Take a break from heart shaped candy this Valentine’s day by trying this quick workout built for two! Perform 10-12 reps of each exercise, moving from one exercise to the next. When complete, repeat!

1. Partner Bosu Squat to Row

Wrap two resistance bands around each other. Step onto your Bosu’s with enough distance between you for adequate tension. Simultaneously squat until the tops of your thighs are parallel with the ground. As you stand, pull the bands into your chest, releasing as you begin your next squat.

2. Partner Hip Raise Hold with Bicep Curl 

Wrap two resistance band around each other, and lay opposing your partner with feet towards the center. Bridge your hips off the ground, making a straight line between your knees and shoulders. Maintain this position while simultaneously curling the bands to your shoulders then releasing back to a straight arm position.

3. Partner Tricep Dips

Using a bench or plyo box, place hands on edge of bench with finger facing outward. Bend at the elbows and lower your body until making a 90 degree angle with your arm, then press back up into the starting position. Adjust the difficulty by having your feet closer or farther from the bench.

4. Partner Plank with Forearm Taps

Assume a forearm plank position facing each other (can be from knees or toes) and tap opposing forearms with your partner. Reset into the starting plank position, and tap the other arm. Continue alternating until number of reps is complete.

5. V-Sit MedBall Pass on Bosu

Sit on Bosu facing each other with your knees bent, feet up, and one of you holding a medicine ball. Toss medicine ball back and forth while maintaining your balance until total reps are completed.

Running kids to after school activites, long task lists at work, and full social schedules keep us all busy. Make these bars ahead of time and store them in your purse, lunch box, or kid’s school bags. Convenience store snacks are high in calories and preservatives. No bake energy granola bars are simple and delicious!  

Recipe from Maren Wolsky Healthy Eating Coach RD, LRD

Ingredients:

1/3 c. natural crunchy peanut butter

1/3 c. honey

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. oats

1 c. brown rice cereal

1/8 c. ground flax seeds

1/8 c. chia seeds (optional)

1/4 c. chocolate chips (you can sub chopped dates or chopped nuts)

Directions:

1. Prepare an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl add oats, cereal, flax seeds, and chia seeds.

2. In a sauce pan, heat peanut butter, honey, and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir often for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour liquid into the medium bowl and mix all ingredients together until fully coated. Pour ingredients into pan and press firmly and evenly into pan. Press in chocolate chips on top.

3. Set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden. Cut and individually wrap them in plastic wrap. Store in an airtight container.

Be very creative with them by adding some of your family favorite ingredients to them like chocolate chips, nuts, or dried fruit!

Written by Maren Wolsky, Healthy Eating Coach, RD, LRD

 The holiday season is quickly approaching, along with the weight gain that tends to come with it.  Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s there is nothing but holiday parties, family gatherings, and temptation everywhere!  Arming yourself with strategies before the time comes can help you prevent gaining a few unwanted pounds.

Below are six tips to help prevent holiday weight gain:

1. Get in extra workouts.  Make time during your week to get in an extra workout to torch a few more calories.  Squeeze in an exercise class, go for an additional run, or fit in another yoga session.
2. Don’t skip meals.  If you think you will cut calories by skipping meals, you won’t.  You are much more likely to overeat later in the day, especially with tempting food around.  Having a small meal before attending a party will fill you up causing you to eat less.  Aim for a meal or snack every 3-4 hours and include protein and high fiber foods (fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains) to keep you satisfied longer.
3. Control your alcohol intake.  During the holidays cocktails are everywhere.  Remember that they can contain a significant amount of calories, so limit it to one or choose low calorie options.
4. Keep track of what you eat.  Writing down all the things you have eaten makes it more real.  If you see it on paper you are likely to notice your habits and from there you can adjust. You can also use handy apps or websites to track your eating, such as My Fitness Pal.
5. Moderation is key.  You can indulge in your favorite holiday treats, but keep it under control.  If there is a sit down dinner, avoid appetizers and simply limit your portion sizes. Choose your favorite foods or things you rarely get to eat and skip “everyday foods” such as bread, corn, etc. that you can eat any day of the week.
6. Get enough sleep. Holidays can be a stressful time with work parties, family gatherings, and other functions.  This extra stress can have serious affects on your sleep habits.  Little sleep may help contribute to weight gain, so aim for 7-8 hours per night.

On Wednesday, October 17^th Family Wellness will have been open for 1 year, and what a year it’s been! Some of you might remember the good ol’ days of the membership trailer while the facility was still under construction and having to imagine the equipment where it is today. Or perhaps you were here opening day, when the sun was so bright in the cardio area we picked up a basket of sunglasses just to make everyone look a little cooler (we have window shades now). We’ve been able to accomplish some incredible things this first year, and would like to give thanks to those who made it possible.

 Community Partnerships

Our success is most certainly a reflection of our community partners, Sanford Health and the YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties. Sanford health continues to pioneer programs and initiatives that reshape the way we think about health and fitness, and will be a critical partner as Family Wellness explores exercise as medicine. The YMCA of Cass and Clay Counties has served our community for over 125 years, and Family Wellness will continue to look up to its example of excellence through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

Our Marvelous Members

Over the past year we’ve had the privilege of connecting with so many inspiring individuals of our local community, and are honored to call them Family Wellness members. From the very first membership sold from our membership trailer on September 1^st 2011 to our most recent additions, each member contributes a unique quality to our Family Wellness Family. From marathon runners to mall walkers, body builders to yoga enthusiasts, lap swimmers to ball players, all share the common thread of making health and wellness a priority. The combination of these unique qualities has created a culture of support and inspiration, and we couldn’t be more grateful to be a part of it.

As Family Wellness looks to the future, we are excited about becoming the cornerstone of health and wellness for our surrounding communities.  We hope and plan to continue to inspire healthy lifestyles by connecting people in a fun environment. We are well on our way, and want to thank our members, partners, and community for letting us be a part of something great. Thank you for making health and wellness a priority, and for sharing that success with Family Wellness.

 Celebrating our One Year Anniversary!

If you look out from the windows of the pool, you will see a tree. If you walk up to that tree, you will see a stone. On that stone, the name Jacob Weible, with the dates 1991 – 2012. This is how Family Wellness remembers Jacob.

Jacob was a very memorable young man. So when we heard of his passing it sent shockwaves of grief and sadness throughout the Family Wellness community. It was especially difficult for those who knew Jacob as a lifeguard and swimming lesson instructor, or who knew him by his alias ”Aqua Ninja.” Jacob was special, so we knew we had to do something special for him.

On Wednesday, August 22, Family Wellness held a small dedication ceremony for his memorial. Almost 80 coworkers, friends, and family showed up for the dedication, which only reminded us of what an impact Jacob had on everyone around him. After some words from his former swimming coach and stories from Family Wellness co-workers, the dedication ended with a ceremonial placing of flowers by his stone.

Jacob will always be remembered for his big personality, quirky sense of humor, and caring nature. We wish to share our condolences to all who knew Jacob, especially to his friends and family.

Rest in peace, Aqua Ninja.

If you would like to participate in the Out of the Darkness Walk on September 23^rd at Lindenwood park, please click here for registration and donation information.

You might remember seeing a news story about a 74 year old man who was preparing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Well, that was Bud, and we’ve had the pleasure of watching him train in preparation for his epic climb.

 You could always spot Bud working out at Family Wellness. Perhaps it was because of the climbing pack he wore, but it was more likely because of his elevation training mask, which looks like it came from the top drawer of a super villain’s dresser. The mask was a vital accessory to Bud’s training, which limited his oxygen intake simulating the air conditions at various altitudes along his looming climb. The strange glances and double takes from other members were just a bonus.

Why climb the tallest free standing mountain in the world, you might ask? Bud is climbing to support Mark Loock of Moorhead, who was recently diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gherig’s disease. Bud was Mark’s hockey coach, and throughout the years have become friends. “I know the problems the family is having,” remarked Bud in his recent interview with WDAY news. ”I’ve read problems about the disease and it’s a horrible disease.”

Join us in wishing Bud and his Daughter and climbing partner Jennifer the best of luck as they begin their climb. Good luck, stay safe, and most importantly… Go Bud go!

If you would like to make a donation to Mark Loock and his family, you can make checks payable to the “Loock Benefit Fund” at First International Bank in South Fargo.

At Family Wellness, it is our mission to inspire healthy lifestyles by connecting people in a fun environment. Member Larry Burch did just that when he proposed to his girlfriend Kate at Family Wellness on Saturday, June 30^th.

Larry was living in Milwaukee, WI, when he met Kate online, and there was an instant connection. Three months (and over 9,000 texts) later, they met for the first time in person and knew it was going to be something special.

(Larry) The moment I fell in love with her was at the airport. I was rushing to get to Chicago O’Hare and she had already arrived. I was waiting by the baggage claim and talking to her on the phone. She said “I will be coming down the escalator”. I turned to my left and there she was. I knew at that moment, right then and there we were meant for each other.

Both Kate and Larry are very passionate about fitness, and soon after Larry moved to Fargo they became members at Family Wellness. They both use their work outs as a way to reduce stress and “get away” from the pressures of daily life; even making it a competition to see who can have more visits each month.

(Larry) I decided that the gym, being the place that we both had a common interest, was going to be the place that I asked her to be with me for the rest of my life. I snuck off and talked to the staff there while she was doing abs the Wednesday before and the day was set for Saturday, June 30. 

Finally, with ring in hand, Larry and an unsuspecting Kate came in for their Saturday workout. After slipping the ring to the front desk staff member and walking a few warm up laps with Kate, Larry snuck away, grabbed the ring, and waited for the perfect moment. Timing it perfectly, he ran up to the track (where Kate had already started her run) and waited on one knee for Kate to find him on her next lap.

(Larry) She came around the corner. I was down on one knee and asked Kate if she would be my wife and best friend for life. (Watch the video)

After an ecstatic yes from Kate and applause from other runners on the track, the happy couple walked a couple of laps to celebrate their big news. Then, being the dedicated members they are, got back to their workouts.

Congratulations Larry and Kate! We wish you nothing but the best!

For Joey, wellness is a priority. You might think that having been diagnosed with generalized dystonia (a neurological movement disorder) she might be willing skip her workouts…not Joey.

Joey continues to inspire others with her positive attitude and enthusiasm.

Joey’s most ambitious challenge so far has been swimming. Her goal was to feel comfortable in the water, so she started working with an instructor right after she joined. They started small, with some breathing and floating exercises, and as Joey felt a little more comfortable they progressed. “I decided to get more daring. I did the slide a couple times, a major rush. I was screaming like a little girl; which makes it more fun!” Now, Joey is comfortable jumping into the pool (always in creative new ways) and regularly attends water exercise classes.

The slide...challenge accepted!

 “My belief with everyone; whether they have a disability or not, is to have a positive attitude. If you don’t have that, if you don’t have the will to keep fighting, then you’ll get nowhere. Sure we all have not-so-good days, I try to push through the bad moments and learn from them. I don’t even think of the dystonia; It’s just something I have – but it does not define who I am. I love life, I love getting stronger, I love meeting new people and I have met so many wonderful people at Family Wellness. Life is a journey – make your journey your best one yet. I look forward to what the future holds.”

Joey is committed to making her health and wellness a priority, and she does it with an energy and attitude that can only be described as truly inspiring. By sharing stories like Joey’s, we hope to inspire our community to make health and wellness a priority for themselves and their families.