In This Issue...                                                                              January 14, 2006
 

• Healthy Weight Loss Starts With Fitness That is Fun
     
• February 18^th  Healthy Weight Loss Workshop
  
  
• MS Walk April 2^nd with Phyliss Hurt
  
  
• TotalTennis...Your Health Club Alternative 

Healthy Weight Loss Starts With Fitness That is Fun

Most of the "fancy named" diets suggest that changing how you eat is all that is important for successful weight loss. Based on the way your body works, this is absolutely wrong! Modifying eating habits and doing nothing else actually reduces your metabolism making it harder to lose weight. Unless your physical activity increases at the same time your food intake decreases, 25% of your weight loss will actually be muscle and not fat. So, if you want healthy weight loss there is only one choice...get physically active... and here's how.

FUN physical activity is the best way to make your muscles hungrier while having a great time. Hungrier muscles increase your metabolism while decreasing your waistline permanently. Besides the brain, muscle is the hungriest tissue in your body.  The more you stimulate muscle activity the higher your resting metabolism (the number of calories you burn at rest). What does this all mean; with a higher resting metabolism you burn more calories during exercise as well as just sitting on the couch relaxing!  

Functional fitness training creates more muscle tissue and revs up your calorie burn. Combined with spending just 15 minutes a day walking, they have a profound affect on muscle activity, calories burned, your overall fitness levels and total health. Adding relaxation time and good nutrition to your physical activity program doubles your health benefits. Remember, adding physical activity to your lifestyle is a process that takes time...so be patient with yourself. In 30 days I guarantee you'll see significant, healthful changes in your weight, stress levels and over-all health by just adding a little FUN physical activity.

Find out how Fresh Start helps you incorporate more FUN physical activity into a daily healthy lifestyle make-over. Beginning and sticking to the process of feeling and looking better is much easier than you might think? when you make it FUN.

MS Charity Walk April 2^nd with Phyliss Hurt

Here is a FUN physical activity. Phyliss Hurt has MS and is actively seeking her own cure. The Sequoia Health Team acupuncturist  Sharon Crowell and I have been working with Phyliss; improving her balance and ability to walk while reducing her knee and hip pain. In her words, "I have been doing great." Several weeks ago, Phyliss and I were talking about the importance of setting strong health and fitness goals for the New Year. Phyliss decided she needed a challenge to keep herself focused and motivated for the coming year.

Surprising me one day she said "Woody, I decided to do the April 2nd 3.5 mile charity walk for MS. "All I could say was "WOW." This really is a worthy challenge and I am proud Phyliss would even consider doing it. The walk is a good goal strategy for Phyliss because she has a specific target she must prepare for; she is also doing something good for her as well as other people with MS.

So here is the deal. We all need at least one good fitness goal for 2006 so I invite you, no I CHALLENGE everyone to sign-up for either the 3.5 or 6 mile walk. If you don't want to walk you can run the course instead.  If you can't attend you can always donate to the cause. But please come. Your whole family is invited; no walker is too young to get involved. Besides, it will be a lot of fun.

Team Sequoia will have prizes for the person that raises the most pledge money; wears the goofiest outfit; finishes without blister on their feet. Linda Wilson, one of my clients and part owner of ATR (The American Tap room) at Reston Town Center has generously offered to sponsor a pre-walk breakfast.

So come on...Phyliss needs your support. Please be there to help her, MS and yourself. There is no cost to sign-up. Our team fundraising goal is $100 for an individual and $250 per family in pledges. Click here to learn more and join Team Sequoia on Sunday April 2, 2006.

Total Tennis...Your Health Club Alternative   

Our newest "secret weapon" in the battle of the bulge is a great success. On January 7^th, 2006 we completed our first TotalTennis  class. It really is your "I hate going to the gym" alternative. Our class members ranged from ages 12 to 65. Afterwards I talked to a few of the members and here is what they had to say:

              "Lots of fun... I didn't really feel like I was exercising" 
   

     "This is the first time I have actually done tennis specific     training... I can see where it will really help my game" 
    
                  "I liked TotalTennis because at the end of the hour I wanted to stay and do it again"

Each one hour group session combines total body strength training, cardiovascular fitness, balance and flexibility and expert tennis instruction. We've also included specially designed healthy nutrition and stress reduction sessions that you access on-line from our website.

Read more> Try a session. Next drop in TotalTennis session is on February 4th, 2006. Come Join the FUN.

Is TotalTennis Right for Me?

From beginner to advanced, TotalTennis has a program that is right for you.
Never played tennis before... TotalTennis provides an excellent opportunity to get active while improving your health and fitness.
Nursing an old athletic injury... our program is designed to help you rehabilitate and get back to being physically active.
Woefully out of shape... just 8 weeks of TotalTennis will put you back on the right track to feeling and looking your best. TotalTennis fits perfectly with the Sequoia Cardio-FUN-Time theme... FUN, efficient and effective.

Combine TotalTennis with Fresh Start and you have a complete, one stop health and fitness solution.

We put the Fun back in FUNctional Activity!

News From Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.

The Sequoia System is a revolutionary way of helping you achieve strength, vitality and good health in less time and with less effort. Unlike other approaches The Sequoia System improves both your mental and physical fitness making positive healthy lifestyle changes complete and permanent. The Sequoia System benefits you in four important ways. You receive: - A Healthy Life Plan that is a step by step road map to achieving the changes you?ve always hoped for on your journey to better health - A balanced and integrated approach to your health and fitness activities including physical activity that is fun; nutrition that optimally fuels your body; and stress reduction techniques that produce greater results in less time - A supportive health and fitness team available 24/7 guaranteeing your success by offering individualized programs, personal attention and motivation - A cutting edge health and fitness information service provided by experts in their fields helping you apply the latest scientific health and fitness breakthroughs to your program.     

Read more 

Woody McMahon has been working in the health and fitness profession for over 20 years. Before starting his career Woody earned his Bachelor of Science degree in human biology from the University of Maryland, his Doctorate in chiropractic medicine from Palmer College of Chiropractic and is certified as a personal trainer through the National Strength Professionals Association. Woody's unique integrative approach to health and fitness - combining fitness, nutrition and stress reduction activities allows him to help many people that are considered beyond help.

Continued Good Health,

 Woody
 
Woody McMahon 
Sequoia Health and Fitness News Report  

Don't forget to Request Your FREE Family FUN Pass  - Come meet the staff at Sequoia and try out Cardio-FUN-Time with your loved ones.  

       We put the Fun back in FUNctional Activity. 

Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.
483A Carlisle Dive
Herndon, VA 20170 

Required Disclaimer: The information provided herein should not be construed as a health-care diagnosis, treatment regimen or any other prescribed health-care advice or instruction. The information is provided with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in the practice of medicine or any other health-care profession and does not enter into a health-care practitioner/patient relationship with its readers. The publisher does not advise or recommend to its readers treatment or action with regard to matters relating to their health or well-being other than suggesting that readers consult appropriate health-care professionals in such matters. No action should be taken based solely on the content of this publication. The information and opinions provided herein are believed to be accurate and sound at the time of publication, based on the best judgment available to the authors. However, readers who rely on information in this publication to replace the advice of health-care professionals, or who fail to consult with health-care professionals, assume all risks of such conduct. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions.

Copyright (c) 2006 by Sequoia Health and Fitness, Inc.