It’s almost here!  Don’t wait any longer.  Sign up today, HURRY!!!!

The MissFIT Team has planned a fantastic hour of fitness.  No, not wine and cheese this time.  Get ready to try something that gets you moving, is out of your box, and will stretch your mind and muscles.

Class will include three 20 minute workouts. 

1.   To start we will kick it into high gear with a heart pumping Boot Camp workout.  Shannon will lead us though a series of  invigorating and new ways to get strong and fit.  It will be awesome and you will not even realize you are exercising because  it’s so much fun.

2.  Debi has planned an strength and conditioning Outdoor Interval workout that will leave you strong and pumped!  You know you’ve been wanting to get ready to show off your arms and legs this summer.  Why not let Debi get you ready?

3.  Lastly, Katie will show you how her Active Outdoor Yoga can be relaxing and calming following a fabulous workout.  She will keep you flowing thru the poses and prepare your amazing body for your next challenge.

To reward you for your putting forth  your best effort, we will have some MissFIT Morsels to help you refuel your beautiful body.  So what are you waiting for.  The class is open to all so bring a friend, daughter, neighbor, even your husband or significant other! 

Here are the details:

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Rain date: June 13, 2012

Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Libertyville, IL

6:00-7:00pm  Arrive as early as 5:30 to check in.

Cost: $30

Call MissFIT today at 847-775-0076 or email us at info@missfitcomplete.com to register.

If this class is just what you have been looking for then wait no longer. 

Introducing the MissFIT Fresh Air Fitness 6 week Class

Fresh Air Fitness Outdoor Intervals

Wednesdays at 6:16-7:15pm at Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Libertyville

Meeting Dates are: 6/13, 6/20, 6/27, 7/11, 7/18, 7/25  (no class on 7/4)

Cost: $90

You have probably heard your Mom’s voice in your ear “Sit up Straight”.  You may not have listened to everything she told you, but that is one you should have.  In today’s world, it’s not as easy as it sounds.  Especially with the amount of time some of you spend sitting at a desk working on your computer.  Just like I am as I write this post.

Many people have desk set ups that aren’t conducive to good posture, because of that, a few things start to happen when they get tired. Their head drops forward as they stare at the screen, the upper part of their back hunches over and their shoulders move forward because they’re continually reaching their arms up and out. 

Prevent Long-Term Damage

Poor posture at work can lead to exaggerated lordosis (curvature of the lower back) or kyphosis (also known as “hunchback”).  Eventually our bodies become accustomed to those deficiencies, and we’ll adopt that incorrect posture even after we leave our desk.  With exaggerated kyphosis (curvature in our upper spine) our muscles between our shoulder blades will become longer and weaker to their counterparts, the chest muscles. This causes an imbalance causing the scapulae to be pulled forward (protracted), adding to the “hunchback” posture and issues that go with it.

If you don’t change those deficiencies, it will most likely get worse or increase their chance of injury.

When you aren’t moving efficiently, it makes your activities of daily living more difficult and inhibits movement when you’re working out.  If your weight is distributed evenly and your spine is neutral, you’ll feel more in control of your body and be able to move more freely.

Solve It with Movement

Correcting postural deviations caused by your desk-bound enviornment should be the first obstacle you tackle in a training regimen. Get started with these 4 movements:

Prisoner Rotations – Start in a kneeling position and interlock hands behind the head without pulling head forward. Engage core muscles to stabilize lumbar spine. Exhale and rotate arms to the right until a point of resistance is reached (no bouncing or rotating the hips). Hold for 15 seconds and then laterally flex the trunk, pointing the right elbow toward the floor. Hold for 5 seconds, and then return to upright position. Laterally flex in the opposite direction before returning to upright position and allowing the trunk to rotate further into the movement. Perform 2-4 repetitions on each side to promote thoracic spine mobility in the transverse plane.

Bird Dog – Start in a hands and knees position on a mat, with knees underneath hips and the crease of wrists underneath shoulders, fingers pointing forward. Engage core, keep spine in a neutral position and avoid sagging hips. Lengthen left leg, engage quadricep, and lift your left leg off the floor until parallel with the mat. Do not lift above hip height. Slowly raise and straighten right arm so that it’s parallel with the floor and head is aligned with spine. Do not allow shoulders to tilt upward. Shoulders and hips should stay square or parallel to the mat throughout exercise. Hold for no more than 7 seconds, then slowly lower back to starting position.

Table-Top Kneeling Lat Stretch – Kneel facing a low table, couch or chair, bending forward to place both extended arms on the object (rest forearms). Engage core to stabilize spine and prevent lordosis. Start with arms internally rotated, thumbs pointing inward. Exhale and gently collapse trunk and head toward the floor, maintaining a neutral spine while externally rotating the arms. Hold for 15 seconds, and then perform a series of slow anterior and posterior pelvic tilts. Relax and repeat 2-4 times.

Shoulder Packing– Start lying on the back with knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on floor, aligning the anterior superior iliac spine with knee and second toe. Position arms at sides of trunk with palms facing upward. Engage core to stabilize lumbar spine. Exhale and perform 2-4 repetitions of scapular depression and scapular retraction, holding each for 5-10 seconds. Using passive assistance from the opposite arm, gently push down on the shoulder without losing lumbar stability. Hold for 15-60 seconds. Relax and repeat 2-4 times on each shoulder.

Get started today to erase the negative effects of sitting at your desk or computer all day.  Even if  your job does not involve this work hazard, these are easy exercises to do every day.  We all spend too much time working with our hands and arms reaching in front of us, so we are all at risk. 

Just say to yourself “Stand up Straight”!

Be Fit!

Peggy

Lindsay Polite

Education

Bachelor of Science in Special Education from Illinois State University, 2003

Certifications in Deaf/Hard of Hearing

Learning Behavior Specialist

Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision: Type 75 from National Louis University, 2007

Registered Yoga Teacher 200 hours with Yoga Alliance, 2011

Hi everyone! I am excited to be a part of the wonderful MissFIT team, as physical fitness has always been a huge component of my life. As my parents will attest, I started running at 9 months and haven’t stopped since! I have always enjoyed outdoor activities: running, swimming, biking, etc. and for a large portion of my life, I played softball. In high school, I also began coaching young girls in softball, and ran skill related clinics and taught private lessons. As I began playing softball less competitively, I began to focus more on coaching, and keeping up my fitness by running, swimming, and taking group classes (step aerobics, kickboxing, etc).

In 2004, I began my career as a Special Educator at Deerfield High School, and coached in the softball program for 7 years.

In 2007, my husband exposed me to yoga, and I fell in love with it! It was a perfect balance to my running, and it calmed my mind after a stressful day of work and coaching. I found that yoga truly balances strength and flexibility, and because it’s all about your own personal journey, it can be individualized to fit each person’s health and fitness needs. In the fall of 2010, I decided to pursue teaching training, and it has been one of the best decisions I ever made. Because yoga teacher training had such a significant impact on me, I decide to take a break from coaching and pursue a life of balance. I truly feel blessed to share yoga with others, and in turn, have students share their yoga with me!

My husband Adam and I grew up in the Libertyville area, and currently live in Gurnee, IL. We enjoy traveling the world (Thailand this summer!), cooking & eating (I believe healthy food should taste amazing!), learning new languages, laughing, listening to live music, spending time with friends and family, and living life to the fullest!

In honor of Physical Fitnss Month, I thought I would share with you some ways we here at MissFIT stay fit!  Yes, we don’t just talk about it, we live it!  Fitness is our lives.  We get in a good workout most days.  You have read in this blog way you can keep fitness in your lives, so here is how we do it. 

I’m going to ask the trainers to comment on this post with ways they are currently getting their workouts into their busy lives.  Yes, we are professionals, wives, mothers and daughters with very much on our plates, but we MUST get our workouts in.  We know the positive benefits and wouldn’t miss it on most days. 

Here is what I have done lately.  Ssunday, yes on Mother’s Day, with 15 relatives coming for dinner, I took my dog and we ran our loop around McDonald Woods Forest Preserve.  It was a great way to let him work off some energy before the party started!  Last night my husband and I got on the bikes and rode down to Rollins Savanna on the bike trails.  Lucky for me, there are plenty of leftovers from Mother’s Day dinner (one of the benefits of being the hostess), so preparing dinner did not take long.  Anyway, who can sit inside on a beautiful evening like that?

One of my favorite trail in the north woods - Washburn Trail

Today will be a  weight training day.  I’ll go in the basement and do a good upper body workout.  Amy tells me that is what those of us on the MissFIT Dirty Girl Team need to focus on!  Oh, yea, have you signed up to join our Dirty Girl Team yet?  The race is on July 1st at the Lake County Fair Grounds.  Go to http://missfitcomplete.com/blog/2012/05/09/missfit-dirty-girl/  for details on how to join us. 

On Wednesday, I get to do Yoga with Lindsay, our newest member of the MissFIT Team.  I am new to the practice of yoga, and am really enjoying the MissFIT yoga class.  During the summer months I plan on getting to as many MissFIT Pilates classes that will be taught by Lory.  Stay tuned to the blog for the details of the class. 

Ok, trainers  now it’s your turn.  Leave a comment at the bottom of the page and tell us what you fit into your busy life.  And readers, we would like to hear from you too!

MissFIT Fresh Air Fitness Challenge 

Enjoy fresh air and beautiful outdoor spaces as you get FIT!

What better way to invigorate your body than with an outdoor fitness program.

    Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Rain date: June 13, 2012

Arrive at 5:30 for registration.  Class from 6:00pm – 7:00pm

Independence Grove Forest Preserve, Libertyville, IL

Cost: $30

Pre-Registration Required

 Class will include 3 Outdoor Workout Experiences and samples of MissFIT Morsels

¶         Backyard Boot Camp

¶         Outside Intervals

¶         Active Outdoor Yoga

Get inspired to workout with nature and MissFIT this summer!

Call to reserve your space  847-775-0076   www.missfitcomplete.com 

MissFIT Complete offers customized, convenient & complete in-home fitness services for women.