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By smartworkoutmidtown, on January 24th, 2012% The New Year at Smart Workout comes with new and exciting Services for you.
THE PILATES PACKAGE
Pilates Lovers, this package is for you!
It consists of 5 Private Session on the Pilates Reformer, and 5 Small Group Reformer Classes, all for just $425!
NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING
This is a series of 6 private counseling sessions, which educate and motivate, to help you make healthy food choices, and enable you to stick to your diet plan.
Nutritional education helps you identify exactly what you are eating, what the right amount is for you, how to read food labels, and building the right meals for your body and weight loss goals.
Motivational counseling address the underlying factors of stress, emotional eating, trigger foods and social situation which can undermine efforts to reach weight loss goals.
Smart Workout’s program is personalized, and gives you the tools you need for true, sustainable weight loss. The nutrition counseling program is administered by a Certified Health Counselor, and costs just $650 for 6 private sessions!
If you’re ready to really take on those New Year’s Resolutions, one of these packages may be the answer!
By smartworkoutmidtown, on November 18th, 2011%  Thanksgiving is clearly a holiday centered around food. Working in this industry, I know plently of my cleints will try to “just work out more.” But is that really effective? I think only putting in a few extra minutes on the treadmill is an easy way to let the holiday weight gain bug bite you. Here are some of my favorite tips around eating for holidays like Thanksgiving:
1.) Become the Queen of the Kitchen: Even if cooking is not one of your favorite or most successful things you do, there are way that even if you do not cook, you can get into the kitchen and help control what is going on the dinner table for your Thanksgiving feast. If a family member is doing the cooking, suggest you try one or two new recipes this year that are little more healthy. For example, we switch out recipes in my family for healthy vegetables every year. This way we are able to add some variety and try out new things for the Holiday! If you have absolutely no say, bring a healthy appetizer- raw vegetables with a healthy dip, fresh fruit, low-oil bruschetta. Anything that you can personally contribute to control what you are eating, rather than relying on others to determine every morsel you put in your body, can help you stay focused on keeping this a healthy holiday.
2.) Go miniature size: Do you really want the potatoes au gratin? What about the sausage stuffing? Is the apple pie is something you cannot possible wait to have? WEll, I’m here to tell you can have it all! If you take a miniature or bite-size portion of the high-fat items (think of things with a lot of butter, oil, high saturated fat meats like sausage) and go big on healthier options like steamed veggies, white meat turkey with a teaspoon of gravy, then you will be able to have a taste of what you want without going overboard. This way you feel happy and satisfied without having to undo a notch in the belt.
3.) Move it: Most likely this holiday will have you sitting and eating; sitting in front of the television eating appetizers while our waiting for the turkey to finish, sitting down to eat dinner, sitting to enjoy dessert and coffee. Try to set a goal of never sitting for more than 25 minutes at a time. There are plenty of ways to move without making it feel like you are doing a workout- chase your grandkids or nieces and nephews around, help do the dishes and put things away, take one of the family dogs for a walk, even trying to get out for a game of football or charades will get the body moving. Trying all of these things will keep you active without really thinking about how to do so. Trust me, you’ll be amazed at how a little moving goes a long way!
4.) Keep stress at bay: The secret weight control killer around the holidays is something you may not expect; stress. Yes, it can be stressful if you are in charge of any kind of family planning or cooking or organizing, or if a new significant other is meeting the family, or your in-laws are staying and driving you crazy. However, stress in the body can have an adverse affect on your adrenal glands and actually aide in weight gain. Stress can also cause many different chronic issues for the body as well. What do I usually suggest? Finding something that you can use to relieve the stress in your life – whether it be a type of exercise like Yoga or Pilates, journal writing, reading or watching a goofy movie. I actually tell clients to do this MORE during stressful times. It doesn’t have to be for long- take a 10 minute break as many times as you need to relax and do one thing that makes you happy and free of stress. It can truly work wonders for the body!
Most of all, spend this Thanksgiving holiday looking at all the things you can appreciate in your life. After all that is what life is all about. Take some time to do something good for yourself and great for others. Be thankful that you have the opportunity to enjoy life!
-written by Sandi Partyka, CHC
By smartworkoutmidtown, on November 5th, 2011%  This Sunday, November 6, around 47, 000 athletes will be running through the streets of NYC for the annual ING NYC Marathon.
While running something like the NYC Marathon is a huge accomplishment, full of sweat, blisters, and hours of training, we still think that even if you’re not a runner, you can still work out like one!
There are particular key exercises that every runner should be incorporating either into their training, on their rest days, or in the off season to keep them strong, flexible, and consistant. However, even if you’re not a runner, these exercises are great for EVERYONE.
Here’s your cheat sheet:
1.) Interval Training. Cross training is huge for Runners because it keeps their endurance up and cardiovascular stamina strong. One thing runners tend to like is Spinning.
This form of exercise is great for runners for many reasons. For one, it works key muscles of the lower body like the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes, which all are necessary to strengthen for runners. It’s also great for the cardiovascular endurance work in the class, not just for runners, but for everyone. Indoor cycling has really become a popular trend in the fitness world, with boutique cycling-only studios popping up all over the country. Places like Smart Workout have spinning classes that feature a smaller group training atmosphere, in relation to some of the other studios where you might encounter a larger group of about 20-35 spinners.
2.) Pilates. Pilates, especially using the Reformer, is a great exercise, especially for runners. Because Pilates focuses on core strength, stability, and lengthening the muscles, it is a fantastic compliment to running. Since repetitive endurance exerice like running, spinning, and tennis use the muscles in a way that deals with the same motion consistantly working the muscles in an endurance atmosphere, Pilates can really help counter the tightness and overuse that some people who exercise in this way may feel. Core strength is also key for any exercise like running wheere the core is used to stabilize the body (and that’s most exercise!). Pilates Reformer classes epecially will give you a total body workout with the focus on the core.
3.) TRX. A suspension training system like TRX is another great total body workout, in particular for runners. TRX also has a great emphasis on core strength throughout the workout because you are in a slight incline position for most exercises. TRX workouts also focus on balance and coordination, and for many people this is an area when it comes to exercise either needed or neglected. In particular, for runners this workout is fantastic because there is a great focus on the lower body with keeping tension off of the joints and improving upper body strength all at the same.
All of us here at Smart Workout would like to congratulate those of you running in the NYC Marathon tomorrow and would like to encourage all of you, runner or novice, to take one of the great classes mentioned above!
-written by Sandi Partyka, Senior Fitness Assistant
By smartworkoutmidtown, on April 14th, 2011% For prospective Pilates professionals, Smart Workout is proud to offer its premier instructor training and certification program, for Mat protocol, and the use of the Pilates Reformer machine. Our training classes are limited to a maximum of 8 people, ensuring a level of attention to our participants, that is optimal and personalized.
The program consists of 54 hours of class instruction given over 4 weekends (8 days), from 12:30pm to 7:30pm on Saturdays; 12:00pm to 6:00pm on Sundays. The dates for the next class are June 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26th. Additional hours are required for teacher observation (12), self mastery (33), and apprentice (37).
We welcome you to take a free Reformer class with one of Smart Workout’s instructors prior to submitting a registration application.
To find out more about Smart Workout’s Pilates Certification Program, please visit us at http://www.smartworkout.net/pilatesinstructorcertificationnyc/pilatesreformerandmat.htm or call 212 661 1660.
By smartworkoutmidtown, on February 9th, 2011%  Sitting behind a desk, staring at a computer screen for 8-10 hours each day can be extremely taxing on your body. People in these types of “desk jobs” in particular, tend to have postural problems and muscular weaknesses. These peolple also suffer from lower back pain which can be due to tight hip flexors.
Pilates can be a great way to both strengthen and stretch these agonized muscles. Pilates can also be a wonderful way to correct muscular deficiencies that effect posture.
By doing a few exercises each day, some of which can even be done while working, can significantly improve these cubicle induced ailments. Here are some things to try:
The Mermaid: Sitting at your desk in your chair, place one hand on the arm rest and raise the other arm straight up reaching for the ceiling. Sitting up tall on your sit bones, reach the hand that is toward the ceiling up and over, bending your body to the side, toward the hand on that it resting on the arm rest. The body should be arched like a rainbow over the side of your chair. Hold this position, while breathing through it, for about 10 seconds. Then, slowly, come back to the starting position. Repeat twice and then switch to the other side.
Superman: Lying down on the floor with your stomach on the floor, engage your abdominals. Taking a deep breath to begin, scoop your belly button into your spine, and slowly lift your upper body toward the ceiling. Hold this position for about 5 seconds, then melt everything back into the floor. Repeat 5-10 times.
Twisting Barber Poll: Sitting tall on the floor, with your legs straight out in front of you, sit up tall toward the ceiling. Place each arm to the side, and twist toward the right side, twisting 3 times on that side and returning to center. Repeat on the left. Continue with this alternation about 10 times, each time twisting deeper into the spine and exhaling on each twist.
Hip Stretch: Lunge on the floor with one leg bent at the knee slightly in front of the body and the other straightened behind the body. Slowly drop the hips toward the front leg to stretch the hip of the back leg. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat twice. Then replicate this motion on the other side.
-By Gillian Rinaldo, Senior Fitness Assistant, Certified Group Fitness and Pilates Instructor.
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What is Smart Workout? Smart Workout is a gym in midtown Manhattan, NYC, specializing in personal training, small group exercise classes, and Weight Loss programs. Smart Workout also offers all-inclusive vacations for fitness and weight loss, set against the rich cultural background of New York City.
FREE PASS OFFER
Enjoy a FREE Personal Training or 3 small group classes, (must all be taken on the same day). Simply fill in your name and email below, and we will send a free pass to you.
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