How many of you hate going to the gym because it’s too crowded, your intimated, or you don’t want to get stuck in a long term contract that you can’t get out of?? If you hate running on a treadmill like a hamster on a wheel, outdoor fitness boot camp might be for you. I know I would much rather be outside exercising and enjoying the beautiful New Orleans’ weather.  This is what outdoor fitness boot camps provide.

Fitness boot camps take fitness out of the gym and into our local parks and green spaces. At XLR8 Fitness Boot Camp we are outdoors jumping hurdles, running agility ladders, and meeting new friends who all have one purpose in mind; to get healthy.

A common misconception about boot camps comes from the words “BOOT CAMP”. People think “Am I going to get screamed at?” This is very far from the truth. There is no reason to be scared; you won’t find any screaming drill sergeants!!  You will find a support system with instructors who have an optimistic outlook that says, despite the odds and challenges of leading a healthy lifestyle, the future is promising. Some boot camps are for women only, but other boot camps, like our boot camp is designed for men and women of all fitness levels.

As a boot camp instructor/owner, most of the questions I get are from people who are new to fitness – they feel like they will hold the group back. The thing to know about boot camp is although it’s considered “group exercise” – the majority of boot camps are designed for you to be able to go at your own pace. Believe me, you can put your mind at ease, no one is watching or judging you…other people are worrying about their own ability to perform the best they can.  You do as many repetitions as you can within the amount of time, whether it be 3 or 30. Boot camp instructors are there to motivate you to do your personal best.

So I know you are wondering what types of things do we do in a  boot camp class. Each class is an hour in length. There are no two workouts that are the same.

Workouts include:

cardiovascular, muscular endurance, strength training with dumbbells and body bars. We also take campers through group challenges, partner resistance, medicine ball drills, agility hurdles and ladders, plyometrics and obstacle courses. Tons of repetitions will tone the muscles and the fast pace drills will keep your heart pumping.

RESULT = a serious workout and great calorie burner.

If you are looking for something that reaches Beyond the Gym to get motivated and inspired – you might really want to consider trying out one of the boot camps being offered around town.

When choosing a boot camp here are somethings to keep in mind:

1. Size: Be sure to ask about the size of your class.  If you are not comfortable in large groups and you want to ensure you get more personal attention, I recommend going with a boot camp that limits their class size. You can also check on instructor to student ratio.  It’s possible to have a larger group with multiple instructors.

2. Location: Most boot camps are early in the morning, you do need consider accessibility to where your boot camp class is being held.  A boot camp closer to home will be easier for you to get to…and the distance won’t be an excuse for you to not go.

3. Women or co-ed: Like I already alluded to, some boot camps are co-ed and some are for women only.  If you have a preference one way or the other – this will impact which boot camp you participate in.

4. Cost: Boot camps do vary in cost so ask around and find out what you’ll be getting for what you’ll be paying.

5. Duration: Some boot camps are 4 weeks long, some 6 weeks and some even longer…perhaps a shorter boot camp to try it out is better for you before making a bigger commitment or perhaps you already know you want to commit to losing weight in the next 6 weeks before a big event so you want a longer program.  Who knows! Just know you have options.

6. Read Reviews and Feedback: Do take the time to read reviews on third party sites like Be Fit NOLA to find out what others are saying about the boot camp(s) you are considering.

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Emily Eoffreceived 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.

We are joining great cities of the likes of Boston, San Francisco, Toronto, San Diego, Philadelphia and Nashville in holding a HealthCamp in our wonderful city of New Orleans.

HealthCamp is an unconference inspired by the popular BarCamp conferences, which are intended to allow people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees.

The purpose of the HealthCamp is to bring together health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area to share knowledge, network, and open dialogues around the challenges, issues, and concerns they face every day.  As well as, brainstorm, explore and discuss solutions, ideas and the latest innovations, policies and technology available.

An unconference means that the attendees are the presenters – this is a user generated conference.  There is no keynote speaker and planned agenda for the day.  However, we are establishing some guidelines and tracks.

HealthCamp NOLA will explore 4 different tracks:

Technology

Sessions in the technology track will vary from discussing improving or extending the efficacy of health care by embracing social networks, open standards, and the latest web and mobile technologies to new breakthroughs and latest technology available or being developed that will change the way health services are provided.

Prevention/Wellness:

Sessions in the prevention and wellness track will focus on discussing and addressing what can be done in our community to educate, assist, motivate and encourage people to take preventive measures to prevent diseases and health problems. What can be done?  What are the biggest factors affecting the members of our community? How can health care and fitness professionals best support and help each other? Etc.

Policy

Sessions in the policy track will focus and vary from discussing federal, State and city policy that impact health and wellness providers.  This could include anything from funding issues and concerns, privatization of local hospitals, and the impact of the Health Care Reform Bills recently signed by President Obama.

Business

Session in the business track is to discuss the state of health and wellness businesses, opportunities and entrepreneurship in the health and wellness industry.  What opportunities exist in New Orleans? What type of businesses already exist – what makes them successful?

This will be an extremely beneficial event to all health, fitness and wellness professionals in the Greater New Orleans area – the energy, opportunities and networking generated from unconferences can’t be compared to anything else you have attended in the past.

Our first priority in bringing this event to New Orleans is finding a location that can support 100-150 attendees.  A space with 4-5 classrooms.  The event will be held on a Saturday.

As soon as we have reserved a location, we will accept sponsorships.  Sponsors are critical to make this a free event for attendees.  The sponsorship will be used to pay for the food for the day, possibly the facility and t-shirts.  NO MONEY is made by the organizers of this event – this event is being organized by volunteers…currently myself and Tung Ly; assisting us is the HealthCamp Organizer Mark Scrimshire.

You can stay abreast of what’s happening by joining our Facebook Group and following us on Twitter.

Today, we have an inspirational interview with Jacques Courseault – a medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine and Co-Founder/Program Designer of Don’t Weight to Lose.

Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization designed by Tulane medical students, to promote long-term behavioral changes in terms of diet and exercise habits. DWTL ultimate goal is for each program participant to develop practical lifestyle changes without diet or exercise fads. They aim to promote small changes in nutrition habits, without sacrificing cultural characteristics in taste; and to increase physical activity, without needing sophisticated exercise equipment.

Q: Can you tell us a little more about Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: Don’t Weight to Lose (DWTL) is a faith-based non-profit health and wellness organization based in New Orleans. Basically, Ryan Jupiter and I came up with this idea as first-year Tulane medical students. There was a program that I ran, as a personal trainer, called “Fat Tuesday,” where we offered free body composition and cardiovascular screenings at the Reily Center (Tulane’s gym). Ryan and I were working out one day and were discussing ways to bring a program like Fat Tuesday out into the community. After a year of research and development, DWTL was born. DWTL is now an 8-week program, held twice a year at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church. Components include physician speakers, health screenings, free exercise equipment, exercises classes and personal counseling from medical students. At this point, we have seen around 500 participants, and many noted significant health improvements.

Q: How does someone become a participant in the Don’t Weight to Lose program?

Jacques Courseault: Visit www.dontweighttolose.org and sign up for our newsletter. We release dates 2 months in advance for people to sign-up. If you don’t want to wait, we have tons of exercise and nutrition information available on our affiliate websites www.ExerciseMenu.com and www.DrGourmet.com. I am the Chief Editor of Exercise Menu, and Dr. Timothy Harlan is a chef turned Tulane Internist who developed Dr.Gourmet.com.  There is tons of great information on both sites.

Q: How much personal attention do the participants receive?

Jacques Courseault: One of the great aspects about DWTL is the personal attention that participants receive from our medical students. We have about 25 volunteer medical students that are trained in exercise and nutrition counseling, in addition to, what they are learning in medical school. Each student is assigned to three to five participants. Students review body composition readings, nutrition diaries and workout logs with participants during each session. There is really a strong bond that develops…

Q: You mentioned it’s faith-based health and wellness program – can you explain that a little more?

Jacques Courseault: Faith-based meaning that we address health issues from the mind, body and spiritual perspectives. Obviously, you have to take physical action, by increasing physical activity and making health food choices to improve your overall health. What is not so obvious is that many of these issues have a psychological and spiritual basis to them that should also be addressed. Having a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I have designed this program based on particular theories to address behavior change. Obesity and other chronic diseases have also been linked to psychological disorders, such as stress and depression. Last but not least, is the spiritual component. Making sustainable lifestyle changes is difficult. By making the connection that God has blessed us with the gift of life and health, I try to teach our participants not to take this time we have for granted. In addition, the church offers a support network that provides encouragement when the temptation to revert back to previous ways arises.

Q: What inspired you to start Don’t Weight to Lose?

Jacques Courseault: I love New Orleans and the potential that this city has. Nothing can compare to the culture of this city. At the same time, I realize that overindulging in our food and leisurely activities can lead to serious health problems. So, I asked myself “How can we improve the health of this city and still eat great tasting foods and enjoy ourselves?” The answer is to teach small and practical changes that can drastically improve health. The people of New Orleans want to be healthy; however, it’s not always clear how to do that, especially with the day-to-day fads that pop up in mainstream media. Therefore, it is my passion as a personal trainer, physician and citizen of this great city to teach these practical changes.

Q: Have you reached out to former participants?  Have they maintained the new habits they developed during the program?

Jacques Courseault: Being a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church and from seeing previous participants at various health fairs or at other functions, we realize that our changes look to be sustainable. We have also received many testimonials about the positive changes people are noting in their lives. One participant reported at 40-pound weight loss, and we have had quite a few that reported 25 pounds or more. We are working to set up a screening session of all of our former participants to see if these changes have been sustainable as we hoped.

Q: How do you feel about the health and fitness scene in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: The health and fitness scene in New Orleans has notably improved after Katrina. The greatest improvement that I have seen is at City Park, with the addition of the new walking and biking tracks. New Orleans provides many avenues for outdoor exercise. One can walk through the French Quarter, bike on the levees, play pick-up soccer at Audubon or join any of the many run/walks that are held here each year. Unfortunately, there is a lack of indoor facilities. To address this problem, I have developed ExerciseMenu.com, which allows people to workout in the comfort of their own home. Resistance training, or weight lifting is important, but we can maintain better health if we regularly participate in outdoor activities.

Q: We hear you are graduating this year – what’s next for you? Will you be staying in New Orleans?

Jacques Courseault: I will never leave this city. I had a wonderful four years at Tulane University School of Medicine, but will now hang up the green and white for the LSU purple and gold. Starting in July, I will begin my residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I love this field because I can combine my exercise passions with medicine, in order to help people maintain their physical health. I will also continue to make sure that DWTL contributes to improving the health and wellness of this city.

I walk into the weight room everyday looking for women lifting weights, and repetitively I see only MEN in there. Our culture has traditionally viewed strength and muscles as masculine traits. Myths and misconceptions have been taught to young girls and women to discourage their participation in weight training. Some of these beliefs include such notions as “weight training will make me bulky” or my favorite “I don’t want to bulk up.” Ann wrote a wonderful blog post to dispell the myth and provide us ten reasons to include weight training into our workout routine: Go Ahead Ladies, Add on Some Weight: Weight Training That Is

As a NATURAL female physique competitor and personal trainer I want to also encourage you to pick up some weights – so here is so information on how to get started with weight training!! (that’s me in the picture on the left)

The initiation of any weight-training program, weight machines are usually the way to go for women if you are a member of a gym. They can help decrease injury, increase proper lifting mechanics, and control the speed of the weights. Then you can progress from there to free weights when you feel comfortable.

If your goal is to improve muscle tone…

The best way to improve muscle tone is to challenge yourself during resistance training sessions.  Choose weights that can only be lifted for 8-12 repetitions, 2-3 sets (with a rest period of 30 to 90 seconds between sets).  The goal is to fatigue, or “wear out”, the muscle.  If you can perform more than 12 repetitions, chances are the weight is too light.  Performing more than 12-15 repetitions at a less than challenging weight may not sufficiently fatigue the muscle and thus will reduce the appearance of “tone” or definition.

The amount of time you have to dedicate to a resistance training program will determine the number of days per week and style of program you choose to perform.  For example, if you know that you can dedicate 2 days per week, 30-60 minutes per session to a resistance training program, then you may choose to perform exercises for the entire body on both days.

If you have 3-5 days per week with a range of 15-60 minutes to spare, you could try a split routine.  A split routine can be any combination of muscle groups performed by itself or in pairs or groups.  For example, a 3-day split might consist of back and biceps on Monday; chest and triceps on Wednesday; and legs and core (abdominals and lower back) on Friday.  Remember that rest is just as important as training.  Muscles need at least 48 hours of rest before being worked, or fatigued, again.  A lack of rest will prohibit muscle growth and definition.

Full Body*:  With the exception of the warm-up, perform each exercise in succession with 5-10 seconds rest between each exercise (just enough time to move from one exercise to the next).  Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.  Rest for 1-2 minutes between each set.

Warm-up 10-15 minutes walking or jogging

Leg Press (Legs)

Bench Press (Chest)

Lat Pull-down (Back)

Leg Curl (Legs)

Chest Fly (Chest)

Seated Row (Back)

Lateral Raise (Shoulders)

Arm Curl (Arms- biceps)

Triceps Extension (Arms- triceps)

Abdominal Curl using stability ball (Abdominals)

Low Back Extension (Lower Back)

Stretch all muscles worked to the point of mild discomfort for 1-4 sets,  holding the stretch for 10-30 seconds each.

*You can use machines, free weights, or a combination of both for all or a portion of the above workout.

Believe that strength training is not complicated, believe that strength training is empowering and energizing, try all attempts to get over the barriers, and don’t believe the myths and misconceptions. Women of New Orleans, GET STRONG! Or as Drew Brees would say it “FINSH STRONG”.

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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.

Last night Aaron and I went to Nola Fit to workout…it’s a new gym that just opened up on Magazine St. After doing some cardio, I started doing my weight workout.  I’ve been lifting weights for so many years (since high school) that I take quite a few things for granted.  One of those things I take for granted is that many women still have a misconception about weight training.

I overheard a woman telling the guy she was working out with “I don’t want to increase the weight I’m using – I don’t want to get all bulky.”  Her workout partner replied with something along the lines of “Don’t worry about it; women don’t have the genetics to get bulky.”  He sounded a little irritated with her concern and to some extent I share his irritation.

The women you see in fitness magazines that have lean, muscular physiques invest endless hours in the gym and the kitchen to get that way – they also take a variety of supplements (hopefully all legal) to get there.  As you can see in the pictures I included of myself in this post…at one point I was kinda “ripped” and had some “sweetguns” – I can attest to how much hard work, dedication and dieting that went into it.

Women need to stop worrying about the “getting bulky” myth because it’s important they include weights in their workout routines. There are too many benefits to lifting weights to skip making it part of your fitness routine…unfortunately, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train.

Top Ten Reasons To Add Weight Training to Your Routine

1.  Increasing and Restoring Bone Density - Strength training prevents and fights osteoporosis. In fact, weight lifting for women is one of the best ways to prevent against bone diseases. Weight-lifting exercises monitored by University of Arizona researchers showed that women can maintain and build their bone mass and muscle strength in the hip and spine areas, where most fractures occur from the brittle bone disease of osteoporosis.

2. Burn More Calories: In a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, women burned nearly twice as many calories in the two hours after their workout when they lifted 85 percent of their max load for eight reps than when they did more reps (15) at a lower weight (45 percent of their max).

3. Lose Body Fat: Studies performed by Wayne Westcott, PhD, from the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Massachusetts, found that the average woman who strength trains two to three times a week for two months will gain nearly two pounds of muscle and will lose 3.5 pounds of fat. As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism and you burn more calories all day long. Generally speaking, for each pound of muscle you gain, you burn 35 to 50 more calories each day.

4. Lower Blood Pressure: A study in the journal Circulation found that doing two to three bouts of weight training a week was enough to lower blood pressure.

5. Improved Balance: Strength training helps resolve muscle imbalances and poor posture as well as improving balance as the core is strengthened. This gives you greater coordination.

6. Be Stronger: Studies show that even light weight training can increase a woman’s strength by half.  Who doesn’t want that?  Really makes life easier.

7. Boost Your Confidence and Well Being: Weight training has been shown to improve women’s self confidence and reduce the symptoms of clinical depression. A Harvard study found that 10 weeks of strength training reduced clinical depression symptoms more successfully than standard counseling did

8. Reduce Your Risk Of Injury: Working out increases joint stability and helps you avoid sprains and strains.

9. Lowers Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Regular weight training has been shown to improve glucose utilisation by up to 23 percent in just 4 months, reducing your risk of type 2 diabetes.

10. Get Better Sleep and Sex – Just take my word for it

We’ll have future posts on how to get started with your own weight training program.

Yesterday we attended the Lakeview Christian Center Wellness Fair 2010…and we were pleasantly surprised by how well organized the event was.  Parked outside of the Center was the Elmwood “On the Move – Driving to Fight Childhood Obesity” Bus.  This unique program is designed to give school children ages 9-13 an opportunity to learn about health and fitness in a non-competitive environment. Inside the bus is a fitness center designed for children – check the Elmwood Fitness Center Website for more information.

Inside the Lakeview Christian Center we were welcomed by a staff (church members) who were excited, and happy to see us and tell us all about what was available for us to see and take part in.  They had 36 vendors that made up the Wellness Fair to include a station to get your Blood Pressure taken for free and Cholesterol screening from The Blood Center: Blood Mobile & Free Cholesterol Screening. Also in attendance was Salire Fitness, BestRD Wellness (nutritionist), Advance Medical Care and Wellness, DHH/OAAS/Adult Protective Services, Elderly Protective Services, Louisiana Chiropractic Center, Alzheimers Association of GNO and the American Cancer Society to name a few.

From 10:00 am to 3pm they hosted some wonderful free seminars for attendees which included: Tulane hospital discussing Childhood Obesity & Type 2 Diabetes, Rose Dermatology discussed Skin Cancer, and LSU Radiolody has a seminar of Mammogram, When and & Why.

We spoke with Pete Schefferstein the Church Administrator and Wellness Fair Organizer to find out more about the Fair and why the Lakeview Christian Center decided to put on this event. As it turns out, Pete used to be quite an unhealthy fellow – as he puts it “a typical New Orleanian” and his wake-up call came when his doctor told him that he was close to being diabetic and unless he made some changes, he would have to take medicine for diabetics.

Speaking with Pete was an eye opener.  To hear him say that for him; not being able to bend down to pick something up, or not being able to walk up a flight of stair or walk around the block and that living with all the discomfort of bad health seemed perfectly normal was very surreal. It’s hard to comprehend that some people have never known or experienced living a normal “healthy” life.

However, when his doctor told him if he kept going the way he was he would be diabetic – Pete decided to change his lifestyle.  Since then, Pete has lost over 100 pounds.  He enlisted the help of his son who designed a program for him based on the Men’s Health TNT.  After losing 40lbs, Pete was finally able to use a treadmill.  Pete was exercising for the first time in his life.

Pete said to us “When you’re overweight, you don’t really realize how much everything is such a chore – like bending down to pick something up, traveling…how embarrassing it is to ask the stewardess on a plane for a buckle extension”

Since losing the weight and making life changes/establishing a new healthy lifestyle, Pete became more aware of the members in his church community who also needed help and assistance.  He commented on how difficult being overweight is on the families in the community; “People are losing jobs because the can’t perform their duties.” That’s when the Lakeview Christian Center became involved in helping their community become healthier.  Every six weeks they run a Biggest Loser Challenge to encourage members to get involve, participate in learning new things about nutrition and exercise and support each other in losing weight.

They bring in other members of the community who are nutritionists, trainers, nurses and doctors to speak on health issues.  It’s really fabulous what the Lakeview Christian Center have started and how they are supporting their community.

As many of you know by now, Aaron is an aspiring bodybuilder.  He did his first competition last year and will be doing the Greater Gulf States Bodybuilding Championship this year. Health and Fitness are Aaron’s love and passions.

I’m very proud of him – being a bodybuilder takes a lot of time, discipline and hard work.  Aaron really was a very skinny kid (I’ve seen the pictures) so he’s had to dedicate himself to create the physique that he has and he has done so in the least favorable of conditions.

I’m truly happy that FLEX Magazine chose to feature Aaron in their My Story area of the magazine.  It’s great exposure for Aaron but also for New Orleans Bodybuilding scene. I hope you will pick up a copy and check-out Aaron’s story.  Also, do stay tune… as he will continue to write about his journey right here on the Be Fit NOLA blog. Click on the images to enlarge.

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

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 can talk about New Orleans getting healthier…but I won’t allow someone else to cast a shadow on my town about it!!  You know you are truly a New Orleanian when you’re ready to police the Internet and defend her honor!!

We started Be Fit NOLA to educate, motivate and raise health and fitness awareness in the Greater New Orleans area but our second purpose was also to show the world that New Orleans is much underrated when it comes to being recognized as a healthy and active place to live.

My ear is to the ground for everything health and fitness related for New Orleans and this is how I came across this blog post “New Orleans – Transforming “The Big Easy” into “The Big Healthy”” on EmpowerHer.com

Here are some excerpts:

Statistics show that even prior to the August 2005 Hurricane Katrina devastation, the people of New Orleans, La. faced some of the poorest health conditions in the country. I do not intend to put a damper on this week’s celebrations, but want to raise awareness of the plight that still faces “The Big Easy.”

According to a post Hurricane Katrina survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, life has not been “easy” at all with, “more than one in ten adults or 13 percent ranking their overall health as fair or poor.” The statistics were even higher among the economically disadvantaged with 19 percent of them ranking their health as fair or poor. The Kaiser statistics showed the percentage for the uninsured and those on Medicaid and Medicare were even higher

The results also showed that, “chronic conditions were also widespread, with over four in ten or 41 percent of adults saying that they had been told by a doctor that they had hypertension, diabetes, asthma, other breathing problems, or other chronic health conditions.”

Like most environments, overall health and mental health statistics go hand in hand. The Kaiser findings reported “mental health challenges were also evident for adults, with about one in twelve or eight percent ranking their mental health as fair or poor.” The survey found about one in twenty adults reporting symptoms of depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The author of this post, Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist…and she lives in Arizona.  She did attempt to end her post in a positive note:

While a rebirth calls for a celebration and New Orleans or “Hollywood South” has so much to celebrate– individuals still have an obligation to celebrate responsibly.

A new beginning in this wonderful, talented city will have it flourishing; and hopefully with more attention to health.

What gets me is if she had really done her homework for this post she would have come across Be Fit NOLA.  Had she come across Be Fit NOLA and read the content of our posts she would have known that New Orleans IS paying attention to being healthier.

I know how the internet and blogging works.  You use what’s hot in the media right now (key words like New Orleans, Super Bowl and Saints) and you write about it as it relates to what your area of focus is because that will help with your SEO and traffic.  I have no problems with that…but do all your homework before casting a shadow on our city.

I left this comment on the post:

I’m the founder and CEO of a new site and company called Be Fit NOLA (www.befitnola.com) and I think this post is off mark. I understand you are using results from surveys taken post Katrina and since you don’t live here – you can’t understand how quickly progress and change is happening in New Orleans. One month, three months and six months in this city brings in 2-3 years worth of change. The success of the Saints has been all through the year…not just with the Super Bowl. The joy, happiness and renaissance movement happening in New Orleans is affecting everyone and creating major change.

We started Be Fit NOLA to not just educate the people of New Orleans about health and fitness but the world about what is available in New Orleans when it comes to health and fitness. There is so much people don’t know about this city. So please look a little deeper into what’s going on in New Orleans before casting a shadow on the city.

I definitely welcome your comments!!