Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Trick or Treat! Helpful Healthy Halloween Treat Ideas

By Katherine Tremblay BS, ACSM HFS & UVAC Personal Trainer


Carved orange stuffed with fruit 

Happy fall, Upper Valley Aquatic Center Members. Halloween is near! I'm sure you have seen loads of candy aisles at the local stores already, but did you know you can still treat your family and friends to yummy treats without heading into the tempting candy aisles? It's no trick!

Here are some not-so "health spooky" and yet tasty, fun treats to share with your little ones (and you!) this Halloween. 
Crackers, Nutella, Banana's, Dark Chocolate Chips, Jelly, Peanut Butter

Strawberries dunked in white chocolate

Clementines

Carved Apples with peanut butter and jelly, bananas and dark chocolate chips
 
Join us at UVAC for our annual Halloween Costume Parade!
Friday, October 31
Happy Haunting!














Thursday, October 9, 2014

Get the Most From Your Workout: Don’t Compete





I had an interesting conversation with a new member who is recovering from an injury and has been pushing himself so that he can be ahead of the recovery curve. He had gone a bit too aggressively which resulted in a minor relapse. He then missed almost two weeks of working out. 

That got me to thinking about competition and how it is not always a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, we have a very competitive UVAC Swim Team and Masters Swim Program and I love watching them race.  But I’m not addressing those of you who are into competitive sports. I’m talking about exercisers who feel the need to compare themselves against the person who is working out next to them. And then feel that they are somehow in a competition. You know who you are if you are on the treadmill at 4 MPH and a person gets on next to you, running at 5MPH, so you increase your speed to 5MPH also. So instead of running your last mile at a good pace for yourself, you gasp for breath and max out at about 2/10’s of a mile. Then you shut the treadmill off and then pretend that your workout is over. I’m a competitive person. I’ve found myself in similar situations. But I have learned that if I try to “compete” with the guy next to me or put the pin in the weight stack the same as the woman who was ahead of me I am asking for trouble.

Comparing yourself with someone else not only can lead to injury, but more commonly it leads to a sense of frustration and discouragement that could prevent you from making yourself healthier and stronger. Just like in the old wild west where there was always a faster gunfighter, there will always be people who are stronger or faster. Use your competitive streak to compete with yourself. Push a little to improve your strength and stamina, but in your own time. There’s no rush.

By Rich Synnott, UVAC Executive Director