MONTHLY CLIENT SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT ON……  Michelle Northey!

May 2017

My name is Michelle Northey. I've been coming to Pumps Fitness for about 2 1/2 years. I found out about Pumps through a silent auction at my girls' elementary school. There was an option to bid on a package of three Pilates equipment classes with Pat. It turns out her granddaughters went to the same school as my kids!

I wasn't sure what to expect with Pilates as I wasn't very familiar with it and I had never heard of a Reformer or Cadillac.  However upon meeting Pat and having my very first session, I was hooked! I loved the methodology of Pilates and the routine that Pat created for me to try. I had previously been doing private training at the YMCA with boot camp type sessions and I was burnt out. I was losing my motivation to exercise and the switch to Pilates reinvigorated me.

I very quickly fell in love with Pilates. Pat has continued to expand my routine over the years from beginner exercises to intermediate and now advanced. I love a challenge and she knows how to mix things up and continue to teach me new skills and exercises.

I'm not embarrassed to say I have become a Pilates junkie. I bring my own magazines, books and social media videos to show Pat what I'd like to learn next.  She is great at helping me adapt them for my level.  And she is always up for it, even when I say "Pat, don't freak out, I want to try this new exercise I saw on Facebook."

I have a busy life with a husband, three girls and two dogs! I work full time and have to travel for work every so often. Pat has been fantastic about accommodating my schedule.  

We meet on average about two times a week. I love how strong my core feels and how I can see continuous improvement in my body even after all this time. I never get bored with Pilates. It is my "happy place" and if I have to miss a session, I feel it both physically and mentally. 

Pat has clients of all skill levels. She is patient and professional. I really enjoy our sessions together and the friendship we have formed. Pumps Fitness is the only place in the area with a dedicated Pilates practice. It is bright and airy and feels like a Pilates boutique.  I try to find a Pilates studio every time I travel for work to keep up with my practice.  But the best one is right here at home in Valparaiso, Pumps Fitness! 

#corepower #pilateslife #Pat4Pilates4ever

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT...APRIL 2017!

SPOTLIGHT ON……  Judy Relinski!

April 2017!!

My name is Judy Relinski. I have been with Pumps Fitness for a total of a year.  Prior to joining Pumps Fitness I had under went several abdominal surgeries the last one being the worst. My emotional and physical states were by far at their worst.  After searching the internet for a fitness studio that could help me I came across Pumps Fitness.  I called and made an appointment with Ian and Michelle. They talked with me about my issues and suggested I try Pilates Reformer with Mary as my personal trainer.  This was a total relief for me that someone would be able to help me.

Mary is such a special person to me.  After being with her for sometime now, she has guided me to better body position, strength, tons of knowledge about my body and a much better emotional state. I can honestly say that my decision to join Pumps Fitness was the smartest decision I made for myself. It is hard work but the benefit of having a  trainer like Mary watching, guiding and challenging me has been a great experience.

For me staying fit is a big commitment and hard work, but Mary has made this journey a great one. I would recommend Pumps Fitness to anyone.

Improve Your Mood With Better Posture

Improving posture for better movement, reducing pain, and avoiding injuries are all well addressed, but what about improving posture to improve mood? Depression statistics continue to climb affecting adults and children. To a great extent depression treatment has centered on medication or behavioral therapy without much focus given to movement, or more specifically to posture, but that is beginning to change.

One study evaluated energy levels, a proposed indicator of depression, on body posture. University students were asked to rate their general depression and subjective energy levels, and were then randomly divided into two groups. One group was required to walk in a slouched position, the other to skip with a swinging cross-arm action.

After their initial activity, they each ranked their subjective energy level, then switched activities, and once again ranked their energy level. Not surprising, skipping significantly increased their energy level and the slouched walking decreased energy levels. Imagine yourself skipping, swinging your arms, head up – did your energy level change just thinking about skipping? These students reported that skipping not only made them feel more energetic, but happier, more positive, and even evoked happy childhood memories, whereas the slouched walking made them feel sad, lonely, isolated, sleepy, or even “zombie-like”.

Positive thoughts and feelings are easier to create in an upright position. Even evaluating the mood of a stick figure can be impacted by its posture. A straight, upright figure is judged as having the most positive mood while a figure displaying a bent over position with forward head and shoulders is rated as having the most negative emotions. With our overall decrease in physical activity and increased amount of time spent sitting hunched over our computers or personal devices, this “depressed” posture is where we spend so much of our time.

So “keep your chin up”, it is not only a sign of good posture, it might just improve your mood.

Here’s a tasty way to serve up fresh green beans. Smokey bacon and tangy mustard give these tender-crisp green beans memorable flavor. This side dish pairs perfectly with steak or chicken on the grill or alongside a lettuce wrapped burger. Enjoy! 

Servings: 6 

Here’s what you need…

• 2 lbs green beans, trimmed
• 6 slices bacon
• ½ cup yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons whole grain mustard
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the beans into a colander and place under cold water for 20 seconds. 
2. In a large skillet, cook the bacon until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the bacon drippings, and chop into 1-inch pieces. 
3. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook the onions in the bacon drippings for 5 minutes, or until tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper, stirring until fully combined. Add the green beans and the bacon pieces and mix well. Serve and enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 158 calories, 8g fat, 12g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 10g protein. 

Call today for a free fitness consultation!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com 

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: OCTOBER 2016

SPOTLIGHT ON……  Roz Jevtic!

October 2016!!

My Weight Loss Journey….

            If you asked me 5 months ago if I would be writing this about myself I would have thought it was never possible. Year after year, day after day, I would tell myself this is the day or this coming Monday my healthy lifestyle will start only, to be pushed to the next week or month. After trial and error and more error something finally clicked, I finally decided that my health was my wealth.

I started having major back problems in 2014 and literally spent a year and a half of my life basically lying in bed. I ate every meal standing for 10 months straight because I could never sit, couldn’t put my socks and shoes on and I could barely turn over when sleeping in bed. I went to this doctor, this specialist, or this hospital in hopes there would be one miracle shot or one miracle pill. I was told by a few doctors that I needed to lose weight which would be a tremendous help with my back problems. After a year and a half and 6 hospitals later I was diagnosed with sacroiliac joint dysfunction and received a few rounds of steroid shots which seemed to alleviate the pain.

During this time I came across Pumps Fitness because of the RESET program that was offered and figured I could give it a try. This is where I met Ian Bowen and my life completely changed. After hearing the struggles Ian faced in his life with his own health, I realized how he turned tragedy into triumph. In the beginning days of meeting with Ian, I had days where I couldn’t even move or lift a leg, but somehow Ian managed to help me train with modified workouts. I had days where I wanted to give up and thought I was never going to get better, but Ian always reminded me that “I CAN” instead of “I can’t”.

Each week Ian would push me a little further and the weeks added up to months and today I am doing workouts I never thought were going to be possible. In the last 5 months I am down 55 pounds and feel like I literally have my life back. In September I actually completed a goal I set for myself to complete a 5K race each week of the month. I can say I would never have come this far if it wasn’t for Ian and his supportive and positive attitude. It’s funny to think I used to hate going to work out and now I look forward to seeing him and how he is going to challenge me. In the end it’s all worth it because I’m healthier inside and out and am proud of myself for how far I have come. I’m not done with my journey but I’m on a great path to get to my final goal and having Ian with me every step of the way makes my goal seem much more attainable.

Need Motivation?

A dose of motivation will change your life almost overnight.

The best part of our job is seeing clients achieve amazing results. Whether they drop a few sizes, lose the baby weight, get off their blood pressure meds, or shrink their waist, the excitement is always contagious.

There really isn’t a clear way to describe the euphoria that settles in once you’ve realized your fitness goal. You have to experience it.

Though each successful client is unique with different goals, one element unites them.

They are all highly motivated.

You see, we are in a unique position. We know how to get you (or anyone else who walks through our door) into great shape. We can coach you through weight loss. We can guide you to a healthier body. We can even train you into a toned athlete.

But there is one catch.

You’ll need to be motivated.

See, saying that you want to get into great shape isn’t enough. You need motivation—and that’s just half of the equation. The other part (and the most important) is ACTION.

Nothing happens until you take action.

You can want it, think about it, mull it over, ponder it, plan it, and then re-plan it. But nothing happens until you take action.

While I may not know your story—it’s probably safe to assume that you are dissatisfied with your body and know that you can improve your fitness level. You want to look better, to have more energy, to experience fewer aches and pains, and to enjoy sweet satisfaction as you achieve your goals once and for all.

We know that all of our successful clients were once in your shoes. They wanted to change their bodies. They felt urgency. And then they did what most fail to do. They took action and contacted us.

But there is more to it than that. They then committed to a program, put in the exercise, stuck to their diet and met their goals. There’s nothing more gratifying than getting back into those jeans that now sit in the back of your closet.

People who take massive action get massive rewards. And those that simply talk about losing weight will continue to put weight on, pound after pound. We hate to put it that way, but it’s the truth.

So what do you want?

•              To drop 20 pounds

•              To feel younger

•              To look better in your birthday suit

•              To become healthier

How bad do you want it? How much motivation do you have? Enough to take MASSIVE ACTION?

The rewards are great IF you do.

(Your first step is to call or email us now to get started.)

Stressed Out?

Regular exercise is a simple solution to get you feeling good fast.

This is because every time you exercise your body increases its production of endorphins, which are responsible for that feel-good euphoria you get after a great workout or while chomping down on a piece of chocolate.

However, before you turn to chocolate and skip the gym, remember the end result of each and choose which one will help you reduce stress in the long run. (Hint: It’s not the chocolate!)

Sausage and Cabbage Comfort Soup

Homemade soup is a wonderful way to enjoy healthy, quick meals at home. This recipe for Sausage and Cabbage Comfort Soup is packed with wholesome fiber from fresh vegetables and protein from sausage. Make a big pot on the weekend and then reheat bowls throughout the week for fast, nutritious meals that will keep you on track with your fitness goals.

Servings: 20

Here’s what you need…

•              1 ½ pounds mild Italian sausage, loose

•              1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced

•              2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

•              4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼” rounds

•              1 head green cabbage, core removed and shredded

•              3 large tomatoes, diced

•              2 teaspoons sea salt (plus more as needed)

•              fresh ground black pepper (about 5 cracks)

•              1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika

•              8 cups chicken broth

•              Basil leaf to garnish *optional

1              Brown the sausage at the bottom of a large soup pot over medium high heat, breaking it into small pieces as it browns. Remove the cooked sausage from the pot and set aside in a bowl, leaving the oil from the sausage in the pot.

2              Add the onions, garlic and carrots to the pot with the hot oil. Continue to cook over medium high heat, stirring often as the veggies become tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and tomatoes, and continue to cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Mix in the remaining ingredients and bring the soup to a low simmer for 20 minutes.

3              Add more salt and pepper to taste and serve hot. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 116 calories, 7g fat, 7g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, and 6g protein.

Call today for a consultation and assessment!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com

4 Ways to Increase Flexibility

You eat the right foods, drink the right drinks, and exercise regularly. In other words, you’re strong and healthy. There is only one hole in your overall good health. You’re as flexible as a piece of plywood. But there’s good news! You don’t have to stay inflexible your entire life. With the right steps, you can improve your flexibility, which will make life that much better.

Ready to get started building a more flexible you?

Here’s how.

Roll Before

For many years, it was common practice to stretch before working out. In recent years, folks have ditched that advice for something better: lightly performing whatever you plan to do. Going to run? Walk and then jog before getting into a run. For those who want to take their routines to the stretchy limit, it’s time to use a foam roller.

With a foam roller, you work to gently warm up your muscles before working them out, and better yet, you are preparing them for exercise. Essentially a massage for your muscles, foam rolling helps break up bound muscle tissue. This, in turn, allows your entire muscle to be worked out and prevents an already tight muscle from growing tighter through your exercise routine. Once you knock out a little foam rolling, the time is right for a round of body-weight exercises or a dynamic warm up before going full force.

Go All the Way

As you exercise, you can help your flexibility by working throughout your entire range of motion. Initially, you may have a harder time squatting your full range of motion, but sticking with it will allow your muscles to work all the way and will lead to their being more flexible.

To get to where you can squat or perform other exercises as deep as your body allows, you will probably want to reduce the amount of weight you use. As your body grows accustomed to going through a fuller range of motion, you can increase the weight and enjoy improved flexibility.

Stretch Afterwards

Your routine winds down, and your muscles feel tight and want to stay that way. Folks who are new to working out often enjoy the feeling. It lets them know their body has worked hard, and so they allow the tightness to remain as they leave the gym and return to their daily routines.

However, this is when your stretches become most important as you are bringing your body back into the proper muscle-length tension relationship as you cool down By taking 10 minutes to slowly stretch (hold each stretch for at least 30 sec), you can take a huge step toward your overall flexibility. A good post-workout stretch will focus on the areas worked during your routine, but will provide a little stretching for the entire body. You can also finish your stretching with more foam rolling if you have time, as this will help further your flexibility goals.

Take It Slow

When stretching for increased flexibility, you may be tempted to push it as far as you can. But don’t give in. Instead, you should relax and take the slow and easy-going path to flexibility. Going too far too fast will actually have the opposite result that you want, as your body will have to repair itself from small injuries that occur from stretching and won’t want to stretch further in the future. Instead, take your time and allow your body to ease into stretches.

Feel an uncomfortable burning sensation that actually hurts? That is not your body’s way of thanking you. Back off and stretch to the point of slight discomfort. Accept that you can’t increase your flexibility overnight, and you will make better headway than beating your muscles into flexible submission.

Call or email us today to get started on a challenging and consistent exercise plan to increase flexibility as well as reduce your body fat and increase your energy levels. Let’s do this!

The Domino Effect

Regular exercise makes it easier to eat healthy. Just as healthy eating makes you more likely to exercise.

It’s the domino effect. When you begin to make a positive change in one area of your life other areas will soon follow.

Remember, while nutrition is vitally important for weight loss, true results are achieved through a combination of both nutrition and challenging, progressive exercise.

Would you like to get that domino effect started in your life? Call or email today for a fitness program that will quickly transform your body.

From the desk of John Hall

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

You’ve probably heard of quinoa—it is hailed as a super food. It’s high in protein (12%-18%) and contains a balanced set of essential amino acids — this means it’s a surprisingly complete protein. It’s also high in fiber and iron. Quinoa is quite possibly the perfect thing to have for breakfast to start your day off on the right foot.

Servings: 1

Here’s what you need…

•              ½ cup quinoa, cooked in water according to instructions on package

•              1 Tablespoon blueberries

•              1 Tablespoon date pieces, chopped

•              1 Tablespoon pecan pieces, chopped

•              Dash of cinnamon

•              Dash of nutmeg

•              Drizzle of pure maple syrup

1              Top cooked quinoa with raisins, date pieces, pecan pieces,

cinnamon, nutmeg and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 344 calories, 5g fat, 59g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 12g protein.

Call today for a consultation and assessment!

Email: Pumpstrainingandpilates@gmail.com

Phone: 219-548-3480

Web: Pumpsfitnessinc.com

Client Spotlight!

SPOTLIGHT ON……  Stephani Dujmovich!

August 2016!!

Hi, It's Stephie!

I have never been athletic or very coordinated; in fact, clumsy so no sports in school for me. I had been thin most of my life, but when I got to college I gained that freshman 15, which prompted me to get to the gym.  I loved it not only for the physical gratification but also the social aspect.

Throughout the years I had continued to exercise consistently, and then in my mid 20s I started getting migraines. I found it very hard to get motivated and when I did, the workout usually ended in a painful headache. After a solid year of testing with doctors and no answers, I resolved that I probably would never be able to really push myself again physically.

I went many years with just light activity such as short walks, but never weight training. As I got older I learned that stress was a very real trigger for migraines.  Then one day a friend suggested I try Pilates and that was it! For the first time in my adult life I felt relief. I felt strong again. I finally had an outlet that I could push myself in a safe way. I still get occasional migraines but nothing like before.

I feel very blessed to have found my Pumps family. It's not just my trainer who is full of knowledge which she shares every session, or our fearless leaders Ian and Michelle who make sure our gym is clean, cool and a positive environment, but it's the people that surround me while training that share their stories, lives and laughs.  So many laughs.

Thank you for taking time to read this.  Maybe it will give you or someone you know in a similar situation the hope they need.

SPOTLIGHT ON……  Kori Howard!

June 2016!!

                                     BEFORE                                 AFTER

Kori is a teenager who resides in Valparaiso with her family.  The following are comments from her biggest fan; her mother!

            “After years of getting little to no physical therapy for a mobility issue, we finally decided to try something different.  After researching for a month, looking at credentials and testimonials of different places in NW Indiana, Pumps Fitness was chosen.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was hoping that Kori would build enough strength in her legs so that she could run normally and become stable enough to walk without being clumsy.

Ian has far exceeded my expectations!  Kori now runs normally and can pass her PT tests.  The turning point for me was when I saw her jumping rope.  I just cried.  She has never been coordinated enough to do that!  This achievement came after only a few months of coming twice a week. 

Ian has been so pleasant and fun for my daughter.  She loves coming here and being challenged. 

The best and most unexpected benefit of all has been that Kori has lost almost 40 pounds and now we have to buy all new clothes because they are all falling off of her.  What a wonderful problem to have!

Thank you for everything!”

Kathy (Kori’s Mom)