Fitness Coordinator

Saint Patrick, who lived during the fifth century, is the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people.

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated on March 17, the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick’s Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast–on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believed to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish culture: Perhaps the most well-known legend of St. Patrick is that he explained the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.

Click Here to see Fitness Tips for the Month of February!

Get Fit and Less Stressed

Depression, stress or anxiety can stagger your life immensely. Regardless of what causes it, it can make life seem dull or rip you of your motivation to do anything positive. The Covid-19 Pandemic restricted many people to their homes, and an environment of uncertainty and fear prevailed globally spreading the conditions of depression among people of all ages. Other than the pandemic, there are other life situations as well that cause anxiety and stress, like a drastic change of life after retirement, or heavy pressure at the workplace, or other life troubles.

Whatever the reason for your depression might be, you can always reduce anxiety with fitness. Keeping yourself in top-notch shape through workouts and exercise, you can not only keep your physical health in an optimal condition but render your mental health strong as well. Let us see how fitness helps reduce anxiety and fight off depression.

When you are fit and healthy, your body produces endorphins in a higher quantity. Endorphins are natural brain chemicals that make you feel good and provide you with an enhanced sense of well-being. Regular exercise and fitness for the body and mind offer many other psychological benefits as well including mood elevation, growth of self esteem and self- confidence, and a boost in brain functionality.

Depression and stress feed on negative thoughts. They tend to trigger loops of worrying notions in your head and try not to allow you to get away from them. When you are physically fit, you feel confident about yourself and take a positive approach to life. This rebuilding of self-efficacy helps your mind get off the repetitive cycle of gloom. A person with better fitness has less sensitivity towards anxiety and stress compared to an individual who is unfit.

The journey towards achieving fitness requires you to set goals. These goals are small and daily ones, as well as big ones that require a longer time to achieve. Setting these goals for yourself improves your willpower and accomplishing them boosts your self confidence. Getting and staying fit is a coping strategy that is positive and is naturally more uplifting than opting for trying to feel better through bad habits like over sleeping, over eating or self medicating. When you are fit you feel more in control of your life and therefore feel less stressed.

Join one of the many class offerings at the Faith Center. You will meet new people, you will challenge your mind and body and start your day, week and month feeling better and less stressed.

Get Back and Get Going

There have been many lifestyle changes during the pandemic but it is important not to let these changes affect your health and fitness regime. Now more than ever, it is important to get in shape and stay in shape to strengthen the heart, strengthen the lungs and to maintain and strengthen the immune system by routinely exercising.

Being in the habit of being housebound may restrict the needed movement and the inability to spend energy leading to the Covid “weight gain” and muscle weakness many of us are experiencing. The lack of movement and too much TV watching may also have had an impact on mental health as well as physical health. There is promising hope to make changes and improve— but it takes the attitude to “Get Back and Get Going” on a scheduled fitness and wellness program.

Exercise promotes the production of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin which are the “happy hormones” that create your feel good booster. Exercise helps alleviate the stress and anxiety and can provide relief from no socialization during the past year. Even more important, studies prove that exercise can reduce elements of frailty as it strengthens the immune system against many diseases.

With the many new fitness options currently available at the Faith Center, and the many new fitness options coming in 2022, take the step today to sign up and visit the class that is right for you to better your health.

One More Rep

Physical fitness includes concepts of health like nutrition, sleep cycles as well as skill related movements that equal an expenditure of energy. The movements can be planned like those in a group exercise class or they can be movements like house-keeping, yard work, chasing the grandchildren, walking the dog or playing recreational sports to name a few.

The bottom line is to remain active and repeat those movements often so the muscles recall what to do when needed. Park the car a little further, take an extra lap around the park, add one more repetition to whatever form of exercise you choose to increase and improve health.

Exercise is just a formal term for planned repetitive activities aimed to maintain and improve health and physical fitness. It should include cardio, strength, flexibility and mindful wellbeing.

The list of benefits from exercise is endless but includes many of the following:

• Increased blood flow to the heart
• Lowered cholesterol
• Increased lung capacity
• Reduction in risks to diseases like diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, obesity, and more
• Stress reduction
• Increased muscle mass
• Better balance

“Ageless confidence” to live the “Best of your life—the rest of your life.” Start slow and grow…. Add those few extra steps, add a few minutes to your cycle routine, or simply one more rep during your strength training session as a way to better your health.

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS WHO NEEDS IT??? WHAT IS IT???

Much like our cars, without regular maintenance over time we sputter, putz, and begin to break down. To answer the who needs it question— EVERYONE needs it, but many choose to avoid exercise, ignoring it and letting time and wear and tear slow the body mechanics.

Training the body to move efficiently by enhancing working relationships between the nervous and muscular systems, will keep your body running for years to come. The term used in fitness is “Functional Training” which is different from the drills and hard-core exercises done by professional athletes.

Functional Fitness is the “oil” for your joints, the “tire rotation” for your balance, stability and strength, along with the “RPM’s” to achieve all activities performed at your very best top speed.

By using a variety of exercises to improve energy, speed , agility, and balance, weekly functional training is your “gas” to get up and go in a way that provides less risk of injuries in activities of daily living.

So, “Ladies and Gentlemen—- Start your engines” and join us weekly at Faith Center fitness fun. There are programs available for every ability both seated and standing.

Not sure which class is best for your wellness plan? Feel free to visit the Faith Center front office for a brief consultation.

Fun Fact- “Water is mentioned 722 times in the Bible, more often than faith, hope, prayer and worship.”

Quench your thirst by drinking half the amount of your body weight in ounces daily. It may seem like Noah’s flood at first; however, get a pitcher, fill it, and see how far you get in a day. Day two, try to improve from day 1 and so on until you can consume the needed amount to regulate your heart rate, carry nutrients to your cells, normalize blood pressure, cushion joints, aid in digestion, flush out sickness and much more. As we mature we lose the sensation of thirst and can easily unknowingly de-hydrate. Water is essential to life so drink up, feel more energy, and be thankful for all of the benefits it provides for your health.

The old adage “if the shoe fits, wear it” is a good plan when choosing what shoes to wear for fitness classes as well as daily activities.

A two year study done on people over the age of seventy showed most falls occurred when people were barefoot, wearing slippers or socks with no shoes.

There are many common, “shoe mistakes” that can create concerns at any age, not just falling but concerns for joint trouble, painful ankles and feet, back issues and poor posture to name a few. Often, unsuspectingly, a shoe will break down inside before even beginning to look worn out which can be harmful to your health.

Shoes do not have to be expensive to be good, but should provide arch support, wide toe box, and a snug but comfortable fit. Fitness shoes have different purposes and need to be selected for the activity. Some provide more stability in their design if balance is a concern. If the heel or other part of the tread is worn, like a flat tire, it is time to replace your favorite slip-ons so that you remain safe in all of your daily activities.

How do you define well-being and does your well-being include exercise?  The dictionary defines well-being as, ”the state of being comfortable, healthy and happy,” leading us to be our best version of yourself.

There are multiple studies proving exercise to be healthy and when you are healthy, you are happy; however, can exercise be comfortable?

The answer is a strong, YES!  This statement totally voids our common belief of, “NO PAIN, NO GAIN”.  The key to starting a comfortable exercise program is talking to your physician, understanding your needs, and making a plan just like you would for a Friday night dinner party.  For some it may be sitting, standing and balance and for others it may be high intensity stress relief.  We all have an individual starting point and a slow journey to condition our bodies.  It is not overnight but a step by step process to grow and to be better each day.

All areas of well-being for personal health include: emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual and physical.

As your new Faith Center Coordinator, I look forward to having fun together on your fitness journey for better health and better well being.