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Functional Fitness Training

by Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness, and Laurie Streff, Exercise Specialist

September 04, 2009 - 11:00AM

What is Functional Training? Simply put, it is exercise training that helps prepare you for your everyday functions, activities and movements of life. Do we really need washboard abs or buns of steel? This cosmetic approach has more to do with looks rather than function and performance. Most of us certainly don't have the enormous amount of time and energy it would take to achieve for a body builder's physique.

What is Body Composition?

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

October 29, 2009 - 9:00AM

There is a pervasive obsession with vanity and body weight throughout our culture. This obsession contributes to a billion-dollar weight loss industry with countless products and programs that promise to unlock the secret to losing weight. Let's face it: thin is in and fat is out.

Myofascial Release

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

February 05, 2010 - 1:59PM

Feeling sore, stiff and tight after your workout? Can’t make it to the spa for a relaxing massage to soothe those aching muscles? Try one of the best kept secret in the fitness industry - foam rolling - to reduce tender spots and trigger points caused by myofascial pain.

Heart Disease Awareness

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

February 26, 2010 - 9:16AM

February is Heart Disease Awareness Month. To remain heart healthy, one of the areas you can proactively address is lifestyle change. At the forefront is exercise. It is well documented that regular exercise has powerful benefits and is proven to be effective at reducing health risk.

With aggressive exercise, heart disease can be held in check (and even reversed).

No Weights, No Gym - No Problem!

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

October 01, 2010 - 1:00PM

There is no excuse not to exercise! It’s not necessary to use weights or machines to gain muscular strength - you can use your own body weight as resistance and get the same benefit that you would by lifting weights. Push-ups and pull-ups are great examples of unsupported exercises that use body weight as resistance and replicate movement patterns that we experience in everyday life.

Getting to the Core of the Matter

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

April 05, 2011 - 4:00PM

The latest buzz in the fitness industry is core training, or spinal stabilization. Despite this recent gain in recognition, very few people understand what the core really is or how to properly and effectively train it. Loosely defined, the core is described as the body minus the extremities (arms and legs), and is made up of several different muscle groups which can be divided into two parts: the outer core and the inner core.

Breathing for Relaxation

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

May 19, 2011 - 9:00AM

Breathing is the movement of air to and from the environment and our lungs. This simple action that we take for granted is responsible for the oxygenation of our cells and tissues while removing waste. This is an autonomic nervous function, or, in other words, we don’t have to think about it or remember to breathe. Interestingly, it’s also the only function in our body that we can voluntarily exert control over to manage things like stress and tension.

Target Heart Rate: A Reliable Measure of Exercise Effort?

By Michael Brazeal, M.A., Director of Fitness

August 25, 2011 - 5:00PM

Most fitness enthusiasts have heard the term “Target Heart Rate” or “Training Heart Rate Zone”. These interchangeable terms refer to the intensity of cardio or aerobic exercise training. In other words, the effort and physical exertion as measured by taking your pulse or heart rate during aerobic exercise.