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In The Zone By Zoning Out

I was watching my son's workout with a personal trainer recently and couldn't help but notice how well he was performing some fairly difficult movements....

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Your Habits: Helping or Hurting?

The talk as of late in the fitness industry is performance living.  Performance living is about having the fuel in the tank, the steering capabilities to maneuver around corners and obstacles, and the endurance to withstand the bumps that the road ahead will present.  Performance living is about living life to its fullest.  The only way to truly accomplish this is by having the energy, vitality, resilience, and physical being which allows for it.   

Amazingly, performance living is all about the habits we live by on a daily basis.  I have seen people with unimaginable hinderences live the best life possible in spite of their restrictions, but I have also met many with more muscle and hustle lead the most low-performance lifestyle possible.  So much of the quality of our lives is dependent on our habits.  Most of our behaviors are unconscious and automatic, but are they helping us or hurting us?  Habits will determine your energy levels, your health, and your life's performance.  Are your habits getting you want you want?

Your habits determine your outcomes.  Your goals are all dependent on your mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery…a complete integration.  They require conscious positive choices that create healthy and productive habits that set the stage for excellence.  Most of all, your goals require a commitment to taking care of the most important thing ever…YOU!!! 

Take the time to get to know you before saying “I want to lose 10lbs.”  Get yourself a journal and figure out on a scale of 1-10  (10 being highest) what your performance life is at this point.  Identify the habits that have helped you in life thus far, and the ones that have hurt you along the way.  Be honest with yourself in writing and look at it everyday.  Write it down as it comes along and learn from it.  I guarantee you will be better tomorrow because of it.

Robert Devito

www.innovationfitnesssolutions.com

DHF Newsletter Aug 23, 2009

A Note From Jay This email is a follow-up to my email in March about Free2Play. Free2Play is a movement education program designed to enable the bodies, enhance the minds, and unlock the potential of the youth across the world. Free2Play is intended to supplement traditional physical education programs by using a powerful and integrated distance learning strategy, therefore creating encouraging environments where kids engage in variety of interactive, progressive experiences that foster and enhance learning through movement. Success in these experiences creates more success by building upon the “literacy of movement.” Every Kid is Gifted → Free2Play Reveals It! Every Kid is Athletic → Free2Play Proves It! Every Kid is Unique → Free2Play Develops It! Every Kid is Driven → Free2Play Directs It! Every Kid is Vital → Free2Play Engages It! Free2Play utilizes “Matrix Plays” (structured lesson plans delivered in DVD format) in teaching functional exercises – fundamental, enhancement, and skilling movements. Each Matrix Play is an experience in and of itself. Kids not only learn three-dimensional exercises, but also truths and principles derived from physical, biological, and behavioral sciences, as well as associated sign language. The learned functional exercises are integrated into real life activities and play. Also, exercises are employed in class settings in a variety of ways. Free2Play teaches that individual health is comprised of “fitness” and “vitality.” Free2Play encourages and empowers kids to “Play it Forward” – to leverage their efforts of becoming physically fit, as well as vital, in coaching and encouraging family and friends, as well as raising funds in order to serve others .. so that everyone can be free to play! The showcase of Free2Play is a Freedom Festival – the ultimate experience in which all athletes “show off” to the community what they have learned about the literacy of movement, as well as the culmination of the fundraising efforts. In essence, “Physical Movement” drives “Social Movement,” resulting in raising funds that are donated to Free2Play. The donations generated by Free2Play are allocated to global, regional, and local initiatives / organizations to fight slavery, illness, and hunger, in order to enhance the wellbeing of kids near and far. Rebecca and Cory This past July I sponsored two children Rebecca and Cory. Rebecca and Cory brought excitement, passion, nervousness, and joy all in an action packed day. Excitement to play catch with eggs on one-leg, passion to learn sign language, showed me nervous energy when performing 3-dimensional movement patterns before catching a tennis ball in the air, and joy in accomplishing all of the matrix learning play stations. At the end of the day, I asked both of them if they were athletes. They both answered with a resounding YES. Click here for a video on Free2Play 2009 Links: DHF ONLINE DHF STUDIO DHF SOCIAL

The Gift of Your Health

I was in a conversation many years ago with another peer of mine named 

Kirk. He made a statement that has stuck with me years later. It was so 

impactful, yet so simple. Kirk had stated  “the greatest gift we have been 

given is our body.” As he went on he explained that the unfortunate thing 

with this gift is very few realize they have been given something so special 

until it is to late. That we take for granted the one thing we should never. 

Kirk kept the conversation very simple with two action steps that people 

take that need redirection. 

 

1. We consume food and drink that can cause harm to our bodies 

and create an imbalance from within.  

2. We do not move enough. 

 

The combination of the above action steps causes a disruption from a 

cellular level that manifests itself to our way of movement and being. The 

first action step works from the cellular level. The poor food and drink 

choices simply create low and uneven energy levels, will cause muscles to 

under-perform, it can increase the chances of coronary artery disease and 

cause a loss of focus and reaction. The second action step causes the body 

to conserve and not burn energy, creates joints that seize, and tired 

muscles.  

 

In keeping this article simple and to create a sense of awareness the 

question becomes what will you do with your gift? The gift of choice has 

also been given to you. The road splits in two directions when it comes to 

your own health giving you two choices. You can either choose the above 

mentioned action steps or the complete opposite. The choice has always 

been yours and can be taken at anytime, the sooner you appreciate this gift 

the sooner you will help yourself and truly help others. 

 

 

Jay Morgan

Hydration for Peak Performance

In the quest for peak performance, one of the most basic nutrients is 

one of the most overlooked. WATER. Muscles that drive performance 

are comprised of 75% water. Your brain that determines your 

movements is 76% water. Your bones are 25% water. Your lungs 

that provide oxygen are nearly 90% water. The blood that transports 

nutrients to your cells is 82% water. (1) The facts are quite simple. 

The most important nutrient for human performance is water. 

 

The benefits of consuming adequate amounts of water are 

overwhelming: 

 

    * Neurological Performance 

    * Liver Function 

    * Metabolic functions improve 

    * Endocrine-gland function improves 

    * Appetite Suppressant 

    * Decrease chance of injury (quality of tissue) 

    * Detoxify 

 

Numerous studies indicate that peak performance is dependent of 

hydration levels. A study at Ball State University took long distance 

runners and dehydrated them by just 2-3% (3-5 lbs. for a 165 lb. 

man). These athletes then ran their typical 10K runs, performance 

decreased by 7%. 7% on a 30 minute run adds a whopping 2 

minutes to the total. 2 minutes is the difference between first place 

and last place. (2) 

 

How Much Water Is Enough? 

Dynamic Health & Fitness utilizes the guidelines of Dr. Batmanghelidj 

in suggesting that a person drinks half their bodyweight in ounces of water daily. (3) Water intake can increase if activity is higher or 

temperatures have increased. 

 

Exercise And Fluid Replacement Guidelines (4) 

 

    * Drink 17-20oz. Approximately one hour before activity 

    * Drink 7-10oz. About every 15 minutes of exercise 

    * Drink 20oz. Of water per pound of weight loss within 2 hours of 

activity 

    * Fluid should be cold because they empty from stomach quicker  

 

Summary 

It is vital to remember the importance of building a strong foundation 

in the quest for peak performance. In most cases a strong foundation 

is quite simple, and this case is no different. Water is the foundation 

for peak performance. 

 

Jay Morgan 

References: 

1,2: Colgan, Michael Optimum Sports Nutrition NY,NY 1993 

3: Chek, Paul Flatten Your Abs Forever 2001 Chek Institute 

4. NATA Position Statement: Fluid Replacement J.Athletic Training 

2009 Iron Girl Syracuse Triathlon

I am just writing to congratulate two DHF clients for a great job at the 2009 Aflac Iron Girl at Oneida Shores. Both Kara Johnston and Meghan Macblane trained hard through the year to peak for this event and the DHF team is very proud of them. The event featured a Sprint triathlon (800m swim - 30k bike -5k run) and had over 400 participants. The event organizers did a great job and the athletes created a winning atmosphere all around. Here is a great video of the event.

Jay Morgan

Designing An Effective Exercise Schedule | LIVESTRONG.COM

Designing An Effective Exercise Schedule | LIVESTRONG.COM

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