We had 34 athletes step up and compete in the 2016 SkiErg World Sprints! We would like to recognize and congratulate everyone that competed! You all did AWESOME!

High five to all of these people who competed:

Special high fives to these people who placed in the top 20 in their age groups:

Women:

40-49

#3 Kathy Nourse 3:52.0

50-59
#17 Terri George 4:33.3
#20 Nancy Carlson 4:38.1

60-69
#17 Lyn Roberts 5:03.7
#18 Mary Davidson 5:11.0

Men:

60-69
#19 Tom Barker 3:59.4

Great job everyone!

This is a long overdue introduction of a very valuable member of the Get Fit NH Team. We are incredibly blessed to have Stephanie with us, and the "Coach" title is bestowed because of the coaching she does with our staff, and sometimes (most of the time?) we really need it. Wouldn't want to do it without you Steph!

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Cristina Kearns is hanging out in the spotlight this week and let me tell you it is WELL DESERVED. The dedication and determination this woman has is out of this world. Her positive attitude is contagious and her outbursts make the entire room smile. I am so thankful to have Cristina train with us. She busts her butt and accepts challenges with open arms. I asked Cristina to share her story, because she has recovered from not one but two back surgeries and I swear you wouldn't even know it. She gets here and frequently sees her name on the perfect attendance poster. She trains like she means it each and every day. Here is what she has to say...

Get Fit has made me STRONGER over the past four years! When I first started at Getfit I was obsessed with the number on the scale; it was not about being healthy it was about being skinny. Today, strong is the new skinny. Getfit has helped me change the way I think and I am so grateful. The amazing coaches at Getfit have also helped me through chronic back pain and recent back injuries.

I have had chronic back problems over fifteen years. I had my first back surgery 12 years ago. During that time in my life I was not exercising, I was making poor food choices and solely concentrating on what my two daughters and husband needed. I was putting my own health on the back burner and I only had myself to blame for that. By not taking care of me, my back problems continued- I was not maintaining a healthy weight, my core was weak and my flexibility was declining.

Fast forward to 2014. I was training for my first full marathon and also training at Getfit. My coaches were continuing to help me work on my core and I was learning the importance of breathing. Coach Meagan was encouraging me to get out of my comfort zone and I was lifting more I ever thought I could! In September, I started having sciatic nerve pain and lower back pain and I knew I was headed to very familiar territory. My training runs were getting longer and my pain was increasing. I was back and forth to the doctor and was being prescribed steroids. I was also reaching out to Coach Dean and Coach Meagan, desperate for their advice. Despite these setbacks, I made it to the finish line of the Chicago marathon in October!

However; the pain continued and after physical therapy, chiropractor visits and cortisone shots, in February, my surgeon decided that we needed to take the next step and decompress the nerve that was aggravating my back. The surgery was successful and the recovery was a long road, but Coach Meagan would check in frequently, letting me know she was thinking of me and rooting for me along the way. I took the summer off and returned to Getfit in August 2015. I had my FMS screening and returned with a wrist full of colorful bands; I modified everything! I knew I was in a place where I would get stronger and better; I was watched carefully and I was grateful for their watchful eyes. Thank you Getfit for your continued support, professionalism and encouragement. I look forward to getting up every day to attend my 5 am class; I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!

Thank you for brightening my day every morning! You are a true rockstar!
-Coach Meagan

I came across a buzzfeed link the other day that had quotes about life taken from the movie Fight Club, which is one of my favorite movies, if not my favorite. This was one of the quotes they talked about.

It’s a morbid question, I fully realize and understand that, but it certainly is a way to get us to stop and think about our path, and our past, present, and future. It is something that we can really use to reflect. There is a reason death leads people to change. There’s a reason why when a family member passes away or someone has a near death experience, often people suddenly change. Being reminded that life isn’t forever and the time we have is important often, unfortunately, is a message only heard after life ends.

You don’t need to think about yourself dying, how heartbroken others around you would be and the like. It’s just an exercise in self-reflection. If for some reason this was the end of the line for you, would you feel you accomplished everything you wanted to? Would you be upset that you worried to much about work? That you didn’t take care of yourself? That you kept pushing off getting healthier? Or that you didn’t take that trip you always wanted to go on? Maybe you let work bog you down, working insane hours to save money for things that we just end up not doing because of work, rinse and repeat.

Time isn’t promised to any of us. That’s why it is important to take care of yourself to make it last as long as possible. We take care of our bodies so that we are able to do everything we want to do and aren’t restricted because we can’t walk. We take care of our minds, continue to read, and express and absorb. We de-stress, and make time for the things that make us happy. We don’t keep putting our lives on hold because we are just “too busy”. 

So, I ask you to think about this question, reflect, and see what you discover.

-Coach Adam

Sam is pictured on the left.

Sam’s mom, Lori (who is also part of the Get Fit Family!), described the award: “The Coaches Award is given to the athlete(s) that show leadership, good work ethic, and being a team player both on and off the field”.

Sam and his brother have been a part of Athlete Academy for a while now, and watching them continue to grow (quite literally in Sam’s case) and progress has been awesome. The award Sam has eared is an important one because it shows how well-rounded the athlete is in all facets of the game, both on and off the field. Great job Sam and keep up the great work!

-Coach Adam

The jumpstart is in full blast. By this point you have survived the headaches and the exhaustion and you are headed toward feeling better with more energy - congratulations! Keep going! It will be worth it. Not only will it be worth FEELING better, but think about the possible prize sitting on the other side for you!

Speaking of prizes...there are some rules, right? You did your initial weigh in, but let us not forget about the FINAL weigh in. We need those weigh ins done by Monday November 21st. We will be compiling the results Tuesday so that we can give the prize away on our Wednesday training day. You can weigh in anytime the week before - just get it done! 

Keep making it happen, Coach Meagan

I am excited to introduce you to our newest Physical Preparation and Nutrition Coach, Kristen Chulada. We are looking forward to having Kristen help us grow our nutrition coaching services as well as be on the floor making you sweat. She will be working in both locations, so plan on meeting her soon. Please read about Kristen in her own words - Coach Dean

Strength training has endless benefits to your overall health and quality of life. One of the most appealing benefits that I think we can all agree on is that it helps us keep our independence. Strength training keeps us out of a walker for longer. It keeps us getting up and down off of the floor and gives us the energy to keep up with all those grandbabies! If that isn’t enough motivation to keep you training for life, then let’s chat about what does motivate you!

Here are 3 ways to advance your training to the next level:

1. Be Engaged

Coming in and going through the motions each day does not require a whole lot of effort. I assume if you’re here it is because you want to change something about yourself and get better. So what do I mean by be engaged? Pay attention to how much weight you are picking up. Pay attention to speed of movement. Count your reps. Be coachable. Ask questions and challenge yourself. If you want to see your body change, then you have to make it change.

2. Be Coachable

Again, assuming if you are here, then you want to be coached (that’s why you hired us, right?). So let us do that. If we push you to sink lower in your squat- don’t roll your eyes like we’re bullies! We’re coaches and we know if you’re getting in here then you want to make a change and we are responsible for holding you to that. Embrace the coaching- that’s what makes Get Fit NH different from any other gym in the area.

3. Be Smart

Did you know that you are a part of a SMART group training program? What makes us smart? The Functional Movement Screen. This is again one of the many things that makes Get Fit NH different than any other training program around. Look at the Functional Movement Screen as a measuring point. It gives you another way to measure improvement and be sure that you stay in the training game. I know some of you look at the bands as a punishment, but I promise they are what keeps us training you safe. Your coaches have bands too and there are exercises that are simply not appropriate for us too.

Keep making it happen,
Coach Meagan