Archive for February, 2010

I see it time and time again – people look at the funny cannon-ball looking thing in the corner of the gym, pick it up, and then put it down…so mysterious! But, really, there is less mystery, and more magic than you might think – if you learn how to use them! KettleBells can help you prevent injury, get strong sleek muscles, and increase bone density all while getting your heart rate up.

In the 1800s, KettleBells were counterweights in the farmers markets in Eastern Europe. The farmers would swing, and toss these weights, even juggling them, at the end of their day – just for fun. They were even featured in some early circuses. Turns out, that made them very strong. And it isn’t like farmers in Russia at that time were known to be weaklings! This lead to a true technique being developed, and eventually the KettleBell became the official workout of the USSR.

They arrived in America with waves of Russian immigrants in the early 1900s. They were popular here for a while, a mainstay in gymnasiums of the time. In the Soviet Union, the fact that they were indestructible, inexpensive, and efficient meant that they continued to be widely used – including for Russian Special Forces. Here in the US however, our gyms became very fancy and gadget filled, and KettleBells decidedly low tech nature is the main reason they fell out of favor.

It seemed inevitable that such an amazing tool would be back – and now it is. Why would you want to divide your body down to individual movements and muscles to be trained one at a time, when life requires you move your entire body, at different angles, all the time?

KettleBells utilize three-dimensional multi-planar movements that constantly challenge the body to stabilize. With the KettleBell the center of gravity changes and you work with inertia, and fluctuating resistance. When I started training with KettleBells the best part for me was that I could work power, endurance, deceleration and cardio in a low-impact way. This was the perfect cross trainer for me as an aerialist and now that I am retired, it continues to be the perfect cross trainer for LIFE. What does that mean for the you? It means…a quick, efficient challenging workout!

The basic move, the KettleBell double arm swing works the glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, quads, calves, abs, deep back muscles (erector spinea, quadrates lumborum and multifidus if you must know) and grip. On top of that, it can get your heart rate up – and that is only one move!

There are many styles of KettleBell training – some based on traditional sport moves, some based on heavy bell training and some based on a cross training program for ballet dancers. I do a combination of the first and last. The Bell allows for and endless variety of movement – all making you stronger and better able to do all the things you need to do in life.

People interested in training with KettleBells should look for a certified instructor because there is a technique to learn. There are many options; I trained with KettleBell Concepts, but there is also IronWorks FE, Dragon Door, Art of Strength, and the American Kettlebell Club.

You also need to pick the style that works for you – some people train with no music, and very heavy bells. I like to swing light bells, enjoy a group environment and listen to some silly music – but that is just me! I teach classes at Romney Pilates on Tuesdays at 10:30am and on Saturdays at 11am, as well as private. I even include KettleBells as cross trainers in my Aerial Conditioning privates at Next Evolution.

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Lorelei Ashe MacDonald is recently retired trapeze artist and teacher. Lorelei started taking movement classes with Martha Graham dancer Willa Shulman in 1969 at age 4.  A career in dance, both modern and jazz, lead to aerial dance and then to circus with a few breaks for injuries in between. Lorelei received training from Radu at Radu Physical Culture in the Radu method, as well as receiving NASM CPT Certification. Lorelei relocated to New Orleans to find more peace and pleasure to her life.  She offers Gravity Defying Fitness at Next Evolution and KettleBell training at Romney Pilates.

Next weekend – it’s all about health and fitness in New Orleans! The Rock N’ Roll Marathon Series is coming to town for the Rock N’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & ½. Thousands of runners are ready to go (note: registration closes today, if you’re interested in running and not yet registered.)

As part of the Rock N’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & ½; there’s also a Health and Fitness Expo.  Here are the details:

For two days, over 60 exhibitors will offer free samples, showcase the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health & nutritional information and much more.  Pick up some last-minute race essentials before race day and be sure to visit the Brooks Official Merchandise Store to check out the wide selection of stylish souvenirs to commemorate your Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras experience.

The Health & Fitness Expo is FREE and open to the public so bring your family and friends!

• Dates: February 26-27, 2010
• Location: New Orleans Morial Convention Center, Hall C
• Expo Hours: Friday 11:30 am – 7:00 pm;  Saturday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
• Free Admission: Open to the public

But I did say, there are TWO health fairs happening this weekend.  The other is being hosted by Lakeview Christian Center. There are offering free seminars from 10:30 am – 2:30pm; and have a long list of local exhibitors.  Check-out their website for more information.

• Dates: February 27^th, 2010
• Location: Lakeview Christian Center, 5885 Fleur de Lis Drive
• Expo Hours: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
• Free Admission: Open to the public

Also happening next week is Tulane University Prevention Research Center seminar on “The Role of Public Policy in Obesity Prevention” presented by Joseph Thompson, M.D.,  Director, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity Director, and Arkansas Center for Health Improvement Surgeon General, State of Arkansas.

• Dates: February 26, 2010
• Location: Tidewater Room 1208 – 1440 Canal St
• Hours: 12-1pm
• Free Admission: Open to the public

Get a Be Fit NOLA t-shirt for writing a review!!  We’re not asking you to run, bike or swim…we’re simply asking you to share your opinion(s) and enlighten us and we’ll give you a t-shirt for it. The giveaway will continue until we’ve received 50 reviews and given away 50 t-shirts. Find out how to get your free t-shirt.

Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon 2007

In 2007, I had taken up running to spend more time with my dad. He loves to run and I thought no better way to spend time with him then to do something active and healthy. I was NOT a long distance runner by any means but decided to become one for my dad. I use to run your occasional 5k or 10k for fun, but nothing like 13.1 miles (1/2 Marathon).  Well in February of 2007 I ran my first ever Mardi Gras 1/2 Marathon with my dad.

After completing my first 1/2 Marathon my dad asked me if I would be willing to train for a full marathon (26.2 miles) He said I could pick any destination I wanted to run and he would do it with me. Well of course, Maui popped into my head VACATION!!!! Then I thought about running in the 85 degree heat and that soon my excitement started to fade. Finally I decided and picked the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C.  In October 2008, I completed my 1st Marathon with my dad, who is my inspiration. All 26.2 miles of it!!!

Matt, 35, Metairie

I just started running again recently and hadn’t ran since grammar school.  I usually ride bikes but I was getting bored with doing the same thing and I was looking for a way to burn more calories in a shorter period of time.  I started off just running a mile or two after work.  Each time I ran I would try to push myself a little bit further. I like the idea that running is just you and the ground.  Besides shoes and water, there is no other equipment you have to worry about. Everything else I do in life requires the best and usually the most expensive gear.  With running,  as long as you have a decent pair of shoes you are good to go.  After building up the endurance to run several miles I just wanted to see how far I could go.  I wanted to do the Mardi Gras half marathon to set a goal for myself and follow through with it.  I like having events to look forward to.  Luckily I got to train with a group.  This is the only reason I made it through my long runs. In the beginning I didn’t have the mental or physical strength to run for more than 30 minutes.  Over the weeks I learned that if I believed I could do it in my head, my body would follow.

Stephanie, 32, Metairie

I chose to train for the 1/2 marathon just to prove to myself that I could.  I never considered myself a runner and before this I had never ran more than one mile.  I now realize that with a little motivation and training I can acheive whatever I put my mind to. I have learned that my body can physically endure the runs. I just have to keep a positive mental outlook to complete my goal.

Elizabeth, 27, New Orleans

I am not a person to turn down a challenge. When the challenge came to train for the half marathon, I was willing to accept. I was very unsure that I could even do this being that I had never run in my life. Now through the encouragement of my team, I feel like I am ready to complete the challenge.

February 28th 2010 is the 1st ever Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & 1/2 Marathon and will be my group’s 1st time running a 1/2 Marathon. I can not express the excitement and pride I feel about what my team is about to accomplish. I can not wait for them to cross that finish line. I told them from the beginning and it still holds true “There will be no man or woman left behind” and I mean it. We started this journey as a team and we will finish as a team.

In a 2008 New York Times article about the Half Marathon becoming the hottest new distance in running, it estimates that 650,000 people completed half marathons in the US in 2007. A Google search of the US population for 2007 gives a result of 301M total people. This would make the percentage of half-marathon finishers less than 1%.

It is truly an accomplishment in and of itself and I can’t wait to experience it with such an AMAZING group of people….and of course…… my dad who will be right by my side every step of the way.

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Emily Eoff received her M.S., in Health and Exercise Science from Louisiana Tech University, as well as, her B.S. in Kinesiology and Health Promotion. She also holds her personal training and group fitness instructor certificates from some of the leading certification programs in the country. As a motivator, role model, and leader, Emily brings nine years of experience in the health and fitness industry to her XLR8 Fitness business.

Simply put, vitamin E is a group of various fat soluble compounds that, when ingested, exhibit antioxidant effects; this family of compounds consist of tocopherols and tocotrienols.  Some of the primary roles of vitamin E include the prevention of oxidative stress, supporting healthy skin and protecting against bladder cancer.  Some studies have shown vitamin E to be part of a preventative program to help protect against prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Vitamin E seems to be most notable for its ability to help prevent oxidative stress, which essentially means, damage to cells, tissues and organs.  Another way of describing this is vitamin E helps to neutralize potentially damaging free radicals in the human body.  Free radicals are always going to be present in the body; it’s something that just naturally happens because of the way we live and the environment we are in.  It’s important to be able to effectively reduce those free radicals so you can maintain a healthier lifestyle.

You’ll be able to find vitamin E in many foods.  There are a variety of sources vitamin E is founds in, but most recognizably you’ll see it in fruits, vegetables and nuts.  These include:

• greens (mustard, chard. collard & turnip)
• bell peppers
• tomatoes
• broccoli
• kiwi
• blueberries
• kiwi
• peanut butter
• almonds
• sunflower seeds

Unlike other vitamins, it’s more difficult to determine if someone is deficient in vitamin E and there is a lot of controversial research regarding this topic.  Generally, when someone is low in this vitamin it is due to malabsorption which stems from poor digestive health.  Another area of focus for vitamin E deficiency stems from something called peripheral neuropathy; this is where someone experiences problems with circulation in their extremities.

By incorporating vitamin E into your diet you’ll be able to help protect your skin from UV light and help prevent damage to your cells from free radicals.  If you are experiencing issues with digestive health, having liver or gallbladder problems, or experience numbing in your extremities, you could very well be deficient in vitamin E.  As with all other vitamins, there are huge health benefits from consuming enough vitamin E in your daily diet.

There are some amazing fitness instructors in the Greater New Orleans area and I have said – “if you are looking for it; it’s probably available in New Orleans”…well, today I have quite the treat for everyone!

We interviewed one of the most fascinating fitness instructors in the city: Lorelei Ashe MacDonald. It’s not just her background as a retired trapeze artist after a career  as both a dancer and an aerialist that makes her unique…or that she performed with the Bay Area troupes Circus Finelli and Velocity Circus, and went on to teach at the San Francisco Circus Center, home to a professional aerial program and a clown conservatory. It’s a combination of all that and what she has brought to New Orleans – a one of kind way to get into shape: Gravity Defying Fitness

Interview with Lorelei Ashe MacDonald of Gravity Defying Fitness

Q: Where do I even begin? Can you tell us a little bit more about your background? How did you end up becoming a trapeze artist? I think as kids going to the circus – it’s something most of us only dreamt of becoming because our parents quickly shattered any hopes of that happening.

Lorelei:

I started as a dancer. I took my first creative movement class at about 4 years old and I haven’t stopped moving since.  I never took to gymnastics, but embraced dance and was performing professionally by the time I was 13 in New York City.  An injury side lined that career but I continued to explore movement possibilities. I did a bit of aerobic competition choreography, some modern dance choreography, and a bit of aerial dance.  Finally, I found circus – and I never looked back! I loved the height, and the combination of strength and grace that the static trapeze requires. And while I worked with rings and corde lisse and lyra, static trapeze was always closest to my heart. I have to admit that I had to let my mom know I was down safe at the end of each show, even into my 40s! Thank goodness for texting. And I think I gave my husband a few grey hairs as well.

Q: What inspired you to create the Gravity Defying Fitness program?

Lorelei:

Of course, I knew I couldn’t perform forever and when I started to think about a post-performance career I knew I wanted to share the excitement of trapeze.  But, I also wanted to make the trapeze accessible. My dilemma was that I don’t believe in teaching technique if you aren’t strong enough to execute it safely.  I realized that even the basic exercises are fun, and are the perfect way to get started!  After retiring at 42 I moved to NY to open a facility for Radu Physical Culture (of Cindy Crawford Workout fame) at the Plaza hotel.  Sadly, financing and construction issues scuttled that project, so I branched out on my own.   Aside from my background as a dancer and an aerialist, I was trained by Radu to teach his methods, am a certified NASM personal trainer, and have been trained to teach kettlebells by KettleBell Concepts. In fact, besides teaching GDF aerial conditioning classes at Next Evolution Gym here, I teach group kettlebell classes at Romney Pilates!

Q: Please tell us a little more. What can someone expect, look forward to…from taking the Gravity Defying Fitness Program?

Lorelei:

I tailor the sessions to each client’s fitness goals and experience, so the first session really varies based on what you are already doing. Everyone gets on the trapeze or the rope the first day, regardless of their fitness level. You learn how to hold your body to be able to move explosively in the air, you learn how to climb the rope, and in short order my clients are hanging upside down.  We do specific exercises that create the long straight leg lines required to look good in the air as well. I constantly hear from people that the workout is “so much harder than it looks” but also that it is crazy fun. My goal is that you should be a bit sore after each workout, but not so sore that you don’t want to do it again right away! That said, I suggest aerial training to be just a part of your program – two or three times a week.

You should also come in expecting to challenge your fears!

Q: What are the main benefits of aerial fitness compared to other fitness programs?

Lorelei:

I strongly believe that you should never restrict yourself to a single type of training. I myself swim, take bootcamp, bosu, dance, and yoga, as well as train in the air. The thing about aerial conditioning is that it is amazingly effective for your core – and while everyone focuses on the upper body strength it requires (and it certainly develops upper body strength) it works your whole body. It is functional training at its best.  We work strength, but also endurance, flexibility, balance and agility. Even better, it requires focus and you’re learning something new, so the time goes fast and you don’t even realize that you are training hard!  Looking good with sleek strong muscles – well that’s pretty great too.

However the biggest benefit is the feeling of accomplishment. I had a client in NY heading off to a meeting with a really well known and intimidating figure in her field. But, as she left she said that if she could learn how to climb the rope, the meeting would be a snap. Building self esteem and confidence is even better than good looking abs!

Q: This is an excellent program for us to have in New Orleans. What brought you to New Orleans?

Lorelei:

This is a subject really dear to me! I have been visiting New Orleans for the last 10 years.  My husband and I moved to NY two years ago from San Francisco, as I mentioned. My business was going gangbusters but I never adjusted to life in NYC (even though I am from there originally). My life in NY really lacked balance – too much work, too little play, and don’t get me started about winter.  While in NYC we started coming to New Orleans every few months and every time we would get on the plane to go back, my heart would sink. I have been talking about New Orleans as a place to live for years, and on a trip back last spring, I turned to my husband and said “let’s go!”  I couldn’t be happier, and I feel like I have come home. And what an amazing time to have moved here!

Q: We are working hard to promote health and fitness in New Orleans – what are your general thoughts on the health and fitness community here in New Orleans?

Lorelei:

I think we have a great fitness community here – there are some amazing classes and trainers. And, while everyone thinks of New Orleans as a hard partying town, and of course it is, it is also a hard training town. People here are very much committed to their fitness programs.  Of course, having just moved here, I love just about everything with the fervor of a recent covert (except the bugs).

I’m not that old and I didn’t grow up on a farm…yet I remember the saying “If you don’t have your health; you don’t have nothing at all.”  I remember my dad telling me that. He wasn’t or isn’t a sick man but he is a self-employed man; he owns a construction company. His health is very important to him because without his health/ability to put in a hard day’s work – he doesn’t make money.

The saying also definitely applied more in the old days – when most people did some sort of physical labor as the primary way to earn a living. If people were sick or injured, they couldn’t perform their work duties and they didn’t get paid.  The incentives to be healthy were far greater (survival) and by default of performing physical/manual labor people were more active.  Times have changed.  Technology has changed the way we earn a living and most people in developed countries can perform their job while being overweight, out-of-shape, and plagued with chronic diseases, etc. Most people don’t care about their health.  It’s obvious when looking at the results of studies. Louisiana ranked 41 out 50 on the 2009 Well Being State Ranking. #1 being the best – 50 the worst. From Gallup and Healthways Well Being Index (Click on the image for larger image)

Merging decades of social and clinical research, development expertise, health leadership and behavioral economics, Gallup and Healthways collaborated to develop the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (WBI) – the first and largest survey of its kind, aggregating data from 1,000 calls a day, 350 days a year. The Well-Being Index is already the largest behavioral economic database ever created and, over the next quarter century, will generate more than nine million individual responses.

The Well-Being Index and associated City, State and Congressional District Reports provide the only measurement today for total well-being. Beyond medical condition and access to healthcare coverage and services, the Index also questions respondents about economic, professional, emotional and social circumstances. With Well-Being Index data, it’s possible to quantify and establish a correlation between the places where people work and the communities in which they live and their well-being.

Some more results were released today.

The County Health Rankings—the first set of reports to rank the overall health of every county in all 50 states—were released today by the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at a briefing in Washington, D.C.  The 50 state reports help public health and community leaders, policy-makers, consumers and others to see how healthy their county is, compare it with others within their state and find ways to improve the health of their community.

Each county is ranked within the state on how healthy people are and how long they live. They also are ranked on key factors that affect health such as: smoking, obesity, binge drinking, access to primary care providers, rates of high school graduation, rates of violent crime, air pollution levels, liquor store density, unemployment rates and number of children living in poverty.

Poorly ranked counties often had multiple challenges to overcome, including:

• Two- and three-fold higher rates of premature death, often from preventable conditions.
• High smoking rates that lead to cancer, heart disease, bronchitis and emphysema.
• High rates of obesity which can put people at risk for diabetes, disability and heart disease.
• High unemployment and poverty rates.
• High numbers of liquor stores and fast-food outlets but few places to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

Read More from the Press Release

Now, if only Gov. Bobby Jindal would have a look at this study and stop his plans for cuts to health care…

Here’s a look at the results for Health Outcomes.  For the Greater New Orleans area St. Tammany Parish was #1, Jefferson #16 and Orleans and St Bernard 59 and 62 respectively.  Interesting disparity between those…any thoughts of why? (Click on the map for larger image)

And the results for Health Factors: For the Greater New Orleans area St. Tammany Parish was #1, Jefferson #5 and Orleans and St Bernard 47 and 59 respectively. (Click on the map for larger image)

For greater details of the overall rankings and finer details check this out.

I normally don’t write posts this long…but this is serious – we have to start going to back to the mentality: If you don’t have your health; you don’t have anything at all.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Mardi Gras – from what I could hear outside (we live in the French Quarter) people really seemed to have been enjoying themselves.  This morning when I went to drop Aaron off at work, we saw people staggering about with drinks in their hands…I guess they don’t care that today is Ash Wednesday.  When the clock struck midnight, the start of Ash Wednesday and Lent descendant upon us.

Lent is the season before Easter, in the West lasting liturgically from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of Holy Thursday. The evening of Holy Thursday begins the The Easter Triduum, which lasts from Holy Thursday to the Evening Prayer of Easter Day. However, Lenten fasting and penance continue until the end of Holy Week, and all of Holy Week is included in the traditional 40 day Lenten fast, despite Lent ending liturgically on Holy Thursday.

The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, Christian growth, penitence, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Teutonic (Germanic) word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our corporate and personal relationships with Jesus Christ and our service to him. Thus it is fitting that the season of Lent begin with a symbol of repentance: placing ashes mixed with oil on one’s head or forehead. However, we must remember that our Lenten disciplines are supposed to ultimately transform our entire person: body, soul, and spirit. Our Lenten disciplines are supposed to help us become more like Christ. Eastern Christians call this process theosis, which St. Athanasius aptly describes as “becoming by grace what God is by nature.” (Source: Churchyear.net)

For 2010, Lent began today on 17 February and ends on 3 April.

In modern society, full Lenten fasting is not very popular…instead it’s been replaced with “giving one or two things up” for lent.  All over twitter this morning, people are discussing what they are going to give up for lent: #lent.  Red meat, alcohol, and chocolate seem to dominate the list…followed by fast food.

Lent Fasting: The Diet of Self-Discovery

“In the secular world, ‘fasting’ means abstaining from all food and drink, but in religious circles, ‘fasting’ means going on a disciplined diet. The purpose of a fast is to find out who is in control, you or your belly, and to win that control if necessary. It’s also a way of using your appetite as a spiritual snooze alarm that moves you to pray.” Karl Loren Happiness

Fasting or giving up whatever is on your list is about dedicating yourself to a challenge and to a cause for the next 40 days and in the process discovering more about yourself. Who is in control? How do you deal without the things you love the most? What kind of mind of matter and willpower do you possess? Are you willing to go on a journey of self-discovery for 40 days?  It’s amazing how many of us can’t bother do commit to change for 40 days.  We have become so narcissistic and unwilling to see our own shortcomings.

Fasting is dieting on an entirely new level for people looking to lose weight and fasting is something entirely foreign to someone who has never dieted in his or her life.

I encourage you to give up most, if not all the foods and comforts in life you love the most for the next 40 days.  Open a journal and start chronicling how you feel, what you’re experiencing, why you miss the things you miss, and how your attitude, energy level and life is affected.

I’m giving up chocolate, Nutella, red meat, all meat on Friday, and diet soda.  I would never give these things up as part of a regular diet; instead I would choose to consume them in moderation – but I commit myself to not having them until April 3^rd.

Now it’s your turn…what kind of fasting are you planning to do during lent?

When I first moved in to our new uptown apartment as a married couple, I didn’t have a sofa. My husband was happy to bring his from his old place; I was equally happy to leave it on the curb. We were young and just starting out with a strict budget for decorating. After going to a few affordable furniture stores, we settled on a sofa that lasted all of 6 months. It settled right in the center leaving whoever sat on it looking like an airplane with his wings tipped up. It was cheap and soft and we should’ve bought the more expensive one we really wanted but didn’t want to spring for at the time.

I use this analogy often when I get the initial response to the Pilates certification cost and time commitment I’m currently encouraging people to consider. This week, I’ve had to use it a little more often because I have a 3-weekend intensive certification program coming up.

“How many weekends for this? How many student teaching hours? Why this cost?”

My explanation is simple: you get what you pay for. There are Pilates certifications available that can have you taught, tested and certified to teach mat in one day. They will cost you a couple of dollars and may fulfill the CECs for another one of your certifications. But you will only get about 8 hours worth of knowledge and no opportunity to practice under the guidance of a trained instructor.

My first Pilates certification was a day long workshops and I remember leaving thinking, “There is no way I can teach this stuff. I don’t know the ‘why’ of what I’m doing and I really don’t want to hurt anyone.”

It was from that experience that I found my mentor, Cecile Bankston, Assistant Director of Kathy Corey Pilates. Kathy Corey Pilates is one of the original founding companies of the Pilates Method. Devoted to quality education and the highest standards, Kathy Corey Pilates is recognized internationally as a leader in the Pilates community.

Okay, so I’m a dork about it.

I wave that Dork Flag high because I know I am a contemporary Pilates instructor who is confident in her knowledge. The three weekends of workshop – in Mat Work, CORE Band and Magic Circle, specifically – were opportunities to work with a Master Trainer and the required student teaching hours allowed me to practice and gain the confidence necessary to work with any client. I made up the cost within three months of working part-time. When I was ready to become equipment certified, I felt prepared to take on another challenge. While I was technically “certified” to teach Pilates after that initial training, I was floundering. However, the full certification training gave me the time to practice, to ask questions, to research and to study.

I encourage anyone who is looking to become Pilates certified to look at the certifying body. Find out the lineage of the trainer; ask about the length of time for certification and what are the student teaching hours required. Find a program that is dedicated to teaching Pilates, not just certifying people to teach Pilates.

Are you absolutely infatuated with Pilates? Are you wondering if you should take the plunge? Have you been wondering about the benefits of being a Pilates instructor? Are you hoping to take your passion for fitness to a new level? Stay tuned – I’ll share my thoughts on all of that in my next post.

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Kerrie Ann Frey is the founder and owner of Fit Mom USA, a former stroller exercise-based program that has evolved in to an online presence with fitness, wellness, and nutrition information for all men and women. Her passion for fitness began with credentials including A.C.E. PT and LWMC and grew to include her true love – Pilates. She is West Coast Pilates certified and trains clients in several studios in the New Orleans area.

Get a Be Fit NOLA t-shirt for writing a review!!  We’re not asking you to run, bike or swim…we’re simply asking you to share your opinion(s) and enlighten us and we’ll give you a t-shirt for it.

The post I wrote the other day “Be Careful When Talking About The Health of My City” in defense to what someone else had to say about our city is a prime reason why you should take the time write a review – people outside of New Orleans just don’t see it.  They don’t get all that our city has to offer for health and fitness.

Writing a review of your gym, yoga or pliates studio, boot camp, favorite park, running or cycling trail, personal trainer, health store, or best healthy meal in a local restaurant is your opportunity to unveil New Orleans’ hidden treasures.  We sweeten the pot by adding a t-shirt…not just any t-shirt.

Aaron is a little picky about the fit of his shirts – so to please him and ensure you love our shirts we ordered men and women’s Gildan Soft Style t-shirts from Purple Monkey. We’ll run this giveaway until we’ve received 50 reviews and given away 50 shirts.

Read this post as a refresher of what we’re looking for in a review. We ask that you make your reviews at least 100 words long. (We will post constructive criticism type reviews but nothing flat out rude, mean or inaccurate)

Don’t be shy either…tell your friends about it.  Let’s really open up about New Orleans’ Health and Fitness!!