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HAMILTON TOWNSHIP Mays Landing resident Joseph LaCerra had been interested in operating his own fitness facility. Conveniently, the owners of the Tilton Athletic Clubs were looking to sell its Mays Landing site, where LaCerra had been working as the general manager since May 2016.

As their common interests lined up, LaCerra, along with his father Tim, took ownership of the facility July 1 of this year and renamed it Hometown Health and Fitness. I had planned to move to Florida to start a business with my father there where he resides, but when this opportunity arose I chose to remain here in my hometown, he said.

LaCerra has a background both in personal training and business. He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors degree in business from Stockton University in December 2016. He was certified as a personal trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. In addition, he is certified as a natural physique pro by the Organization of Competition Bodies.

He is a graduate of Oakcrest High School, where he played baseball, and is skilled in the martial arts, with a fourth-degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.

One of the first moves that LaCerra took upon assuming ownership was to retain the entire staff, including the instructors and trainers. The long list of classes, available from early morning into the evening, which range from Ab Lab to Zumba, was also kept.

The 15,000-square-feet facility houses four studios for kickboxing, cross-training, group fitness and spinning.

LaCerra, recognizing the competition in the area, also lowered membership prices, with most monthly rates at $30 or below. Its the same club that it was before, just more affordable, he said. We also have an added emphasis on equipment maintenance, and also vow to keep a clean and friendly environment.

Longtime members Jack Carson and Barbara Kupp have been impressed with what LaCerra has accomplished thus far. I have been a member since this facility opened in 1999, Carson said. It has a good range of members that gives the club a lively feel. The group classes and trainers push me beyond what I could achieve on my own. I particularly credit Yoga Fusion instructor Faye for providing the most rewarding workout I have ever had and spinning instructor Steve who gets more out of us than we knew we had in us.

Its nice to see a young, local Oakcrest graduate doing business in his hometown.

Joe continues to promote a friendly, encouraging atmosphere, offering quite an extensive schedule of classes for one reasonable fee, Kupp said. I have been a member for over 17 years and feel the greatest offering is the selection of group fitness classes, all included in the fee. Daily classes include hip hop, body pump, spin, turbo kick, Zumba, yoga, Pilates, insanity and step, all taught by certified, fun-loving instructors.

Our classes are like families. We support each other, offer modifications, and they are just fun. We are all ages, sizes and shapes and try to be a little bit better than the day before. One of our longtime body pump participants is an 89 year-old World War II veteran. It is a very friendly environment where everyone knows your name.

Group fitness director Kim Basile leads many of the classes. At Hometown Fitness, our goal is to make exercise fun and engaging while being effective for people of all fitness levels, she said. With over 40 weekly group fitness classes, our schedule offers a wide variety of programs. A lot of our success comes from our team of professional instructors that do so much more than just teach classes, we teach people to love working out, and that makes all the difference.

Ive been at this facility for 17 years, and quite literally, it has been 'my home away from home' for a large part of my life, one of the best parts, really. There is nothing more rewarding than making a positive and healthy impact on someones life, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with our members. Once I started working with Joe LaCerra, it was clear to me that his heart was in this place. I love the name 'Hometown,' because we truly are a fitness family with our members."

An open house week is scheduled for Oct. 2 to 7. That Saturday will be our big event, featuring the Army bringing a rock wall, and we will also be having a group fitness dance battle that day to raise money for the Mays Landing Fire Department, LaCerra said.

More information, and a free daily pass, can be obtained by calling 609-625-9355 or by visiting the website hometown.fitness.

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Local resident assumes ownership of popular fitness center - Shore News Today

Sun City residents who werent able to attend the fitness center open houses in June are in luck. The health and wellness department is hosting open houses at two of the communitys fitness centers again in August.

The open houses will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Lakehouse fitness center and 1 p.m. Aug. 22 at Hidden Cypress fitness center. They are designed to introduce those who are new to a fitness journey to all the fitness centers have to offer, such as gym equipment, group exercise classes and personal training.

Our June open houses helped so many people who are unfamiliar with exercising and who have never used the fitness centers that we decided to bring it back this month, said Cherie Bronsky, director of health and wellness.

Meet the team as department staff and personal trainers will be on hand to answer questions and provide tours of the fitness centers.

Fitness centers can be intimidating if youre not familiar with working out. We are here to explain how easy it is to get started and show you all the different options you have here at Sun City to stay fit and healthy, Bronsky said.

In an effort to attract even more residents to take advantage of what the fitness centers offer, the department is offering a new promotion this month. Current personal training clients who bring a friend to a personal training session will receive an additional training session for free.

If you are trying to develop an exercise program but would like a little help, join a friend who currently works out with one of our trainers. A trainer can offer guidance and expertise to help you achieve your fitness goals, Bronsky said.

See the article here:
Sun City fitness center open houses return this month - Bluffton Today

To get ahead in business you have to take chances.

Thats something Jill Schroeder learned at just 27 years old, when she opened her first JABS fitness center.

Now, nearly seven years later, Schroeder is taking yet another leap of faith by expanding her business into Riverhead with a new JABS on Route 58.

I remember when I opened the first one saying that I wont know until I try it, Schroeder said, recalling the initial uncertainty of finding success. Then we moved to a bigger space [in Cutchogue] and again I said, Lets try it and see what happens. Now were trying something new again.

In 6 1/2 years in Southold Town, JABS (Joining Active Bodies Studio) has developed a reputation as not just a fitness center that promotes healthy living, but also as a business that gives back to the community. In 2012, The Suffolk Times named Schroeder its Business Person of the Year for that very reason.

She said the work her organization has done in the community has helped spread the JABS name across the region, attracting clients from parts of Riverhead Town. Having a location on heavily trafficked Route 58 in the office complex across from Target should make things easier for those clients and help her attract new people, she said.

Were excited to be able to bring JABS to new people who can take advantage of all we have to offer, Schroeder said.

Launched at the height of the Zumba fitness craze, JABS has expanded dramatically to include a wide variety of classes and personalized training opportunities. Schroeder pointed to its LifeRide spin program, Pulse dance fitness, strength and circuit training classes and yoga as among the gyms most popular offerings.

She said the Riverhead location, which will operate from four office suites, will offer the same programs as the Cutchogue location.

Were unique in that we offer so many different styles under one roof, said Schroeder, who employs about 10 trainers.

Most of the Cutchogue staff, including Schroeder herself, will be present at the Riverhead location as well.

A biology/psychology major in college, Schroeder didnt necessarily think shed one day own a pair of gyms. She said that when she was hired to teach Zumba at Fitness Advantage in Southold she fell in love with the atmosphere.

I loved running programs and the camaraderie, she said. I found it really inspiring and had a lot of people around me who said, You should do more.

She admits she had no real business plan when she opened her first gym but quickly found success. The charity work also hasnt stopped.

Earlier this year, JABS and several other businesses were instrumental in raising more than $60,000 to bring Project Fit America to the Southold and Greenport school districts in partnership with Peconic Bay Medical Center.

Even as a young mom with a busy schedule, she said finding the extra time to give back is the most rewarding part of being in business.

So does she see a third JABS in her future?

Its something I could foresee, she said. Ive always thought it would be really cool to have multiple facilities in different locations. But wow, then Id be completely gray by 40.

The new JABS is expected to open at 1149 Old Country Road by Sept. 1.

Read more here:
JABS fitness studio coming to Riverhead - Northforker (blog)

The list of celebrity chefs who open restaurants along the Strip just grew longer with the arrival of English fitness guru and TV host Robert Irvine.

Robert Irvines Public House at the Tropicana Las Vegas hotel-casino welcomed its first guests July 27. Vegas is the land of celebrity chefs and restaurants, for sure, Irvine said. What we wanted to do is something that is available [price-wise] to most people.

The restaurant seats 275 guests and is devoted to American pub fare.

Tropicana Las Vegas

The Tomahawk rib-eye steak at Robert Irvine's Public House weighs in at more than 3 pounds and is priced at $95. It's intended to be shared.

The Tomahawk rib-eye steak at Robert Irvine's Public House weighs in at more than 3 pounds and is priced at $95. It's intended to be shared. (Tropicana Las Vegas)

The menu contains a number of reasonably priced dishes, including a fork and knife fondue burger ($18), and fish and chips ($22). Irvine said his version of the famous English dish is unlike others on the Strip. The French fries underneath have bacon, curry sauce, cheese and scallions. So its got a different approach to it, he said.

We have a lot of signature dishes, he continued. Weve got a 5-pound spatchcocked chicken. We have a 40-ounce rib-eye steak.

While the chicken ($69) spatchcocked is a term for butterflying and Tomahawk rib-eye ($95) are pricey, theyre intended to be shared.

Public House is the formal name for Britains ubiquitous pubs. I spent a lot of time in pubs in England, Irvine said, and I wanted something that was a gathering place for people.

Tropicana Las Vegas

The 275-seat restaurant is located inside the Tropicana Las Vegas.

The 275-seat restaurant is located inside the Tropicana Las Vegas. (Tropicana Las Vegas)

Irvine hopes to create repeat business with some touches not found elsewhere. When [diners] leave the restaurant, the server actually takes them to the door, bids them farewell and gives them their business card and invites them to join us again, he said.

A departing guest is also given a token that can be redeemed for a free drink during a future visit. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Irvine has joined an already-impressive list of celebrity chefs who have restaurants in Sin City. They include Guy Fieri, Bobby Flay, Giada de Laurentiis, Emeril Lagasse, Masaharu Morimoto, Gordon Ramsay and many more.

Info: Robert Irvines Public House

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travel@latimes.com

@latimestravel

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British chef and fitness guru Robert Irvine opens a namesake pub on the Vegas Strip - Los Angeles Times

You'd assume fitness experts cut every speck of sugar and trans fat from their diets, keeping their insides full of clean, wholesome foods for peak performance. They don't. Like every other human with taste buds and an appetite, the people admired for being healthy often choose to indulge. And why not? They've earned it. These are the desserts that make them chuck their diet restrictions outtemporarily, at least.

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Indulgence of Choice

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Roberto Mandje is the manager of training and education for New York Road Runners. In his post-Olympic career, he runs anywhere from 30 to 60 miles per week while training others.

Avocado and cacao powder pudding; fruit smoothies

I don't have just one go-to snack. Why limit yourself? First, because I'm a father now, I mix two avocados with raw cacao powder blended together to make an amazing and creamy chocolate pudding. Sometimes my wife and I will freeze themthey make great popsicle treats in the summer for our 2-year-old. I call these Chocolate Thunder due to the chocolate nature and the noise the blender makes; also Chocovado Popsicles, for obvious reasons. Second is the "Fruitkenstein," which is a blend of various smoothies. I love mixing and matching fruits together and throwing them into my blender. I use bananas, mangos, pineapple, oranges and grapes. I feel like a mad scientist experimenting with the various concoctions. Virtually all of my smoothies are topped off with a bit of chocolate protein powder and almond milk (unless the smoothie includes oranges).

I have a sweet tooth, which must be satisfied, but I also want to set a good and healthy example for my daughter. By having one (or at times both) of these desserts, I get to check off two boxes: health/wellness and sweet/savory. The other reason is that I enjoy making my own desserts and storing them for later. When the craving hits for a tasty treat, I can reach into my fridge and answer the call.

How often he indulges: Several times over the weekends, as that's usually when I have more time to prepare multiple treats and share them with my daughter. Otherwise every few days or so. I'm never terribly far away from a snack.

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Marc Cohen is an instructor at Cyc Fitness in New York. He teaches multiple 45-minute classes of high-energy, indoor, beat-based cycling (i.e. stationary cycling synced to music) every week.

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Gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

If I could live off of chocolate chip cookies, I would. I'm very picky with my cookies, though. You won't find me eating Chips Ahoy! or anything with high fructose corn syrup. If I'm trying to be "healthy" and just have a little indulgence, I stick to Tate's gluten free chocolate chip cookies. I'll have two or three for a snack. However, if I'm really feeling like treating myself, I go to one of my favorite cookies in the New York: Schmackary's or City Cakes. Schmackary's is the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and I love that it brings the chocolate chip taste out more with its saltiness. City Cakes makes a giant half-pound cookie, which I usually (attempt to) only eat half of and savor the rest for the next day. It's not too doughy and not too hard; it's probably the most perfect cookie I've ever had. I'm salivating now. I just love them so much. Can't justify my love.

How often he indulges: Not often. Maybe every couple weeks or so. Sometimes less. I've been trying to cut added gluten and dairy from my diet, but once in awhile I get the craving, and now I'm thinking I'll be making a stop by City Cakes this week. So thank you!

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Kumi Sawyers is a yoga instructor at Sky Ting Yoga in New York. She teaches an alignment-based vinyasa class that focuses on establishing good form and coordinating breath and movement to create more space in the body, so everything can fit and function properly inside.

Vanilla ice cream with strawberries; gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

I love dessert, but sadly I have a gluten allergy, so having it can be challenging. More times than not I am the one at the table sitting dessert out, watching all my friends enjoy what I wish I could be eating. But, my sweet tooth always has me hunting for delicious gluten-free desserts, so I do get my fill. My go-to is simple: Hagen-Dazs Vanilla Ice Cream with sliced strawberries and Tates gluten-free chocolate chip cookies on the side to help scoop it up.

How often she indulges: I probably eat dessert once week. I have a sweet tooth, but mostly after I eat dinner, I'm too full for dessert. Honestly, it's not something I monitor. I have a healthy relationship with food and trust myself to make good choices when it comes to overdoing the sugar thing.

Getty

Nick Mastropasqua is the general manager of The Club at Hearst Tower. He is also a NSCA-certified personal trainer.

Mascarpone-filled donuts with dark chocolate ganache glaze

I love me any combination of fresh baked cookies on ice cream, but a recent indulgent discovery blew me away. In a small shop in Hoboken, New Jersey, called Schnackenberg's, I had a home-made donut glazed with dark chocolate ganache and filled with mascarpone. Tastes like Homer Simpson re-imagined a Boston Crme donut with an Italian flair. Mascarpone is the game-changer. We don't have it in the U.S. enough. This donut is a sinful marriage of a light, buttery filling living in a fresh pillowy pastry donut made minutes ago.

How often he indulges: I'll enjoy one monthly, if I'm luckythere is no redeeming healthy component to it whatsoever.

See original here:
How to Enjoy Dessert Like a Fitness Expert - Esquire.com

Faf du Plessis delivered a withering assessment of Vernon Philanders overall fitness following South Africas series defeat in England and told the wider public it is time to move on from the prospect of AB de Villiers ever returning to Test cricket.

Speaking after the 3-1 loss, the Proteas captain was simply asked about the frustration of the back spasms suffered by Philander that ruled him out a final Test that could have levelled the series and opted to make a point about his conditioning.

Vern needs to work on his fitness. Its happened too often he doesnt play a full series and I have spoken to him about that and hes accepted the challenge that he needs to improve, said Du Plessis, who was denied a senior bowler he described as the worlds best in seaming conditions, having dominated Englands top order with 10 wickets in the first three Tests.

In the last of those, a 239-run defeat at The Oval, Philander struggled throughout after suffering from a stomach virus that had him spend one night in hospital on a drip. Nevetheless Du Plessis expected the 32-year-old to be ready for Old Trafford once clear of this illness only for a niggle the captain considered minor to crop up.

Graeme Smith, South Africas former captain, was first to query this early in the 177-run defeat that followed and, when asked if it was justified, Du Plessis replied: Its fair that you need to play a lot of cricket for your country and be available for selection. I think Vern will agree with that.

Too many times the team has gasped Vern could be injured again. So he understands from a fitness point of view with important series coming up, Australia and India at home, he needs to be fit to get through all eight Tests.

In Morne Morkel and Keshav Maharaj South Africa had two bowlers who stepped up across the duration of the tours Test leg, claiming 19 and 17 wickets respectively (the former was named their player of the series by England). But a glass-jawed top six that returned only one century from Dean Elgar and a single batsman averaging over 40 in Hashim Amla, was culpable.

The continuing absence of De Villiers was felt. Unquestionably one of the greatest batsmen South Africa has produced, the 33-year-old remains the limited overs captain and a Twenty20 freelancer but is currently taking an indefinite sabbatical from playing the Test arena that has now run 18 months and appears only a statement away from official retirement.

Talks between De Villiers and Cricket South Africa about his future are due to come soon, offering a glimmer of hope that he may be coaxed into the challenge of two upcoming marquee home summer series against India and Australia. But Du Plessis, among his closest friends from schoolboy to professional cricket, is doubtful.

He added: We all know how good AB is and we missed him but weve spent too much time talking about, When is AB going to come back?

The hope of him coming back is something I think we need to move past ... and we need to find someone else who can fulfil those roles. Obviously you dont just replace those players. If AB comes back, its a huge bonus. But I dont expect it.

Go here to see the original:
Faf du Plessis critical of Vernon Philander's overall fitness and absence - The Guardian

Photo: Lindsay Perry / Lindsay Perry

Frontier's Stamford offices in High Ridge Park on Thursday, December 18, 2014.

Frontier's Stamford offices in High Ridge Park on Thursday, December 18, 2014.

HPAC votes down part of Life Time Fitness application

STAMFORD The citys Historic Preservation Advisory Commission shot down a request to rezone the High Ridge Office Park as preservationists look for a way to save the historically significant campus.

The zoning text change request, which would add a health club use to the citys office-park zones, would allow for the property owner at High Ridge Office Park to replace one of its buildings left empty after Frontier Communications relocated its headquarters to Norwalk with a Life Time Fitness, a high-end health club chain.

While the property owner, George Comfort & Sons, is not yet requesting to tear down the vacant building, the text change request before HPAC last week is the precursor to seeking demolition permission, William Hennessy of law firm Carmody, Torrance, Sandak & Hennessey told the commission last week.

In a letter dated Aug. 3 to the citys Land Use Bureau, HPAC chairwoman Lynn Drobbin said the commission unanimously opposed the change, which will be considered by the Planning Board Tuesday, because it may open the door to demolition of this important building.

It may also advance demolition options for the other important buildings in this office complex, as well as similar C-D districts in the community, she wrote.

HPACs land use function is purely advisory. Its decisions are sent to the Land Use Bureau for consideration by the Planning Board and Zoning Board.

The High Ridge Office Park was designed by famed architect Victor Hanna Bisharat, designer of the Landmark Square building in downtown Stamford.

The former Frontier building that could come up for demolition was built sometime between 1967 and 1975.

The State Historic Preservation Office weighed in on the office parks historic significance last month, naming the property as a possible candidate for the National Register of Historic Places.

HPAC would like to note that this building, which is eligible for National Register listing, would qualify for State and/or federal tax credits, Drobbin wrote in her letter to the Land Use Bureau. The commission also recognizes that there may be other options for the owners and encourage renovations and compatible uses that may preserve this building.

While HPAC was laser-focused on saving the Bisharat building, and less concerned with the overall impact of a zoning text change, the application is expected to meet more scrutiny by the Planning Board.

The request is presented as an adaptive re-use under the Mixed Use Campus section of the citys master plan. The Master Plan, a guideline for development in the city, recommends adding new uses to office park districts north of downtown as property owners struggle to rent or sell office space.

Hennessy, the attorney, told HPAC that the property owner has struggled to lease the space since Frontier left, and it has sat mostly empty for about two years. He said the building would require extensive renovations and repairs to make it competitive in the current commercial-office market.

A recent text-change application under the same re-use category that asked to add residential uses to these office parks was shot down by the Planning Board in June.

The application is on the Planning Board agenda for Tuesday. The board will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria on the fourth floor of the Government Center.

nnaughton@stamfordadvocate.com; @noranaughton

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HPAC votes down part of Life Time Fitness application - The Advocate

It's the celebrity workout that has models like Ashley Graham and Chrissy Teigen flying high. We're talking aerial yoga an anti-gravity fitness craze that's now taking over North Texas.

Aerial yoga is essentially traditional yoga, but suspended in mid-air in a silk hammock.

"Elevating the yoga poses helps to deepen stretches and decompress your spine when hanging upside down," said Jessica Harris, owner of Moxie Mischief Aerial Arts in Dallas. "It's something different. You don't even think you're working out until the next day when you're feeling sore."

And count on feeling sore because aerial yoga is a full-body workout as well as a full-body stretch. Harris says you'll feel muscles you never knew you had.

Whether you're six years old or 60 years old, Harris says aerial yoga is a fun activity the whole family can enjoy, even if you have zero experience.

"Some people come in with a great tolerance for being upside down. Some people have to build it a little. It is something that you progress pretty quickly," she said.

Published at 6:33 PM CDT on Aug 7, 2017

Read more from the original source:
Aerial Yoga: The Anti-Gravity Fitness Craze Taking Over North Texas - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A proposed addition to the Isle of Palms Recreation Center will make its way to full town council next month. If approved the recreation department building will feature a new state-of-the-art workout facility.

The designer for this project is a southeast architectural firm known as LS3P, located in Charleston, who specialize in interiors, planning, and historic preservation services to a wide variety of clients nationwide.

The proposed fitness room specifies a 2,443 square foot addition at an initial estimate of $200 per square foot. The design includes a mirror wall, stretching area, bench, cubbies and new machinery according to the LS3P conceptual plan.

"All we have right now is cardio equipment, what I recommend putting in a fitness room is resistance equipment, for the upper body, lower body, legs, pecks, abs, etc." said Isle of Palms Recreation Director Norma Jean Page

The size of the addition is based on an occupancy of less than 50 people and therefore only one exit is required. Along with a double glass door with glazing for easy monitoring and movement of equipment. However, a full code analysis has not yet been completed and still needs to verify that the existing egress width and plumbing fixture count are compliant with the additional occupant load, according to LS3P principal and public sector leader David Burt.

The totality of the project's expenditures will cost approximately $700,000, including the $100,000 of commercial grade fitness equipment from Carolina Specialty Fitness and an estimated annual additional utility cost of $6,422, according to city treasurer Debbie Sugg's financial analytics.

"I know that island people don't like to leave the island and we have quite a few folks that are members at O2 Fitness and other fitness centers and I think this would be a good alternative and they would join this as opposed to going across the bridge," Page said.

Important to note that all trees in the vicinity will be preserved and no such removal will be necessary for the project's building plan, according to City Council.

City Council will hear first reading of the proposal after Labor Day weekend on Wednesday Sept. 6 at 11 a.m. located at 1207 Palm Blvd. Isle of Palms, SC.

Read more here:
Town Crier - IOP Rec. Center proposes additional fitness room - Moultrie News

WASILLA Yet another Wasilla Centennial event filled the Curtis D. Menard Center on Saturday the inaugural Valley Fitness Expo. It was chock-full of educational and entertaining activities including seminars, cooking and fitness demonstrations, group classes, health screenings, contests, prizes and resources for fitness professionals. Food trucks, a fresh market with local produce and more than 100 vendors were on-site throughout the day.

Autumn Bentz, Lanet Spence and Teresa Moss were the organizing force behind the event. They said the expo was their labor of love. They said they created the expo with the mission to improve the Valleys health, and as a community effort to encourage positive changes. Bentz said the event was a one-stop experience for all the components of being healthy, and a place to learn more about how to make manageable life changes.

I think everyone is super pleased with it. Weve been getting a lot of positive feedback, Bentz said.

It was also an exposition of some of the Valleys top athletes and a place to get the ball rolling with exercise. According to the event website, all levels of fitness, from amateur to pro were welcome to attend the expo from a Zumba Dance Party for all levels to try, to the Centennial Bodybuilding Show, where muscular men and women could show off their hard work. There was be a variety of activities to choose from, all with the mission to enhance the overall health and the quality of life for the entire family through education.

Tying in with the 100-year anniversary of Wasilla, there were some historical elements sprinkled into to the expo, like the H2 OH! Swimsuit Fashion Show. It showcased several women models wearing swimsuits throughout the decades, one as early as the 1920s. The announcer explained how the fashions progressed over time, evolving with more color and more eventually became more revealing.

Participating bikini model and owner of Shear Fire Design and Masters of Iron Gym, Jana Powell said that bikinis have been the traditional garbs for the fitness world.

It was the first time for two bikini models, Qiann Coleman and Natasha Sails. They said it was a chance to try something different, to put themselves out there with confidence. They also wanted to support the community and let them know fit comes in all shapes and sizes.

Its real women, real bodies, Powell said. Youve got to be comfortable in your own skin.

Former Anchorage Mayor Rick Mystrom was the keynote speaker, and had a book signing for the release of his third book, Your Type 2 Diabetes Life, a guide to living with diabetes. Mystrom is a nationally acknowledged expert on healthy eating, according to the event website. He has written two other books on healthy eating and avoiding or reversing Type 2 diabetes.

Spence said Mystroms books are game changers. She appreciated how he wrote the book in everyday people-speak, saying it felt like talking to a friend.

That guy knows what hes talking about, Spence said.

Mystrom was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 20. After his diagnosis, Mystrom said he essentially turned his body into a laboratory, poking himself for more than 60,000 blood sugar tests to understand which foods will raise blood sugar the most and add the most weight and which foods will raise blood sugar the least and take weight off.

People dont have to be perfect with what you eat, they just need to be good, Mystrom said.

Mystrom credited his good health to eating right and staying active and that type 2 diabetes is the most self-controlled disease he knows of. He wants his obituary to say, he had a long, healthy relationship with diabetes.

Im 73 and it makes me feel 63, Mystrom said. Youve got a choice between a $20 book or a $40,000 medical bill.

The expo concluded with the Centennial Bodybuilding Show with seven categories: Wasilla Centennial High School Mr. & Miss fit, Fitness Class, Bikini Class, Figure Class, Womens Physique Class, Mens Physique Class and Mens Bodybuilding Class. Bentz said a lot of people came specifically for the bodybuilding show.

The expo also had mental athletes in its ranks. Four youth robotic groups were on-site pitting their creations against each other to see which robot could complete the most tasks with the least amount of error. Two groups, the Fluorescent Four and the Brick Masters were from Anchorage, the Nuclear Wolves were from Eagle River and the Arctic Bytes were from the Valley.

These are our future engineers. I get goose bumps thinking about how smart these kids are, Spence said.

Arctic Bytes and the Brick Masters competed with their Lego robots and performed various tasks like feeding toy animals by lifting blocks and taking them to the desired location. They scored points for achievements like overall effectiveness and the complexity of tasks. The Arctic Bytes and Nuclear Wolves fought for technological supremacy with remote controlled, brick shaped robots round up color corresponding balls and shoot them into a bin.

The Fluorescent Four coach, Tammy Hanley, said that Alaska has embraced the youth robotics programs, saying its actually pretty competitive. The groups compete internationally and have traveled the Lower 48 to put their best to the test.

Its a sport for the mind, Hanley said.

Arctic Bytes coach, Karen Olson, marveled at how beneficial the clubs were for the kids. She said the kids are learning many other life skills beyond robotics, like socialization and teamwork. She also said it was great to see the kids flourish in a hands-on activity that occupies their time while building them up instead of just going home and watching TV.

We need to get our kids moving, Bentz said. We only have one body and weve got to take care of it and theres many ways to do it.

Go here to read the rest:
Inaugural Valley Fitness Expo touts healthy lifestyles - Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

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