Since 1983 (the very same year that The Heartland Spa and Fitness Resort first opened its doors) individuals and organizations across the country have done their part to promote the tremendous benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle. And, The Heartland Spa is no exception!

Kim Onnen, far right, motivates guests during a spin class at The Heartland Spa and Fitness Resort.

When starting a fitness program, remember that tiny steps are better than no steps at all.

Gilman, Illinois (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Get up and get moving because May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! Since 1983 (the very same year that The Heartland Spa and Fitness Resort first opened its doors in Gilman, Illinois) individuals and organizations across the country have done their part to promote the tremendous benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle. And, The Heartland Spa is no exception!

“For the past 29 years, we’ve started each and every morning with a 2-mile walk,” says Kim Onnen, The Heartland Spa’s Assistant Director and Fitness Manager. “Rain or shine, we’re up and walking at 7:15 am, and our guests absolutely love it,” she says.

In addition to the walks, The Heartland Spa also offers a variety of exercise and fitness classes throughout the day including Yoga, Pilates, Zumba®, Body Sculpting, and much, much more. “We feature classes for all levels of fitness,” says Onnen. “While many of our guests have made exercise part of their lifestyle for years, there are just as many visitors who come to us in an effort to get started,” she says. “It’s wonderful to be part of their transformation as they quickly realize how much fun exercise can be!”

“We also have a state-of-the-art fitness center and an indoor heated swimming pool, which guests can use at their leisure,” she adds. “And, for those who prefer the great outdoors, we’ve got several bicycles and paddle boats, as well as designated walking paths with meditation stops around our lake.”

“Although everyone should be exercising at least 3-5 times per week to maintain a healthy lifestyle, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is a great reminder of how important it is to keep our bodies moving!”

In celebration of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Onnen offers some simple tips for those just getting started with a fitness routine.

Take Tiny Steps

Tiny steps are better than no steps at all. There is absolutely no need to over exert yourself or burn out on the first day! Begin with a short walk around the neighborhood, take a beginner’s stretch class, or participate in an introduction to free weights. Step it up from there as you get more comfortable and start building endurance.

Less is More

An exercise program doesn’t need to be extensive or elaborate, and there’s no need to join an expensive gym. Take a look at your lifestyle and you may discover easy ways to incorporate physical activity into your everyday routine. Consider walking to work or taking the stairs instead of an elevator. When grocery shopping or doing errands, park as far away from the entrance as possible. If you walk a dog, pick up the pace or walk an extra 10 minutes. Little changes can make a big difference!

Back to Basics

Technology is great, but it’s created a lazy society. If getting fit is the goal, think low-tech. Walk or ride a bike instead of hopping in the car, take the stairs instead of the escalator, mow the lawn with a push mower, get up from the sofa to change the television channel rather than reaching for the clicker. Calories are sure to be burned!

Find Good Role Models

If all of your friends are sedentary, then chances are you will be, too. But, if you surround yourself with those who make exercise part of their lives, then it will be easier for you to do the same. In this case, a bit of peer pressure can be a very good thing! Join a walking club or take class and you’ll see that physical fitness can be contagious when you’re in a group.

Set Weekly, Attainable Goals

Setting attainable and realistic goals is so important. Develop a game plan to go faster, farther or longer with your physical fitness routine. The goal can be as simple as taking a daily 15 minute walk or as serious as training for a marathon. Just decide what is attainable and realistic, and stick to it.

The Bottom Line

If exercise is at the bottom of the priority list, then you will never, ever reach your goals. You need to believe that exercise and physical fitness is important enough to make it happen. Be honest with yourself about what you really want and how committed you are to following through. If you want it, you can achieve it!

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Located in Gilman, Illinois (just 90 miles south of Chicago), and nestled on 32-acres of picturesque pastures and woods, the Heartland Spa and Fitness Resort is the Midwest’s premier health and fitness spa vacation. Once a dairy farm, this fully-equipped destination spa provides an unpretentious, welcoming and nurturing environment that motivates guests by demonstrating healthy living through a variety of fitness, nutrition and stress management programs. Praised by Oprah, and enjoyed by thousands of people throughout its 29 year history, The Heartland Spa offers a peaceful setting for guests to relax, unplug, and focus on their individual lifestyle goals. 2, 3 and 5 night packages are available for this award-winning, all-inclusive, health and fitness getaway. For more information, please visit http://www.heartlandspa.com or call 800-545-4853.

*Original press release.

WellBalance Health Score uses scientific research and proprietary algorithm to provide medical, emotional, and fitness health assessment score

Weight Loss Camp Teen Diet

“This WellBalance Health Score provides a simpler way to communicate the opportunity our participants have for better health,” commented John Gordon, CEO.

Asheville, NC (PRWEB) May 14, 2012

WellBalance fitness and weight loss health camps developed an innovative assessment model called the WellBalance Health Score to measure an individual’s medical, emotional, and fitness health. The WellBalance Health Score includes 18 various measures including weight, BMI, resting heart rate, timed mile, and emotional assessments.

“A person’s health is more than a number on a scale, and we were anxious to reinforce this to our weight loss campers and their families,” observed John Gordon, CEO of WellBalance, “This WellBalance Health Score provides a simpler way to communicate the opportunity our participants have for better health and more importantly to show our campers their amazing progress in improved health over a variety of health measures.”

A perfect WellBalance Health Score of 1000 means an individual is within the normative ranges for each of the eighteen measures, with each of these eighteen measures weighted differently based on that measure’s relative impact to a person’s overall wellbeing. The Health Score not only provides an initial overall score but can be utilized to demonstrate a person’s progress towards better physical or emotional health.

“Having spoken to thousands of families over the years about their health, I believe having one overall Health Score is incredibly useful,” stated Dr. Gary Curran, Chief Medical Officer of WellBalance who helped develop the measurement, “The WellBalance Health Score can help people understand which areas of their health need improvement and as the individual works on their health this same Health Score can demonstrate progress.”

The scoring system algorithm of the WellBalance Health Score also factors in the relative difficulty of improvement as one nears their normative range. For instance, a weight loss camper at WellBalance who is close to the normative range and loses two pounds scores better than another individual who loses two pounds but has a greater amount of weight to lose to near the normative healthy range.

“There are so many factors that go into an individual’s overall good health, and very little understanding as to the degree of the issue, especially if an individual struggles in multiple different health measures,” continued Dr. Curran, “While a high BMI, for instance, can be a precursor to other health issues, adding in multiple other measures such as high resting heart rate and poor fitness levels can indicate even greater health risks. The WellBalance Health Score takes into account how the potentially cumulative degree of the individual’s health challenges.”

WellBalance provided weight loss campers from 2011 with their initial and final Health Score results from their stay in order to show the campers, their families, and their doctors their overall health improvements. This year WellBalance will use an expanded Health Score to reflect additional health measures.

“The WellBalance Health Score is a great tool for our weight loss camp families as well as other community partners interested in our scientifically based model,” stated Mr. Gordon, “It is a ever-changing and improving score that reflects our philosophy that ‘Healthy living is a journey, not a destination’.”

For more information about WellBalance weight loss camps, food and fitness boot camps, or the WellBalance Health Score, please visit http://www.WellBalance.com or call (800) 975-0435.

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WellBalance designed the ME Plan to Motivate & Educate on what medical research shows works for sustainable fitness, weight loss, and health success. Founded by professionals and guided by experts who have led some of the largest behavioral health, mental health, and treatment programs in the country, WellBalance is working to become the fitness and weight loss leader with a focus on improving an individual’s overall health. WellBalance developed the WellBalance Health Score© to rate a person’s overall medical, emotional, and fitness health status as well as show a person’s progress towards health norms. WellBalance operates adolescent summer camps, local programs, and fitness programs for adults. For additional information please visit http://www.wellbalance.com or call (800) 975-0435.

*Original press release.

1MR™ now contains new super powerful ingredient with a new look

1MR™ contains new super powerful ingredient with a new look

1MR™ will command presence now like never before.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) May 12, 2012

The evolution of science has afforded the masterminds behind 1MR™ (One More Rep), BPI Sports, the opportunity to release a stronger and better formula that contains an extremely concentrated dose of CNS Stimulants, Nitric Oxide Agonists (The PUMP), and Muscle Building Agents measured to support a great athletic response—without unnecessary broken down sugars that are almost always associated with these types of performance based products.

Recent activity generated by FDA involvement regarding DMAA presents a golden “once in a lifetime opportunity” for BPI to strengthen its already exponential growth in this Pre-Performance category. BPI’s current 1MR™ formula, as well as the new highly anticipated version, is completely free of this compound. Subsequently, BPI has from the very beginning been able to position itself as a market leader. With strengthening ongoing partnerships with the #1 retail giant GNC, online super store Bodybuilding.com and leading nutritional distributor Europa Sports Products, “we feel that 1MR™ will command presence now like never before”, said James Grage, Vice President of BPI Sports.

BPI Sports is now ramping up its efforts to promote 1MR™, the Original Ultra-Concentrated Pre-Workout formula. 1MR™ with an all new flavor profile that is second to none. Along with a new super powerful ingredient, 1MR™ will receive a minor facelift geared towards an all new, cleaner, sleeker appearance. 1MR™ is regarded as the most powerful Pre-Training powders on the planet. The company believes that this strong push of 1MR™ will lead to a stronger foothold in the sports nutrition industry. BPI Sports is without a doubt, the fastest growing sports nutrition brand in the country.

BPI Sports is an industry leader in sports nutrition with other popular products including BLOX™ Silk Amino Acids, A-HD™ Testosterone Booster and RoxyLean™ Weight Loss Formula.

Original press release.

The influences that are within our control are largely environmental such as pollution (eg; smoking) and sun damage.

Here are 20 easy ways to reduce wrinkles and slow down the aging process:

1.    Stop smoking (It’s #1 for a reason)
2.    Always wear sunscreen whether it’s cloudy or sunny and don’t sun bake.
3.    Hydrate your skin by drinking about 8 glasses of water a day.
4.    Use skin care products that contain antioxidants and AHA’s.
5.    Moisturize the skin on your face twice daily.
6.    Reduce stress. (Try reading, exercising, meditating) 15 minutes a day is a good start.
7.    Reduce alcohol consumption. Over indulging can put enormous strain on your system and will accelerate wrinkles forming.
8.    Eat healthily by incorporating plenty of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
9.    Sleep at least 8 hours every night.
10.   Eat fish three times a week. Great for the skin and general health.
11.   Check with your doctor about taking supplements, your diet may be lacking some of the important ones.
12.   Use an eye cream for the delicate skin around the eyes nightly.
13.   Facial scrubs remove the build up of dead cells that can increase the appearance of wrinkles, try this weekly.
14.   Use natural skin care products that will nourish your skin and give it lots of vitamins and minerals to help it stay fresh and healthy.
15.   Jojoba oil resembles the skins natural oils. Dab this around the eyes to keep wrinkles at bay.
16.   Take vitamin C supplements and use products that contain vitamin C, it will help boost your collagen.
17.   Start a good skin care routine in your 20’s. Prevention is easier than the cure.
18.   Honey is known worldwide for it’s beneficial abilities. Use a honey mask weekly. Simply apply the honey to your face and neck and leave for 30 minutes then rinse off. This mask will “feed” your skin with nutrients.
19.    Aloe Vera and Avocado oil both have the ability to prevent the skin from drying out; they are both used to improve the skins elasticity.
20.    A soothing way to help achieve a wrinkle-free face is to lie on your back with your knees elevated by placing a pillow or cushion beneath them.

Try this when you are watching TV or reading.

Here a 10 simple tips to help you with your fitness success:

1.   Get Moving.  Resolve to be active in a variety of physical activities on a regular basis that will develop strength, cardiovascular capacity and flexibility.

2.   Prime the Pump.  Resolve to participate in physical activities that involve the large muscle groups of the body.

3.   Let Your Muscles do the Work.  Resolve to lift weight or use resistant exercises to place demands and challenge your muscles.

4.   Loosen Up.  Resolve to stretch regularly – before and after or during exercise.  Remember to move your muscles through their full range of motion on a regular basis.

5.   Win the Losing Game.  Resolve to maintain your weight at an appropriate level.  If you need to lose weight, a general rule to follow is to eat less and exercise more (both in moderation).

6.   Watch What You Eat.  Resolve to eat a healthy diet.  Good nutrition equates to good health.  Good nutrition involves providing your body with the required nutrients in appropriate amounts.

7.   Chill Out.  Resolve to keep matters of your life in proper perspective.  Know what factors you can and cannot control in your life.  Don’t “stress out” over those things beyond your control.  See change as an opportunity, not a threat.

8.   Get Plenty of Rest.  Resolve to get enough sleep.  The basic guideline concerning how much sleep you need is whatever enables you to feel refreshed, alert and in relative good spirits the next day.  Sleep helps to rest and restore your body – both physically and mentally.

9.   Keep Your Focus on the Task at Hand.  Resolve to make time to exercise on a regular basis.  Consistency gets results.  Focus on the muscle you are exercising.  Don’t just go through the motions.

10. Keep in Mind that “There is no Free Lunch.”  Resolve to commit to sound lifestyle choices.  For example, don’t smoke.  Maintain an appropriate level of body fat.  Avoid the latest fitness and diet fads, magic potions and exercise gadgets that seem too good to be true (they always are).

Great news – putting your eye shadow on correctly really isn’t difficult at all. It really is just a matter of finding the right technique and look for you and your personal style. Don’t worry if it takes a few tries to get it right.

Check out these tips:

1. Always apply a base coat on your eyes just as you do to the rest of your face. Loose power works or you can apply your foundation to the eye area. It gives a nice even palette to work with.

2. Blend, blend, and then blend some more. I can’t stress this enough. Try an experiment. Blend one eye and then just use a brush and apply the other eye. You’ll instantly know what I’m talking about and you’ll never forget to blend again.

3. If you want dramatic eyes, take your eye shadow brush, dip it into water, and then into the shadow, then apply. It will give you a much deeper, dramatic color.

4. If you have blue eyes, wear purple, violet, taupe, gray, deep blue, and black. Funky colors include fuchsia, turquoise, and silver.

5. If you have green eyes, wear purple, plum, forest green, brown, and khaki. Funky colors include light green, gold, and bright purple.

6. If you have brown eyes, wear champagne, copper, brown, apricot, khaki, and beige. Funky colors include royal blue, tangerine, hand hot pink.

7. Everyone can wear navy, powder blue, and charcoal. Fun colors include silver.

8. Apply a lighter shadow in the inner corner of the eye to reflect and make your eyes look younger.

9. If you want your eyes to appear larger, use a light color on the inner corner, and a darker shade in the middle of the eye area.

10. Practice until you get the application of your eye shadow down to a science. When you get good, your make up will look more natural and more polished.

11. Apply your dark shadow only to the eyelids from the lash line to the crease in the eyelid. Apply your medium shadow from just below the eyelid crease to the brow bone.

12. Highlight along the brow bone. Doing it this way will make your features stand out naturally and beautifully.

So there you have it. With these top tips you now know how to apply your eye shadow so you will look your best.

Remember that while you’re practicing all these steps, that you should take notice of what works best for you. Practice by yourself, or practice with a friend if you find it easier to ask someone else’s opinion.

And one more thing. If you make your face more youthful looking with wrinkle creams that gives results, then any make up that you have will be so much more effective.

Whether you are going to be doing a cardio workout or a resistance workout, you should try to make it a point to eat a mix of carbohydrates and protein. What determines the percentage of carbohydrates and protein you should consume is whether you are doing cardio or resistance and the intensity level you will be working at.

The ideal time to eat your pre workout meal is 1 hour before you start. If you are working at a lower intensity level, keep this meal down to around 200 calories or so. If you are working at a higher intensity level, you may need this meal to be as high as 400 to 500 calories.

If you are doing a cardio session, you will need to eat a mix of around 2/3 carbohydrates and 1/3 protein. This will give you longer sustained energy from the extra carbs with enough protein to keep muscle from breaking down during your workout.

If you are doing a resistance session, you should eat a mix of around 1/3 carbohydrates and 2/3 protein. This will give you enough energy from the carbs to perform each set you do and the extra protein will help keep muscle breakdown to a minimum during your workout. It has been shown that your body most effectively uses protein during exertion meaning that taking in more protein before resistance workouts aids in faster recovery as well.

Now, eating after a workout is just as important as the pre workout meal. Remember that when you exercise whether it is a cardio or a resistance session, you deplete energy in the form of glycogen. Our brain and central nervous system relies on glycogen as their main source of fuel so if we don’t replace it after exercise, our bodies will begin to break down muscle tissue into amino acids, then convert them into usable fuel for the brain and central nervous system.

Also, mostly during resistance workouts, you break down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. This means that right after a workout; your muscles go into a repair mode. Proteins are the key macronutrient for muscle repair and so you don’t want muscle breaking down further to create fuel in place of lost glycogen.

If you have just finished a cardio session, you will need to consume mostly carbohydrates, preferably ones with high fiber. Oatmeal, rice, whole wheat pasta, and most northern fruits are good sources. Try to consume around 30 to 50 grams of these carbohydrates after a cardio session. After cardio, it is ok to eat within 5 to 10 minutes of completion.

If you have just finished a resistance session, you will need a combination of carbohydrates and protein. Because unlike cardio workouts, with resistance workouts you are breaking down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. The protein is needed to build up and repair these tears so the muscle can increase in size and strength. The carbs not only replace the lost muscle glycogen, but also help the protein get into our muscle cells so it can synthesize into structural protein, or muscle itself.

Chicken or fish with a potato, egg whites with a piece of fruit, or a protein shake with fruit mixed in are good meals after resistance workouts but remember to keep the fiber low here. High fiber slows down digestion, meaning the protein will take longer to reach the muscle cells.

After resistance, it is recommended to wait 30 minutes before eating so as not to take blood away from your muscles too soon. The blood in your muscles helps with the repair process by removing metabolic waste products from them.

Any fats should be consumed well before and well after exercise.

CALM gets it name from four main factors: Communication, Assist, Listen, and Modification. For the right Yoga teacher, you should be answering with a “yes” to all questions.

• Communication: Does your Yoga teacher talk to you, and other students, in a manner of mutual respect? Can you ask a question during class time?

Does your teacher show compassion for you and other students? Does your Yoga teacher take the time to lead you through a guided meditation or relaxation? Meditation and relaxation are major aspects of Yoga practice.

There are Yoga teachers who just want to get “their workout” done. Beware of Yoga teachers, who are so important, they don’t have time for you.

Some students love this air of superiority and, unfortunately, some people love abuse. If you want to learn Yoga, you need an open line of communication with your Yoga teacher.

• Assist: Does your teacher care about your form? Will your teacher give you a verbal or physical assist during your Yoga class? Are props encouraged in your Yoga classes?

Some students never have major problems with alignment and some do, but if your teacher doesn’t give verbal cues, what does that tell you?

• Listen: Does your Yoga teacher take the time to listen to your feedback? Is your teacher “in the moment” with the class?

Once in a while, there is a Yoga instructor who runs, “The-it’s-all-about-me-show.” You are not going to learn anything from this type of teaching. Beginners will be put at risk, trying to keep up with a seasoned Yoga teacher who doesn’t explain anything.

• Modification: Does your Yoga teacher allow modifications and props? If your teacher discourages props, you are in the wrong place.

Some students will need props for life depending upon their range of motion. Just because a teacher can do a posture without props, doesn’t mean every student can.

Summary: Stay away from abusive Yoga teachers, and if you are attracted to abuse, there is always professional help. Some students crave “the stern, but loving parent” types. They will push you harder, but how much pushing do you really need?

Respect is a two way street, and you deserve as much respect as your Yoga teacher does. Let common sense be your guide. You should feel good after a Yoga class, and you might even feel muscle soreness days after a vigorous class.

Make sure your Yoga teacher meets the above criteria before making a commitment.

1. Coconut oil doesn’t turn to fat in your body.

Unlike many other common oils, like soy (vegetable) and corn, coconut oil won’t make you fat. Coconut oil contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), which are an easy fuel for the body to burn, without turning to fat. Most other cooking oils and fats contain long-chain triglycerides (LCT). LCT’s are usually stored as fat. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is more easily absorbed and converted to energy quicker.

People in the tropics have relied on coconuts as a traditional staple in their diet for centuries. They consume large amounts of coconut oil every day. Instead of getting fatter, it helps them stay healthy, lean and trim. When they switch from coconut oil to our modern oils, they develop obesity and the health problems that our modern society faces.

Some other people who have known this truth for a long time are people who are in the animal feed business. When livestock are fed vegetable oils, they put on weight and produce more fatty meat. When they are fed coconut oil, they become very lean.

2. Coconut oil increases your metabolism.

Not only does coconut oil convert to energy quicker in your body, it increases your metabolism, which promotes weight loss. Because it boosts your metabolism, it helps your body burn fat more effectively.

Coconut oil may triple your calorie burn. Since coconut oil is a MCT, it is converted to energy so quickly that it creates a lot of heat. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, MCT’s burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than LCT’s.

The February 15, 2005 issue of Woman’s World magazine stated that coconut oil is the “underground high-metabolism secret.”

This is great news for people who have thyroid problems, since coconut oil improves sluggish thyroids by stimulating the production of extra thyroid hormones. Most other common oils, like vegetable (soy) and corn have been shown to inhibit thyroid function.

3. Coconut oil has omega 3 fatty acids.

Most cooking oils contain omega 6 fatty acids, something we get way too much of in the United States. Our omega 6 to omega 3 ratio should be 1:1 but it is more like 50:1. We need to drastically cut back our omega 6 oils and consume much more omega 3 oils to be healthy. And coconut oil is filled with these healthy omega 3 fatty acids.

4. Coconut oil gives you energy.

Because of the healthy omega 3 fatty acids and the fact that it increases the metabolism, most people that switch to coconut oil feel a burst of added energy in their daily life.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the body’s metabolism, producing energy.

This is because coconut oil is nature’s richest source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s), which increase metabolic rates and lead to weight loss. MCT’s promote thermogenesis, which increases the body’s metabolism, producing energy. Many people with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia have found that adding coconut and coconut oil to their diet was helpful to them.

5. One of the best things you can use on your skin and hair is coconut oil.

Coconut oil one of the best things you can apply directly on your skin and hair. It gives temporary relief to skin problems like rashes. It aids in healing and restoring skin to a younger appearance. It has also been known to help with people who suffer from yeast infections in the skin, as well as many other skin problems.

Not only does is soften and smooth your skin, coconut oil has antioxidant properties that protect the skin from free radical damage. Coconut oil makes excellent massage oil too.

6. Coconut oil has healthy benefits that most other oils do not.

Evidence is mounting that coconut oil has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-viral effects when both consumed and used topically on the skin.

Most oils oxidize and turn rancid very quickly causing free radical damage in our bodies. Coconut oil is not easily oxidized and does not cause harmful free radical damage like polyunsaturated vegetable oils. Free radical damage is thought to be responsible for many ailments in our body from arthritis to increased susceptibility to cancers.

Coconut oil also helps our bodies absorb other nutrients more effectively, such as Vitamin E.

7. Coconut oil is one of the best oils you can use for cooking.

It has a higher smoke point than olive oil, which means it can take higher temperatures better. There are several healthy omega 3 oils we can choose to consume, such as flax and olive oil, but they don’t do well under the high heat we use for cooking. Coconut oil can be used in higher cooking temperatures.

It is harder for coconut oil to go rancid, unlike other cooking oils, which are usually rancid long before you even bring them home. Rancid oils cause free radical damage in the body, which is a leading cause of cancer. Coconut oil is stable for over a year at room temperature.

Because of the misinformation we have been given for years, we have lost out on the healthy benefits that coconut oil has given the people of the tropics for centuries. But now it has been rediscovered! Coconut oil is so effective, it won’t be long before we see coconut oil supplements promoted, but you can get the jump on the popular crowd and start consuming and cooking with coconut oil today!