SatinWellness News

Dear Satin Wellness?

2012-02-23T12:07:00.002-08:00

Dear Satin Wellness,
I just turned 55 and although I have been working out on and off for years, I’m curious what makes a really good workout program? N.F., Concord

Dear N.F.,
First of all, congratulations on the milestone of reaching your mid-fifties – your health becomes even more important than ever. There are four key pillars to an effective exercise program, especially if you are over 50.

Pillar #1 - Strength training is resistance exercise that builds muscle and bone strength. As you age strength is a critical factor for leading an active life and being able to do the things you want. Whether you use resistance tubes, free weights or even soup cans they all do the same thing which is to build muscle and bone strength. Strong muscles and bones help you move better. As we age our muscles and bones begin to weaken, strength training has been proven to help replenish them.

Pillar #2 - Flexibility is stretching that helps to open the joint spaces between your bones. Better separation between your bones helps offset many common ailments of aging including arthritis, lower back pain, shoulder, and neck pain. Whether you stand on your feet all day at work, sit at a desk for hours, or find yourself in any prolonged position for extended period, flexibility exercises offer an easy way to help relax muscles after a long day.

Pillar #3 – Cardiovascular (“cardio”) exercise is continuous movement that helps your circulatory system bring oxygen and nutrients to your brain, muscles and bones. Common examples of cardio are walking, biking, swimming and the many pieces of exercise equipment available today. Cardio needs to be done for more than 10 minutes at a time to have an impact on your circulatory system.

Pillar #4 – Balance and coordination are an often missed but very important component of a comprehensive exercise program. Many research studies have shown a direct correlation between better balance and a lessening of lower back, hip, knee and ankle injuries, especially as we age. The better your balance, the lower your risk of falling. There are simple ways to build in balance exercises into your day, for example brushing your teeth each morning on one foot works great.

Whether you want to walk up stairs comfortably, hit a golf ball further, run better or get down on the floor to play with grandchildren and be able to get up again; your goals for fitness are personal. If you are just starting a workout routine, start slowly so you feel no discomfort, do not just focus on one area of your body, be consistent (at least 3 times per week) and develop a goal that’s meaningful to you. As you step into your fifties and beyond - take it slow, include all four pillars and most of all remember to have fun with this!

As with any exercise program, please consult your doctor before you begin to make sure you are ready to begin.

Carlisle resident Steve Satin, Exercise Physiologist, is the founder and owner of Satin Wellness an in-home personal training company since 1991. Have a fitness question? Send it to ssatin@satinwellness.com. For more information, visit www.satinwellness.com or call 978-369-3492.

The sky is falling

2011-08-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Last week it was the debt ceiling, sky falling… Then it was the reaction to it by the Dow, NASDAQ and S&P 500, sky falling… Then it was the S&P lowering our bond rating from AAA to AA, sky falling. Now Moody’s is “downbeat” and has assigned a negative outlook on some of the most affluent towns in Massachusetts, sky falling. Anything else?

Many of us are bombarded by the daily news. Some of it is good and more of it is not so good. The negative information thrown at us by the media sells but it can become a stressor for some.

With all of this information you need to know what it does to your body. Some may get stressed due to news, travel, lack of sleep, work and family issues and that causes an increase in many chemicals (hormones) in the body; the most well known ones are Cortisol, Adrenaline, and Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine). They play a major part in our “fight or flight response” and are released when we get stressed.

Now for the good news; Cortisol increases belly fat in the body and makes it hard to remember things. What a one-two punch! The best example of Cortisol buildup I can think of is – you are in a rush and you cannot find your keys no matter where you look? They could be right in your hand, pocket or in the ignition. That is what Cortisol does and it adds belly fat too, great.

Along with Cortisol, Adrenaline and Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine) are another part of the flight or fight response and are released during stressful events. An example (I am sure you can think of plenty) - you are driving and someone cuts you off; you want to lash out but cannot or a sales clerk will not give you a refund for the moldy strawberries you just bought. Here comes Adrenaline and Noradrenaline! Your blood pressure and heart rate increase quickly! Your muscles tense! You want to yell or lash out but you do neither.

It takes time for the hormones to be re-absorbed into the blood stream and you are left feeling blah. The effects of stress on the body after flight/fight are varied. You can be left feeling irritable, angry and impatient which is your body’s way to tell you it has been through quite an ordeal with out you knowing it.

Thank you for the information Mr. What Stress can do to us. Now, what can I do about it?

If you look on a search engine like Google you would find that there are 33,000,000 different ways to handle stress or you can do one simple thing to lessen the effects of these hormones and what they do to the body. You doctor has been telling you for years what to do. You could move! It really goes a long way to lessen the effects of stress.

Many of our clients want to reduce their midsections so they think they can just do sit ups. To reduce belly fat all of the sit ups in the world will not do it. You need to move and that will help reduce the fat and negate the effects of stress, too. It takes a while to reduce fat but in the long run you have found an easy way to get healthier and live a longer life.

You may be thinking, “What should I do when you say, just move, right”?

Walking is a start if you are able. If not riding one of the 8 gazillion exercise bikes sold in this country every year is another way. If you do not have one, you could buy one in your local Pennysaver. You could walk up and down a flight of stairs a few times per day. Once you start moving a little you could even lift a weight or two to strengthen one of the 650 muscles in your body. Then you could try to stretch out one of them too. Imagine how good it would feel and how you body might repay you? You might even start moving better?

They are just a few thoughts because many go through stressful situations everyday and do not know how to lessen the effects. So, the next time you get moldy strawberries or get cut off on the Sagamore Rotary, think of this information.

If the most experienced group of wellness specialists (personal trainers) in the Boston, Metro West, South Shore and Cape Cod are telling you this; maybe you should listen.

If you want more information, you can log onto our website - www.satinwellness.com or email us at info@satinwellness.com or call us at 978-369-3492 and we can send you some information that just might help us all lessen the effects of stress. It all starts with you.

So the debt deal has been signed. Now how about taking care of you?

2011-08-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

It has taken months of wrangling for the inevitable to happen. We all knew the debt ceiling bill would be signed. It had to be and our country is running at such a deficit that our children will be paying for this if we are not careful.

As a husband, parent and business owner if we all ran our family and businesses the way the country is run our kids would be in jail and we would be bankrupt. Let's look at what we can and should control - ourselves!

While writing this a group of children are running around at camp on Cape Cod (lucky place to work), what happened to that being the norm anyway? Each of us has to get our physical house in order because Medicaid will not be able to afford the rush of health issues the baby boomers will require. It sounds scary and is frightening to think of.

A few minutes a day to move is not asking a lot. The average adult watches 48 hours of TV a week and sits about 23 hours a day. That is not healthy and there is little balance in many of our lives.

Many doctors tell you to walk to get exercise. You need more than just some walking to stay healthy but it does not take hours a day.

If the most experienced group of personal trainers in the Boston, Metro West, South Shore and Cape Cod is telling you this you should listen.

If you want more information, you can log onto our website - www.satinwellness.com or email us info@satinwellness.com and we can send you some information that just might help us all balance the budget. It all starts with one.

Strength to Live

2011-07-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

You can achieve your health and wellness goals in 6 Strength to Live steps!

Step 1: Your Strength to Live Wellness Assessment
Our comprehensive health and wellness screening is complimentary! You’ll define personal goals and uncover potential challenges. We’ll match you with a Wellness Specialist who is just right for you. Take the first step toward optimal health and well being!

Step 2: Your Strength to Live Workout
Our team of experts will develop an individualized strength (abdominals too), flexibility, and cardiovascular program, based on your current level and needs. You’ll move at your own pace, in your own home (or office). As you gain confidence in your abilities, you’ll develop wellness habits to last a lifetime!

Step 3: Your Strength to Live Nutrition
Why does it take so long to lose weight? Why don’t diets work? What is “proper nutrition?” You’ll learn that healthy eating is not as hard as you think. Often small modifications make a big difference. If you need additional support, we’ll refer you to our network of Registered Dietitians.

Step 4: Your Strength to Live Tools
You’ll receive a photo manual, personalized videos, and a daily training log. We’ll track your activity and monitor your results. These innovative tools keep you focused, give you visual support of correct technique, and provide continuous reassurance that you are on the right track!

Step 5: Your Strength to Live Coach
We’ll provide continuous in–home and online Coaching and Wellness support. Your happiness, comfort, and success are essential to us. We are always just a phone call, text or email away!

Step 6: Your Strength to Live Equipment
We’ll provide the exercise equipment for you, eliminating the need to buy expensive machines or travel to a gym. Wellness is a lifestyle and owning affordable, accessible, easy-to-use equipment is convenient and time saving!

Join Strength to Live because You Deserve It!

Cosmetic Training by Steve Satin

2011-05-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

As a personal trainer and exercise physiologist I often speak to groups of business leaders and a common question is, “Can I reduce a specific area of my body”? We wish there was a way but unfortunately you cannot spot reduce a specific area of your body.

But there is hope! Our expertise in the fields of exercise physiology and personal training for over 21 years helped us identify a group of proven exercises that spot strengthen specific areas of the body. This means you can finally change those troublesome areas that tend to be gender specific. Women can lift their chest, rear, tighten arms and inner thigh. Men can increase the width and mass of their chest, tighten arms and widen their back. Even if you are over 50!

How is this done? Our program, Cosmetic Training was developed to meet a demand from our aging clients on a quest to combat gravity. Cosmetic Training uses specific exercises that develop those stubborn areas that only seem to get saggier as we age.

Approximate 85% of us exercise very little if at all, only 15% hold memberships at heath clubs and roughly 6-7% actually use the clubs! Since these figures rarely change we decided we needed to help those that want to exercise on their own time, in their own way and, in an environment they can control – their home. 21 years ago we founded Satin Wellness (www.satinwellness.com) to help that underserved market. Our clients range in age from 40 – 80 and do not want to be body-builders, they just want their bodies to match how they feel on the inside while increasing their overall health and well-being.

The questions we are asked most often are:

1. My body has changed and looks differently so can I tighten up those areas again?
2. Can I tighten areas to get rid of some wrinkles and loose skin around my arms, chest and legs?
3. I’m over 40, is it too late to firm up my challenging areas?

The answer to these questions is yes. It can be done and it does work. Listen to some of the many clients that have seen changes from Cosmetic Training:

“I cannot believe as a 60 year old woman I got my chest back to where it used to be! Thank you Cosmetic Training.” Helen S., Newton & Cape Cod

“My arms look better now than they did when I was 22 and I am 63! I had to admit, I was skeptical…” James C., Boston & Naples, FL

“I love being able to wear a sun dress and not worry about the skin under my arm waving anymore! That Cosmetic Training is unbelievable.” MaryAnne M., Natick

“I was not happy with the way my chest and butt sagged. It has taken a lot of work but you really can see a difference...” Deborah D., Carlisle

Simply put, Cosmetic training is a group of exercises that develop the muscles that we all want to tighten as we age. Let’s name them and it should not take too long:

• Women
o Neck
o Front of arm pit - chest
o Back of arm pit - back
o Lift chest
o Back of arms
o Abdominals
o Rear
o Inner thigh
o Outer hip

• Men
o Neck
o Wide chest
o Wide back
o Arms
o Abdominals

The common complaints for most people deal with areas around joints because as we age skin, muscle and fat are pulled down by gravity. We have to realize the changes that occur with aging and how to counteract them.

It does not matter what age, you can still replace muscle mass! The increase in muscle mass fills in the loose skin thus tightening of those specific areas.

If you want to see the specific exercises email us at: info@satinwellness.com and add “Cosmetic Training” in the subject area.

Boston MA USA
8 Fanueil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA 02109

(Cell) 508-341-6697
(Office) 978-369-3492
(Toll free) 1-877-728-4634

info@SatinWellness.com
http://www.SatinWellness.com

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Maintaining Fitness

2011-01-25T10:03:00.000-08:00

Healthy tips to help keep you fit

Megan Gates is an outreach representative for Gym Source - a leading retailer of home gyms and various other exercise and fitness equipment. Megan contributes written work to the blogosphere related to health and fitness.

With the start of the New Year many are feeling a bit of anxiety about maintaining their New Year’s resolution. If increased health is on your radar, you don't need to purchase a BowFlex and commit yourself to a daily gym routine. There are many smaller choices you are able to make on a daily basis that will work toward bettering your overall health and diet without radically altering your already jam packed life. It has been proven that smaller changes are able to be sustained for a longer period of time, and are most easily able to be integrated into daily routines. Here are some suggestions for subtle changes that can be made to your daily routine, which if maintained, can yield positive results.

Take the Stairs. This is a cliche, yet cliches are what they are for a reason. According to the Bethesda Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, taking the stairs burns more calories per minute than any other form of exercise. Taking the stairs, parking not so close in a parking lot, and walking with a friend on your lunch break are small steps toward increasing your daily activity and burning calories. As soon as you begin to turn these actions into habits, the sooner they will be a permanent part of your daily routine and life.

Focus on Food. Cut out all of the unnecessary. You can do your wallet and waist a favor by reducing or cutting out the number of times you eat out during the week. During the workweek, grabbing a quick bite might be easy, but it is a serious drain on your finances and health. A lot of the food people grab on the go is processed and over priced. It takes a bit of forethought; however, you can make healthy and filling lunches for yourself the night before. Also, many people do not realize that eating breakfast in the morning gets your metabolism working. Breakfast provides fuel for your body to work off of. Many people neglect to eat breakfast and then crave large amounts of food at lunchtime, putting anything they can find in their mouths. Prevent this from happening by eating breakfast and in the process you will be healthier and save money.

Read while you Run. This has truly become a world of multi-taskers. So why not put your abilities to good use in an effort to keep your New Year’s resolution by staying in shape. After a long day at work, it is understandable that many people do not feel up to braving the crowded gyms. So, while watching the news or reading your favorite magazine or book, try walking or running on the treadmill or elliptical at home. If you do not have exercise equipment at home, you can purchase inexpensive free weights and use them to tone and strengthen your back and arm muscles, all in the comfort of your home.

Wellness at Work

2010-11-23T04:42:00.000-08:00

Satin Wellness is launching a corporate wellness initiative with Wellness at Work, an exciting corporate wellness program for all employees. Wellness at Work is a comprehensive 8 week program that will take place on-site and will be delivered by your local experts at Satin Wellness.

Wellness at Work covers a variety of essential fitness elements from flexibility and strength training to effective cardiovascular programs. This unique 8 week program is designed for people of all fitness levels from the novice to the expert and everyone in between.

Our goal with this program is to bring you an outstanding health and wellness program to start off your New Year right - let’s have fun together!

Satin Wellness has been delivering corporate programs from Boston to Metro West and Cape Cod since 1991. Such as the Yankee Dental Conference, Tufts Dental School, ADA, Joslin Diabetes Center, DESA – Diabetes, Exercise and Sport Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Association, Avon Breast Cancer Walk, Lilly Labs; Stretching clinics at the Boston Marathon and Falmouth Road Race; and has been featured on NPR, WVCB/Channel 5, and Chronicle.

Forbes.com conducts interview on "What's Your Workout Personality"?

2010-06-25T05:41:00.000-07:00

Please read the article about workplace personality. There are some real eye openers in it.

2010-06-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

How to start a workout program
by Ilene Kenney, Wellness Specialist, Satin Wellness

1-Start by knowing your current level. How do you do this?

It is very important to listen to your body. Make sure you check with your doctor if you have any medical conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart problems, and being overweight. If you have a medical condition it does not mean that you cannot work out. It means that you have to listen to signals in your body to avoid problems. Make sure you speak with your doctor as to how to proceed with the program.

2- The safe way to exercise. How do you do this?

If you are clear of any medical conditions you can start your workout program and again listen to your body. You want to avoid injury so make sure you exercise safely. Injuries are a common reason why people stop exercising. You want to make sure that you are safe and continue with your exercise. The best way to start working out is with a structured program. There are many ways to get structure with your exercise program. You can hire a wellness specialist, get a book or video from a library or even a upload podcast. The best way to go is work with a Wellness Specialist (what else do you think you would read here?). That way you will learn specific exercises that are specifically designed for you and help you meet your goals. We also will help you avoid injuries.

3- Goals. How do you develop them?

You need to set attainable short and long term goals. Whether your general goal is overall health, increase energy, develop muscle or lose weight, make sure it is realistic. Goals are usually a combination of the above. Many want to lose weight. There are two specific components to losing weight (nutrition and cardiovascular/continuous exercise). You also need strength training and some flexibility training to help reach your goal. Some people need specific goals. You may want to measure your progress by fitting into a pair of jeans, or to able to run. Your personal goals have some flexibility, they can always be adjusted as you go. Your goal can also be more subjective, such as having more energy, or being happy in your life by adding exercise. It can be a combination of specific and subjective goals. Your goals will also change as you get into better shape.

4- Know yourself. How do you do this?

This is probably one of the most important steps. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Make sure you set goals that are attainable. Do not do something that you will not follow through with. Start small and increase gradually. Develop a program and be accountable to yourself or try to get someone you trust to do it with you.

5- Accountability. How can I stay compliant?

This is a way to measure your individual progress. Decide on your goals, the time you will have for your workout program, the type of workout that you do and write it down every time. You can track your progress in a workout journal or on a computer spreadsheet. There are also some websites for tracking diet, workouts, calories burned and much more. This will give you some tangible results at the end of each week.

This is a good start for a workout program. Once you master these 5 steps you’ll be well on your way to workout success.

If you want some help, call or email me at:

Ilene Kenney
cell: (617) 251-7035
email: ikenney@satinwellness.com

Reducing Belly fat is Possible from Wellness Specialist, Dr. Deb Arthur

2010-05-13T07:32:00.001-07:00

Many of us have a similar desire: to reduce the extra weight at our midsection. It is possible to do so if we are willing to make some changes in our daily existence.

There has been and continues to be a growing body of research in the area of body fat and obesity. Distribution and amount of body fat is influenced by genetics, age and lifestyle. Women in menopause are likely to notice an increase in fat in the midsection, similar to what men tend to experience. However, it is possible to reduce overall and, specifically, abdominal fat.

There are basically four types of fat but we are going to focus primarily on visceral fat, also known as belly fat. This is the fat that surrounds the organs in your abdominal cavity. This fat is important for protecting and padding these vital organs. However, when we have too much, there is an increase in waist size. And, there is an increased potential for the development of conditions such Type II Diabetes and Heart Disease. Such conditions have been linked to visceral fat and not to subcutaneous fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat underneath our skin which is easier to see. Weight loss via our diet can reduce subcutaneous fat. However, diet alone does not impact visceral fat as much. So what does?

Let’s look at stress. Yes, we live in a fast paced, high stress culture. There is always something to do and somewhere to be. And this impacts our bodies. The stress response is actually one of those amazing things that our body does for us. It is necessary for our survival. However, when stress becomes chronic, our bodies go into exhaustion mode. When a stressor exists, our adrenal glands secrete cortisol, an important hormone for balanced body functioning. However, chronically high levels of cortisol can have a negative impact on the body, such as depression of the immune system and increase in visceral fat.

So, first and foremost, we need to reduce the stressors in our life. Easier said then done but even small changes will help. Reducing or eliminating caffeine, getting adequate sleep, and including some down time each day will help to reduce stress and cortisol levels. And, of course, including regular exercise in our daily lives is important.

Researchers have compared participants who diet alone and those who include exercise and have found that the exercisers tend to lose more visceral fat. In one study, all participants were placed on a low calorie diet and either an aerobic or resistance training program. The group lost an average of 24 lbs. For the following year, half of the group stopped exercising and the other half continued to exercise. The exercisers did not gain any visceral fat at the end of the year. The nonexercisers had a 33% increase in visceral fat. Another study compared sedentary individuals, participants involved in moderate intensity exercise and participants involved in vigorous intensity exercise. The researchers found that the sedentary group experienced a 9% increase in visceral fat. The moderate intensity group had no change and the vigorous intensity group lost 7% in visceral fat.

So, it is possible to reduce belly fat. Yes, genetics and age play a role, but with stress reduction and regular physical activity, we can lower our levels of visceral fat. Eating a whole food, balanced diet is vital but calorie restriction alone will not effectively reduce visceral fat. And, your abdominal experience will be enhanced with some exercise intensity and strengthening of your midsection muscles as well.

Satin Wellness continues our growth curve

2010-04-29T07:55:00.001-07:00

We have five of the top Wellness Specialists (Personal Trainers with their Doctorate, Masters, Exercise Physiology and certifications) in the Metro West, Boston, South Shore and Cape Cod area. We bring wellness to you in your home or office since 1991.

Deb Arthur - http://www.satinwellness.com/about-deb-arthur.htm
Ilene Kenney - http://www.satinwellness.com/about-ilene.kenney.htm
Michael Raymond - http://www.satinwellness.com/about-michael-raymond.htm
Bryan Agurcia - http://www.satinwellness.com/about-bryan-agurcia.htm
Steve Satin- http://www.satinwellness.com/about-steve-satin.htm

Satin Wellness also speaks and guest lectures on many subjects:

"Strength to Lead" - CEO geared motivational series on health and the balance of career, family, stress and movement
"Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention for Dentists and Auxiliaries" - Exercise programs developed specifically for Dentists and Auxiliaries.
"Real Life" - How to keep motivated and compliant while keeping up with your busy day.

Satin Wellness has just shot a video for the "Friends of Hu-Friedy" Dental Instrumentation Website.

Steve Satin:

conducted seminars at the 2010 Yankee Dental Conference in Boston
will be a guest lecturer at Tufts Dental School in October 2010
conducting seminars at the 45th Indian Orthodontic Conference in Mangalore India in December 2010

Keep an eye out for our next blog post with information from all of our specialists.

Satin Wellness News

2009-08-25T03:23:00.000-07:00

We our expanding our reach at Satin Wellness. Our corporate goal is to further our knowledge and media base and hire new Wellness Specialists. These are in process and I wish to thank all of our clients for helping us by becoming part of our team.

As we expand further please look for us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

We will have much more information in the coming weeks. New names and faces as well as some exciting news about videos.

Check back next week for all new posts.

Thank you.

Steve Satin