Upcoming Events

at My Stronger Self Fitness

October 31st 830am - Pumpkin Workout/Dress Up Contest: Join us for our sweaty, spooky Halloween workout during our Wednesday 830am class. Bring in a small pumpkin (about the size of a medicine ball 4-6 pounds) and come dressed up if the Halloween spirits move you! We’re all super heroes at My Stronger Self might as well dress up like one. Or, maybe you have a favorite fitness icon (Jane Fonda, Olivia Newton-John, Lori Murphy …) you’d like to pay homage to. Best costume WINS something fun!

Brighton Boot Camp

Anti-Jelly Belly Boot Camp - Our Mon/Wed/Fri 530am Boot Camps have been extended! Why wait until the New Year to start losing weight. The average person will consume 4500 calories on Thanksgiving alone and worse gain up to 10 pounds over the holidays. Count down to the new year with My Stronger Self and join the “Anti-Jelly Belly” Boot Camp starting November 5th and running until December 21st (no class November 23rd). Group Training Members SAVE 40% off regular boot camp price! Not a member? That’s OK, just click the “BUY NOW” button and sign up by 10/31 and Christmas just came early … you’ll receive all our cardio/yoga classes free for the rest of the year!

Gleanors Food Drive – November 3rd thru December 15th: We’ve been holding our FREE Saturday morning boot camps at St. Mary Magdalen church for almost 3 years and now we’re asking you to dig into your pocket books or kitchen cupboards and let’s support a local food bank for the holidays. From November 3rd until December 15th we’ll be taking non-perishable food donations for Gleaner’s. So, if you want to come to free boot camps every Saturday, admission is the price of 1 non-perishable food item. Our goal this year is 500 items! Let’s pull together and support those in need this holiday season. We’ll also take donations during this time at our fitness studio.

November 10th – “Boot Camp Game Day” Charity Event: Join us Saturday, November 10th 830am at St. Mary Magdalen Church for our “Boot Camp Game Day” Charity event benefiting Team Kendal Kidz. We’re asking for a minimum donation of $10 and it all goes to Team Kendal Kidz – a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization; all contributions are tax-deductible as allowable by law. This workout is guaranteed to be FUN and burn plenty of calories all while benefiting a wonderful local charity.

November 23rd – 1.5 Hour Turkey Buster Workout: Black Friday isn’t just for shopping! If you ate more than your share of turkey, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie … Roll yourself into My Stronger Self’s famous one and half hour Turkey Buster Workout!  This will be the only class we are offering the day after Thanksgiving so take advantage of it! Members/Non-Members please reserve your spot, it fills quickly. Cost for Non-Members is $10. Email Lisa@MyStrongerSelf.com to reserve your spot. Class starts at 9am.

Massage Therapy at My Stronger Self

We are very pleased to announce, Marget Powers of Powers Massage Therapy, is now taking clients at My Stronger Self. Marget offers full body Swedish Massage and Neuromuscular Therapy. Marget is a nationally certified massage therapist with the National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork since 1996. She graduated from Brenneke School of Massage in Seattle, WA in 1996. Her bodywork experience includes maintaining her own practice in Seattle and teaching at Brenneke School of Massage for two years. Upon moving back to her native state of Michigan in 2000 she worked at Dynamic Back and Neck Therapy in Waterford, the leading spine rehab program in the country until 2006. Marget is committed to  providing excellent body therapies and education to assist in the change and healing of her clientele. Her belief is that not just one therapy or way of doing things is the cure-all. “Each body is unique in body, mind and spirit and should be treated as such. All things such as exercise, diet, environment, way of life, faith, family, friends, genetics, education, work and general life experiences form who we are health or unhealthy. Manipulating these elements in such a way as to provide an optimal environment and way of life is key but different for each person to maintain better health in all areas.”

Benefits of Massage

Over the past 20 years massage has become much more important in the healthcare industry in the US. Many healthcare practitioners are recommending massage to their patients more than ever. These benefits may include the following:

• Decrease Stress
  
  

  Powers Massage Therapy

• Increase Circulation
• Decrease Blood Pressure Temporarily
• Reduce Headaches
• Increase Sense of Well-Being
• Improve Posture
• Increase Flexibility
• Improve Digestion
• Promote Healing
• Treat Acute Injuries, Post Surgical Sites
• Treat Chronic Conditions: tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, TMJ dysfunction, and thoracic outlet syndrome
• Treat Sacral-iliac Dysfunction
• Treat Symptoms of Sciatica, Herniated/Bulged Disks
• Compliment Psychological Counseling

Hours of Operation:

Mondays: 4-8pm

Tuesday/Thursdays: 8am-330pm

Fridays: 8am-1pm

Saturdays: 8am-12pm

Call 248-495-9285 to schedule an appointment with Marget today. You’ll be glad you did!

Cinnamon Apple Protein Muffins

Well, we put a shout out on Facebook to see if anyone could make Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins which boast a whopping 420 calories, 13g of fat and 47g of sugar a little healthier and sadly we got nothin’! However, lucky for us one of our members, Michelle Hamilton, gave us this great recipe for Cinnamon Apple Protein Muffins. And even luckier for Lori and I, we got a taste test! We love taste tests … hint, hint!!

The muffins are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth or Michelle says she likes to eat one before a strength training class to help fuel her way those tough workouts. She was kind enough to give us the recipe to share with all of you. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple Protein Muffins

Cinnamon Apple Protein Muffins

2 cups rolled oats

1 medium apple, chopped into small cubes, skin on

2 scoops whey protein powder

2 eggs

1 cup non fat Greek yogurt

1 cup shredded zucchini

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tin with foil baking cups or non-stick spray. (Paper liners stick to muffin.) Mix ingredients and divide evenly into 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.

Each muffin contains approximately

105 calories

2g fat

13 g carbs

9g protein

2g fiber

8 Astonishing Benefits of Exercise

We hear all about how important it is for us to exercise for our bodies, but a lot of times we don’t hear about how exercise can also help and heal our minds and even our pocket books. My Stronger Self Fitness has come up with 8 “mind-blowing” benefits of exercise that you may not have heard of before:

1. Keeps Your Noggin Fit: Even mild activity like walking helps keep your brain fit and active which helps with memory loss and skills sharp.
2. Lower Risk of Alzheimer’s:  Exercise is one of the best weapon’s against disease, but study’s have shown it to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s or lessen it’s impact.
3. Improves Self-Esteem and Body Image: It’s not just the loss of weight that spikes your confidence, even something as simple as lifting more weights than before can improve your self esteem and body image.
   
4. Improves Learning: Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals called growth factors, which help make new brain cells and establish new connections between brain cells to help us learn. The more coordination the activity takes (like dancing), the more it challenges your brain. 
5. Reduces Stress: Exercise releases soothing brain chemicals. Plus, studies have shown that stressed out woman who exercise vigorously for 45 minutes or more over a 3 day period had cells that showed less signs of aging that women who didn’t exercise.
   
6. Helps with Depression:  Exercise appears to stimulate the growth of neurons in certain brain regions damaged by depression. Just by burning 350 calories 3 times per week with a good workout can reduce the symptoms of depression as much as antidepressants! 
7. Sparks Euphoria: Get in a high intensity workout and grab hold of that euphoric feeling that comes with exercise. Yes, it really exists!
   
8. Lowers Health Insurance Costs: Many companies provide employee wellness programs to help workers stay healthy and decrease health care costs. This results in lower insurance premiums for employers, and less spending on drugs and treatments for employees. For more information on  health care and lowering your cost visit Aviva Health Insurance. 
   

Now you have more than just a few good reasons, other than the scale, to hop into My Stronger Self fitness class!

Ask the Trainer Tuesday: Exercises for Travelers

 
This week Lori Murphy, Personal Trainer and Fat Loss Expert, shows us a few strength training exercises we can do even if we’re stuck traveling for work. All it takes is just a few small, inexpensive pieces of equipment that fit easily into any suitcase. She also demonstrates a few training moves to work those triceps.

If you have a question for Lori, please leave it in our comment box. Check us out on Facebook!

Yours in Health & Fitness!

Healthy Living Can Prevent Breast Cancer 

It’s October and many of us are dreaming of cider and doughnuts, admiring Michigan’s beautiful leaves changing colors, or wondering what winter will hold for us this year.  But we are once again reminded that October is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month and for those affected either personally or touched by someone who has, it’s not a reminder they will ever need.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women and 1 in 1000 men in the United States. So while we are reminded this month of the importance of self-examinations and mammograms, just like our New Years’ resolutions, being mindful of our breast health shouldn’t fade after a month.

Our breast health as well as our overall health can be dramatically improved with plenty of exercise and proper nutrition. Following a healthy lifestyle includes keeping your weight in normal range, being physically active (at least 30 minutes or more a day of moderate-intensity exercise), minimizing alcohol intake, and don’t smoke. Overweight, inactivity and alcohol all increase risk for breast cancer, and smoking increases risk in some women.

So we have compiled a few facts and tips, some helpful resources and information regarding free classes we’ll be holding this month at My Stronger Self Fitness Studio in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Nutrition

The American Cancer Society’s dietary guidelines for cancer prevention recommend that people:

• Choose foods and amounts that promote a healthy weight.
• Eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
• Choose whole grains instead of refined grain products.
• Limit consumption of processed and red meat.
• Women should limit alcohol consumption to 1 drink per day (women at high risk for breast cancer should consider not drinking alcohol at all).

Exercise

Nearly 30 studies have shown that women who exercise at moderate to vigorous levels for three or more hours per week reduce their risk of getting breast cancer by 30 percent to 40 percent.

Scientists believe that hormones are the link between exercise and breast-cancer protection. Exercise reduces levels of estrogen, testosterone, insulin, and growth factors, all of which may either cause breast cancer or prompt it to grow faster and larger. Women with high levels of these hormones in their blood have a high risk of developing breast cancer.

Many of the benefits of exercise in breast-cancer prevention may also apply for women who have had breast cancer. Overweight and obese breast-cancer patients have poorer survival than lighter-weight women. Exercise can therefore be an important part of the breast-cancer recovery process. It will also help provide you with not only better health but also a physical and emotional boost.

Informational Resources

• Liv.com is an excellent online resource for breast cancer prevention and support for breast cancer “thrivers”!
• Free or low-cost mammograms
• Local Support Groups

Exercise Resources 

Every Spring we hold our Fit-4-Life 60 Day Challenge focusing on team based weight loss. We had so much fun with it this year and many of the teams are still going strong. We are very fortunate our members are so supportive of one another.

We also offer Fitness Consultations if you’d like to discuss ways to incorporate better nutrition and fitness into your life.

Here is a list free classes, open to both men and women, we’re offering this month to help promote exercise and breast health:

(PLEASE NOTE: Pre-registration is required for all classes. Email FitForLife@MyStrongerSelf.com to sign up.)

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Saturday, October 6^th at 945am – Hatha Yoga

Saturday, October 13^th at 830am – Zumba

Friday, October 19^th at 930am – Power Yoga

Wednesday, October 24^th at 1030am – Hatha Yoga

Sunday, October 28^th at 930am – Zumba Dance Party

FREE Boot Camps Saturday 830am 10/13, 10/20, 10/27 (St. Mary Magdalen Church in Brighton)

“When Life Kicks You, Let It Kick You Forward” ~ Kay Yow

Life Changing Results for Another Group Training Member

Congratulations Jim Seghi!!!

Jim Seghi is our latest My Stronger Self Member of the Month.  He joined us back in January of this year and based on his before and after pictures you can see just how hard he is working to make health and fitness a priority in his life each and every day! Jim not only attends our early morning boot camps three times per week but also hits his group training twice a week and cardio classes regularly.  Jim has embraced the three pillars of success we preach about at My Stronger Self: Strength Training, Cardio and Healthy Diet.When you work hard in all three areas like Jim, real results happen and they are the kind of results that last a lifetime. You have come so far Jim and all of us at My Stronger Self are so proud of you. You are wonderful to have in class (even your wise cracks!) and an inspiration! Thank you for being such a great role model. Keep it up and you WILL reach all your goals!!!

Jim – Before

“My fitness journey started as a new year’s resolution. Sometime in December, my 11 year old girl put her arms around me and said “wow Dad I can’t even touch my hands”.  It sort of got me thinking. So Jan. 2nd was the chosen date. I rid the fridge of any tempting food and away I went. I thought I should really kick it up and do some exercise too. I checked out 3 local Gyms and took advantage of a free trial. I walked in the gym and was overwhelmed at where to start. Jumped on a elliptical and did not last 90 seconds. Tail between my legs I snuck out. I had seen My Stronger self on Facebook so I sent them an email. It read, “I’m fat can you help”. I met with Lori and she recommended strength training 2 times a week to start. In about 3 months I then added the 60 day challenge and after that boot camp 3 days a week. I now work out for at least 1 hour a day 5 to 6 days a week. I also try to add a few extra cardio workouts in right after class or early evenings. At my July physical the doctor took me off my blood pressure meds and said this was my best physical yet. Lori truly cares about your results and gives you the guidance you need. I have some limitations that she always helps me through with a modification.The folks at the classes always encourage and help. I still have a ways to go to reach my goals but when I do get there I intend to stay there forever. I’m truly Honored to be member of the month. Thank You My Stronger Self.”

Jim – After

Ask the Trainer Tuesday: Effective Treadmill Workouts

This week Lori Murphy, Personal Trainer and Fat Loss Expert, will show you how to make the most of a 20 minute treadmill workout as well as how to squeeze in some toning.

If you have any questions please leave them in our comment box.

Yours in Health & Fitness!