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By Haley Weisgerber

Since Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club (SPRFC) was founded in 1981, the staff has been dedicated to helping members achieve their wellness goals.

Originally established solely as a racquetball club, SPRFC has expanded to include fitness equipment, a pool, group fitness classes and much more. Some of the clubs amenities include saunas, steam rooms and whirlpools. The club also offers child care services available for members while mom and dad get fit.

We are really big on being an asset to the community and helping people live their best lives, said General Manager Mike Hallinan, whose family took over the club in 2015.

Serving the community is an important part of the clubs business model, according to Hallinan. Most recently, SPRFC partnered with a local software development company, Narlycode, and raised $1,000 for the Maryland Food Bank.

We try to get our name out there and do good things in the community, said Hallinan. We are excited by what we offer our members and they appreciate what we do for them.

In addition to racquetball and wallyball leagues, SPRFC has a successful competitive swim team, the Stingrays, coached by Jim Hutcheson. The fitness center includes free weights, circuit training and personal training. The clubs instructors offer a wide variety of classes including Les Mills SPRINT and BODYPUMP, SPIN, and a myriad of group fitness classes, Senior Solutions and aquatics classes. As a result of the pandemic, SPRFC now offers outdoor, virtual and Facebook Live classes. Hallinan said that the outdoor and virtual classes have become popular and the club will continue to offer these alternatives after the pandemic.

Some of our clients, no matter their age, aren't really comfortable venturing out yet and we want to make sure we keep our virtual classes going for those clients, said Hallinan.

To keep staff and members safe, Hallinan said the club has expanded its sanitation and cleaning departments. SPRFC has reopened according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Maryland guidelines. The club maintains a healthy supply of hand sanitizer and disinfectant, and the team has adopted other safety measures including distancing fitness machines and establishing a Sanitation Squad. The Sanitation Squad uses an environmentally friendly biocleaner to wipe down machines, and the club is adding a touchless disinfection and sanitizing system, which will spray the building each night with an antimicrobial solution.

It's good to see people back in the building and see their smiling faces again, said Hallinan. At least we are pretty sure they are smiling just as much as we are, under the masks. We desire to follow the CDCs guidelines to ensure our staff and clients stay safe.

Hallinan likes to think of SPRFC as a full-service health club. With the addition of the Medical Fitness Center, there is now a primary care office run by nurse practitioner Deborah Badro within the club. Badro offers both sports and annual physicals, flu vaccines, disease management, preventive care and screening, weight management and much more. Nutrition consultant Kate Vance is also available onsite to coach members on healthy eating and wellness.

I love to see people transform when they come in and live a healthier lifestyle, said Hallinan. That makes me feel good.

The Severna Park Racquetball and Fitness Club is located at 8514 Veterans Highway in Millersville. For more information, call 410-987-0980, email info@sprfc.com or visit http://www.sprfc.com. Discounted memberships are available for first responders and veterans.

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Severna Park Racquetball And Fitness Club Focuses On Health And Wellness | Severna Park - Severna Park Voice

New Yorkers haven't been able to go to the gym infive months, and while it's been a huge shift in lifestyle for many, it's also a threat to smallfitness businesses. That's whygyms and studios have had to get creative lately and take their equipment outdoors.

Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo double-downed on keeping gyms closed for the foreseeable future.

"We know gyms are highly problematic, not from our experience because we havent opened them, but we know from the other states,"he said in a presser on Wednesday. "[They have] opened them and they've had to close themI don't think that it's the time to open. Were precariously perched. And again, I applaud New Yorkers because they're the ones who have found this perch in the sea of spread, but it's only a function of our intelligence and our discipline."

New York City, as it does, has risen to thechallenge, takingits "highly problematic" gyms to the great outdoors, where officials have deemed it safe enough to gather in small groups with social distancing and masks.

Now, these New Yorkers'ingenuity has captured some attention, including BYKlyn Cycle's pop-up outdoor studio near the Barclays Center, and BK Fit Studio's outdoor gym.

BYKlyn Cycle's outdoorstudio at 421 Dean Street, which opens officially on August 12, has sun sails to provide shade, recycled astro turf complete with old soccer lines, 18 bikes spread six feet apart as well as a "battery of safety protocols," and aSoundOff music system, much like a silent disco, to provide music.

"This is the scrappiness of small businessthats who we are at BYKlyn Cycle and who Brooklyn is," says owner Amy Glosser. "Small businesses don't have the big resources to open gloriously. We have to do things on a shoestring, and we were able to do that."

When the studio closed its doors in March, it had 250 members, but just 70 of them committed to their memberships through the summer, which was enough tohelp Glosser and her team rent the empty lot for the pop-up, she said.

"The community came out for us, now were giving back to our community," she added. "Not only will we have hopefully 40 classes a week but we're planning to have community events in the yard, with Covid safety at all times. We're working with artists to do an open-painting event, poetry readings, and tango and salsa classes. We hope to use this space to create a safe place to gather and have experiences, because that is what New York iswe all live in this city because we like to be with one another."

BK Fit likewise had to pull together after losing 80 members over the summer, despite renting out its equipment and taking classes to the park. When Phase 3 hit NYC in July, the gym took training to the street and found an outdoor spot in East Williamsburg where it couldwork with its members at a safe distance.

"[When the shutdown first happened], we were like, OK, this wont be long-lived," co-owner Adam Sturm said. "There's massive contraction in the industry, where trainers are looking at it and it's not viable in the longterm. Wedecided we really needed to lead with our heart but make safe business decisions. We re-doubled our efforts. We're fortunate, but we want to make sure we're compliant [with safety protocols]."

BK Fit's outdoor curbside classes are currently available at its three locations, and its outdoor facility at East Williamsburg will be joined by a second one soon, Sturm says.

Yoga Agora's ownerNick Velkov has taken his classes outside at Astoria Park, and on one of the Open Streets in Astoria, since the outdoors have been deemed safe.

"We made a decision in early July to hold yoga classes outdoors because at that point we felt there was enough evidence to suggest that the risk of virus transmission was relatively low when outside and observing mitigation efforts," he told us. "Being outdoors gives everyone more room to spread out and still provides an experience of human connection."

Salsa In Queens, while not a gym,has also aimed to provide a much-missedphysical experience by taking its classes to the street. On Saturdays, it teams up withgastropub Katch Astoria for a sort of block party on Newtown Avenue.

"Salsa In Queens has built a strong community, and the opportunity to get our students together once again was a nobrainer," it said in a statement to Time Out New York. "The challenge was starting again bothsafely and smart, and for that we built a three-phase plan."

Each phase will expandupon the number of classes as well as class size, granted the pandemic is still under control and students feel comfortable enough to join us, they said.

"To help build trust and comfort with our students, we have strict guidelines for classes that include mandatory masks, sanitizing before class, keeping 6 feet apart via marked floor spots, no cash transactions and more."

Tamara Jackson, a longtime fitness trainer at the New York Sports Club in Harlem was without a job when the shutdown occurred and switched over to Zoom classes. She went from 26 classesevery week to three live, in-person boot camp-style classes and seven online. Now, after getting 15 bikes, she's able to do multiple classes a day at thecorner of 131st Street andFifthAvenue.

So far, the pivot to full outdoor studios (not just holding classes outside) is working, owners say.

"Training outdoors is the only way I would train a live workout,"Jackson said. "We know that Covid doesn't transmit as easily outdoors and people, especially people who are more susceptible to the coronavirus, need to exercise."

Glosser at BYKlyn said that if she didn't have the outdoor studio, she would be "wallowing in what my future is."

"We have heard and continue to hear that New York isnt coming back and everybodys moved away," she said. "I lived through 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy and I believe that New York is going to come back and theres nothing I'd rather invest in than a brand and our community herethat is very much what New York is: it is gritty, we show up, and we support local business. It might take a year or two, but I believe in my heart to never bet against New York."

Time Outs Love Local campaign is supporting local food, drink and culture in New York. Find out how you can help save the places that make our city great.

- Brooklyn overtakes Manhattan for most neighborhoods in the top 50 priciest- Watch video of an enormous snake on an NYC subway platform- The Metropolitan Opera is streaming a different free opera each night this week- You can now rent a backyard on the waterfront at Pier 17- A massive gorilla sculpture is coming to Hudson Yards

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Gyms are closed but these NYC fitness studios are taking it outside - Time Out New York

Perhaps at any time or context, health and fitness are crucial factors. More than boosting the health of an individual, fitness training increases confidence and is a prime consideration for many who thrive in the entertainment industry. Essentially, it would take months - even years - before one can achieve his or her desired body shape. Because of this, many opt not to undergo fitness training programs. But the likes of Stanley Donkor rise to the challenge, motivate others to take the first step toward fitness and help them stay on track.Stanley wants people to take action. As a fitness trainer for more than three years, he has had the opportunity to touch and impact the lives of many in profound ways. People have their respective fitness goals, and Stanley makes sure that each of his clients gets to that goal. He founded Stanley Donkor Fitness driven by the mission to assist others who dont think they can achieve their goals, and anyone who cant accept them for them.The 21-year-old fitness trainer started the venture when he was still in college. The Ohio-native lived two lives - as a budding entrepreneur and a psychology student at Ohio State University. But even so, he assumed both responsibilities with finesse. According to Stanley, he never thought that his business would grow. He said, While starting this business, I didnt expect it to amount to something. "Who would have thought that the simple kid from the suburbs of Westerville Ohio is now slowly becoming a key personality in the fitness industry?" he asked.Over the years, Stanley has applied his knowledge in psychology to relate to his clients. He knows everyone has their own story to tell and sometimes find it hard to express themselves. But Stanley connects to his clients well. This is the very reason why Stanleys brand is a cut above the rest. I want to help others through the physical part as well as the psychological part, he added.It is not a question then why Stanley Donkor Fitness has grown to over 1,000 clientele in just three years of its operations. At Stanley Donkor Fitness, the fitness training programs custom-fit drills and meal plans, assuring that after everything, clients get to where they want to go.Undeniably, the current situation of the world places health and fitness on the paramount in the list of peoples essentials. And Stanley Donkor Fitness has a safe environment for everyone who wants to kickstart their plans of healthy living.In due course, the company will stand at the helm of the fitness industry. Stanley envisions his venture to become a headquarters for people who share the same dream. I want to build an empire, an empire with a mission of helping people realize who they are, finding their own inner strength showing them that it just takes a little motivation from a trainer or coach. With a visionary for a leader, Stanley Donkor Fitness will surely climb the ladder of success in the years to come.Website: calendly.com/stanleydonkorfitnessInstagram: @donkorfitDisclaimer: The views, suggestions and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. NoForbes Indiajournalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.

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Stanley Donkor Fitness Guides People Through Effective Fitness Training And The Right Mindset To Stay On Track - Forbes India

Project CommUNITY: Be Driven Fitness in Bessemer

Updated: 4:39 PM CDT Aug 13, 2020

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LIVES. I DECIDED TO MAKE A DENT IN THE COMMUNITY BY ACTUALLY HELPING ADULTS DO THEIR HEALTH AND FITNESS JOURNEY TODAY WHERE THEY CAN ADD MORE LIFE TODAY YEARS. DARNELL GREEN IS A BEST OF HER NATIVE WHO TOOK A LEAP OF FAITH TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR. PERSON THAT WAS BORN AND RAISED IN BESSEMER, ALABAMA. WE DIDNT HAVE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS TO OWN OUR OWN PLACES. SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS PLACE WAS A PLACE THAT ANYBODY COULD COME AND FEEL WELCOME. HE SAYS ONE OF THE BIGGER OBSTACLES HE FACED WHEN CREATING BE DRIVEN FITNESS WAS GETTING PEOPLE TO BELIEVE IN HIM AS A BUSINESSMAN WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT THE CHALLENGES THAT I FACE IS JUST LIKE WEIGHT LOSS AND ITS JUST LIKE MUSCLE BUILDING ONLY THING YOU CAN FOCUS ON IS ONE DAY AT A TIME ONE POUND AT A TIME GREEN SAYS HE WANTS TO HELP PEOPLE FEEL MORE CONFIDENT BY THE WAY, THEY VIEW THEMSELVES, EVEN IF ITS LOSING JUST ONLY FIVE POUNDS A MONTH AND MY MEMORIES THEY TELL ME ALL THE TIME. I ONLY LOST 5 POUNDS BUT FIVE POUNDS OF LIKE ONCE YOU ACTUALLY VIEW IT, SO DONT DISCREDIT YOUR PROGRESS BECAUSE PROGRESS IS WHAT EQUALS PERFECTION GREEN WANTS TO TAKE BEAT-DRIVEN FITNESS WORLDWIDE TO HELP PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR LIVES IN BESSEMER AND JARED OLIVER WVTM 13 I LIKE THAT IDEA. JUST KIND OF ONE STEP AT A TIME. JUST TAKING IT A LITTLE BY LITTLE WHEN THAT THAT FIVE POUNDS OF FAT WAS PRETTY YEAH AS A GOOD

Project CommUNITY: Be Driven Fitness in Bessemer

Updated: 4:39 PM CDT Aug 13, 2020

WVTM 13's Jared Oliver introduces you to Darnell Greene, a Bessemer native who took a leap of faith in becoming an entrepreneur. Learn more about Greene and BeDriven Fitness in the video above.Visit http://www.bedrivenfitness.com for more information.

WVTM 13's Jared Oliver introduces you to Darnell Greene, a Bessemer native who took a leap of faith in becoming an entrepreneur. Learn more about Greene and BeDriven Fitness in the video above.

Visit http://www.bedrivenfitness.com for more information.

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Project CommUNITY: Be Driven Fitness in Bessemer - WVTM13

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Keeping kids happy and healthy has been harder this summer than previous summers due to COVID-19. That's why the Santa Barbara Public Health conference last Friday featured guest speaker Suzanne Grimmesey from the county behavior wellness.

During the presentation Grimmesey said kids need school and sports to be mentally stimulated. Moderate exercise of at least twenty minutes promotes better sleep and helps them better focus immediately afterwords on school work. It also helps them stay engaged and avoid irritability.

Also during the presentation Grimmesey gave parents pointers on how to prepare for virtual school from home. She suggests keeping a similar schedule to school to continue the same learning routine. And also continue the same school traditions like back to school shopping, first day of school pictures and showing excitement for a new school year.

One local club that's been able to get kids playing sports is the Santa Barbara Soccer Club. And they've done so over at Girsh Park with the aid of health officials.

Justin Wilkins is the executive director for Santa Barbara Soccer Club. He said, "Nothing replaces getting out and being active physically, having, you know, contact with your coaches, having contact with your teammates even if it's ten, twelve feet apart, it's better than sitting home, sitting home alone."

Players said they've seen an improvement in their health mentally and physically, running around with their friends and teammates at a distance.

Evyn Miller and Zeina Matni are heading into seventh grade and players in SBSC. They're enjoying being back out on the pitch with their teammates.

"It does make me happy just being with them and finally getting back out there after being quarantined for a little while," said Miller.

"Besides just seeing them all again it's good to get back on the field and like start playing again," added Matni.

Grimmesey said parents should lead by example when it comes to exercising. Make it part of the weekly schedule. And walks around the neighborhood can be a good substitute if group sports aren't available.

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How fitness can help kids be happier and more focused on school work - NewsChannel 3-12 - KEYT

Sadly too many business owners today fail to see the connection and more importantly the benefit between physical and mental fitness. However, accepting that a healthy body will lead to a healthy mind is as important to business success as is paying attention to the numbers and hiring the right employees.

Staying fit is not an easy task for todays business owner given their busy schedule, poor eating habits, high stress, sedentary life style and lack of exercise.

Understanding these things is not the issue but doing something about them is. Smart business owners understand that business success is greatly enhanced by being physically fit and mentally alert. Many also understand that the two work very well together. However, the smart ones follow a regimen for their physical/mental health just as they follow a plan for their business.

What follows are four habits that business owners can use to stay physically fit thus enhancing their mental alertness:

Develop and follow an exercise program

All business owners understand the time crunch that comes with leading and growing a business. Setting aside time for regularly scheduled workouts can be difficult, and blocking out two hours at a fitness center is next to impossible. So the answer can be interval training workouts where you have a short but high intensity exercise regimen like running, walking, biking, weights, swimming or any combination of these for 40 to 60 minutes 3 to 4 times per week.

Remember that the best exercise you can do is what you will do.

Get the proper amount of sleep

In order to make the best business decisions, it is important for business owners to be well rested. Getting a good nights sleep is vital to your emotional state and to your thinking process thus enhancing your creativity, confidence, leadership and decision making.

Have a healthy diet

Here, it is important to remember that you cannot exercise off a bad diet. Eating right is not about dieting, but instead, it about staying away from the wrong foods. The right foods include proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, eggs, natural fats and healthy oils. There are a lot of recommended diets from which to choose for a healthy lifestyle.

It is equally important to stay hydrated with water. Getting your nutrition intake right is very important to your overall health and physical appearance. The old saying is true "we are what we eat."

Recharge your brain through meditation

The rest your brain will experience during meditation, or creative daydreaming, can give you a spike in your energy level. This actually can lead to a decrease in your anxiety, fear and stress levels. This can be particularly helpful during those times when you have to make a critically important business decision.

Everyone will agree that the healthier we are the better we feel about ourselves, our job and our company and the better we feel the more effective we can be.

It isnt enough for business owners to want to be healthy just to achieve business success. Business owners should want to be physically and mentally healthy so they can better enjoy the fruits of their labor and life in general.

Dan Short is a Certified SCORE Business Mentor. SCORE is the nations largest provider of free business mentoring services to small businesses and start-ups. Savannah SCORE was named the 2019 "Mid-Market Chapter of the Year". To schedule a free business mentoring/coaching session with an expert Savannah SCORE business mentor, go to savannah.score.org and click on "Find A Mentor" or call 912-652-4335.

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Ask SCORE column: The link between fitness and success - Savannah Morning News

My Instagram discovery page is a "Brady Bunch" grid of 60-second exercise videos and protein shake recipes.

I wasnt one to workout before the pandemic, but since creators and trainers first started posting easy-to-follow at-home workouts this March, social media has become unavoidably inundated with a sea of fitness-y content.

Gyms are closed again in San Francisco, and even when they open for good, people may be hesitant to return, according to a study by RunRepeat.com. So for now and for the foreseeable future trainers, wellness influencers and health experts are all hopping on the virtual fitness train.

A number of well-followed influencers offer streams of unlimited free fitness content on their channels, but even for SF trainers whose followings are in the thousands, not millions, posts with free workout advice and strategies are key to bringing in new paying customers.

San Francisco-based Coach Rich Thurman III (@coach_rt3) thinks he lost half his face-to-face business when the stay-at-home order was invoked, but gained over 6,000 followers on Instagram. His strength and mobility education business, The Upgrade Guys, has grown by 1,500 on the same platform.

The shelter in place was an opportunity for Thurman and his Upgrade Guys business partner, Nat Viranond, to film content and rethink their branding, starting sponsoring Instagram posts. The era of organic growth on social media is basically gone, he said.

Natalie Carey (@barbellblondie), an SF personal trainer whos all about inclusive, body positive training, has also been effectively diversifying her marketing strategy. Her social media following has been steadily increasing as a result. Shes also experimenting with more nostalgic ways to keep in touch with her clients. Sometimes Carey sends them snail mail to put that extra tszuj into peoples experiences.

Carey teaches online classes and offers financial assistance for those who cant pay, but a staggering number of people have paid over the suggested price to help subsidize other peoples expenses. Theres a lot of generosity out there right now, she said.

Nic Knerr and Scott Forrester (@homewerkbnc) have been experimenting with the online world of fitness. After the closing of their Santa Monica home base, Circuit Works, they began teaching from the increasingly popular platform of Instagram Live. Now, theyre instructing together over Zoom from Santa Monica and Columbia, Maryland, on a link available on their public Instagram account. Knerr is building them a website.

With the future of this looking so uncertain, I think one thing we can focus on is virtual training, Knerr said. I think its going to be around a lot longer.

Trainers who were already primarily online are using the same at-home workout strategies that have brought them views for years. Cassey Ho (@blogilates) runs the wildly popular YouTube channel Blogilates from Los Angeles with over 5 million subscribers. Shes added 500,000 alone since the start of the pandemic, which is more than she might gain during months at a time in a slow season. Shes also forayed into TikTok, where she shares memes and workout moves, and has doubled her following there to 2 million since March.

Ho launched an app this summer with collections of follow-along exercise videos and calendars of workout plans.

Ive been planning and working on the Body by Blogilates app for months, but the current surge in home fitness definitely added a sense of urgency, she said.

Gin Dietz (@fitwithgin) of Morgan Hill said shes had to balance posting content on social media and taking care of her 3- and 6-year-old kids. Instead of spending hours a day creating free online content which she says doesn't always translate to payment she has focused on continuing to train clients remotely, using apps like My Fitness Pal and Trainerize to keep tabs on their progress.

Dietz is now working with a web developer to revamp her website so that she can provide more paid content online, like e-books and memberships.

Forrester mentioned how online fitness can become a popularity contest the gurus who have the best outfits and technology might get more views than trainers filming on their cellphones. Gyms, too, can be hard to compete with online.

The market is oversaturated with online training, Knerr said. Were more boutiquey. Thats what we have to offer.

Fitness professionals were left with another choice recently, when conversations about systemic racism evoked by the most recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests manifested heavily on social media: post, or stay neutral.

Shauna Harrison (@shauna_harrison), a fitness instructor and adjunct public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, has been posting about racial injustice on her feed and in stories. She said she has lost followers as a result.

I work for myself mostly, so Im very vocal, she said. I dont really care about the followers.

Harrison said the fitness industry is facing a long-overdue reckoning about its lack of inclusivity. Some with health and disability issues can no longer safely attend gyms, others are not privileged enough to afford classes in the first place.

Thurman has also been consistently vocal about Black Lives Matter on Instagram. Ive been adamant about speaking openly about police brutality, Black Lives Matter, all these things, despite the fact that the fitness industry was being very quiet about these things and they are fearful about losing clients, he said.

Im a firm believer that if you lose a client over that, that they just werent the right client, he added.

Sabine Poux is a senior at Middlebury College and the editor of The Middlebury Campus. Email: spoux@middlebury.edu | Twitter: @sabinepoux

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What's an SF fitness influencer to do in the pandemic era? - SFGate

Submitted Published 5:02 a.m. ET Aug. 12, 2020

Stacy Witthoff leads an exercise using weights as resistance. (Photo: Photo provided)

Stacy Witthoff is a born-and-bred Marco Islander, and is also a Realtor.(Photo: Photo provided)

Ironically, fitness instructor Stacy Witthoff didn't have much interest in any kinds of physical activities or sports until she found herself in 8th grade at school.

"Then I started tennis, and became extremely competitive," she says. "After that it was training four hours a day, and it ended up with our doubles team going to State."

She also developed an interest in softball, golf and swimming.

The upshot is that Witthoff eventually ended up with a college-level instructor certification, and for the past 18 years has been an early morning fixture at the YMCA of South Collier (Marco Y).

Workout sessions, which Witthoff tailors to all fitness levels, consist of high and low impact exercises that include stretches, calisthenics using body weight; push-ups and training weights.

More: Kelly O'Connor: Early learning program director's job is her mission

More: United Way grants near $100K to YMCA on Marco for scholarships, afterschool programs

Drop in on one of those 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. classes on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, and you'll immediately become aware of her energy and the way she transfers it to her participants.

On this particular morning, the choice of music is pulsating rap, providing an aural framework for the rhythmic workout sessions.

Witthoff, while not as publicly visible as some of her colleagues who work regular hours, loves promoting fitness and health.

And indeed camaraderie.

"A lot of people in my classes have developed amazing friendships," Witthoff says. "They get together outside the Y. It's also been great for new people moving to the area."

Shelli Connelly has been with the class since Witthoff kicked it off in 2001, armed with college level instructor certification (from FSU).

On-site classes have resumed since the recent easing of restrictions.(Photo: Photo provided)

"I love Stacy's energy," says Connelly, who likes working out early before heading to her day job managing her own cleaning company. "There's not a day that I haven't been challenged."

A couple of years prior to becoming a mom for the first time (in 2001, son Ryan is now a college student), Witthoff also instructed at the Y, concentrating more on boot camps, kick boxing and spinning.

Over the past few months, Witthoff says, the pandemic forced some adaptation (she chose virtual class workouts), but the easing of restrictions has now enabled her to resume classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the appropriate precautions. Details on how to participate are available from the Y.

Cindy Love-Abounader, the Y's CEO, is impressed by Witthoff's early-bird staying power, and says she's also always willing to help the Y in the background.

More: Summer camps underway at YMCA

More: Stephanie Pepper: In it to help Marco's youth

"We are blessed to have a Y team member whose dad (Marv) helped start the Y and also served as Y president. Stacy was a Y kid and is now a Y supporter."

By day, Marco born-and-bred Witthoff works along with her brother Scott Needles as a Realtor with The Needles Group under the umbrella of John R. Wood Properties.

Their dad Marv is himself a long-serving Realtor who cut his teeth working with the original Marco Island developers, the Mackle Brothers.

Witthoff's husband Curt has worked in a variety of educational fields. They also have a daughter, Mia.

More: Charlene Rose: Focusing on the Y mission

For more on the Y's wide variety of programs and activities for adults and children, visit marcoymca.org or call 394-YMCA (9622). Follow on Twitter at ymcamarco; on Facebook @marcoymca, and Instagram at ymcamarco.

Read or Share this story: https://www.marconews.com/story/life/2020/08/12/stacy-witthoff-making-fitness-way-life/3344156001/

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Stacy Witthoff: Making fitness a way of life - Marco News

Like many industries, the fitness industry is being called to account after the brutal and public murder of George Floyd, following that of Ahmad Arbery and Breonna Taylor, sparked outrage across the nation. The message of the Black Lives Matter movement has been amplified. Many people who regularly engage with the industry are looking for real action by the industry, but what they have seen instead have been black squares on Instagram and initiatives that don't have much impact beyond the optics. The Black Lives Matter movement and the need to address systemic racism are extremely relevant to the fitness industry because those of us who deeply care for this work do it to optimize and help save lives through fitness and wellness. If our desire is to see people thrive, we must respond vigorously when the right to merely live is being denied. Although the fitness industry may not be able to change government policy, it is imperative to acknowledge the role that this industry plays in perpetuating systemic racism and to do something about it.

Having worked in the fitness industry for a decade training C-suite executives and as one of the few Black women working in predominantly white spaces for most of my career, I want to share four actions the fitness industry can take to demonstrate real allyship to the Black community going forward. This means everyone in the Black community, not just your consumers, but your employees as well. These steps are an entry point into the long journey of creating workable environments for Black fitness and wellness professionals. In addition, they are stepping stones in the process of ensuring that when Black people want to enter a space that provides an opportunity to enhance their well-being, they are not met with the stressors that have been shown to increase their likelihood of chronic disease (weathering effect).

1. Learn About The Black Communitys Relationship With The Fitness Industry

Listen to your Black employees and members. There is no shortage of Black fitness professionals in these predominantly white fitness spaces, yet the atmosphere often still severely lacks inclusivity. Black people who want to address issues concerning inclusion are often not heard. Additionally, many fitness spaces are not conducive for authentic conversation about the Black experience. When Black people speak, we are sharing an experience that non-Black folks are unqualified to disregard. (No one is qualified to disregard anyones experience, but if you dont know what its like to be Black, humbly listening is the best thing to do if a Black person chooses to share their experience with you.) Black people and Black culture are not props to be silenced and simultaneously capitalized off of. If our culture and bodies are part of the success of your company, our stories must be as well. It is essential to familiarize yourself with the lived experiences of your Black employees, not just the elements that are most convenient or trendy.

2. Avoid Performative Allyship

Allyship is not about likes on your companys Instagram page. Furthermore, allyship is not about you. True allyship does not come in the form of a black square on Instagram or a diversity initiative without action to back it up. Your customers and employees are watching closely because this affects their lives, and they can tell the difference between performance and real company values in action. When gyms reopen, the sanctity of Black lives will still need to be acknowledged and protected. This is the time to direct your resources toward protecting the Black lives directly impacted by your company. Allocate funds toward initiatives that seek to close the fitness and wellness gap in Black communities. Put your money where your Instagram post is. Here are some examples of companies that have begun taking steps toward acknowledging and turning away from the ways they have engaged in perpetuating systemic racism. This is by no means a case where one action or initiative is the solution. It must be consistent, persistent and thorough.

3. Advocate For New Non-Marginalizing Systems

Questions to ask yourself here are:

These are just a few questions that allow you to consider the ways in which systemic racism is perpetuated in our industry. Once you are aware of these things, use your voice, your network, your platform and your resources to advocate for new systems that combat these issues. This may be challenging you to exercise a muscle that has never been used. If youve worked as a fitness professional for any amount of time, you know that recruiting a dormant muscle cannot be done passively. It must be intentional. With consistency, youll find that you can do more over time.

4. Allocate Funds TowardAddressing Systemic Racism

Addressing systemic racism is not the same as hiring more Black people and having the occasional two to three Black people circulating in company ads. Be intentional here, and be willing to invest in making your space more inclusive for the Black community. Utilize the same tenacity used to hit sales goals for your company when it comes to honoring Black people.Outsourcing is important. It is a demonstration of humility and decentering yourself. Give space to someone who can speak to the Black experience and who specializes in diversity and inclusion. Allow room for insight that you dont have or that your team may have previously been lacking and be willing to pay for it. Be humble. Acknowledge what you do not know. This is not the time for self loathing. Simply,learn. Then act. This is true allyship.

For many people, the blinders have come off for good. Silence is not an option. The fitness industry has a lot of work to do and huge gaps to fill. The world is changing, and those who refuse to change with it will be left standing on the wrong side of history as the rest of us stay focused on building a better future. Im sincerely hoping to see you there.

TNisha Symone is a 10-year fitness industry veteran, holding a bachelors degree in exercise physiology and is the founder of BLAQUE, an emerging luxury fitness club/platform focused on serving the fitness and wellness needs of the Black community. BLAQUE has been mentioned in TIME magazine and Bustle, referencing the role the new company plays in the evolution of the fitness industry. BLAQUE will be launching outdoor pop-ups and opening its first physical location in New York City, while launching a digital platform focused on serving the fitness and wellness needs of the Black community globally. For more information about TNisha Symone, BLAQUE and how you can support this initiative to improve racial inequities in the fitness industry, visit ifundwomen.com/projects/blaque.

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4 Ways The Fitness Industry Can Engage In True Allyship - Club Industry

20 year old fitness girl stretching

Just like it took me a bit to get into the home workout groove when gyms closed, I also had to work at establishing a healthy rest-day schedule.

Once I discovered the at-home workouts I actually liked, and after my resistance bands and dumbbells arrived in the mail, I got in the habit of intensely working out every single day - which isn't ideal because I wasn't giving my body the proper time to recover and repair. I was potentially setting myself up for an injury and stunting my own fitness goals.

Just because I could do a workout in the comfort of my own living room with just a click of a button, doesn't mean I should do so every single day.

After some reading on establishing a workout routine for my goals, I finally got it down - and now look forward to my days off from exercise. I turn off my alarm clock so I can wake up naturally, with help from the sun peaking through my curtains. I try to spend my rest days as digitally unplugged as possible, too truly "resting" in every sense of the word. Sometimes I go for long, leisurely walks, other times I kick back on the couch and read through a few chapters of a new book.

Getting my routine in order made me start wondering what fitness pros do on their rest days, so I reached out to five experts - from Pilates instructors to certified personal trainers - to find out.

For Mercedes Owens, a Chicago-based Barry's instructor, time spent with a good book always makes the list oh, and some puppy bonding time, too, of course.

"My favorite rest-day activity is spending a couple of hours at the park with my dog, Leia, and a good book. I almost always keep a lineup of love stories, family dramas, and thrillers. Right now I'm reading Commonwealth by Ann Patchett and A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum," Owens says.

Related: The After-Workout Recovery Routine I Rely On to Ease Soreness

CorePower Yoga senior master trainer, Anthony Chavez makes self-care a priority on rest days. "I cue up whatever show I'm currently obsessed with on Netflix, then grab myself a treat (glass of wine on some days or Oreos - whatever I'm craving!). Give yourself permission to 'take off your life' and rest in ways that are self-indulgent. Rest is just as essential as exercise is for vibrant, human health, which is why it's so important to me!"

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But Chavez still incorporates movement on rest days, too - just in a different way.

"Second favorite rest-day activity is to incorporate stretching and body work. We all work so hard in the gym and at work. Carving out dedicated time to deeply stretch your muscles and connective tissue by doing some yin style poses actually helps me sleep better, which in turn promotes better recovery. Body work can also be getting a massage or investing in something like the Hypervolt by Hyperice to help breakdown and massage muscles when you can't get an appointment from your favorite body worker! Ultimately, lean into doing things that fill you with joy and allow you to fully rest and reset," Chavez says.

Related: After Your Home Workout, Relax Tight Muscles With This 10-Minute Stretching Routine

Light activity - like walking, hiking with his dog, and yoga - is an essential part of Mindbody Fitness Expert and NASM-certified personal trainer Keegan Draper's rest days, too.

"I never truly take a complete rest day," Draper says. "I don't believe that taking a day to just lay around is the best for our body, or for recovery, so I always like to do some light physical activity. It's easy to do, gets me out in the sunshine with the vitamin D, and is a nice way to meditate/clear my mind. This also helps get my heart rate above resting and helps get oxygen and nutrients spread out to the muscles that need them the most. I can still manage to get my daily steps in, too!"

For Pure Barre teacher, Shantani Moore, spending time at the beach and spinning poi is one of her favorite things to do on rest days, but Moore also mentions strolling around her neighborhood with tea at sunrise.

"I'll even silence my phone sometimes or just turn it off entirely," Moore says. "It's so important to unplug and have that time to reset. I try to take a different route each time to keep it fresh, and sometimes I get some of my best ideas while I'm out!"

Sometimes, though, Moore mentions that rest days mean doing absolutely nothing: "Wake up, brush my teeth, hit the couch, and just veg. I think doing nothing gets a bad rep sometimes. When you're so physically active and on your grind most of the week, it's important to give yourself time to just eat hummus and binge Queer Eye. I mean, what else would you do on your day off?"

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From Stretching to TV Time - Heres What 5 Fitness Pros Do on Their Rest Days - Yahoo Lifestyle

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