Free National Parks Week!

Thanks to The Outside Blog for the info!

Beginning April 16th, America's national parks are free. Saturday marks the beginning of National Parks Week, a week-long (April 16-24) celebration of America's 394 national parks, according to the National Park Service.
This year's focus is "Healthy Parks, Healthy People" and the role national parks play in the vital connection between human and environmental health.
Running congruent with the 2011 National Parks Week is the National Parks Project, a partnership between Nature Valley and celebrity Josh Holloway ("James Sawyer" on Lost) that aims to raise up to $500,000 to help preserve some the 84.4 million acres of park which are visited by 300 million people annually.
“At Nature Valley, we believe that our national parks help unite Americans with their love for nature and the outdoors – and we often need to be reminded to slow down and take it all in,” said Scott Baldwin, marketing manager for Nature Valley. “With the support of Josh Holloway, consumers and the NPCA, the National Parks Project will help ensure our national parks can be enjoyed for years to come.”
The 2011 project will focus preservation efforts on Joshua Tree National Park, Acadia National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park, among others.
National park conservancy began in earnest in 1916, when the National Park Service Organic Act passed. It granted the government power to preserve land for the express purpose of conserving scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Legislation would eventually give the president executive power to protect national land, unchallenged. Today, the parks protect everything from Lincoln's childhood home, remnants of ancient civilizations, countless battlefields, and some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain in the country.
Highlights of this year's National Park Week celebrations include volunteer day on April 16th, National Junior Ranger Day at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, a quiet walk through Muir Woods to celebrate John Muir's birthday, and many more.
Not sure which park to head to? Check out our Adventure Adviser for the Five Must-do National Park Experiences and be sure to check out our ten tips for finding adventure in the parks.
--Ali Taylor Lange

10 Morning Mood Boosters!

I have never been a 'morning person'.  If I had my way, I'd probably go to bed around midnight and sleep till about 9 AM!  Unfortunately, I don't get to do that every day, so I need a little help waking myself up in the morning.  I loved these suggestions to get myself moving, feeling alert, awake, and at my best!  

Do you have any secrets to help yourself feel ready to start your day?  Please share in the comments!

10 Morning Mood Boosters

Guarantee a better day by starting your a.m. off right with these easy tricks

By Tori Rodriguez Posted December 09, 2010 from WomansDay.com

1. Pick one “spoil-me” task to do.

Have you ever noticed that what happens during the morning hours often sets the tone for the rest of the day? When things go smoothly, you tend to feel more relaxed and ready to face whatever the day may bring. However, when things get bumpy before you’ve even managed to get dressed, you’re more likely to remain grumpy until bedtime. While some hassles can’t be avoided, you can make mood-enhancing decisions during the a.m. hours that will set the stage for the next 16 or so. We spoke with the experts and combed the latest research for 10 pick-me-ups that will have your mood rising like the morning sun. Try one (or all!) of them for a happier and healthier you.

1. When you wake up, give yourself 30 seconds to think of at least one nice thing you can do for yourself that day…and then do it. When Alice Domar, PhD, psychologist and coauthor of Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health, was in Los Angeles for a book tour one winter, she woke up much earlier than usual. But instead of fretting about lost zzz’s, she realized with excitement that she could score some fresh fruit at the nearby farmer’s market, which would’ve been impossible if she were back home in Boston. That impromptu side trip kept her mood lifted throughout the day.

2. Eat a well-balanced meal.
Start your morning with a nutritious mix of complex carbohydrates and proteins that will last you until lunch, such as oatmeal or toast with peanut butter (include a sprinkle of cinnamon, which one study linked to improved mood and alertness, for an extra boost). Other research found that a moderate amount of caffeine (200 mg, or the amount in about two cups of coffee) elevated mood and mental sharpness, so enjoy some joe or black tea with your breakfast.

3. Get some fresh air.
Head out for some “green exercise”—physical activity performed in an outdoor setting—even if you only have a few minutes to spare. Researchers found that people experienced an enhanced mood and higher self-esteem after just five minutes of various types of green exercise, including walking and gardening. The study also found that exercising near water amplified the effects, so if you live near a lake, river or waterfall, even better.

4. Listen to the sounds of nature.
Capture the benefits of the great outdoors, even if you can’t get outside, by listening to recorded nature sounds. In a recent study, participants recovered from a stressful situation more quickly when they listened to a recorded combination of running water and bird sounds. Open your window in the morning so you can hear Mother Nature’s music as you get ready, or invest in an alarm clock that eases you awake with nature sounds.

5. Focus on feeling good.
Right after waking up, Robyn McKay, PhD, a psychologist based in Tempe, Arizona, and founder of the Smart Girl-Modern Goddess coaching program, recommends taking five deep breaths and making the decision to feel good for the day. “Imagine that, even when you encounter frustrations and surprises, you will remember to breathe and respond mindfully—rather than react mindlessly—to your circumstances,” she says. Dr. McKay also suggests that, throughout the day, you “take five deep, intentional breaths and remind yourself of your decision to feel good.”

6. Drink hot chocolate.
A recent study found that sipping a drink containing cocoa flavonols improved participants’ moods and levels of alertness—even as they worked on a series of challenging math problems. So go ahead and savor some hot cocoa made with lowfat or skim milk and dark chocolate. The protein and carbs in the milk will help keep your blood sugar levels stable until lunch, which will help you hold on to your mood momentum.

7. Take a moment to assess yourself.
Don’t jump out of bed right when you open your eyes in the morning. Instead, take five minutes to pay attention to your body and notice if you feel any stiffness, then do some light stretching while breathing deeply, suggests Lynn Louise Wonders, LPC, RPT-S, RYT, a psychotherapist and yoga teacher in Marietta, Georgia. She notes, “Before racing off to the hundred things on the day's to-do list, it can be tremendously beneficial to claim these five minutes to tune in to your body and your breath. You'll find that you are more ‘present’ and better equipped to deal with the busyness of the day ahead.”

8. Envision the negative.
You’ve probably heard that gratitude is a mood elevator, but here’s a surprising twist to that tactic: Think about a positive event from your life—how you got your dream job or met your ideal partner, for instance—and then imagine what your life would be like if the event hadn’t happened. Though it seems like this would have the opposite effect, it actually improved the mood of one study’s participants more so than simply thinking of the positive event itself.

9. Breathe in some mint.
Researchers found that sniffing peppermint enhanced mood and attention while also fighting fatigue. Try keeping a bottle of peppermint essential oil or bag of peppermint tea on your nightstand so you can inhale the positive scents right as you wake up. Another happiness helper is chewing gum, which elevated the moods, alertness and attention spans of another study's participants. Pop a piece of peppermint gum after breakfast for a double-duty perk-up.

10. Smile.
There’s one thing you can do just about anywhere: Smile. “Remember,” says Dr. McKay, “smiling is a simple way to change your mood—and the mood of those around you, too.” So spread your good-mood wealth by baring those pearly whites as often as possible in the morning as well as throughout the day.

Keep on Movin'!

Need a little help putting a smile on your face to start the week?  These videos cheered me up!  You'll feel even better if you do some of the dance moves along with the video--why not throw on a sweatband, too?! ;)  Hope you enjoy...

Have you seen this Sundrop Soda Commercial?  We are not promoting the consumption of soda by posting this, but we are promoting having some fun and getting yourself moving!




What about this training video for New Zealand Air?  Richard Simmons taught me a lot about how to be safe and stress-free on my next flight!  Why can't more training videos be more like this?  I mean, I agree that safety comes first, but can't it also be made fun?  YES!  It can!



When was the last time you watched the OK GO Treadmill video? The most fun I've ever seen anyone having on a treadmill!

New Classes and take a discount!

New Classes at IPTC!  We invite you to try these new classes for free!  Just call us to sign you up at 801-942-0275.  Mix up your workout with these classes and start feeling better than ever right now... Wednesday Night:  7:00 PM     TRX (Circuit) 8:00 PM     Restorative Pilates (NEW!!)      Instructor: Talese Hunt Thursday: 4:30 PM    Cardio Pilates (NEW!!) Instructor:  Talese Hunt What is TRX (Circuit)?  TRX Circuit is a 45 minute class using the TRX suspension strap system, with the class format focusing on circuit training.  We generally warm up, followed by 4 circuits working your lower body, upper body, core, and cardio.   This class is intense!  We will keep you moving, challenge your core and stability like crazy, and get you sweating for sure.   What is Restorative Pilates? Restorative Pilates will focus on resetting your body to a tension-free state.  Exercises will focus on stretching while strengthening and stabilizing the body.  By the end of this class, you will feel relaxed, restored, and ready to hit your next workout hard!  It's the perfect way to end your day. What is Cardio Pilates? Cardio Pilates is more intense and aerobic than a reformer or mat class.  This class will focus on working certain muscle groups to fatigue, and then stretching them for relief.  This class is done mostly standing, and will use the mat for abdominal work as well as props like the stability ball to work legs and glutes, and free weights for upper body strengthening.  A great way to mix up your workout, this a fun new challenge for your body!

We'd like to invite you to try our NEW classes for FREE!  Mention this email and get one FREE Restorative Pilates class, and one FREE Cardio Pilates class.   Just call us to sign up!  801-942-0275

Client Spotlight: Lindsay Breinholt

Lindsay is currently a Certified Nurse Midwife at St. Mark's Hospital, has been taking Pilates at IPTC for about 2 years and loves it when women have a muscular back and shoulders!  She has been married for a little over three years and is happy to announce that they recently purchased a home in Holladay that they hope to remodel. 

Lindsay grew up in Salt Lake City, went to Olympus High School, and enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities with her family growing up, including snowboarding, wakeboarding and of course... vacationing! She says she had fun with a great group of girlfriends in high school, but also considered herself a 'bookworm'. "I hardly ever missed school...I guess I was a good student!"  Her mom is a labor and delivery nurse and would teach Lamaze classes in her basement when she was a small child, so Lindsay grew up with women's health in her life.  

In junior high Lindsay decided she wanted to be a nurse as well.  She got her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah in nursing, and did her internship in labor and delivery at St. Mark's Hospital where she then worked for 4 years.  She went back to the U of U for her graduate degree with a double major as Certified Nurse Midwife and a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner.  She is technically a "nurse midwife" because she has a degree in nursing, which can be confusing for people as there are many different types of midwives.  Lindsay has her own private practice in St. Mark's Hospital, where she is a mid-level provider of ALL female health care!  "I do annual exams, pap smears, breast exams, menopausal management, hormone replacement therapy, pre-marital exams, infertility care, birth control...everything you would go to your OBGYN for, I do. It is a REAL clinic with one other midwife and an OBGYN physician. i am not squatting in fields with my patients or eating the placenta. Oh ya, I also shave my legs and don't own a pair of Birkenstocks." 

Lindsay explained that midwifery was the foundation for women's health care across the world.  "It really did start with women helping women, and that is what midwife means, 'with woman'.  These women were grandmothered into the position of being midwives by learning from friends or family how to care for women in labor and delivery.  Finally, formal education for midwives developed and continues to develop. Midwifery remains the core of women's health care in many other countries, but has unfortunately taken a back seat in western medicine, particularly on the west coast. More than anything, I want women to be educated about what kind of care a midwife can provide and that they have a choice when it comes to their own health care."  Lindsay says that her focus is definitely on family-centered care, listening to her patients needs and more face to face time. She limits her daily patients to an average of about 15 patients per day as opposed to some practitioners who see up to 60 patients per day! She is also present for her patient's delivery. She only delivers at St. Mark's Hospital. If her patients want an epidural they have that option, but if they choose to forego the epidural she provides labor support.  If patients require a cesarian, she assists in the surgery with the doctor and provides support after the surgery and delivery.  "My role is different. I provide medical care that is typically more personal than mainstream busy obstetric physicians."  About a year ago, Lindsay added aesthetic care for women as well.  She provides Botox and Juvederm treatments as well as selling Latisse (to promote eyelash growth). "I see women all day and I help women all day, so aesthetics naturally fit and has been a really fun way to help women feel great."

Lindsay will have a booth at the What a Woman Wants Show this Friday, April 8th from 10-8 and Saturday 10-6 at the South Towne Expo Center and you can visit her to learn more about her practice (you can even have some aesthetics done at her booth)! http://www.whatawomanwantsshow.com/

Or if you can't make it to the Show but you are interested in contacting Lindsay about her practice, visit her website at www.mtolympusobgyn.com, or grab her when you see her in class at IPTC!  

Lindsay started doing Pilates at Intermountain Pilates Training Center to support her husband's friends (the owners!), but she had never done Pilates before.  In fact, she admitted that when watching Pilates classes at the gym she thought  "It seemed so impersonal, so I just never wanted to do it!  But knowing that IPTC would be using reformers, focusing on a lot of core and diversity, that's what got me interested and definitely kept me coming.  I saw a real change in my body and strength within one month of attending about 3 times per week. About 2 years ago, right before starting Pilates, I had done P90X, and when I finished it I was ready to try something new.  I had built so much muscle that I didn't really feel like I lost any weight. I still felt like I had a thin layer of fat over the top of my muscle.  After starting Pilates, it was the first time I had done something and noticed results so quickly. Pilates helped me lean out and see muscle in areas that I hadn't seen muscle in a long time or ever, really!  It also helped me feel more lean than doing any other exercise as well as being more aware of my posture and even improving my running."  Lindsay still takes group classes 2-3 times per week, she also boxes 2-3 times per week to get some cardio and mix up her routine as well as running occasionally.

Lindsay also loves IPTC because "...I didn't expect to form such great friendships from coming to Pilates class. When I go to the gym I just put on my headphones, workout hard and don't chat with anyone.  But, at IPTC I feel like I'm getting a really great workout, i'm getting my money's worth, I'm seeing a difference, and I'm meeting some great, solid people. These people seem like they truly care about others, they're interested in you, and I think it's a palpable support system which is really cool and unexpected!"

Thanks, Lindsay, for spending some time with us every week!  We certainly care about our clients, and I whole-heartedly agree about our clients being really great, solid people who care about each other, too!  We love our clients!  

Success!

Having a hard time making your goals happen?  

Check out this great article from Psychology Today writer Heidi Grant Halvorson!

3 Proven Ways to Change a Bad Habit

Want to change a bad habit? Use the right strategy.

Published on April 4, 2011

Each year, we see January 1st as a time for fresh starts - for tackling our bad habits head on and replacing them with new, healthier ones.  Maybe you want to start exercising regularly, quit smoking, lose a few pounds, or remember to call your mother more often.   Now Spring is here, and many of us are no closer to changing our bad habits than we were three months ago.  But don't give up yet!  No matter what it is you would like to do differently, these simple, scientifically-tested strategies will help you to finally make the real, lasting changes you're looking for.

1.    Get Specific.  Very Specific.

One of the most common mistakes we make when trying to reach a goal is not being specific enough about what we want, and what we we're going to do to make it happen.  We say things like "I want to lose some weight" - but how much exactly do you want to lose?  Studies show that it is much easier to stay motivated when we have a very specific end point in mind, and can know at any moment exactly how far we still have to go.

Next, make sure you think about the specific actions you'll need to take to succeed.  Don't just say "I'll eat less."  Less of what?  And how muchless?   Don't just say "I'll save more money each month."  Decide exactly what will you spend less on to make that happen.  The more detailed you make your plan, the more likely you are to actually stick to it.

2.    Embrace this Fact: It's Going to Be Hard.

People will tell you that it is important to stay positive and be confident in order to reach any goal, and that's perfectly true.  But there's an important difference between believing you will succeed, and believing you will succeed easily.  When you are tackling a difficult challenge, like losing weight or stopping smoking, you will be much better off if you accept the fact that it's not going to be smooth sailing.   

Studies show that people who are realistic about what it will take to succeed naturally plan more, put in more effort, and persist longer in pursuit of their goals.  They expect to have to work hard, so that's exactly what they do.

For example, in one study, women in a weight loss program who believed that it would be hard to resist the temptation of snack foods lost 24 pounds more than women who believed they could easily ignore the allure of doughnuts and potato chips.  Because they accepted that it would be hard, they avoided being anywhere near tempting foods, and were much more successful because of it.

3.    Willpower is Like a Muscle.  Plan What You'll Do When It Gets Tired.

Research shows that your capacity for self-control is very much like the muscles in your body - it can grow stronger with regular exercise.  But just as well-developed biceps sometimes get tired and jelly-like after too much use, coping with the daily stresses of career and family can exhaust your supply of willpower.  When you tax it too much at once, or for too long, the well of self-control strength runs dry.   It is in these moments that the doughnut wins.  

If you've spent all your self-control handling other challenges, you will not have much left at the end of the day for resisting bad habits.  So it's important to think about when you are most likely to feel drained and vulnerable, and make a plan to keep yourself out of harm's way.  Be prepared in advance with an alternate activity or a low-calorie snack, whichever applies.

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