Did you know that your attitude and your actions have a GIANT impact on the people around you? I am not just referring to your family, either.

If you are fired up and excited about something, I’ll betchya others will want to know what has you so excited. You did your first chin up- WHAT?! That’s a huge deal. People get excited for you and they are inspired by you. Wow - you can do a chin up? You are STRONG! That’s great. What a POSITIVE influence you are.

You are eating vegetables like they’re going to stop popping up from the ground and you’re drinking more water than a fish and you are feeling AMAZING! People want to know what the heck you’re doing and jump on that bandwagon. Your friends are like holy smokes - I’m ditchin’ the wine, pass me the H20!

But let’s turn the tables…

We’re setting goals in training and YOU roll your eyes at the vegetable theme that we have going on this month. You tell Sally Mae next to you, "Whatever, I don’t need someone to tell me to eat more vegetables."

You POISONED someone else. What if that person hasn’t had a veggie in weeks and they just needed that little kick in the pants to jump on the band wagon and you just mocked the thought of it. They don’t want you to see them put their name on the veggie board.

Words matter. Whether you want to believe it or not you have an effect on the people you around. Whether it’s at home, at work, at the gym or wherever. Your words mean something. None of us have arrived yet. We can all afford to be just a little bit better. So do yourself and others a favor and be positive. 365 days a year X 1% better every day is a transformation I’d love to see from everyone!

Make it happen,
Coach Meagan

Get the tissues out with this one. After reading this you will not be able to stay discouraged or no motivated. Debbie is the meaning of the word, ‘Determined’. I’m pretty sure that if you looked it up in the dictionary her picture would be there. With her determination she has increased the level of intensity in the whole room. I believe Debbie’s crew pushes harder because Debbie pushes so hard. Remember to grab a box of Kleenex.

Debbie on the left getting her I Survived shirt

“As a (3x) Cancer survivor and loss of my right leg from just above the knee down, my absolute biggest challenge would be to keep my motivation up and lose weight and be more mobile. After my last episode with Cancer which was in September of 2015, the cancer medicine that was prescribed to me to take on a daily basis would make me feel fatigued and increased my weight as a side effect. Goals would be set to focus on diet and exercise but I would always fail after the first day or two. All the healthy fruits and vegetables I would buy and intend to eat that week would end up going bad. As I was growing up I was never much of a vegetable eater. It was something I have always avoided.

After my last doctor’s appointment in January of this year I felt discouraged after seeing my weight on the scale at the doctor’s office. I felt the demons inside me were beating me up and at that time I decided to do something about it. This is the first time in my entire life I felt a change needed to be made to better myself.

After my workouts and eating the healthier foods, my weight has gone down. My energy level has gone up with a sense of highness. I feel more flexible and toned. The ability to just bend over without holding my breath has gone away. I have noticed and have received compliments that I have lost weight in my face. I can feel the change in my body every day.

If you need strength, encouragement, positive results and a better outlook on yourself, then Get Fit NH is the key. It’s not just a gym. It’s the positive atmosphere and encouragement from the coaches; I’ve also made new friends.

During my episodes of cancer I have always stayed positive and upbeat. I have never asked “why me”. With the love and support of family and friends it was all I needed to make it through. Since the time when I lost my leg people were always impressed with what I could do. I have been through many obstacles in my life and have not let any stop me from what I want to do. My motto is “Where there is a will, there is a way”. It is what I always say to myself.”

Debbie truly shines in the spotlight with a smile! Thank you Debbie for shining at Get Fit NH.

-Coach Nancy

I am writing this blog in hopes of explaining the importance of the white wristband that some of you may wear fashionably around your wrist. Although some of you know of an existing or previous shoulder condition that may be hindering your mobility and shoulder range of motion, many of you feel pain free and pressing overhead may not cause any uncomfortable sensations when performing that motion. Lots of factors come into play when performing our shoulder mobility test- the test checking to see if you should be wearing the corresponding white wristband. Don’t be ashamed and don’t become discouraged, as there are many ways to work your way out of this band and improve mobility in your upper body!

What is this band for?

• This test asses:
• Scapular mobility and thoracic spine flexibility
• Shoulder mobility in a combination of motions: internally rotate and adduct one shoulder while externally rotating and abducting the opposite shoulder
• Symmetry between left and right sides
• A red flag on this test is attributed to limited ROM or pain! Some of our red flags would include having slouched posture/ rounded shoulders – possibly from sitting in a chair all day (which can result in shortened latissimus dorsi and pectoral muscles), a previous injury and or scar tissue buildup, or having pain while performing the impingement test

What does this mean when it comes to exercise?

We want to be cautious of overhead exercises! The current status of limited shoulder mobility or shoulder pain can result in compensation by utilizing mobility of the spine to perform the exercise (which will then make for a very unhappy back over time!).

Examples of exercises not performed with a white band:

• Overhead pressing of any sort: with resistance bands, dumbbells, etc.

This is where becoming best friends with the two exercises listed below: Open Book and Quadruped Extension Rotation will be important. Also, remember to take warm up seriously on the training floor and focus on your breathing. Belly breathing is very important and helpful in order to unnecessary tension out of the shoulders and traps.

1. Open Book

Purpose: to improve mobility of the thoracic spine

How to perform it:

• Lie down on your side, bring your top leg forward and anchor it down on foam roller
• Stack both hands chest height
• Reach the top arm forward, slowly rotate the top arm back while following that hand with your eyes
• Slowly close it back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

2. Quadruped Extension Rotation

Purpose: to improve extension & rotation in the T-spine

How to perform it:

• Get onto all fours: hands and knees, and sit your bum back on your heels
• Slide your left elbow back so it is touching your left knee and place your right hand behind your head
• Begin with the right elbow touching the left elbow and then begin to slowly reach the right elbow up and back rotating at the thoracic spine (follow the elbow with the eyes)
• Slowly close back up

Repeat: 1 minute on each side

Don't do it: if you experience pain during the exercise

Happy stretching,
Coach Cari

In my last blog, I wrote about some of the dangers of overspecializing from a mechanical standpoint, like why it may actually hinder rather than help a child’s ability in a given sport. As a quick reminder, when I talk about over specializing, I mean having a young athlete do one sport, and only one sport, year round without ever being introduced to different movements or events.

Today I want to talk about the mental aspect, which is the high burnout factor that over specializing can lead to. You may not feel this way about everything, but as human beings we need change because change leads to growth. That growth can be physical or mental. When a child is put in the same sport, doing the same movements over and over and over again, without being exposed to something else, eventually that child will most likely become disinterested in the sport. Often times, they will quit entirely because they get sick of it.

Imagine you are fed nothing but chicken and rice every day, for every meal your entire childhood. What are you going to do the SECOND that you are given the option to stop eating it? You may never eat it again. Same thing can happen with kids and sports. Not only will they become sick of it, but even if they do keep playing they will never reach their full potential. Disinterest breeds disengagement, and a disengaged player will never reach their full potential.

Don’t create more burnout. There are already hundreds of thousands of adults my age who don’t move anymore because it got so stressful and so frustrating that it wasn’t worth it anymore and they stopped entirely. Don’t add to that statistic.

-Coach Adam

If you asked me to list reasons why I absolutely adore Evelyn I could truly go on and on. This woman is the life of the party. You cannot possibly have a bad day when Evelyn is in the room. She brightens the room with her smile and her humor fills the room with laughs and joy. I am thrilled to have her at the 6:45 class. We are definitely the lucky ones. Her willingness to be coached, have fun and lend a helping hand is admirable. Here is what she has to say...

First let me say how humbled I am that I was picked to be the spotlight. I started my journey with Get Fit in December of 2016. When I joined I was looking to help improve my strength and help tone my body. I have lost over a hundred pounds since 2012 yet I had only really focused on cardio and portion control of my meals. Once joining Get Fit I immediately felt the changes in my muscles. Not just because I felt sore after every workout, it was a good sore, it was a sore that you knew change was happening. I could see the definition and shape taking place in muscles I didn't know existed!! Not only was I seeing the changes but I was feeling them too. I feel stronger, and I have better balance. The group training has been great it keeps it fun! When your having fun, time flies by! Having people at all different fitness levels makes me feel so comfortable and not afraid to make the modifications that I need for any injuries that I have. The color band system is great, I love knowing that I'm pushed on exercises that I can be pushed and challenged on, and then watched and modified on those exercises that I shouldn't be pushing myself due to injury or other restrictions. I feel like all the coaches really take an interest in each and every student to know what's going on with them and make sure that everybody exercises safely. I also love the family like atmosphere. I may not know everyone's name ( I'm trying to! ) but it doesn't change the fact that we're all supportive and help one another through every class!I really am happy that I stumbled across this gym on Facebook. Ironically enough once I got there I found lots of people I know and are even related to that go there as well!! Personally I would recommend this gym to anyone and everyone because it doesn't matter if you're young, old, fit or unfit they will make the class fit you!! Thank you to all my 6:45pm class peeps, and Coaches Adam, Cari and Meagan for all your support and awesomeness! On 3.... 1,2,3. MAKE IT HAPPEN! ! WOO HOO! !​

You can feel her enthusiasm in her post above, can't you? I am grateful to have Evelyn train with us at 6:45. She brightens my day and those around her!

Keep making it happen,
Coach Meagan​

Foam rolling is something that is incorporated into a large majority of the warm-ups here at Get Fit, but I feel that the benefits and true importance don’t get touched upon enough! Foam rolling is a form of Self-Myofacial Release, which you can think of as mini massage for yourself (that you don’t need to make an appointment for) that will help you perform better during training and recover properly after!

I am hoping that once reading through this post, you obtain a better understanding as to why we do it and that you might even want to invest in a foam roller!

Benefits of foam rolling BEFORE training:

• Improved circulation of blood - resuming normal blood flow through your muscles through the pressure applied and helping to get better oxygen delivery to those muscles
• Releasing painful trigger points or knots in the muscle that may be hindering your movement patterns
• Decreasing muscle tightness and improving flexibility - rolling the muscles will help stretch and loosen the fascia that surrounds your muscles, helping many other structures move more freely, therefore increasing your ability to perform better!

Benefits of foam rolling AFTER training:

• Help decrease your recovery time - sore and fatigued muscles after a workout can be attributed to lactic acid buildup; as you roll those tired muscles, blood and nutrients flood the area to help your body to recover and remove waste products
• Keep your body less prone to injury - keeping structures throughout the body moving more easily will limit injury caused by restrictions

Helpful tips to remember: Take deep breaths, relax your body and the muscle being targeted, move slowly to gain awareness of trigger points, and apply pressure.

Time to get rolling,
Coach Cari

Mark your calendars for a schedule change and a family training opportunity! On Memorial Day we get together as one big happy family. This year we are combining our Memorial Day family training with   Training for a Cause! Brilliant, right? Memorial Day is about honoring our nations men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom so it just makes sense to take this opportunity to donate to Operation Hat Trick (OHT). For those of you who are not familiar with OHT they are dedicated to American service members as they recover from the visible and invisible wounds of war. They help them move past the traumas of battle so they can focus on their lives and families at home. Donations are appreciated. We especially love that all of the money raised stays in New Hampshire to help our own. So mark your calendar, dig out your red, white and blue and let’s have some fun while doing some good!

When: Monday, May 29, 2017 

Time: 8 AM - 9:15 AM

Location: Get Fit NH Concord 

Do you work for the University System of New Hampshire? Are you eligible for their fitness reimbursement program through Cigna?

If you are - today is your lucky day!

Get Fit NH is now an approved facility for the USNH fitness reimbursement program!

That is great news for you if you are a member of the USNH insurance program. Since Get Fit NH is now an approved facility, you win. We'll do the paperwork so you can use the insurance benefit they provide.

To start using your benefit on June 1, 2017, please:

• Contact Cigna to make sure you have this benefit as an employee of the USNH.
• Contact Stephanie at office@getfitnh.com by May 25th to get your paperwork started.