Actually, wait. Before I get carried away, I need to address a correction from last month's NLB:

Superstar PEX coach, Katie Woodilla, and author of last month's blog post about exercising in the cold (link to our Newsletter & Blog Page in case you missed it), brought to my attention a typo. Katie's business name is Bomber Fitness, named after the mascot of her alma mater, but also in tribute to her father who flew B1 Bombers in the Air Force; not B52's as we had stated last month. It may seem insignificant, but there is a huge difference between the two!

OK. Back to our regularly scheduled media production!

This edition's blog post is brought to you by PEX's very own Nichole Wood, owner of New U Fitness and an absolute ace in the fitness industry.

We hope you enjoy! And if you don't, blame her, not me. LOL

Mike & Bianca

PS -- Our General Manager, Bianca Cira, has been helping me with the Newsletter. (It's obviously because I'm too big-time, now.) But, as referenced above with regards to Nichole's blog, if something about the NLB is bugging you, blame Bianca, not me.

We have all experienced tight muscles before that aren’t necessarily injuries. A slight ache in the top of your knee when you walk up the stairs. A knot in your shoulder blade you might feel when you drive. Often times the remedy for these types of aches and pains is to move more to properly align your body. Dynamic and static stretching, resistance band work, and mobility flows are great options for this.

If you don’t have time to nap, try a workout instead! If you can do both, more power to you. Moving with no set intention other than to wake you up a bit is game changing. 15-30 minutes on the bike, treadmill, or ideally outside in nature will allow your mind a break from the day to day grind, raise your heart rate a bit, and give you that little boost of energy to combat the afternoon slump. Bonus points if you can leave your technology at home.

With that, stay strong, stay motivated and don't quit! The results are waiting for you on the other side of effort.

Our bodies depend on water to survive. From our organs, tissues and joints, down to every cell, water is a necessity! We can earn hydration from drinking water, of course, but it is also possible to hydrate ourselves through the foods we eat.

Some of us struggle with remembering to hydrate throughout the day, every day.

Why is this bad? Our bodies cannot function properly without proper hydration! From typical bodily functions to fighting disease, we need to give our bodies what they need to operate properly and effectively. Systemic, and prolonged, dehydration can lead to a multitude of ailments and calamities, and is often overlooked as a simple fix to every day health issues.

Here are some tips you can use every day to stay hydrated:

The simple take home here? Wash your hands... I mean... drink more water. As we like to say, "take care of your body and your body will take care of you."

Yes.

Last month we established that a lack of time is not a valid excuse for skipping exercise, but throw a couple holidays and Jack Frost into the mix and things seem to get a little more complicated for everybody.

Strategizing a plan to incorporate fitness into your end-of-the-year schedule is key, though. Planning ahead when it comes to time and fitness facility availability will make a huge difference; if you're traveling, locate a gym ahead of time that allows guests or day passes.

Having some simple equipment with you can come in handy, too. Having a workout plan is also helpful. If you are in need of assistance with developing a workout plan, reach out to one of our star trainers! (If you have a coach already, and don't have access to a well-designed, and written, workout plan, ask for one!)

Lastly, using every opportunity to be active will result in success. Raking leaves, shoveling snow, setting up a game of tag with the kids, going for a brisk walk, or even hitting some sit-ups while you're watching football are all good ways to keep you healthy and energized.

Staying active can raise levels of serotonin, boosting your mood and overall sense of well-being, too. So don't be a Grinch and get moving! Speaking of the Grinch, nobody has ever said it better:

Thighs before pies, people.

I said what I said.

Whenever this topic comes up, I always think of this quote. "No food tastes better than looking good feels." I think I agree with this. Either way, I like the quote. It's catchy. Whatever.

When it comes to losing weight, your diet actually plays a much bigger role than working out. The key to successful weight loss is to develop healthy diet AND healthy exercise habits.

While cutting calories alone can fuel the weight loss results you may be looking for, combining a healthy diet with regular exercise is a much more effective and efficient way to reach your goals. Developing these healthy habits will also help you maintain your weight loss for the long-run, too.

Changes in your habits, such as reducing caloric intake, drinking plenty of water, upping your protein and fiber intake, cutting down on alcohol and planning your meals, combined with moderate to vigorous physical activity throughout the week should give you a push in the right direction!

It always helps, too, to establish your goals, and tell somebody about them (like, your coach!) Accountability is super effective when it comes to making difficult changes, so don't be afraid to talk about your goals with supportive people in your life. Just don't do it too much–it's annoying.

Jkjk.

1) Newton Turkey Trot – We had the honor of sponsoring this wonderful event. With our sponsorship, we also had the opportunity to attend the event to showcase our business and services to the participants and their friends and family. We had a ton of fun handing out prizes (and, as usual, making people work for them!). It was a frigid morning but the enthusiasm and energy from the crowd warmed us right up!

2) PEX Medfield Opening – More delays and more curveballs are impacting the buildout process at our beautiful new facility in Medfield. We are still aiming for a January grand opening, but (like many others) we are playing the waiting game with manufacturing issues, delayed deliveries etc. We can't wait to open and we disagree with Macbeth: Anticipation is not greater than realization!

3) Movember – PEX proudly supports efforts made by the Movember Foundation to promote men's health initiatives to assist in mental health services, testicular and prostate cancer research, as well as suicide prevention. During the month of November, we held a pull-up challenge at our gym to raise donation money for the Movember Foundation; $5 for every pull-up completed, $1 for every 10 seconds of a flex arm hang and we all had fun growing out our mustaches and beards in solidarity! (Even the ladies! I kid, I kid.) A huge thank you to everyone who participated, together we raised over $1000!

4) Holiday Food Drive – Through December 19, PEX will be running a holiday food drive in support of the Needham Community Council for those in need this holiday season. There is a bin located by the entrance of our Needham location for all donations. If you are planning on donating, please consider donating any of the following items that are currently in high demand:

5) Find the Cause Educational Presentation – In conclusion of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October and following our push-up challenge, PEX donated over $1100 to Find the Cause Breast Cancer Foundation! For just $1 per rep, thats a lot of push-ups! Way to go, and thank you to everyone who participated!

Find the Cause Breast Cancer Foundation is partnering with PEX Health and Fitness to host a free 1-hour webinar; "Breast Cancer...How We Get to Prevention". Did you know that over 90% of all those diagnosed with breast cancer have no family history of the disease? Yet 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed in the US in their lifetime. Find the Cause Breast Cancer Foundation funds research on the environmental causes of breast cancer and educates the public on cancer prevention.

Please join us on December 14th at 7:00PM for the "Breast Cancer...How We Get to Prevention" presentation. This one-hour virtual webinar highlights how the thousands of untested chemicals in products we use each day could be impacting our health, how researching the environmental causes of breast cancer can lead to prevention, where these chemicals can be found in your home and ways that you can reduce exposure in your everyday life.

Follow this link to register! We look forward to seeing you on December 14th!