OM for the Day….

Featuring Julie Klutinoty

Sunday, July 25

9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The workshop includes:

• Tai Chi– Tai chi is often described as meditation in motion because it promotes serenity through gentle movements — connecting the mind and body.
• Core Yoga- Enhance flexibility in all aspects of your body while creating a strong, stable base.  Basic Yoga postures will be used to guide you into your power center.
• Silent Lunch- Relax and enjoy a 2-hour lunch without chatter! Notice and savor the rich flavors Solbar  picnic lunch food has to offer.
• Chakra Yoga & Meditation– Finish the workshop by tapping into the seven main Chakras, or energy centers of the body. They affect our health and how we deal with stress. Using yoga and meditation this class will guide you to your Chakras.

Cost: $95 for Club Solage members and $105 for guests. Price includes the workshop and a prefix Solbar picnic lunch. Also available  the non-lunch option at $65 for members and $75 for guests. Advance reservations required. Please contact Fitness and Activities Manager, Donavan Almond at dalmond@solagecalistoga.com or 707.226.0828. Early bird special:  15% off workshop if you sign-up by July 15th.

There are only a few people in your live that inspire you and not in a direct mentor type way but in an admortion type of way. For some people its an athlete like Lance Armstrong coming back from cancer or a musicians work, or could even be your neighbor. These few people in your live can give you purpose, direction, and a strong sense of self. For me client, friend, teacher, and Solage Member Tom Abbey is one of those people that inspires others. Here is a small list of reasons why

1. This guy workouts 6-7 days a week, he does resistance training, runs, spins, and swims almost everyday. The workouts he is doing isn’t that senior citizen pace most people are use to seeing. I’m talking about running 6.5 mph on the treadmill, swimming a mile a day type of intensity, these are things I (a personal trainer) struggle with and he is almost three times my age. This inspires me and demonstrates that you can feel youthful even after retirement if you put in the effort.
2. He is a cool 69 years young. He isn’t stuck on “back in my day” type of thought he loves history but evolves with the times. Sometimes I feel most people of his age have a problem doing that. This is a guy no matter what your age you could chill, have a beer with, and end up with a memorable experience.
3. He retired on Friday, June 4, 2010 after 44 years!! of teaching at the Junior High  in Calistoga. Need I say more. 44 years!!!

After 44 years in the classroom Tom will have a little bit more time on his hands and he has stepped up to become our unofficial Solage Ambassador. As an unofficial Solage Ambassador I believe he is a walking billboard of what Solage is about engaging, inspiring and indulging in your best life. So raise your glasses and tip your hat to those that inspire you……….Cheers!

This picture is going on his Solage Ambassador Card.

Wow! memorial day weekend is here at a Solage. The weather is great, the people are lively, and I’m busy getting people into summer shape. Memorial Day seems to be America’s unofficial start of summer. For our members and hotel guest we have several activities I want you be on the look out for. First and one of my favorite is Summertime S’mores ummmmm………. this happens once a month during the summer months from 8-9:30 pm. There is nice fire pit setup next to Solbar and you roast your marshmallows and make your own s’mores under the stars.

Stargazing is other great hit we are doing once a month over the summer and fall. Two Astronomers with great telescopes  teach you more about the stars then Ryan Seacrest. We also provide hot cocca for the cool cali nights.

We have a cool yoga and meditiaion workshop this summer with our superb Yoga and Pilates Instructor Julie Klutinoty. Kids yoga and swim lessons are also in the mix this summer so make sure you check our schedules to find out more details. Summer Activities Schedule 2010

Also I forgot that the main pool is enough in itself to make a great summer…….Cheers

I must say that their are many perks to my job…..

1. Training and developing some great relationships with my clients
2. Getting to use the beautiful facilities at Solage
3. Most importantly for several hours a week I get to boss my boss around, General Manager of Solage, Richard Hill

Richard recruited me from Atlanta, Ga to develop and run the fitness and activities program at Solage.  For Richard to put that much effort into finding a position like mine, which is often an after thought for most resorts, truly says something. First, he cares about each position and person that works at Solage, and he also considers health and wellness to be very important part of the guest experience.  Its refreshing to have someone leading you and the company with a big picture in mind.  Richard like myself believe that your work self, social self, spiritual self, and physical self  must be in balance to thrive……. So on that note: “RICHARD DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 20″

Susan Hoff is one of my most dedicated clients and she talks  about her journey training with me for the last year and half……..

My husband, Duane, and I have been training with Donavan Almond since August 2008. He has been an inspiration to us, our workouts & our diets.

I started out like all new clients do, learning the ins & outs of nutrition, which exercises work what muscles, & how to cope when you are so sore, you aren’t sure you can even get up the next morning. I was in decent shape at 22% body fat, but was hoping to slim down and stop the jiggles we all acquire around 40.

Donavan helped me to set achievable goals, so I was able to see and feel my progress each month. It became so exciting to work with an expert that could tailor a workout to my goals that every six weeks I’d set new goals. First it was get rid of the “arm jiggles”, then it was to hit my desired weight, then look good for our son’s graduation party, then achieve a pull-up goal of 4, 8, then 10, etc. He has helped me work through my connective tissue disorder, illnesses, plateaus, aches & even travel needs. Donavan even looks up the hotels I stay at across the world to make sure I have the proper workout routines for the equipment at hand. I have learned so much from him and continue to every session. He is wise beyond his years. He has always made me feel good about my progress – even the stubborn areas that just are taking longer to hone.

Many of my friends think I’m a bit obsessed with the gym. I workout 5 days a week & have yet to become burnt out or bored with the journey. Due largely in part to the changing workouts Donavan designs for me. Some days it’s yoga, some days it’s kettlebells, some days it’s lifting heavy & working to beat my best. I look forward to my workouts. I view them as a treat to be able to invest time in myself at the gym. Now at a body fat composition of less than 12%, this June I am competing in a figure competition in Miami. (Bodybuilding without the “man muscles”.) In my forties, I feel better than I have in years & am in the best shape of my life (or so my husband tells me).

Donavan Almond, Solage’s Master Trainer – my trainer -  is a true professional. He’s gracious, funny, inspiring, motivating & competitive. All of these qualities keep him on top of his craft, and buoy Solage as one of the finest places to workout in the valley. He & his wife Jacqi are a talented couple my husband & I feel privileged to call friends. If you haven’t yet tried a personal training session with Donavan – you are missing out. Treat yourself!

Cheers!

Susan Hoff

Well it has been a week or so since my last post but for those that don’t know that on Thursday April 29 I became a father for the second time to a beautiful baby girl. There are several things I’m passionate about one is being able to inspire people thru wellness but nothing beats being a father.

Also shout out to my wife and to all the mothers….. Happy Mothers Day.

You ever wonder why you feel an unbearable urge to have sweets when you start a new healthy diet?  Do you find yourself craving a juicy burger and fries until you finally get a taste that satisfies you?

A new study shows it may be because “junk food” has a similar chemical and mental response to the body as cocaine does to drug addicts.  In late March, The Scripps Research Institute  published an article that says compulsive eating shares the same addictive biochemical mechanisms as cocaine and heroin abuse.

Several experiements were conducted using rats as the test subjects. The rats were fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet.  As the rats ate a pleasure response was sent to the pleasure centers in the brain.  Researchers found the rats were growing more obese as they continued to eat.  The pleasure response the rats received from their dietary consumption became less responsive to the “junk food” diet and required a larger consumption of the ” junk food” for them to get a “high.”  The researchers conducted additional studies which showed these obese rats would continue to eat “junk food” even though they were getting electrically shocked.  When given a healthy diet the rats preferred to starve themselves for two weeks because a healthier diet wouldn’t help relieve their “fix”.

So what do you do if you feel you are addicted to junk food, sweets, wine, etc.?   The same thing you would if you were a drug addict.  I advise a slow reduction in the amount of junk food calories you eat week by week until those foods becomes a want in your diet not a need.

Another interesting article to check out involving this topic: The Cheat- Salad Day

Its the weekend and you have time to get in a long workout….. so you head to the gym and get about 3 miles of brisk walking on the treadmill and 30 minutes of circuit training on the resistance machines. You leave the gym feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day, keep in mind that you burned about 500 calories from the workout (300 from the walk, 200 from the weight circuit).

You freshen up and head out to your favorite restaurant with your friends.  Before you and your friends can get a seat, you head to the bar for a glass of your favorite cabernet (which is 200 calories), and due to the wait you order a small plate of dungeness crab cakes (umm sounds good but its 350 calories). You haven’t even look at the dinner menu and you are already in the hole 50 calories from what most people would consider a good workout.

As personal trainer who makes his living getting people to workout, I am here to tell you that if you think you will lose weight solely by focusing on intense workouts it will not happen. For most people, working out is something we do one hour a day or every other day, but our diet is something that is with us 24/7.

In order to get significant changes in weight we must also be dillegent in our diet..  The NY Times article Weighing the Evidence on Exercise speaks to this issue in a little more detail.  The article states that if you want to keep the weight off or maintain your current weight, you better book your session with that personal trainer and head to the gym. “Yes!”

Well we all looked like this at some point but many thanks goes to our moms for the individual we are today. My mom has been a great supporter of me and I think like most people you want to recognize them for there hard work. Looking ahead here are some  great gift options, Solbar and Spa Solage have several Mothers Day Specials (May 9) that I would suggest checking out because we often book up quickly for that day .  If your mother, sister, daughter, or wife can’t make it that day we also have a gift card online form so that anyone can have a Solage experience at their leisure.

Picture is courtesy of my soon to be daughter Isabella BrieAnn Almond, due date is May 1

Every year I have lead a Biggest Loser Contest for our employees and each year seems to get more and more competitive. This year we did teams of two and each team had two months to lose as much weight as possible and the team with the highest percentage of weight loss won bragging rights and cold hard cash!!!

The 2010 Solage Biggest Losers are Andrew and Joseph who work in the kitchen. They lost 49.6 lbs and 11.7% of there weight in two months. Congrats. Here a photo of the winners Joseph is top picture, Andrew is the bottom.