Guess Who's coming to Body Fit???

Well it seems that Christmas is sneaking up on us again.  I couldn’t  help but notice all the cars parked up and down the streets last weekend for the home tour.  Second Ave. sure seemed busy.  Maybe it’s a good street to get some decorating ideas??  As a matter of fact, Nicole Coulter, a long time member at Body Fit lives on Second and she has one of the keenest eyes for decor.  If you toured her house, you know what I mean.
Anyway, as you have been planning your Christmas shopping and thinking about what to put on the table, I have been helping Scott Campsall from Okami Kai plan the Knock Out Hunger Open House.

It’s now in it’s 11th year and we have successfully been able to donate thousands of dollars and tons of food to the local food bank with the help of our members.

But we need your help!

Although Knock Out Hunger takes place on one evening, the collection takes place over a few weeks.

This year we have added some incentive for you.

Typically we have had local businesses help us out by donating small prizes.  They get raffled off and the money goes to the food bank.

The same will happen this year but I think we can do better with your help.

If you or someone you know has a business that could afford to provide a raffle prize here is what I am going to do.

For the business, we will get you a tax receipt from the food bank acknowledging the donation.  Secondly, the business name  will go into a draw.

This year I will be giving away 2 annual memberships.  That’s a value of almost  $1200.00!!

One for a business and one for a raffle prize winner.

So if you or someone you know can help out with a raffle prize, please have them contact me directly….info below.

So what if you aren’t a business??  How do you win the other membership?

You have to do 2 things…..

1. bring in a food donation to Body Fit
2. buy the raffle ticket

Event Details…..

Starting next week..Monday November 23rd, we will be accepting food donations, raffle donations and selling raffle tickets.

On Monday December 7th starting at 6PM, Body Fit and Okami Kai will be hosting an open house for the event.  The address is 141 Reach Street (at Body Fit Health Club).  Doing things for kids is our main theme.  Here are a few things we have planned and yes they are all FREE!!

• Kid Fit Cardio class demo
• Martial Arts Demo
• Face Painting
• Subway is providing snacks
• Balloons and balloon animals
• AND SANTA WILL BE THERE!!!

That’s right…I just spoke to the jolly old elf the other day.  He cleared his schedule and gave me the thumbs up.  So skip the mall line and come to Body Fit.  The first 100 kids will get a present and a photo with Santa!  He also told me he plays  a little guitar and wants to sing Christmas carols with the kids too!  What an awesome guy!

I look forward to surpassing our old record of three pick-up trucks full of food.  I know we can do it.  Oh, and for every dollar collected for the food bank through raffle tickets, I will personally match it so we can double the contribution.

Stay tuned for more!

Andy Luukkonen

Owner, Body Fit Health Club

andy@bodyfit.ca or 905-852-6175

What Does Fitness Have To Do With Poppies?

So what does Fitness have to do with poppies?

I had to think about it for a while but there is a correlation.  Here’s a clue:  If you were asked, “What do you value the most in your life?”  What would you say if I said you could NOT use “family” as your answer?

What would you give up or sacrifice over anything else but that one particular thing?

Depending on where you are in your life and what you may or may not have experienced, I would suggest that “your health” was near the top of your list.

Symbolically, the poppy represents many things but one of them would surely be Sacrifice.  If you have ever thought about what you would sacrifice for your family, your children, your spouse or your siblings I’d hazard a guess to say your answer would be …..almost anything.  And you would not hesitate a second to do it.  But would you sacrifice your health?

More often than not, that’s exactly what we do.  We work that extra over-time so we can afford a bigger present or a better holiday.  Our evenings are spent driving kids to and from activities and before you know it, you have no time for yourself.

Those whom we are honouring, have and are willing to sacrifice their lives for our country and our freedom.   That being said, have you ever seen an out-of-shape soldier?  Not likely.  They know that if they don’t make time for their heath, then they cannot take care of what they hold most valuable ….our freedom and their families freedom.  Their health becomes part and parcel of doing their job.

Whether we find it hard to keep up with our kids, our grand kids or taking on greater responsibility with our parents, if we’ve neglected our health we find those common things much harder to do.

So why is it that if our families are at the top of the “most valuable list” and health is considered to be somewhere near the top, that we don’t put more thought into taking care of our health if we can’t take care of our most prized possessions without it?  Why is there such a gap?  Such a difference in priority between number one and number two on our list?

We all have to be soldiers at one time or another.  That means taking care of ourselves so we can take care of what is most important to us.  That means thinking about whether our health is worth sacrificing.  Remember, if you haven’t got your health……….you know the rest.

Support our troops, honour those who fought for our freedom and buy a poppy.

Sincerely,

Andy Luukkonen

Owner, Body Fit Health Club

H1N1 Shots – Commentary

H1N1 has made it to the headlines again!  This time, it’s about the massive line-ups all over southern Ontario.  Right here in Uxbridge I heard the waiting times have been hours long.  It’s amazing how long we’ll wait for something if we think it will help us stay healthy.  Quite ironic when I think about it.

I was at a fitness marketing conference in Orlando a week or so ago.  There was a common theme that kept coming back although the topics of discussion were all quite different.  I think it was summed up quite nicely by a man name Juan Carlos Santana.  Known as one of the most sought after authorities on functional training and human performance, J.C. correlated the general perception of many things in general (by today’s standards) with that of health and fitness.  Basically,   people look for instant gratification in almost everything we do.

Who thinks of saving money for that special thing we have always wanted?  Instead..we swipe the card and pay later.  Who wants to take the time to learn how to fix something anymore?  Instead, we either get rid of it and buy a new one (on the card) or pay someone else to fix it.  It’s faster, easier and an instant fix.   Not many people are mechanically inclined anymore and those who are…well they are doing well for themselves.

The same seems to be true when it comes to our health.  If there is a pill that claims it will make you skinny in 30 days or less, it will sell off the shelf instantly.  Medications will quickly take effect and rid you or sneezing or sniffling  for 24 hours a day!  All you have to do is keep taking the pill.

So what got me thinking about H1N1?

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who was at the conference in Orlando.  He addressed H1N1 on his blog and stuck his neck out.  He posted his opinion.  Open for ridicule and opposition, he gave the reader his 2 cents on what he thinks about the whole H1N1 shot.

You can read his post here:  http://torontofitnessblog.com/?p=237

I replied and posted a story of my own but from my own personal experience.  And that was what got me thinking about the message that J.C. Santana was trying to get across……the benefits of DELAYED GRATIFICATION.

Our bodies are amazing.  If we let it/help it work the way it’s supposed to work, you’d be surprised what it can do.  But it takes time to realize it.  There are faculties that we haven’t even begun to experience because we don’t know how to do it.  Take for example, the feat of lifting a car in cases of do or die situations.  It’s been documented many times over.  Individuals lifting cars off of loved ones to save their lives.

Did they work out for years or have extra special powers?  No.  It was there all the time.   Imagine if we knew how to tap into that “super human” strength on a regular basis.  What if our bodies were already designed to over come super bugs, disease and other life threatening conditions?  Maybe it already can and we just haven’t looked in the right direction or taken the time to figure it out?  Or maybe, just maybe… we are hindering it.

Below is what I posted on Conor’s blog.   My experience was with a common problem that millions of people face every year and throw millions of dollars at to get rid of it quickly.   I decided to take the long road……and it worked.  Will it help with H1N1?  I guess I’ll find out.  Oh, and the red lobster comment in his post is an inside joke.

Hey Conor,
Nice post!  I hear that eating at Red Lobster 4 days in a row also helps!

But seriously, I agree.  Here is a little thing I’ll share with you.  I used to have really bad allergies.  I had to take days off of work in early spring because of all the pollen flying around.  It would literally disable me.
Like everyone else, I took every allergy  medication  on the shelf.  Year after year I would have to change it up because the one I used the previous year didn’t work anymore.  Eventually I ran out of choices….
Then..wait for it…..I started to take vitamins!  I also did a 9 day detox (available at Body Fit Health Club for those of you in the Uxbridge Area!..thanks Conor) But Conor can also set you up with it. Anyway, I’ve been allergy symptom free for 2 years and haven’t taken a pill since. Not for the flu, a cold..NOTHING.  And I have three young kids that bring home every bug under the sun.  Wanna know what I take?  I’ve posted it here:

http://www.uxbridgefitness.com/blog/

And you can get it all from Conor too.

Our body’s natural immune system is truly amazing.  Unfortunately it’s always working on over drive and we aren’t feeding it with the vitamins and minerals it needs to keep up.
So, give your body a fighting chance.  It won’t let you down.

Andy Luukkonen
Body Fit Health Club Uxbridge
(Friend and Supporter of Conor Kelly)

My allergy killing, germ killing, bacteria fighting secret is:

1) Daily multivitamins (vitalizer by Shaklee)

2) Daily Vitamin E – 3 per day (400IU per capsule)

3) Daily Omega 3 – 3 per day ( fish oil 1065mg, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 630mg and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid ) 400mg and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) 200mg.)

4) Daily Glucosamine Sulfate – 2 per day

And remember, nothing happens over night, Rome wasn’t built in a day and good things come to those who wait.

To your health,

Andy Luukkonen

Owner, Body Fit Health Club