stuff. Because while we are constantly striving to write the best training programs for your goals, that’s not the whole picture. Proper recovery from that training is where the magic happens. Only when we can recover properly and apply the training stimulus again at the right time can we make maximum progress. That’s what recovery weeks are all about. Making sure that we don’t push our training to the point where we over-train, which can take many weeks to recover from.

While we can measure many things in the gym – body comp, power, speed and strength for instance – to a large extent measuring recovery has always been a guess. A highly educated guess to be sure, but as a coach who always wants to see my clients get better faster and maximize progress, having a way to know for sure you are ready to train is the holy grail!

But not so fast you say. I am not training for the Olympics for crying out loud. Is this something that really benefits me, the person who just wants to lose a few pounds, not hurt, and be healthy?

So glad you asked!

Because evidence is showing this same short daily assessment is also shown to be a marker of:

• Systemic Inflammation
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Alzheimer ’s disease
• Metabolic Dysfunction
• Diabetes
• And others

It can also show the effect that sleep quality, job and life stress, excess body fat and depression may be having on the development of disease and your overall health.

You don’t have to take my word for it. At the bottom of this post I have referenced a number of studies and journals that have and are examining the evidence.

My experience with HRV

I am what you call an early adopter. When something new comes out in the realm of training and there is evidence it can help me get better, I am there. Such was the case with BioForce HRV. I first picked it up about 18 months ago and tested it out. It was cool for me to utilize, but what I really wanted was to get into the hands of our clients – now that would be cool! If we could see on a daily basis your readiness to train and adjust accordingly – THAT would be the bomb.

Fast forward to April of this year, when the news came out that BioForce had developed the software platform to do exactly that. BioForce was going to certify 100 trainers nationwide, teach them how to properly use the system and interpret the results, and keep on the cutting edge of training research and technology. I promptly applied, was accepted, and finished my certification in May. Since that time we have been testing the system internally, and just a few weeks ago started getting it into the hands of our clients.

Here’s what a couple of Get Fit NH’s BioForce HRV users have to say:

“My HRV score continues to both fascinate and help me work smarter toward my goal of running a full marathon. Over the last few weeks I have become more aware of how much nutrition, sleep, and training load play in recovery and how my body feels and adapts.   I have watched my HRV score improve with cleaner eating and more sleep.  This in turn has given me more energy to attend Get Fit 4 days a week and keep up with my marathon training.  HRV has enabled my coaches and I to make more informed decisions about my training to keep me healthy and injury free.  My long runs have become a little easier, I am pushing myself more in class, and my clothes fit a lot better.” – Becky

“Bioforce HRV has helped me gain an understanding of how factors like sleep, stress and nutrition impact my readiness to train.  By providing a daily indicator that reflects all of these, I am better able to decide when it is best to train and when it is better to back off.  Having this knowledge has also challenged me to focus things like sleeping and reducing stress to ensure I am ready to train.  For the past month, it has helped me avoid injury and improve my fitness while training for a marathon and continuing at Get Fit NH.” – Jayne

So where do you fit in?

HRV is the real deal guys. I predict that within a short time HRV is going to play a huge role in the predicting and management of disease. My goal is to have every student of Get Fit NH using HRV to manage their stress and help us to make better training decisions together.

If you are ready to get going please contact me personally and we can talk about how HRV fits into your training plan and how to get started.

Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

HRV Research & Studies

You may need the vagus nerve to understand pathophysiology and to treat diseases
http://www.clinsci.org/cs/122/0323/1220323.pdf

Color Run 2014

On Saturday October 11th Get Fit NH is headed over to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to get colorful! The Color Run is coming to Loudon and we have a team ready for you to join, Our start time will be 10 AM.

We always have a great time when NHMS sponsors these events, and seeing as we are now the “Official Gym of New Hampshire Motor Speedway” we want to make our presence known!

. This is a great 5K for the entire family. You can walk it, run it, skip it…..whatever! Big kids and little kids – oh and adults too- can enjoy this event. Go in looking plain and come out with pzazz!

Here is the link to join our team. Please make sure you let us know you joined and we’ll give you the top secret meeting location 😉 Our team name is Get Fit NH!

-Coach Meagan

Don’t hog all the exercise for yourself- get your dog in on it too!

On Saturday October 4th for the first time in Get Fit NH history we’re getting together the WHOLE family- spouse, kids, AND furbabies.  Let’s get together to enjoy the foliage and those last moments of bare sidewalks and cool breeze. It won’t be long before the snow disturbs the peace again (can you tell this is Coach Meagan writing?) so let’s take advantage of it!

We will be walking about a 5K. If your pup is a little older and unable to do that right now- come join us for half! I’m sure Fluffy will appreciate the exercise. If you don’t have a dog- you can still come and if you want I can lend you one of mine (it might be a great reminder why you don’t have dogs!)

Don’t be afraid to invite your friends and their dogs. We welcome all!

Date: Saturday October 4, 2014
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: Get Fit NH Concord parking lot

Hope to see you there!