Model A Fitness

Brian April 21st, 2009

Your health! The benefits of exercise are innumerable, but all too often forgotten during times of financial stress. People are quick to axe the gym membership from their monthly budget as they go through and eliminate things they deem discretionary. However, these same people will go out to eat, drive needlessly or go shopping for things they don’t really need.

People who have lost their job and health care coverage would do well to remember the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Getting sick can be costly even with health care coverage, but take away that safety net and the costs can skyrocket. Keeping healthy and fit by performing regular exercise can reduce sickness and your health care costs. Below is a list of some of the myriad benefits that exercise can offer:

• Stress relief
• Improved immune function
• Improved circulation
• Improved self esteem
• Potential social outlet
• Increased strength
• Decreased joint pain/stiffness
• Decreased low back pain

• ModelAFitness , economy , health care
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Brian April 15th, 2009

Many of you now realize that New Jersey, in all their infinite wisdom, decided to tax health club and gym memberships back in 2006. Come to think of it, aren’t they triple and quadruple dipping with property taxes, tickets and sales tax? 

I am digressing, so back to my original point. The music industry, in their equally infinite wisdom, has decided to charge gyms and health clubs exorbitant fees to play certain songs from certain artists in their facilities. They want to charge clubs even though they cannot prove the song is being played. Organizations like SESAC, ASCAP and BMI are trying to squeeze more money out of health clubs for a dying industry.

What does this mean for the club member?

If clubs are forced to pay high fees to play music the only two options would be to cease playing music to avoid the fees altogether or pass the cost on to the member in the form of higher membership dues. Neither of these options are appealing to anyone involved!

What can you, the member, do?

Contact your state representative about this issue and advise you friends to do the same.

 

Check out this article about Australia’s health club industry.

http://fitnessbusinesspro.com/forprofits/australian-music-licensing-affect-2608/

 

In Health,

Brian

• health club industry
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Brian April 8th, 2009

Well, let’s hope not. If you have been to a mall, fair or even a playground lately you have probably noticed that tiny Tim isn’t so tiny anymore. Parents should be most alarmed, but so should the rest of society. These obese children will become obese adults, which puts a burden on our health care system and raises the cost of care for everyone.

The obesity rate in our country is staggering and what is even more alarming is the rate amongst children and teens. Our forefathers ate sausage and eggs for breakfast and steak and potatoes for dinner. Why weren’t they walking around with a muffin top? It is because they weren’t eating simple, refined carbohydrates and processed fats. Aside from socioeconomic reasons, obesity rates have climbed exponentially because of a lack of exercise and the consumption of too many calories from processed foods.

In the 1970′s two recently developed food additives became ubiquitous in processed and fast foods: high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and palm kernel oil. Pick up any packaged snack food and you will see these two ingredients listed. HFCS was created as a cheaper, stable substitute for sugar. Now, HFCS is so ubiquitous that it would be hard to find many products without it. The litany of health problems associated with this compound are too long to list. Do a google search for high fructose corn syrup and see what this garbage can do to you.

The best meal plan is one which limits processed foods and includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean sources of protein. I know, you have heard this ad nauseam. Most people have busy, on the go lives which they believe precludes eating healthy. Go back to some of my other blogs and read about how to eat healthy on the go. Check out the links below for some food for thought.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123904983350094249.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2003/sep/28/foodanddrink.shopping

http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-0618380604-5?&PID=25450

 

In Health,

Brian

• ModelAFitness , diet and nutrition , obesity
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Brian April 3rd, 2009

Ever walk into a health club and feel like they are selling you the world for $1? How about the “one time special offer” that you can take advantage of only if you sign up that day. Big chain, large facility clubs can use some unscrupulous tactics to get you to sign on the dotted line. At many of these facilities trying to cancel your membership, for any reason, is like trying to speak with the President.

Here are some things to look for when shopping prospective gyms/health clubs.

• Do they lock you in a sales office and use high pressure sales tactics to get you to sign up?
• Are the employees happy? (just ask them)
• Do the salespeople work on commission only or very low hourly wages?
• Are they vague about cancellation policies during the sales pitch?
• Do they have hidden fees which they attempt to gloss over when signing up?

• Big Chain Health Clubs , Health clubs
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