Archived Newsletters
Powder Blue Productions Monthly Update
October 2005
- Spousal Support
- PiYo™ Pose of the Month: Pilates Rollup
- Presenter of the Year, 2005
- Instructor Tips: You Are a Fitness Professional
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-
Spousal Support
Married
10 years , I know firsthand the importance of a supportive spouse. I’ve listened
to the stories of clients and friends whose partners are, shall we say, less
than supportive of their fitness goals and even fitness careers. The result is
sometimes an unhealthy dichotomy of sabotage and passive aggressive behaviors.
Even if your partner's interest in fitness or support of your healthy resolve
leaves much to be desired, by consistently trying a kinder approach,
persistence, and a health dose of patience, you can find the support you crave
and improve your partnership in the process.
Author Gordon Livingston, M.D, “Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart” writes, “Nobody wants to be told what to do. How are we inclined to react when told what to do? For most of us, resentment progressing to obstinacy is the most common response. Whether our refusal is overt (“Not going to do it”) or passive-aggressive (“I forgot”), the result is commonly frustration all around. Get over your anger from last week, last month or the comment that stuck with you from 1998. Get over it. Ask yourself this question, “Do I want to be right, or do I want to be happy?” If the answer is “happy”, swallow your stubborn pride and try an approach that is guaranteed to work, if you’re brave enough to try it.
For one week try the R.A.G. The R.A.G technique asks you to put aside negative feelings and behave and speak in a way that overflows with respect, appreciation and gratitude, irregardless of the size of the gesture.
This is going to sound scary to some. Baby steps. Here are 5 simple phrases to start with when when cultivating the interpersonal support you need to reach your health and fitness goals and bring you closer in the process:
1. "I couldn't do this without you!" Recently a friend of mine told me how she threatened her husband so that she could go to the gym. She told him, “If you don’t want me to be in a really bad mood, you need to watch the kids so I can get a work out in.” Let your partner know how important their help and support is to you. Everyone wants to feel needed. Why not try, “It means a lot to me that you do things like watching the kids so that I can fit a workout into my day. I couldn’t do this without you.”
2. "Want to work out with me?" Even if the likelihood of it happening is slim, frequently invite your partner to join you. Let him or her to pick the workout and you might just get a 'yes'. Instructors, spend a week teaching your significant other the steps or routine that you teach. Give them the confidence and attention you would any new student. Make your partner feel important. Explain, “I’ve been talking about you to everyone at the gym and I would love for them to meet you.”
3. "Thank you!" Express your appreciation for even the smallest gesture that helps you reach your goal, even if it's just keeping the kids busy so you can work on choreography, lift free weights or take a mind clearing run.
4. "Wanna get busy?" Even if your partner doesn't share your healthy resolve, you both profit from your commitment. Communicate the mutual benefits of fitness, including improved energy, a boost in self-esteem, a tighter body, better health, and yes, better sex! You’re both more likely to be in the mood for romance if you’re feeling good about your health and fitness.
5. "Let's make a deal." Don't expect your partner to abruptly change his/her dining habits because you do. No one likes to be forced into doing something or told what to do. Make a deal. Offer to do something nice (or even naughty) in exchange for his/her promise to "eat in for the next 10 days." For more fitness and health tips, visit www.turbokick.com
...Chalene -
PiYo™ Pose of the Month: Pilates Rollup:
Sit
in a neutral position with the legs extended. Keep the pelvis and lower body
stable by squeezing your thighs and buttocks together as you curve your spine
down and up in a fluid, rhythmic sequence. Extend the arms in front at shoulder
level. Inhale to roll back by posteriorly rotating the pelvis onto the mat.
Emphasize articulating the spine one vertebra at a time onto the mat beginning
with the lumbar spine. Exhale to continue rolling the thoracic and cervical
spine onto the mat as. The arms remain at shoulder level until the head rests on
the mat. Next, extend the arms overhead. Inhale to lengthen the back of the neck
and float the arms to the ceiling. Exhale to roll up by flexing the spine,
creating a C curve. Use “scoop abs” to roll up and not your neck and shoulders.
Keep your feet flexed as if you are pushing your feet into a wall with your
heels secured on the floor throughout the movement.
Benefits
• Strengthens the core
• Stabilizes pelvis
• Spinal articulation
Variations
Leg and arm variations will challenge your control, muscular strength and endurance. Draw the shoulders down away from your ears to release tension out of the neck. Remember to inhale to prepare and exhale as you execute the move. Use Pilates Breaths as you inhale and expand the ribs posteriorly (to the back) and laterally (to the sides) and use forced expiration as you exhale through the mouth.
• Elevated Arms: This variation adds a challenge to the exercise by the arm levers being further away from your center resulting in added resistance. Raise arms to extend up overhead shoulder width apart as you perform the Roll Up. Be mindful of drawing the shoulders down away from the ears to alleviate tension out of the neck.
• Angel Arms: Roll down the same as you would in a traditional Roll Up. As you reach the bottom, avoid letting the head and shoulders rest on the mat. Keep the shoulder blades lifted off the mat with arms reaching toward legs. Then slowly circle the arms out and around (like angel arms) where you can see them in your peripheral vision. (Seeing the arms the entire time assists in keeping your ribs “knitted” to the top of the abdominal wall.) Avoid using arms for momentum through the “sticky” point. Use the deep abdominal muscles or assist by bending your knees and aiding with your arms on the backs of your thighs.
• One Leg Lifted: For an added challenge and progression, offer a version of the traditional Roll Up with one leg lifted just one inch off of the floor. This should only be performed if control and integrity of movement is maintained. Alternate legs.
• Half Roll: Sit in a neutral position with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Seal thighs together. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll back slowly stopping at the “sticky” point where your abdominals shake. Hold. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll slowly back up as you think of drawing your navel in an upward. Lengthen spine at the top to neutral position.
Arms: Extended out in front at shoulder level, elbows crossed at chest or holding behind thighs.
• Half Roll with Rotation: Sit in a neutral position with knees bent and feet flat on floor. Seal thighs together. Arms extended out in front at shoulder level. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll back slowly stopping at the “sticky” point where your abdominals shake. Bend the right elbow as you rotate and look toward back right corner of room. Inhale to prepare, exhale as you roll slowly back up as you think of drawing your navel in an upward. Lengthen spine at the top to neutral position.
Extra Tip
Continue cuing the group to visualize placing each vertebra onto the mat one at a time as they scoop the abdominals in and upward.
Modification
Perform the Roll Up with bent knees and feet flat on floor. In addition, assist by gently holding onto your thighs if needed.
- Presenter of the Year, 2005:
Powder Blue Productions is pleased to announce Mindy Robison as Presenter of the Year!
Mindy exceeds the level of excellence and professionalism we ask all of our area promotions director to strive for. A married mother of one, Mindy finds the time to care for her family and represent Powder Blue Production in Texas, Louisiana and Okalahoma areas.
“My personal experience with being an APD/Presenter has been an unbelievable. I simply love working for this company, touching lives of others, mentoring, wanting to better myself and being humbled,” voices Mindy. “My experiences this year have been answers to my prayers, offering an outlet and use of my ‘weird gifts’ from God. Working as a Presenter is like a dream! Thank you Chalene, Bret and Christine and all our awesome PB team. I have made some awesome friends and I am so thankful to be part of this company.”
As a treasured representative for Turbo Kick™, PiYo™ and Turbo Jam™, Mindy a special individual who is admired by all those who cross her path. She’s kind, funny, humble, warm, talented and genuinely interested in seeing others do well.
In addition to her role as a presenter and Area Promotions Director, Mindy finds time to teach 11 classes a week and personal train in Texas. As a special part of Powder Blue Productions, Mindy can be found at many special events such as IDEA Fitness World, 24 Hour Fitness Group Xpeditions and Presenter Camp 2005. Mindy’s smile lights up the room. She is beautiful from the inside out. It’s not surprising that BeachBody chose to feature her story in Chalene’s Turbo Jam™ infomercial as well as ask her to appear in nearly every Turbo Jam consumer video.
Mindy is a rare individual with the unique characteristic of truly caring for people and the talent to take her far in our industry. We are blessed to call her part of the Powder Blue family.
Congratulations Mindy! Thank you for sharing your special “gifts” with us.
- Instructor Tips: You Are a Fitness Professional
You are a fitness professional. Be proud of this accomplishment. You have taken workshops, earned certifications, read, studied, practiced countless hours and the list goes on. You are a leader in this industry, whether you work full-time in fitness or teach one class a week after your 12-hour day fighting crime. People watch you, other instructors may judge you and your members want to be you. What impression are you giving them?
1. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Your body language, clothes, and your hair tells a story. What story do you want to tell when you take the stage?
• Smile. You want to be there. You are happy to be there. No matter the day you had. Your members are there for you. Give them your all.
• Throw away or pack up for Halloween the pink thong and the white tights. Update your wardrobe. Get spunky. Have fun! Teaching is a performance, look the part. Try some slimming Jazz Pants, fun Cargos or a new Tank.
• Be confident. You are in charge. If you miss the top of the phrase, your CD skips, you forget the next part in the choreography; laugh it off, deal with it and move on. Don’t apologize. Recognize the situation, recoup and finish your fabulous, fun class.
2. Actions speak louder than words. How do you treat others and the company you work for? How do you treat them when they are not around to see?
• Smile harder when the microphone is broken, the air conditioning/heating is not right, the instructor before you ends class late again, club management wants to delay the start of your class to make announcements, etc.
• Smile even harder when a member brings an issue to you. If it is about you, put the ego in the trash and see if there is some tidbit of truth. We can all improve in one area or another. If it is about club policies or conditions, listen and let them know you will communicate the information to a corporate decision maker. You can even let them know who that person is.
• Earth shattering smiles when company policies change. Roll with the punches; go with the flow. Change is inevitable and we must learn to adapt.
• Remember, what goes around comes around. You may be standing in line at the local coffee house, complaining about the new fitness program at such and such club. Guess what? The person that helped write the program is probably standing right behind you. How do you think they feel? Constructive criticism is OK, but be positive, offer solutions and options (through appropriate chain of command).
3. Stay current. Go to workshops and certifications; update your choreography and music often.
• Have you been teaching the same series of poses for months? Get some new PiYo™ lessons.
• Have you been teaching the same Round for months? Get a new Round.
• Teach PiYo™ or Turbo Kick™ but not the other? Get well rounded. Balance your teaching like you would balance your workouts. Try something new. Sign-up for an Instructor Training coming to your area and make yourself more marketable.
Thanks for your support! We need you. We appreciate your business and we will do whatever it takes to keep you happy!
Best regards,
Chalene Johnson
Powder Blue Productions
1.800.315.2505
www.turbokick.com
