The Core of the Matter

There’s been a lot of focus in the past few years about core strength and what its importance is. Core exercises train the muscles in your pelvis; lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony. This leads to better balance, strength and stability. Your torso is the center of your body’s power, so the stronger you are in this area, the better off you will be.

When we talk about core, we’re referring to the deepest muscles, those closest to the spine. These muscles include the Transversus Abdominis and the Internal Obliques on the anterior side and the Multifidus and Quadratus Lumborum on the posterior side. They stabilize the pelvis, lower back and spine and they provided support to the internal organs by pulling the belly in.

The biggest trend in the fitness industry is focusing on the body as a whole, rather than separate muscle groups. This type of training is found everywhere from Yoga and Pilates to BOSU balls and Wobble Boards.

Any exercise that involves the use of your abdominal and back muscles in coordinated fashion counts as a core exercise. A bridge is a classic core exercise. Lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your back in a neutral position, not arched and not pressed into the floor. Avoid tilting your hips. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Raise your hips off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold the position for as long as you can without breaking your form.

Your core muscles are the center of your body’s universe. Learn to treat them well! 

Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club Awards CHHS West $500

CHHRC’s Teen Fitness Connection A Summer Success

Cherry Hill High School West Awarded $500

Pictured from left to right: John Piacentino, Fitness Director, CHHRC; Eleanor Stofman, President, CHEF; Susan Bastnagel, First Vice President, CHEF; Brian Kosa, General Manager, CHHRC; Stacy Covelli, Programs Director, CHHRC.

To combat current trends of obesity and lack of activity in American teens, Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club (CHHRC) once again opened its doors to local teens as part of its annual program, the Teen Fitness Connection.

As a partner with the Cherry Hill Township Mayor’s Wellness Campaign, the program began on July 1, 2013 and ended on August 31, 2013. Local teens aged 12-17 were offered a complimentary membership. Teens could utilize all fitness equipment as well as participate in CHHRC’s popular Group Exercise classes. As part of their membership agreement, teens were able to check into the club any weekday morning and leave by 4:30 pm each day, and at any time on Saturday and Sunday.

NEW for summer 2013, we offered an incentive for Cherry Hill students attending East, West, Beck, Carusi, and Rosa.  For every child that joined the program and utilized their membership 16 times (2 x per week,) CHHRC would donate $20 to the Cherry Hill Education Foundation (CHEF) for that child’s Phys. Ed department, on behalf of that child!  Also, an additional GRAND PRIZE of $250 would be awarded to the Cherry Hill school Phys. Ed. department (via CHEF) with the most kids that enrolled, activated, and utilized their memberships during the span of our 2013 Teen Fitness Connection.  *The base qualifier for a school was a minimum of 20 teens for a school to qualify for the $250 prize.

The winner of this year’s GRAND PRIZE is Cherry Hill High School West, with a total number of 22 students enrolled in the Teen Fitness Connection program. A whopping 184 teens from throughout the local area participated in the program, and 40% of participants averaged one visit a week or more!

The Teen Fitness Connection program is part of a continuous effort by CHHRC to expose kids to healthy lifestyles and to change the direction of teen fitness and health in our community. “Our club staff is extremely excited about this community teen program. Our hope is for teens to get active every summer, and continue to experience the health benefits of exercise year-round.” states CHHRC General Manager Brian Kosa.  “With the support of the CHEF, we plan to increase our involvement from the Cherry Hill schools, and tap into our teachers, administration, and counselors to motivate our teens and get the word out.”

For more information about the program at CHHRC, call the club at 856-429-1388, or to pre-register, log on to http://chhrc.com/teenfitness

Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club (CHHRC) is a family oriented health club that is dedicated to providing the best sports programs and fitness services to the South Jersey area. We pride ourselves in our ability to motivate & retain members, our excellent customer service, and our commitment to the entire family. For more information, visit www.chhrc.com.

The Cherry Hill Education Foundation (CHEF) was founded as a response to the national challenge to keep our young people well equipped and productive in an increasingly competitive, complex and changing world. Its purpose is to provide resources to enhance positive programs for students, while partnering with the schools and the community in the pursuit of excellence.

Don't let Thanksgiving stuff you all season!

Thanksgiving is a fantastic American holiday to stop and appreciate what we have, and to spend time with friends and loved ones. What’s not so fantastic, however, is that it seems to kick off a holiday season of rich, high calorie meals that last until New Year’s Day. Here’s why it’s even more important to push away from the table and not let that second helping become a regular event.

According to a 2010 study out of Linkoping University in Sweden, short term overeating can lead to long term weight gain. Researcher and PhD student, Asa Emersson, tracked 12 men and 6 women with an average age of 26, and a BMI (Body Mass Index) considered healthy, or less than 25. Study participants increased their caloric intake by a whopping 70% for four weeks -- mostly from fast food, or foods high in protein and saturated animal fat.  Participants did not increase their daily activity.

As you might imagine, the participants gained weight -- an average of 14 pounds -- during their four week binge. But what you might not guess is that 6 months after the group went back to a typical diet, the group had only lost about 50% of what they gained. Even a year later, the group still weighed more than where they began. What’s more, two and a half years after than 4 week binge, the body weight average of the group increased by 11 pounds. The control group, who did not binge, did not see an increase in body weight after two and a half years.

If you find yourself stuffed like your turkey this Thanksgiving, make the conscious decision not to overindulge for the rest of the weekend. The pounds you gain may remain long after it’s time to remove that holiday themed sweater!

Fitness Improves Children's Academics

It won’t be long before summer break is over and school is back in session. Parents are already buying supplies and clothes to get ready for the start of another school year. As households begin to shift from vacation mode to school routines and studies, new research suggests that children who are fit are not only healthier, but have an advantage when it comes to learning.

Do fitter children do better academically? They do according to researcher, Sudhish Srikanth, a student at the University of North Texas. Srikanth recently presented his findings to the American Psychological Association.

1,211 students were tested from five Texas middle schools. Researchers looked at each student’s academic self-concept -- how confident they were in their abilities to do well -- and took into account the student's socioeconomic status.

They knew these two factors would play a role in how well the students did, Srikanth says.

They took into account other influences such as social support, fitness and body composition. What they discovered matched what other studies have found – kids who are fit tend to do better academically than kids who are not fit.

The findings are considered preliminary since they have not undergone the “peer review” process. But other research suggests why fitness is so important, says researcher Trent Petrie, PhD, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas.

"Physical fitness is associated with improvements in memory, concentration, organization, and staying on task," he says.

For one to five months before the students took standardized reading and math tests, they answered questions about usual physical activity, their view of their school ability, their self-esteem and social support.

The researchers assessed the students' fitness. They used a variety of tests that looked at muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, aerobic capacity, and body composition.

Previous studies have found a link between fitness and improved school performance, Srikanth says. However, this new study also looked at several other potential influences.

For the boys, having social support was also related to better reading scores.

For the girls, a larger body-mass index was the only factor other than fitness that predicted better reading scores. The researchers are not sure why.

For both boys and girls, fitness levels were the only factors studied (besides socioeconomic status and self-concept) related to math scores.

Srikanth found an upward trend, with more fitness linked with better scores.

The new research reiterates that of James Sallis, PhD, distinguished professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego. A long-time researcher on physical fitness, he reviewed the findings.

"The mountain of evidence just got higher that active and fit kids perform better in school," he says.

The finding that fitness was related to both reading and math scores in both girls and boys is impressive, he says. "That's strong evidence."

"I hope this study convinces both parents and school administrators to increase and improve physical education, recess, classroom activity breaks, after-school physical activity and sports, and walk-to-school programs."

For about a decade now, PE classes and recess time have been disappearing from public school programs. Budget cuts and time restraints are often the reasons sited. Testing also seems to be one of the main reasons gym classes and play time have been reduced or eliminated. Some parents and caregivers take advantage of after-school fitness programs, but that option isn’t available or affordable for everyone.

So as schools move farther away from offering physical fitness programs, parents have to become more proactive in helping their kids stay active and fit. As it turns out, a fit body is not only good for the heart, but the head as well.

Source: http://children.webmd.com/news/20120803/fitter-kids-better-grades

The baby boom generation has redefined the 50-and-over lifestyle from one that’s simply meant for relaxing and enjoying later years to one resembling the pre-50 lifestyle. This generation simply wants to be active in their later years, but the only way to do this is by getting and staying in shape. Many health problems were traditionally attributed to the aging process, but studies have shown that some health problems in those over age 50 are actually a result of inactivity and neglect of the body.

According to the American Council on Exercise, being physically fit in your senior years will keep people healthier and active longer. So how can people who are over 50 years old get fit and stay in shape as a senior? As with any exercise regimen, they should check with their doctor prior to starting to ensure they are in a healthy state to begin exercising. Once getting doctor approval, they should consider some of these tips:

• Always join a reputable health club with certified staff and trainers.
• Choose a health club with experience with members over 50 years of age.
• Be sure the health coach or trainer gets their medical and family history before planning a fitness program, as well as inform him/her of any health concerns they may have.
• Make sure the health coach or trainer fully understands their personal health goals.
• Listen to what their body is telling them. If they feel any discomfort, pains, headache, or dizziness, slow down or stop.

If you are interested in learning more about living a healthy lifestyle after 50, contact Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club today. We have years of experience in fitness and wellness, and employ certified trainers with experience in helping members over 50 achieve their fitness goals.