As the weather begins to brighten up and the anticipation of spring and summer outdoor activities is upon us, get a head start on your fitness inside. By preparing your body for outdoor activities now, you will reap the benefits later. Imagine the first time you take a seat on your outdoor bike, or when you are gearing up for that first hike in the fresh air and your body is already conditioned and ready for the workout. Not only will you have a better workout, but you will have a safer workout. For example, many of our hard core, regular cyclists prepare for outdoor rides by attending our Power Cycle, Endurance Cycle and Cycle Evolution classes here at Seattle Athletic Club. By maintaining condition throughout the winter months, the transition is much smoother.

Start by thinking about the activities you typically participate in when the weather is nice and sunny. For some of us, the activities include a broad range such as water skiing, sand volleyball, rollerblading or hiking to name a few. With such a range I recommend you attend classes that give you an all-over body workout to build strength and condition. These classes could include, but are not limited to, Sports Conditioning, Power Sculpt, BODYPUMP and Yoga. By training your entire body, you ensure your muscles have the strength and the balance to pursue these activities. Keep in mind when you initially participate in certain outdoor activities you may still use muscles that have not been trained inside and you should be prepared to feel some soreness. However, you will still be ahead of the game if you maintain your fitness indoors.

Whatever outdoor activity you decide to participate in, make this summer even better than last by preparing now!

Stress to the Lower Back – Injuries to the low back account for the largest proportion of golf aliments, especially amongst male players. The development of low back pain (LBP) in recreational golfers has been attributed to poor swing mechanics, excessive practice, and poor physical conditioning.

Flexibility refers to the amount of movement or range of motion available at a joint. Research shows that the golf swing requires extreme ranges of motion of the hips, trunk, neck, shoulders, and wrist. If there is a restriction in the flexibility of any of the key segments, the body is usually forced to compensate in some manner leading to poor timing, inefficient movement, poor performance and increased injury risk. Try these golf tips to help improve your golf swing.

THIS MONTHS GOLF TIPS

SAC ELITE GOLF – WITH PGA PROFESSIONAL DAVE BOIVIN
Sign-up today for SAC Elite Golf. Begin at your convenience and be ready for the golf season! Have your own personal team working with you to improve your swing, lower your handicap, and increase your accuracy.

3 – Private ½ hour sessions with PGA Professional Dave Boivin
2 – Video Swing Analysis with Dave
4 – Private 1 hour sessions with SAC’s Personal Fitness Trainer
2 – Fitness Assessments with PFT

Based on the assessment and analysis you receive Dave and your trainer will work with you to create a program to bring you to your best game this season.

TESTIMONIALS
"For the past twenty five years, I have been working out three times a week doing cardio only. But as I approached my mid-forties, I found that it was difficult to maintain my weight without spending extra hours at the club. When I met Katrina Yniguez though the weight loss program last fall, she told me that I was working harder than necessary and that I could also maintain my weight through weight training. I was very skeptical but I thought I’d give it a try.

After Katrina did a brief evaluation, she could pinpoint which muscles were weak and which ones were compensating, causing problems in my posture. We worked initially on strengthening these muscles when she realized how much pain I had in my hips. In the past two years, I spent thousands of dollars on doctors that told me to expect the pain (I was in an auto accident when I was a teenager). But after working with Katrina, she found out the main cause of my pain and worked with me to solve it. By the sixth session, my hip pain was gone.

We are now working on the muscles in my body that haven’t been used in years and I am finding that it is much easier to exercise or just do daily activities now that they are get-ting stronger. Also to my surprise, I don’t have to work out as hard to maintain my weight. Katrina has totally changed my life with just a few training sessions. It is wonder-ful to have my life back and live life pain-free."

~ Diane Marise

For more information on our golf events, please contact Katrina Yniguez.

Many new and experienced members at a gym want to get active and fit; but most of them don’t know where to start. A simple answer is to examine where your current fitness level is, in order to get a starting point. The three parts of fitness are strength/resistance training, cardiovascular fitness and nutrition. So it would make sense to do some testing of your current fitness level in those areas, as well as attaining baseline measurements of your body composition.

READ JACOBS'S BLOG POST

Welcome new instructors Rusty Pruden in Cycle, Kelly Callison in Group Exercise and Cycle, Laura De Freitas in Yoga and Kristin Halberg in Group Exercise. Welcome back Abigail Stansfield, Madelyn Fairbanks and Emily Meshberg.

GROUP EXERCISE:
Monday Ultimate Workout at 5:00pm is now taught by Madelyn.
Tuesday Broadway Dance Grooves at 5:30pm taught by a professional dancer, Troy. This will be a 6-week session starting April 6th - May 11th.
Wednesday BOSU at 12:00 noon with Linda is now Sports Conditioning.

CYCLING:
Thursday Power Cycle at 6:00pm is now taught by Rusty.
Friday Power Cycle at 6:00pm is now taught by Natalie.

YOGA:
Tuesday Vinyasa Flow at 4:30pm with Tonja is now called Ashtanga Yoga.

For a complete schedule of classes, visit our website and select your preference in the "Find a Class" tool located on the right side of every page.

The Seattle Athletic Club is looking for artists who would like the opportunity to showcase their work in our lobby. This is a chance to show off your portfolio and sell some of your pieces. This opportunity is not limited to SAC members only, so please feel free to let your family and friends know.

If you’re interested in more information, please contact Sara Krentzman.