One of our MFS Teammates has a son who attends Greenfield Jr. High School. She was made aware of a parent at GJHS who is having difficult times this holiday season. Among other things, this is a single-parent family of two children, one of whom is a special needs child. The parent recently had to be off work due to a death in the family and received no pay for a full week. The following week one of the children was diagnosed with diabetes and had to be hospitalized while the other child was diagnosed wih severe allergies. Their grandpa then fell down a flight of stairs and broke his back. This family's difficulties continued the following week when another tragedy struck, the details of which are personal in nature and won't be revealed here. Needless to say, this family is struggling. It will be difficult for this parent to provide a very Merry Christmas to the children. My Fitness Studio would like to help. We are collecting gift cards to donate to this family. If you have an extra gift card lying around or maybe you got one at a party that you may never use or don't really want, please donate it to this struggling GJHS family. For every gift card donated, My Fitness Studio will give you a FREE Real Ryder class.

The gift cards will be delivered to the school on 12/18 so we don't have much time. To quote the GJHS teacher, "we aren't the richest people in the world, but we are the BEST!" I have every faith that our MFS customers are the BEST and will do what you can to help. Remember, every little bit can help a struggling family so please contribute what you can, even if it's just a positive thought for a struggling family! Thank you.

12 Days of Christmas

It's that time of year again, our 12 Days of Christmas sale began last week. You've missed some great deals already but there are still many more to come. Be sure to LIKE us on Facebook and check our FB page daily so you don't miss any more awesome deals.

MFS FACEBOOK PAGE

You Don't HAVE to Gain Weight Over the Holidays

When you think of the holidays, you might think of festivities, holiday parties, family dinners and yes, weight gain. It can be difficult to refrain from weight gain this time of year if you aren't careful. Help yourself fight off those extra pounds using a few easy techniques and ideas that will keep you on track. Try some of these helpful ideas:

(1) Weigh yourself daily or weekly, either at home or at the studio - that way you'll stay on top of any minor weight gain and can put a stop to it sooner rather than later.

(2) Don't stop working out. Even if parties, shopping or family fun make you change your normal workout routine, keep yourself active every day so you continue to burn calories. Schedule daily workouts even if they're not your regular ones. Walking at the mall can be just as good for you as walking on a treadmill. Remember to make yourself a priority.

(3) Consider asking for workout clothes, RealRyder classes, group fitness classes or even personal training sessions as a gift for Christmas. What better gift can you ask for than the gift of good health?

(4) Try some new HEALTHY recipes. If you need to bring a dish to a party, try a healthy recipe low in fat and carbohydrates. Don't have time to cook? Bring a fruit or vegetable tray. Other healthy favorites might be shrimp or low fat sushi. There are plenty of healthy foods you can find at the grocery store and plenty of healthy receipes you can make.

(5) Portion control -- need we say more about that?

(6) Continue to drink enough water. Even if you increase your intake of holiday "spirits," you still want to be sure to drink enough water to stay healthy, typically eight, 8 ounce glasses of water per day.

(7) Get 8 hours of sleep a night. Sufficient sleep is needed to keep your immune system strong, especially during the holidays when you might be under more stress than usual. Also, sleep deprivation can cause you to make poor food choices, which you want to avoid during the holidays.

Most of all, remember that you don't have to be perfect every day. Every day you wake up is a new start, so make the most of every new start!

Personal Training Sale in December

Are you considering hiring a personal trainer to help you meet your New Year's Resolution fitness goals? December is a great time to do that because two of our personal trainers, Rob Elder and Marti Papke, are offering reduced package prices this month. New customers can purchase ten 50-minute personal training sessions in December and you'll get them for $300.00. That's only $30.00 per private training session! Don't wait until the New Year is already here, begin your fitness journey today and have a healthy NEW YOU!

Welcome Terry

We are excited to annouce the addition of Terry Tummunia to the My Fitness Studio family. Terry is originally from Brooklyn, New York but moved to Gilbert about a year ago. Terry loves teaching indoor cycling but she is also an avid runner having completed more than 20 half marathons. She also loves to hike on weekends. Terry is a certified personal trainer and holds certifications from: AFAA, NASM, Silver Sneakers, SPIN, TRX and USA Boxing. Terry also has a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do and was an Executive Protection Agent (you know, like Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard.). Terry was the first woman to run a USA Boxing gym in the United States. She has a LONG history of training and we are thrilled that Terry has agreed to join us at My Fitness Studio!

Your Opinion Matters

Have you taken a Real Ryder or Group Fitness class at My Fitness Studio and enjoyed your experience. If so, please consider writing a review on Yelp, Facebook or another online site telling others about your positive experience. In exchange for your helpful review, we will happily give you a FREE Real Ryder or Group Fitness Class.

If you ever have an occasion when you don't have a good experience, which I sincerely hope is rare or never, please don't hesitate to e-mail me direct at myfitnessstudioaz@gmail.com or call me at 480-813-3856 because your opinion does matter to me!