Friends increase your chances of making

the gym a great habit.

Bone Building Programs

by John Kripsak, D.O.

Kinesis: Meaning “movement” in Greek, this full-body exercise program incorporates more than 250 free-flowing motions using rotational cables. “The 360-degree movements help develop posture and balance while strengthening, lowering, and twisting the body,” says trainer Artie Kreutzer.

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Wyckoff fitness instructor organizes Haitian relief event

BY MIA TOSCHI Wyckoff Suburban News FOR SUBURBAN NEWS

Michelle Kaczorowski of Ramsey, Caitlin Mader of Oakland, and Melissa Healion of Wyckoff were among those who flocked to Ethos Fitness Spa in Midland Park on Saturday, Feb. 6, to participate in a spin-a-thon to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti.

"It’s a great cause," Kaczorowski said. "It’s heartbreaking to see the images from Haiti, but it’s also heartwarming seeing all the people who came together to make a difference."

"Bergen County is very wealthy," Mader said. "We should be giving back. Haiti is so close to the United States. It’s heartbreaking."

"It’s nothing for me to take some time and do my part to help out," Healion said.

Each participant donated $20 and cycled 30 minutes.

The event was the brainchild of Ethos Fitness instructor Laurie Day of Wyckoff. All the funds raised were being donated to Hands Together, a non-profit organization that has been working in Haiti for years establishing schools, orphanages and medical clinics.

The earthquake destroyed nearly every structure built by Hands Together over the past 15 years. That’s why Day said she selected this organization as the recipient of the effort.

"Hands Together does great work and so have all of the people who participated" in the event, said Day.

Day, along with all the other Ethos employees, volunteered their entire Saturday coordinating the event.

The four-hour event raised more than $3,000.

‘Spinning’ their wheels for Haiti

Thursday, February 18, 2010
BY MIA TOSCHI Town Journal FOR TOWN JOURNAL

Ethos helped Raise: $3,225.00 .

Having spent the past several weeks watching the heartbreaking images of Haiti, Ho-Ho-Kus residents Margie Wildurotter and Laura Paray figured they could do their part by making small contributions in time and money.

So both women spent part of their day Feb. 6 helping to raise money for the earthquake victims through a "spin-a-thon" for Haiti held at Ethos Fitness and Spa in Midland Park.

"As heartbreaking as this tragedy is, it's also heartwarming to see how many people came out for this cause," Wildurotter said.

The event, created by Ethos fitness instructor Laurie Day of Wyckoff, consisted of each woman donating $20 and cycling for 30 minutes. In all, the four-hour event raised more than $3,000, which will be donated to Hands Together, a non-profit organization that has been working in Haiti for years establishing schools, orphanages and medical clinics. As nearly every program and structure built by Hands Together over the past 15 years was destroyed in virtually 30 seconds, Day knew this was an organization to support.

"Hands Together does great work and so have all of the people who participated. I was so amazed at how many women came together to help out," Day said.

Day and the other Ethos employees also volunteered their entire Saturday to coordinate the event.

"I'm particularly grateful to our employees who generously gave their time to sponsor the Ethos spin-a-thon and to our many members who participated and contributed to the cause," Ethos owner Gary Barancik said.

Both Wildurotter and Paray said the event not only provided a great workout, but proved rewarding as they were giving back to a worthy cause.

"It's so sad to see the children and the orphans," Wildurotter said.

"Our area is so wealthy," Paray said. "I think it's important that we give back."

Ethos Fitness and Spa is involved in many local fundraisers, according to Ethos director Patti McCarthy.

"We raise a lot of money for local schools, but Haiti is so close to us and so many people were affected by this tragedy," she said.

Zumba Workout: Time To Dance Yourself To Slim

Ready For Fast-Paced, High-Energy Fun That's Not Monotonous Or Tedious Like

Other Weight Loss Ideas?

BY KRISTINE JOHNSON, CBS News, NEWS ANCHOR

To Watch the Video: Click Here

MIDLAND PARK, N.J. (CBS) - January, the holidays are over. It's time to get off the couch.

If you're looking to jump-start your workout, how about turning your exercise routine into a dance party?
You can trim down and dance your way to slim.

It's part aerobics and it's part dance. And women swear it's such a blast they can't believe it's exercise.
"It's fun. It's fast-paced. I love it," Sarah Christie said.

"I really don't like exercise but this makes it fun," added Beverly Herman-Rivera of Glen Rock.
The Zumba workout is all the rage. Classes like one CBS 2 HD attended in Midland Park N.J., are reshaping bodies everywhere.

The sexy dance craze got started 10 years ago and has exploded into an international phenomenon. People all over are ditching their workouts to join the calorie-burning dance party.

"It is an aerobics fitness class but it fuses all different types of Latin rhythms with that class. You have basically your samba, salsa, merengue, cha cha, mambo," instructor Megan Festa said.

Zumba strengthens the legs, works the core and even hits the upper body.

"It's great for coordination. It also works on balance. Everybody needs these things, especially as we get older," group fitness coordinator Ellen Babajko said.

The moves can be basic for beginners or performed high-impact for a tougher workout. And age doesn't matter.

You take it at your own level. You go at your own pace," Festa said. "If you can give it a little bit extra oomph then you do that."

"The athlete can do this as a workout without all the pounding trauma to the joints," Babajko added.
The infectious beat and hot Latin rhythms get pulses racing and lift the spirits.
"The hour just flies by," said Ann Dickinson of Ridgewood.

"It's a real booster to your happiness. It's not like tedious exercise," added Marjorie Waters of Ridgewood.
"The music its upbeat. I couldn't stop smiling in there," Christie said.

For the average person, Zumba's calorie burn for an hour-long class is comparable to a low-impact aerobics class.

With six more weeks of winter ahead – as that furry critter in Punxsutawney predicted – it can be hard to stay motivated to stick to those "get fit this year" resolutions. After all, who wants to get out of the house when it's dark and 20 degrees outside?

"The winter can be depressing, but working out will not only help your physical state, but get you through the winter months mentally," says Elizabeth M. Carr, certified personal trainer at Ethos Fitness Spa for Women in Midland Park and kickboxing instructor at the Hawthorne Institute of Martial Arts. According to Carr, getting fit should be about feeling good about yourself, even if it means setting simple goals at the gym.

"Setting a goal can be motivating," she says. For example, you can look forward to sporting spring and summer clothing with a healthier body. Or make a pact with friends to hit the gym before spring.

Yet even the best of intentions can't fend off the laziness of winter. Carr has four suggestions to keep you motivated to hit the gym:

• Take classes. "If they start to come into the gym in January, the programs definitely keep them in there through the winter," she says. Whether it's yoga, spinning, Pilates or kickboxing, a class setting creates the supportive atmosphere needed to stay fit. Classmates can also encourage you to keep up the pace.
• Find a workout buddy. "This usually happens at the gym by taking classes and getting to know each other," says Carr. Having buddies with similar goals boosts motivation and creates a sense of accountability. Sometimes, friendships at the gym can lead to healthy get-togethers like an informal running group outside of class.
• Try a group training program. Carr calls it "the least expensive form of training," at anywhere from $20 to $30 per session. Group training, usually packaged in a series of sessions, brings small groups (three to six members, depending on the gym) together on a customized workout plan. "The programs are set up in a goal-oriented manner so you have a little extra guidance," she says.
• Go directly from work. Exercising right after work will avoid the temptation to crash at home after a long day.

"It's right from work to working out is a lot easier," says Carr. "Once they go home they do not want to come out again."

But what if you can't afford a personal trainer or a gym membership? You can still start healthy habits with the help of lifestyle exercises.

"Instead of being so black and white about wanting to work out inside, ask yourself, 'Is there some way to work out outside?' " says Kerri O'Brien, director of education at the Illinois-based Life Fitness Academy. Working out, she says, doesn't have to mean getting on a piece of equipment. You can walk the dog, take the stairs instead of the elevator or park farther from your office.

"Moving is something that we can put in the realm of exercise," she says. Many times, getting into the habit of moving is just a matter of perspective. "If you choose to go for a long walk outside, you could acclimate yourself a little bit; this way you're not looking at the temperature and thinking, 'Oh, I won't be able to go outside until April.'"

And if you really can't go outside?

"If you have to work out inside, it's a wonderful opportunity to try something new," O'Brien says. Pick a program on your elliptical, bike or treadmill instead of just hitting the manual button. Or find a workout video of something you haven't tried before — yoga, Pilates, even simple stretching. "People don't often think of these as vigorous workouts, but boy, your body is just longing to allow itself to be stretched, to reduce stress."

Carr has found a trove of follow-along exercise channels on YouTube that guide workouts at home. She recommends spending 30 minutes a day on this type of exercise to stay healthy, while keying in on some essential calisthenics.

"Squats are an exercise everyone should do. I'm a big fan of pull-ups and push-ups … it works out the biceps and shoulders," says Carr.

If you're in the market for a new piece of home fitness equipment to get you through the winter, O'Brien suggests going to an equipment showroom and trying out exercise pieces for yourself. "The best type of equipment is the one that you will use, hands down," she says.