Chia seeds have been used for hundreds of years by the Aztecs as their primary energy source.  But why are they so awesome?

They are:
- loaded with omega three fatty acids
- a vegan source of protein; two tablespoons have four grams of protein
- contain soluble fiber, which controls blood sugar and helps to lower cholesterol
- are a great source of antioxidants

Aim for two tablespoons per day. You can add chia seeds to your oatmeal, yogurt or a smoothie/protein shake. Try making a chia gel. Use one part chia seeds to nine parts liquid (water or juice), mix well and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the seeds to hydrate, then enjoy!

Kristin Burgess, GATC Registered Dietitian

Spring cleaning this month or upgrading your bike?  If so, then consider donating your used bike to Bicycles for Humanity, a local Colorado non-profit that ships bicycles to Namibia, Africa for aid workers, educators and residents to get better access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities.  Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club is the drop-off location on May 19, from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Greenwood is collaborating with Bicycles for Humanity and Wheat Ridge Cyclery to collect bicycles from the community to support this project.
Where:  Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club 5801 South Quebec Street, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
When: May 19
Time: 9:00am – 12:00pm
According to Nancy McCloskey, Greenwood’s Concierge, “We are excited to partner with Bicycles for Humanity and Wheat Ridge Cyclery in this effort. The people in our community are very generous and we know that this effort will be successful.”

ABOUT BICYCLES FOR HUMANITY (B4H) COLORADO
Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) Colorado is a non-profit organization based in Colorado that uses 100% of proceeds to address a fundamental barrier to Africa development – mobility. Poor transport systems mean poor access to healthcare, education and economic opportunities. Bicycles delivered through community-based bike shops provide sustainable mobility solutions for rural Africans.

Did you know that weight loss is 70% nutrition? If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t shed 5 pounds or 50 pounds, but are exercising, look at what you are putting in your mouth! It is a balance of exercising hard enough to increase your fitness level and smart enough to lose weight, and not replacing the calories you just burned with food.
Give yourself enough calories to maintain (or gain) muscle mass and not diminish your metabolic rate.
Kristin Burgess, Registered Dietitian and GATC Dietician

The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate activity per day because the benefits of physical activity go far beyond the scale!  Physical activity boosts mental wellness often relieving tension, stress, depression and anger.  Physical activity improves overall physical wellness including enhancing the immune system and reducing the risks associated with high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol.  Physical activity prolongs one’s optimal health and overall lifespan.  If that isn’t enough to get you moving, check out this partial list of health benefits and commit to get fit this spring:  exercise improves circulation; keeps weight under control; boosts energy; improves sleep; increases muscle strength and endurance; and reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke and many cancers. So what are you waiting for?
If you are just beginning an exercise program, recovering from an injury or a mature adult with restricted movement, check out our Level 1 classes.  If you are looking for a change or a new challenge, try our CVI or Spinning® classes.

CVI (Cardiovascular Intervals) is a group exercise class designed to increase your aerobic capacity (amount of oxygen going to your tissues), enhance your endurance, and basically make you more fit! New research has shown that by progressively increasing the time intervals at which we are anaerobic and aerobic, we can enhance our body’s way of increasing oxygen to our cells. Through time, one should be able to hold their anaerobic zones longer and increase their intensity at the aerobic zones.
By participating in CVI classes, one will see an increase in fat burning potential by losing weight, increased cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure and cholesterol and improved health of our peripheral arteries.
Below is a recent anonymous member testimony regarding GATC’s own CVI program:

“My most important New Year’s Resolution is to stick to the miracle of CVI, and I write now to thank the club for bringing CVI to me. During the past 3-4 months I’ve done CVI 3-5 times a week when I’ve been in town. There have been lots of interruptions for travel here and there, but when I’m here I go flat out for the 45 minutes it takes to get through a CVI class. And what has CVI done for me? It has dropped my diastolic blood pressure 20-30 points.
For the past 15 years or more I’ve taken a beta blocker and an ACE inhibitor every day.  Even so, normally when I go to the doctor, my diastolic pressure is somewhere between 120 and 130. Last week, when I went to my cardiologist, my blood pressure was 98/70 and this validated similar readings I’ve been getting at home on my own heart monitor.  As they told me at my doctor’s office, “Interval Training is the best thing you can do for your heart.”  My doctor has taken me off the beta blocker and I’m only taking an ACE inhibitor once a day. I’ve always worked out before my knees gave out, and I used to run 6-9 miles a day.  I’ve been a regular spinner and a swimmer, but no other aerobic activity has brought blood pressure results comparable to CVI.”
Gratefully Yours,
Anonymous 70 year old GATC Member

If you need to add a new twist to your workout routine, you should consider taking the Tap Class that is offered on Sundays from 10:15-11:15am in Studio 2. You don’t have to be a Shirley Temple or Gregory Hines to participate. Learn some new skills, get a good workout and have fun doing the class. Drop in fees are $12 for members and $17 for non-members.

Are you looking for a new innovative way to promote your own business or maybe an establishment you like to frequent? The Member Perks Directory is the perfect solution for you. For a nominal fee, the business or practice is published in our glossy printed directory, listed on our website, and featured on the lobby flat screen television. You also have the opportunity to set up a table in our lobby area a few times a year to meet and greet our members and promote your business or practice. Please contact Nancy at X335 or nancym@greenwoodatc.com for details. The entire process is simple, painless and effective. The deadline to be listed in the first printing for 2012 is January 20, 2012.

First, I’d like to start by saying how excited I am to join the Pilates Studio team at Greenwood Athletic and Tennis Club!  My name is Deidre and I would like to use this blog to introduce myself.  My philosophy is simple; to be precise and disciplined about how to move from your core while accommodating the unique aspects of each person’s body.  I truly believe that Pilates can change the way you move and how you feel. The benefits of Pilates are numerous; besides gaining a stronger and more flexible body, Pilates can change how you relate to your body in all aspects of your life.  Joseph Pilates believed that “physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness” and that “the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”  We are lucky enough to live near the gorgeous Colorado Rockies where skiing and snowboarding are currently underway!  Pilates is the perfect cross-training activity for you avid skiers and snowboarders.  By balancing muscles and improving flexibility and balance, you cannot only prevent common injuries but also improve your performance! After all, Pilates can help increase skier’s and snowboarder’s longevity for years to come.  Please contact me today and let’s get you strong and centered for the 2011-12 ski/snowboard season!

Deidre Stapen
303-770-2582 x397
deidres@greenwoodatc.com

Sarcopenia is the medical term for the loss of muscle mass and strength that typically occurs in aging adults. This loss of lean body mass often leads to lower functionality and lower quality of life. New research published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, however, reiterates the importance of resistance training to prevent the loss of lean muscle mass. Authors of the study aimed to review all of the recent literature to determine how different training programs affected people of different ages.

Researchers included data from 49 studies, evaluating a total of 1,328 patients over the age of 50, in this meta-analysis. After performing various statistical tests to ensure that results from different studies were compatible, they found that higher volume interventions (resistance training regimens that increased the volume of weight lifted progressively over time) were significantly more effective. Additionally, they found that programs were more effective is started earlier in life, presumably to prevent sarcopenia before it begins.

Peterson, et al. (2011). Influence of resistance exercise on lean body mass in aging adults: a meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 43(2), 249-258.
IHRSA Health eReview, volume 13, issue 1

Trying to find a great way to get back into weight training, sign up for the 2012 Fitness Challenge! See flyer or contact Vic at x339 for details.

Most public health experts say that healthy lifestyle habits, such as exercise and proper nutrition, must be started at a young age in order to be most effective later in life. However, until recently, there weren’t many studies that span decades and could prove this concept. Now, a new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise can. A 25-year long population-based study was conducted at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland to find out exactly what the relationship between childhood activity and exercise performed later in life, as an adult. Their results clearly show the importance of exercising as a teenager.

A total of 1,525 subjects were included in this study. At the onset, in 1976, subjects were between the ages of 12 and 18. At this time, five physical fitness tests were given to measure muscular fitness, agility and aerobic capacity, and self-reported measures of leisure time activity and planned exercise were obtained by questionnaire. A modified questionnaire was given again to the same group in 2001, when participants were 37 – 43 years old. Physical activity index, or amount, was averaged for both time points. Statistical tests showed that teenagers who were active were significantly more likely to be more active and physically fit as adults. Those who were inactive as teenagers were also more likely to be sedentary and overweight as adults.

Huotari, et al. (2011). Adolescent physical fitness and activity as predictors of adulthood activity. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29(11), 1135-1141.
IHRSA Health eReview, volume 13, issue 1

To get your kids moving at Greenwood, we started Cardio Kids, a program which encourages kids 9 and over to start doing cardio with you.  See flyer or contact Lisa at x284 for details.