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Racket sports serve up health benefits

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“When I was a kid, my summer sport of choice was baseball. Every day I played in marathon neighborhood games until it was too dark to see the ball. It was about fun and not fitness. But now that I’m older, and my Louisville Slugger has been officially retired, I need a summertime sport that recaptures the playfulness of my youth, but also works to keep my physical and mental skills sharp.

So, I picked up a racket.

It turns out that racket sports are not only fun, but they may help me live longer….”

To read the entire article from Harvard Health Medicine, press here.

Downtown Maintenance Update

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If you haven’t been to our downtown club lately, you might want to check it out. We had our annual maintenance shutdown last weekend, where along with the usual deep cleaning, we did some painting, replaced the carpet and added a new aerobics storage area.

Meet Sean White

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Sean WhiteSean White, moved to Bellingham from Elburn, Illinois to attend WWU. For those of you not familiar with Elburn it is a suburb west of Chicago. Sean attended DePaul University for two years prior to transferring to WWU where in 2017 he obtained his BS in Kinesiology. He will be attending graduate school this fall and will be a graduate assistant in the Kinesiology Dept. at WWU. Sean is a certified personal trainer, CSCS, through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. 

An avid hockey player and snowboarder from a young age, Sean also enjoys playing golf and is a car enthusiast who loves working on his car. Being from the Chicago area he is a diehard Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, and Cubs fan. Sean tries to take in Cubs games at Wrigley field when he is home during the season.

Howard, Sean’s 3 ½-year-old retriever/hound mix, keeps him company and on the go with his boundless energy.

After his post-graduate studies are over Sean hopes to see how he can meld the physical therapy and strength coach fields into a career path.  Sean working with members of all ages and abilities.

Foam Rolling

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Benefits of Foam Rolling:

  • Improves flexibility for a short duration but when done on a regular basis improves long-term flexibility.
  • Improves range of motion.
  • Evidence to suggest assists in post-activity recovery to reduce muscle tissue soreness.
  • Duration should be 20-30 seconds per muscle group for 3-5 sets.
  • Frequency should be 3-5 times per week performed on a consistent basis to achieve and maintain long-term results.
  • Can be performed prior to activity, during activity, or after activity.

Pool Filter

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We are happy to announce the new high rate sand filter arrived and was installed this afternoon. The pool will be reopened and ready for all regular use at 5:30 am tomorrow Tuesday August 14th. We apologize for the inconvenience of having the pool closed over the weekend, and for a busy Monday. I can say that other than our routine yearly 3-day closure, I can’t remember having to close the pool for more than a 12 hour period in all the years I have been here. We work very hard to keep that busy pool up and running.

Pool Closure

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Notice to all members! We are currently experiencing an emergency Pool closure. There is a new filter system being installed in our pool, so the pool will be closed for the weekend. However, all of the hot tubs are still in operation and we should open back up on Monday at around 3:00 PM. Lucky for us, the weather looks like it’ll cool off, so spend some time outside this weekend and we’ll look forward to seeing everyone back in the water next week!

Downtown Maintenance Shutdown

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We will be closing for our annual maintenance shutdown on Friday, August 17 – Sunday, August 19th. We will reopen on Monday, August 20th at 5:00 AM.

Our Cordata location will be open:
Friday 5:30 AM – 10:00 PM
Saturday 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM

New Outdoor Pickleball Courts

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We’ve now got indoor and outdoor pickleball for our members. Join us at the group times below, or check out a net and equipment at the front desk anytime during club hours for outdoor court use.

Indoor Court (Cordata gym)
Mon-Fri: 12:30 – 3:30 p.m.

Outdoor Courts (Cordata)
Mon-Fri: 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.

Contact Wanda Collins with any questions.

Hey, Did You Forget Something?

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What is one of the best ways to care for your body? Working out. What’s needed for a great workout? Shoes, check. Water bottle, check. Headphones, check. Motivation, check. What’s missing in this list? Stretching.

Those of us who have been going to the gym for a long time have our regular routines, often missing this important element for getting the maximum benefits of the workout.

Flexibility plays a key role in functioning muscles and balance.

Are your muscles feeling a little crankier than they did a few years ago? Gentle stretching will warm up muscles and increase flexibility to get the full benefit of your workout. It doesn’t have to take a long time, it doesn’t have to be hard or complicated.

There are all sorts of ways to stretch. I prefer to start with the foam roller to get the kinks out of my back, neck, and arms. It gets blood moving through my muscles. Others like to do a quick warm-up on a cardio machine and then head for the area allocated for stretching in the gym. Yes, it’s such an integral part of exercising that gyms actually create space and provide mats, foam rollers and balls to encourage good movement.

Stretches for increased flexibility and mobility shouldn’t be difficult or hurt. Which ones are best for you depends on your fitness level and what exercises you’ll be doing. Ask one of the trainers if you’re not sure what the best actions are for you. There are lots of websites and videos on the internet that can be helpful, too.

I love the classes offered at BAC. The instructors do warm-up exercises at the beginning and cool down stretches at the end of the class. However, their time is limited to focus on this part. My recommendation is to get to class early, or stay late, and do some of your own stretching exercises.

Don’t forget to stretch before or after your workout. It’s worth the time because your flexibility will improve, you’ll get more out of exercising and feel better when you’re done.

 

Susie Landsem
Aging in Place by Design
Susie is a consultant for Aging in Place. Contact her if you have questions about adding safety and comfort solutions to your home.