I don’t have patriotic schwag or swagger.

I don’t put a flag out on Memorial Day or Labor Day or July 4^th for that matter. I don’t own any clothes emblazoned with the American flag, and I’ve never chanted “U S A ! U S A!”

So, why on earth am I doing Pushups For Charity in 7 days, a fundraiser for the most patriotic of patriotic causes – wounded military service people?!

I’ve performed the national anthem (without forgetting the words, thank you very much) at dozens of events and been a featured soloist at patriotic themed concerts, and gotten caught up in the emotion of the moment. I’ve traveled to other countries and wanted to kiss the American soil upon my return home.

I love my country in my own quiet, non-demonstrative way, and I want to give back to the men and women who serve it.

What I Push For

1. The Men at the East Orange VA Hospital

I’ve told the story before about my college experience with wounded vets. During my junior year of college, one of my clinical assignments for my Music Therapy degree was at a VA hospital in East Orange NJ. The manner and degree to which these men had been forgotten was heartbreaking. They had served their country and been given the promise of a better life. Instead, they came home broke down, tore up and disrespected. To make matters worse they struggled with PTSD, mental illness, drug addiction, homelessness, joblessness, poverty and an overwhelming sense of hopelessness. It just wasn’t right and it left a huge impression on me.

I Push for those men and for all the men and women whom I’ve met since who’ve served our country and come home to the same lack of opportunity and the same sense of hopelessness. As a college junior I couldn’t do much, but I can do my small part now with Pushups For Charity.

2. The former “Knuckleheads”

We all know stories of former bad boys and bad girls who got turned around in the military. The military is often the last chance for them. After years of getting in trouble, getting kicked out of schools, maybe a few run-ins with the law, they’re shipped off to boot camp. That’s where the “miracles” happen. They become a part of something bigger than themselves. They follow through with something for the first time in their lives. They learn responsibility, honor, citizenship. They become contributing members of society. The military can be their gateway to college, gainful employment and a life that holds much more promise than the one they were previously leading.

I Push for these men and women and for the organizations that provide those opportunities once they finish their service. I Push so that they will have the opportunities and hope that the guys at the VA never had.

3. Freedom

This is the hardest one for me to write about because it seems so trite and hokey and I pride myself on being hip and cynical.

Hokey or not, our military service members do fight to protect our freedom. Freedom that were fought for by “soldier” abolitionists, “soldier” suffragettes, “soldiers” of the workers’ movement and “soldier” civil rights leaders. Freedom that means I can vote, live in the neighborhood of my choosing, own and run my own business where and how I want. Freedom that ensures that in spite of being a double minority, no one can legally rape, kill or take from me because it is their “right” as a member of the majority.

I Push for all the at home soldiers and the soldiers/military service people on the front lines at home and abroad.

I Push to give back.

I Push to say thank you.

I Push because I can.

What do you Push for?

Pushups For Charity Wynnewood, May 19^th. www.CrowdRise.com/PerformanceFitness.

So we’re on this 8-week journey of “eating clean” known as the Clean Up.  The food is clean, the preparation is clean, and in turn, our bodies will be clean. But, what exactly is happening on the inside that needs to be “cleaned”?

We know fiber does a great job of “cleaning us out”, but it’s more like a Swiffer – it gets the surface area. So, we need something a little more potent to scrape off the stubborn debris, more like one of those high-powered waxing machines.  Our gut lining actually likes to be clean, it works more efficiently when we eat basic foods in their more natural state, and it can process, absorb, and assimilate nutrients in a beneficial way.  Luckily, the tiny finger-like cells in our gut can actually regenerate, so we can begin this cleaning process at any point.

And why do we have to clean so much? Inflammation.

Inflammation is all the buzz in the health world, and when we think of inflammation we typically think of an injury, a sprained ankle for example. It can be characterized as pain, redness, swelling, and sometimes loss of function.  Surprisingly, the same thing can occur inside your body, it’s called systemic inflammation and has been linked to a variety of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers, heart disease, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

When injury or infection occurs, inflammation takes place as a natural defense mechanism, sending white blood cells and pro-inflammatory substances to fight off the bad guys and get rid of the damaged cells so that the irritation won’t spread, and the tissue can repair itself. The body will also begin releasing antihistamine which in turn sets off a whole gamut of stress-response hormones.  With this type of injury, just the right amount of cells will be sent out to repair the injury, clear out the bad guys, and the inflammatory response will resolve.

It’s easier for a sprained ankle to heal as the injury is localized, but when that inflammatory response occurs deep within our cells, the healing process is slow and tedious, thus resulting in chronic inflammation. These deeper inflammatory responses occur as a result of illness, infection, allergy, or intolerance.

Most likely, a person’s cells are already damaged in some way due to poor diet, so the onset of this response seems even more detrimental.  For instance, you may have an intolerance to gluten. When you consume it, it attaches to and damages the cells in your gut. If the gut has damaged cells, the body sees it as injured (just as it does a sprained ankle), the alarm goes off and many of these pro-inflammatory substances, specifically C-Reactive Protein, are released.
These pro-inflammatory substances love a highly acidic environment, especially from the contribution of high-glycemic foods, refined sugars and trans fats, so they will thrive and continue to linger.  If these substances are hanging out in the acidic environment, the body recognizes this and continues to release more, thinking the injury needs more in order to be repaired. So the body is in a constant state of inflammation as it keeps pumping out that C-Reactive Protein and other pro-inflammatory substances, the white blood cells are now going crazy trying to expedite the healing process, shifting their focus on that rather than keeping up your immune system. In addition, stress hormones go through the roof.  With a suppressed immune system, you’re more likely to get sick, and with elevated stress hormones, you’re more likely to hold onto belly fat as well.  It’s an ugly cycle that, fortunately, can be alleviated through diet

That’s where the cleaning process comes in.  We can consume anti-inflammatory foods, creating an environment where the inflammation-causing substances can’t survive.  Once these substances are reduced and removed through metabolism, and the gut lining has regenerated, we can maintain a healthy environment by eating the natural, clean foods that our bodies recognize, and will not inhibit an inflammatory response.

Specifically, diets rich in vegetables containing vitamins  C and E,  selenium, and flavanoids are essential as these antioxidants are great at fighting inflammation.  Vitamin D and the B vitamins also have anti-inflammatory effects. In addition, the Omega 3 fatty acids that we get from most fish, walnuts, pistachios, flax and hemp seeds are known to be the best at reducing inflammation. All of these nutrients are included in our recommendations for the 8 week Nutrition Clean Up, and will play a vital role in our health.

Inflammation is inevitable. Illnesses occur, stress levels rise, and sleep is deprived.  Each of these will naturally trigger an inflammatory response, but if we prepare our bodies to fight the inflammation, the likelihood of winning that battle is in our favor, and we won’t only recover more quickly, but we’ll look better doing so as well.  Just another reason to continue to eat clean.

These she-devils seem innocent enough to begin with. They’re cute, they’re friendly and they’re engaged in work for a good cause, yet they fiendishly push crack. Fine – cookies. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that their cookies are one of the biggest diet pitfalls of the year.

Girl Scout Cookie Time is the one time a year when we can get Thin Mints, Samoas and Do-Si-Dos. It’s almost like an extension of the fall/winter holiday season – Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years . . .Girl Scout Cookie Time.

Sure you want to support a worthy organization, and with the season only lasting 6 weeks how can you not indulge? The problem is that Girl Scout Cookies weigh in at 120 to 160 calories per serving of 2-4 cookies, and we all know that we never stop at just 4 Thin Mints (it’s the crack).  We’re more likely to eat the whole sleeve or in some cases, the whole box. That’s 1280 calories!

So how can you indulge without a Samoa induced sugar coma?

Follow these 3 tips to help you stay in control:

• Plan ahead and chose the least damaging options. While Girl Scout Cookies are by no means, health food, some are less of a disaster than others. Stick to Shortbread, Shout Outs and Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties). They range from 120-130 calories as opposed to the 160 calories found in favorites like  Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos.

• Be a frequent buyer. Yes, buy Girl Scout Cookies and buy them often, but only one box a week. If you finish the box before the week is up, too bad. No more cookies until the following week.

• Don’t shovel. Remember, the serving size isn’t the whole sleeve but 2-4 cookies. So, savor those 2-4 cookies. Take normal bites instead of shoving the whole cookie into your mouth (you know you’ve done it).

The best strategy in my opinion though, is to avoid diet destruction all together, and if you’re a member of the 2012 Winter Clean Up Challenge it’s the only option. Give the Girl Scouts a donation and leave the cookies at the table.

Look at the ingredient list for Thin Mints – crack!

We’ll have a full recap of Get Your Can to Class 2011 later on this week.

My trunk loaed with part of our 597 pound collection

Help us collect 350 pounds of food!

We all had a blast burning calories and helping a good cause at this year’s Turkey Buster Workout.

Thanks to the  27 people who attended and helped us kick off our 3rd annual Get Your Can to Class Food Drive. I’m not sure how many pounds of food we collected but we’re definitely off to a great start. This year’s collection benefits Philabundance. Check out the rest of our photos from the Turkey Buster here.

Maggie with her 12K (26 pound) kettlebell

I love to celebrate our clients – their fitness successes, personal accomplishments and especially their birthdays (usually with birthday push-ups).

Today I celebrate Maggie Baker for not only being an incredible woman but also for being our client of the month for November, and today just happens to be her birthday. I would love to tell you how old Maggie is but she’s asked me not to share that. What I will tell you is that when it comes to working out she has a will and fitness regimen that would put men and women half, heck even a quarter, of her age to shame.

Maggie has been a Performance Fitness personal training client since 2006. After you read Maggie’s story check out this study printed in the New York Times on aging, muscle mass and physical function.

1. What do you do for a living?

I’m a clinical psychologist in private practice (30 years)  in Wynnewood, PA. I specialize in ADHD/ADD (children and adults), anxiety, depression, relationship issues and the psychology of money.

2. How long have you been training with Performance Fitness?

I started with Michelle’s personal training about 5 years ago. I also went to the early morning bootcamp for several months.

3. What’s your fitness/sports background?

I was known as a “sports kid” up through adolescence. In high school I was captain of the lacrosse and baseball teams, and in college a friend of mine and I started the college’s first women’s  ski  team. After I got married and as my kids grew up I participated in several “Rambo Aerobics”, 5K races and two flash triathelons. 

4. Why is working out important to you? What benefits do you get from it?

Since adolescent days I’ve  done some kind of physical activity to a greater or lesser extent. Since I’ve been working with Michelle, my commitment to consistent, 5-6 times a week exercise has strengthened. I look at other  people my age and  see them wither as they age and settle into inactivity and rapid decline. I want to stay as strong and limber as I can for as long as I can. When I complete a workout I feel charged up and ready to go. I love that feeling. I like the feeling of maintaining my strength so I can keep doing what I do with freedom and sparkle.

4. What are some of your favorite workouts?

I favor cardio because I know that it oxygenates your brain and is the best protection against Alzheimer’s disease and dementa, but I love strength workouts because they keep me toned and able to do the aerobic exercise at higher intensity. I value the variety of workouts (like Kettlebells and boxing) I do with Michelle  because they are always different, challenging and well thought out.

6. What do you like to do in your “free” time? What are your hobbies?

I sing in my church choir and play the cello for hobbies.  Because my work and musical interests take up most of my time, free time is scarce. Of course there is always time to relax with a Netflix movie!

7. Tell us about your book that was recently published.

One of my professional specialties is the psychology of money. In February, 2011 I published, Crazy About Money: How Emotions Confuse Our Money  Choices and What To Do About It. It is written for the lay public to help people better understand their relationship to money and teaches  the reader how to make more effective financial decisions. It is on my website, www.maggiebakerphd.com and on Amazon.com.

8. What would you like to share with other “older adults” and younger people about working out?

If you ever find yourself sick or getting weaker than you have to be, it is a good reminder that there is nothing more important and meaningful than being healthy. This belief has helped me make a commitment to work out consistently over time no matter, how busy my day to day schedule is. I would hate to get sick or weak and then say, “if I’d only taken better care of myself, I wouldn’t be as sick or as weak as I am now.”

Robin before

I’m pleased to announce Robin Hartley as the 2011 winner for our 8-week Main Line Your Best Body Challenge. Here’s her YBB Challenge story

“First off — let me say, I’m so glad I signed up for [the Challenge]!  It got me off my butt and started on losing some serious weight that I’ve been lugging around for way too long.  I used all the wonderful info gleaned from the handout, the grocery store visit and the boot camp sessions to get moving and to make better choices.  So far, I’ve lost 14 lbs [in eight weeks] and don’t plan to stop any time soon [and she didn't - see note below].  I feel and look so much better.

I was not able to attend every Saturday bootcamp. . . I didn’t write religiously in the daily log either but see the value in doing so.  Just going through the exercise of jotting everything that passed my lips gave me pause to be thoughtful about my intake without being overly obsessive (thanks to your saying you can cheat occasionally!)  All said, I’m on course to being a healthier me at a healthier weight and I thank YOU for that.  I won’t “win” the contest per se since I didn’t follow all the guidelnes but I still won what I wanted out of the deal.”

Robin - after the Challenge

Well Robin did win! In spite of not following the rules 100%, Robin lost 14 pounds, decreased her body fat and lost inches. As our 1st place winner she received a bunch of prizes but she won something that’s much more important – improved health, more confidence and hopefully, a better life. Congratulations!

Remember above where Robin said she didn’t plan to stop losing weight anytime soon? Well she kept that promise. I saw Robin at kettlebell class a couple of weeks ago (looking fantastic in her form fitting tank top and workout pants) and she told me that she’s lost an additional 16 since the Challenge – that’s a total of 30 pounds since May!

Robin and all of our Challenge winners are proof yet again that this stuff works if you put in the time and effort and stick with it! There are no quick fixes just long term changes that will create a Better Body and a Better You!

Stay tuned for our next Challenge coming in November – the 24 Day Challenge. We’ll help you end 2011 happy, fit and healthy.

Gail Meyer

Gail Meyer was our 2nd runner up for this year’s Your Best Body Challenge, however the YBBC was not the beginning (or end) of Gail’s fitness journey.

Gail has been training with Performance Fitness for a little over a year now. She started out in our Pilates classes and then decided to give kettlebells a try. During her year plus of training with kettlebells, Gail has gotten stronger, steadily increasing the size of the bells she’s using, so that now a 12 kilo (26.4 pound) bell feels light to her.

Kettlebells training helped with Gail’s initial body transform. In February she decided to focus more on nutrition and participated in our 30 Day “End of Winter Clean Up Challenge“. Gail’s reward for her clean eating was weight loss and new clean eating habits that she’s been able to maintain.

The spring 2011 Your Best Body Challenge was the next step in Gail’s transformation. She continued with kettlebell training and clean eating, added Saturday co-ed boot camp and got FANTASTIC RESULTS!

Gail - week 1

Gail - after

During the 8-week challenge Gail lost 8 more pounds. In addition to that, she lost 15 total inches and decreased her body fat by 5.5%.

Gail, like Natalie Tomasco, is proof that age doesn’t have to block your success when it comes to body transformation.

Another “woman of a certain age” success story! Congratulations, Gail!

Our small but mighty push-up crew!

We had an awesome time at Pushups for Charity Wynnewood this morning. What a wonderful way to honor our armed services members and those we lost on 9/11.

Thank you to all of our sponsors:

• Dr Cara Hillwig, Chiropractoric and Nutrition
• Live Well Holistic Health Center
• Whole Foods Wynnewood and marketing manager Ruth Harp for supplying us with delicious goodies
• The Nourishing Well
• Narberth Chiropractic Care
• Cerca Trova Yoga

And an extra special thank you to Next Level Sports for hosting a satellite Pushups for Charity event at their practices today.

Congratulations to Pete Alfonsi (2nd place male), Alicia Kopp (2nd place female), Kathy Saltz (1st place female) and Greg Pierman (1st place male) for being our push-up prize winners.

To everyone who has supported our efforts for Wounded Warrior Project thus far – we thank you! Check back here during the week for more photos and information on our top fundraiser and final tally.

There’s still time for you to make a donation. Go to here to support the cause.