* Improved insulin sensitivity & glucose metabolism = blood glucose control
* Reduced resting pulse rate & blood pressure
* Increased HDL & lowered LDL = Better cholesterol ratio
* Increased aerobic capacity & overall fitness
* Increased metabolism & lean body mass
* Decreased BMI & body fat
* Reduced depression, anxiety & stress
* Improved self-esteem & body image

Guidelines for Healthy Activity:

* Prior to beginning any exercise program, you should speak with your doctor & consider screening for neurological or vascular complications, cardiovascular risk factors & Metabolic Syndrome.
* Before exercise, self-blood glucose monitoring (SBGM) is recommended. You may need to adjust insulin or carbohydrate intake for proper glucose management. When insulin levels are too low, glucose levels to the muscles are reduced, glucose output may become excessive & hyperglycemia may result. When insulin levels are too high, glucose production slows, glucose uptake to muscles increases & hypoglycemia may result.
* SBGM should be 100-240 mg.dl. If SBGM is > 250mg.dl, postpone exercise. If SBGM is < 100, eat a 10-20 gram, easily digested carbohydrate snack (e.g. fruit). If you use rapid or short-acting insulin, you may need to reduce the dosage by 50%.
* Keep a daily log of activity, including time of SBGM, medications taken, food intake & time, intensity & duration of exercise. Tracking helps you to plan for future exercise sessions by understanding how your body responds to activity & allows you to modify caloric or medication intake accordingly.
* Wear a diabetes ID tag
* Protect your feet! Wear properly fitting shoes with socks to minimize irritation. Use good hygiene & tend to any irritation spots to avoid infections.
* Hydrate! Drink plenty of purified water before, during & after your activity sessions.
* Never hold your breath when exercising, especially when lifting weights. Exhale when you exert!

Recommendations for Exercise-related Complications

* Autonomic neuropathy-Focus on low intensity activities
* Peripheral neuropathy-Avoid activity that may cause trauma to the feet or require a lot of balance. Swimming, chair exercise & cycling are best.
* Nephropathy-Avoid activity that increases blood pressure (heavy weight lifting & high-intensity aerobic activity). Focus on low- intensity.
* Retinopathy-Avoid strenuous, high-intensity activity, overhead lifting or movements that lower the head (yoga).
* Hypertension-Avoid heavy weight lifting. Focus on low-moderate intensity activity.

Recommended Activity for Beginners:

* Walking, dancing, swimming or jumping on a mini-trampoline
* Low-intensity resistance training
* Functional training which mimics movements that you use in everyday life. When your body is conditioned to move safely & properly, you will improve strength, coordination & your ability to perform daily tasks. See a Certified Personal Trainer for guidance.

Commit to exercise 3-5 times per week for 30 minutes. This can be accomplished in non-consecutive intervals (e.g. 3- 10 minute activity breaks = 30 minutes of activity) Consider jumping on a mini-trampoline for 10 minutes in the morning, take a 10 minute walk at lunch & perform 10 minutes of resistance or functional movements in the evening. Exercise is not something you HAVE to do. It is something you GET to do! Make time for yourself & notice how much better you feel when you move your body. Despite its imperfections, your body is still a miraculous vehicle, given to you as a gift to fulfill your purpose & destiny!

For more information on living healthy with Diabetes, visit: http://www.diabetesdailypost.com/

It happens every year.

What will you do differently during the second half of the year to improve your selling results in your gym? If you don’t take time to think about what you’ll do differently, you may not do anything different. Now that’s okay if you’re happy with your year to date results. If however you’d like to do more during the second half of this year you’d better think about making some changes now.

One of the keys to raising the bar is effective sales planning. For most of us selling is fun and planning is not. Remember that selling success doesn’t come

from doing what everyone else is doing. The most successful membership salespeople do the things that few salespeople take an interest in doing. There are two requirements for planning. First set aside some quiet time for creative thinking. Second, be sure to put your thoughts on paper.

At least once a year professional membership salespeople should dedicate a minimum of one-day to strategically think about their business. Don’t be too quick to say you’re already doing it. Most membership sales reps acknowledge they think about their gym and customers daily. When pressed however most will admit they don’t have time to creatively think about blue sky scenarios that may happen a year from now. If you can’t devote one solid day for unrestrained creative thinking, don’t think about aiming for the stars. Your best bet is to wait for a shooting star to come your way.

Begin your planning process with these six critical questions. Direct these questions at your gym, your prospects, your members, and naturally your competitors. These questions will raise more questions and you should consider this process a success if you end up with more questions than answers. Here are the six questions.

1. Where are you are now? Where are you now relative to your sales results and selling skills in your gym? How’s your performance? What kind of overall growth do you have in your business? Where are your competitors making inroads in your members? How well are you managing your time in your business? What are your biggest challenges and best opportunities for growth?

2. Where are you headed if you don’t change anything? What’s the implication for you if you don’t acquire new skills? What happens to your overall performance next year? How will your prospects and members react to a strategy that is really based on a “more of the same” concept, especially when your competitors are becoming more creative in their approach?

With more work and less time available, how are you planning to manage next year when your business is expected to grow 10 percent across the board? If you can’t handle the sales challenges and opportunities this year, how will you respond to the one’s you face next year?

3. Where should you be headed? Do you have specific personal and professional goals? Are these goals specific and clearly defined? Are they in writing? Do you have completion dates established? Have you made a commitment to read sales books and to subscribe to sales publications?

4. How will you achieve your objectives? You really can’t “do” a goal or an objective. What you can and must do is create an action plan detailing how specifically you plan to achieve the goals you outlined when considering question three. For example, if your goal is to increase your sales by 12 percent, how specifically will you do it? How many “how’s” will it take to achieve your goal? Your goals define (what you want to achieve) and your strategies define (how specifically you’ll do it.) Without proper linkage between goals and strategies, your goals begin to look like dreams.

5. What are the specific details involved? The details referred to are the who, what, where, why, when, which, and how as they relate to initiating and implementing your strategies. Ben Franklin once said, “Small leaks can sink big ships.” In gym sales, minor adjustments often create big impacts and higher sales.

6. What should you measure? Always measure what matters. One of my favorite sayings is “what gets measured gets done.” To keep you on your stated course (objectives) how will you measure your progress? What key elements of success should your review monthly? Personal growth and development are often the result of careful measurement and evaluation. The difference between first-place and second place is often a very narrow margin.

These questions can make a significant contribution to your selling results, but only if you invest the time to ask them. The favorite day of the week for procrastinators is tomorrow. Action-oriented people, the real doers in life, recognize, if you focus your energy on today, tomorrow takes care of itself. The future is yours to live one-day at a time. The shape of your future depends on the foundation of your plan.

Are you planning your future today or waiting for tomorrow to do it? It’s a clear choice and it’s all yours.

Email us right now and I will be happy to send you our Plan-of-Action worksheet.

1. Have a Purpose – I’ll admit, this one seems rather obvious on the surface, but realistically, if you’re motivation for signing up for a gym membership is some variation of “I need to lose some weight” or much worse you’ve made a “commitment” based on a sense of guilt, then you have no true purpose at all. You’re purpose must include a specific objective (i.e. lose 5 lbs. in two weeks, the ability to run 2 miles, etc.) Secondly, a continued effort to developing knowledge specifically related to your goal is critical. This might be as simple as asking other club members for tips and advice, looking for information online, or seeking the assistance of the club’s personal training staff. Simply stated, educate yourself. Your knowledge will pay off quickly as it will contribute to lifestyle modifications which means lasting change. Furthermore, your interest in other areas of better health such as nutrition is also likely to develop further reinforcing a complete lifestyle change. Finally, you simply won’t succeed without a dedicated plan. All things must point toward goal achievement and must consider your frequency of visits, ample session time, and specific items you must accomplish during each session. Both in the gym and out, I’ve found it helpful to ask myself this question when working toward a goal, “Does (action) help or hinder me from accomplishing (goal)”. It’s simple, but it quickly will help you drive every action toward a successful fitness outcome.

2. Enjoy the Experience – Believe it or not, many people enjoy coming to the gym to exercise. In fact, we can condition our bodies to release mood-enhancing chemicals called endorphins before, during, and after workouts. This may take some time and usually requires no less than a few struggles. But much like anything, when our actions yield positive results this can progressively increase our value and appreciation of that action. For Instance, if you’re resting better in the evenings due to the effort you put in at the gym this can lead to greater productivity the next day at work. Just as much, with feeling better on the inside and looking better on the outside, your co-workers might take notice of your physical transformation and provide you with positive feedback which will boost your confidence and create a pleasureful neurological association with fitness. Again, this is a process that doesn’t happen overnight and persistence is critical. To get to this level, it is important to take the time to try a variety of things at the gym to see what types of activities inspire you the most from the onset. For you, may be fitness classes, free weights, or cardiovascular training. With this, you’re motivation is likely to remain more constant especially on those days when the challenges seem the greatest. As final note, don’t be afraid to progressively build variety into your routines. Your long-term fitness success may depend on all of the above mentioned aspects of training.

3.  Log Your Effort – If you have a solid plan of attack and are motivated each time you go to the gym you can make big strides toward fitness success. Over time, I’ve discovered that most of those who have made fitness and health their lifestyle use one important tool. Keeping a comprehensive journal of your efforts and results will expedite the time it takes to achieve your goal. Although this may seem a bit burdensome, it will prove to be anything but. Logging your personal data will allow you to specifically and quantifiably see your progress. This can be beneficial on the toughest of days and on the best days as well. With this tool you’ll discover both what works for you and what doesn’t work for you. Either way you are making progress. This, of course, if you use information and make necessary adjustments. You’ll find plateaus and droughts are almost natural in fitness, but if you make adjustments to your approach that serve your goal you’ll quickly move beyond this challenging times. There are a variety of fitness log formats and even mobile device applications out there, but the best will include a combination of a workout and nutrition planner, It’s important to note that fitness success is at least as much about nutrition as it is exercise, if not more.  Better nutrition planning should be incorporated into every fitness goal and strategy. Be sure to dedicate plenty of time educating yourself and accordingly planning your meals. With this, I cannot overemphasize how critical it is to log not only what you’ve done ,but also how you feel during and after exercises. This is essential as you’ll quickly begin to understand how your body responds to both food and exercise.

If you follow these three strategies you’ll be on your way to achieving fitness success rather than fitness failure. Once, your on your way remember to consistently re-evaluate your goals and strategies and make them work with your successful healthy lifestyle.

Simply put, it pays to confuse you.

You have to take personal responsibility for your life so you need to use your head.

If something sounds stupid it probably is.

If it sounds too good to be true…right again.  It is!

If it promises huge results with no effort.  Don’t buy into it!

Do your homework.  You came to the right place.  Look around the PHG site and use the information that you need for this stage of your life.

Also pay attention to how your body responds to certain exercises and nutrition.

You are smart, so start using your head, make the necessary changes you need and get in the best shape of your life!

What are you NOT using your head for?

While in the hospital the doctors told David he would most likely leave in a wheelchair and would not return to his normal workout routine. They also warned him that MS is a disease
that most often progressively worsens and to prepare for his limitations as he ages.  So what does David do? Give up and sink into depression? Grab a walker to steady himself? Retreat to bed to conserve his strength?

NO…AT THE AGE OF 50 DAVID LYONS DECIDED TO COMPETE IN A NPC BODYBUILDING COMPETITION!

David knew he could not do this alone, so he assembled a team he calls The Challenge Team. Putting this team together was no easy task. David needed dedicated, talented experts on his side to make this challenge a reality.

David is a courageous man who has rallied the support of many who know what he faces.  David’s doctors all told him that his pursuit of a bodybuilding title was sheer madness,
especially at 50 years old…but if anyone could do it – he could. David’s team is behind him 100% and they are pushing him all the way.

On August 22, 2009, David competed in his first competition where he was awarded an impressive trophy for THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL BODYBUILDER!

David Lyons will keep competing, beat this disease and will not give up his dream. As David states, “The two most important people in my life during The MS Bodybuilding Challenge will always be my wife, Kendra, who gives up her husband while I train and diet for these events and is willing to keep doing it until I retire (which, won’t be in the near future!). She is an inspiration to me as she has the compassion to deal with sick people all day as a nurse and then come home to help me shows the heart of a rare woman and a true blessing.

And God who, without His grace, love and strength, I could have never made it out of the hospital and on to that stage in 2009 and onto others. It is never by my might or power but by His will that I push forward.

“I might never win a bodybuilding contest with multiple sclerosis but I will win the
battle against MS.

This is not about me winning contests, it’s about motivating other MS patients to take control of their lives, get fit and beat the odds in every way possible. Not everyone has to compete in a contest to win. You win by just getting up and fighting.

People assume that, if I could change my outcome in life, I would rather be healthy again and not have MS. The fact is that if I didn’t have MS I would not be here today inspiring others and helping change lives. So, don’t assume I would rather not have MS. These are the cards I’ve been dealt and I accept this fate, I would not change it and I will continue to make a difference until the day I die.

We all have a choice, no matter what trials we face, to either lay down and lose or challenge the obstacles ahead and win. I choose to win. I encourage you to do the same.” -David Lyons

Lee is a legend and a good friend of PHG, this one you won’t want to miss!

You can go to the radio site http://www.blogtalkradio.com/johnrowley/2012/03/21/lee-labrada

Or you can get it at iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/positive-fitness-radio-with/id490432620//

To your health and fitness,

John

I was recently speaking with a health club owner about his business. He had gone from health club employee to now, health club owner. Being in the “hot seat” was much different than just being concerned about himself or his department each day. As we talked, it got me thinking about what it takes to be a successful owner of a health club…and some of the things that must be done in order to have success in this business. One thing is for sure, there is no way to eliminate all the problems that are associated with running and operating a successful health club. However, you can improve your chances of success with good advance planning, daily preparation and surrounding yourself with people who are better than you are at what you’re asking them to do. A good starting place is to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses as the owner and manager of a health club. Consider each of the following questions.

Work ethic…Are you a self-starter?

If it is to be, it is up to me. It will be up to you – not someone else telling you¬ to watch the budget, develop marketing programs, get the sales, organize your time, train your staff and follow through on daily paperwork. On a scale of 1 -10, how would you rate your drive to succeed? Of course, everyone wants success, but are you willing to step far enough out of your comfort zone to achieve success?

How well do you get along with a variety of different personalities?

Health Club owners need to develop working relationships with a variety of people (perhaps even a cast of characters) including club guests, members, vendors, staff, bankers and professionals such as lawyers, accountants or consultants. Can you deal with a demanding member, an unreliable vendor, an angry caller, cranky sales person…all in the best interest of your club?

How good are you at making decisions?

Health Club owners are required to make decisions constantly, often quickly, under pressure, and independently. The job of “owner” requires wearing a lot of different hats…plumber, janitor, salesperson, bookkeeper, trainer, developer, even psychologist…all will require decisiveness. Act, don’t react, is a good reminder.

Do you have the physical and emotional stamina to run a health club?

Health Clubs many times are open from 5:00 am – 10:00 pm during the week. What will happen when your front desk person (who is also your opening person) is late or no-shows? No salesperson for the evening shift? A new member needs help? Health Club ownership can be (and is) challenging, fun and exciting, but it’s also a lot of work. Can you face the potential demands of 12¬ hour work days six or seven days a week?

How well do you plan and organize?

History shows that many health club struggles or failures could have been avoided through better planning. Good organization of monthly financials, better inventory control, keeping an eye on schedules, tracking all guest and telephone inquiries and completing daily sales reports¬ can help avoid many pitfalls. It’s good to remember “what gets tracked, get’s done.”

Is your drive strong enough to maintain your motivation?

Running a health club can wear you down. If you don’t believe me, just ask around. Some health club owners feel burned out by having to carry all the responsibility on their shoulders. Strong motivation can make the club succeed and will help you survive slowdowns as well as periods of burnout. We talk a lot in sales training about Super Objective Selling…understanding the real reason the guest is in your club. What is your Super Objective as the owner? Why is it important to you? Understanding your own personal Super Objective will help fuel your drive.

How will the health club business affect your friends, family…your sense of balance?

Running a health club can be hard on family life. The strain of an unsupportive spouse, friends who don’t understand…may be hard to balance against the demands of running a health club. There also may be financial difficulties until the club becomes profitable, which could take months. You may have to adjust to a lower standard of living or put family assets at risk. How did you check out?

In fact you were made on purpose, for a purpose!

33 years ago I had all my dreams crushed along with my body in a near fatal car accident.

The best I could do at the time was get a job as a janitor in a Brooklyn School.

I didn’t give up and chose some mentors. Well I chose their books because I didn’t know them.

33 years later I was asked by my friend Tom Ziglar to give my testimony oh how his dad, Zig Ziglar touched my life.

Iron Man gives you the tools to help you change your body and your life. I know from experience that the same tools we use to build our bodies like goal setting, discipline, perseverance and the ability to fail and keep going are the same tools you can use to change your whole life.

You were born to win as well! Now go do something about it!

Click Here To See Video

Bill is the author of #1 New York Times Best Seller, Body-for-LIFE. Bill has already helped millions of people become lighter and healthier through proper eating and exercise. He’s shared his motivating advice on TV and in worldwide publications.

He has worked to develop national programs to improve the well-being of children. Now he’s on a mission to help you improve your health — and change your life — both inside and out.

Listen close because we are going to find out what drives this icon. Bill has not only transformed the lives of millions but he transformed the face of the entire fitness industry forever! And he is getting ready to do it again!

How does he do it? What drives him? How does he live the “Body for Life Lifestyle” himself? What does his average day look like? All this and much more…

Listen Here

There’s a direct correlation between health club sales experience and prejudging the membership sale in a health club. The more health club sales and prospecting experience you have the greater the tendency to prejudge your members and club prospects.

January is around the corner.  It will soon be the busiest time of the year for health club sales traffic.  This could mean more membership sales for your health club.  It could mean a lost opportunity…if you start to prejudge your club guests.

Workouts will be up. Guest traffic will be up. Phones will be ringing.  There will be lot’s of activity. It’s that time of year.  But success is guaranteed to no one.

Years ago, when I was first learning the health club business, I remember sitting in a manager’s meeting and being told “to only work with those who are interested.” I remember immediately saying, “that’s prejudging.”  And it is.

Here’s the rule: 1) have a winning attitude, 2) work hard, and 3) follow a proven system

Just because it’s January…Just because you’re busy… Don’t start to cut corners and don’t prejudge.

Do not put labels on prospects. “Most people don’t have the money . . .”

Don’t assume you know anything about your guest if you haven’t ask any questions.

Don’t assume your members and guests all have similar needs i.e. to save money and time.

Here’s the pure definition of prejudging….thinking you know what the outcome will be before you even start. 

From a member or guests perspective, imagine how they feel when you jump to conclusions about their fitness objectives, personal challenges, and concerns.

Instead of assuming all health club members and prospects are similar… find out what makes them different. Asking questions uncovers more than basic needs, it reveals what is unique about the different people you meet each day in your health club. Once you know what’s unique you can zero in on what’s best for them based on what they said, not what you assumed. Get the picture?

Avoid prejudging – Goals, desires, budgets, priorities, problems, challenges, decision criteria, decision process

Making assumptions only makes you look and sound pathetic. 

Asking provocative questions makes you look and sound professional. If you’re asking really good questions – you should hear your members and prospects say “That’s a good question.” If you’re not hearing that compliment often it means you’re not asking really good questions.

No matter how busy your health is in January, remember the key steps to a successful health club presentation:

1. Get your guest to register in (you’ll have plenty of follow up in January)

2. Pre-qualification.  Don’t find yourself rushed and trying to do this at the front desk. Find an area of the club that is quiet, comfortable and where you can sit down with your guest.

1. Qualify.  Use a Needs Analysis Sheet or Lifestyle Fitness Questionnaire. No matter how busy you might become, this will allow you to stay on course and be sure you are asking the right questions. It’s the professional thing to do. Plus it works.

1. Tour. Don’t just go on auto pilot on the tour. I know you’ll be busy, but be sure and treat each guest like it’s the only one you’ll have that day.  Don’t simply point out the machines and facilities…tie it back in to their goals, what they want to accomplish and the benefits they can receive.

5. Membership presentation.  Don’t just show prices. It will be tempting. Take the time to offer a professional presentation. Do a review. Show your standard membership rates. Give them a reason to get started today (other than simply a price discount). Show your rates with the savings and with plenty of decent boldness…ask them to buy.

6. Overcome objections. Most prospects won’t say yes right away.  Be prepared to answer their questions and concerns. Continually go back to the benefits and results they can receive by getting started now.

7. Point of sale referral process. Don’t use the excuse that you were too busy to get referrals.  This is where your next sale will come from.

When you prejudge, you misjudge.

Now, go have a record breaking January.