Before reading this article think about the contrast of the following quotes:

• “Good health and good sense are two of life’s greatest blessings.” - Syrus (Publilius Syrus)
• “Lose 10lbs in 10 Days!”, “Eat cookies and lose weight”, “Get a flat stomach instantly”, “Eliminate love handles and lose 25lbs in one month.”

Millions of individuals have fallen into the trap of ads like these in an attempt to lose weight, feel energetic and become healthier. They may try many different weight loss pills, programs and products only to discover they are right back where they started with more frustration and less money in the end.

Why is it so easy to fall prey to false promises like those above? After all, most people intellectually recognize these claims to be ridiculous, but emotionally they want to believe that there’s a magic bullet if you will - an easy, effortless way to achieve lasting change - and that XYZ program, pill or powder  might just be said magic bullet.

To illustrate this point some, I’d venture to say that some of you are reading this article simply because of what the title “How to Lose 10 Lbs in 10 Days” promises. Even though most everyone understands that 10 pounds of fat lose in one week is totally unrealistic, we emotionally want it to be true.

Summer’s Coming

Summer is right around the corner and the season for weight loss ads, products and promises of the perfect body approaches us yet again. The infamous New Year’s resolution rush has faded and now comes the ads and commercials for products that promise to get you the beach body of your dreams in as little as 10 minutes a day.

We have all seen the billboards, late night infomercials and big name celebrities touting the latest and greatest breakthrough in fitness. From the weight that vibrates as your hold it promising sculpted arms to the electrode stimulating belt that will get you the six pack of your dreams - miraculous claims surround us and give us all false hope for a great body and life.

Why Quick Tricks Don’t Last

Quick tricks for weight loss which promise lost inches, pounds and body fat are just that - tricks. The old saying “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is,” should be the first thing you think of when you see outrageous and unrealistic slogans and promises.

The Truth and Our Philosophy

At Fitness Together of East Orlando we believe looking and feeling your best is achieved by “back to basics” fitness: in other words, fitness that focuses on functional weight training, cardiovascular activity and proper nutrition that you can sustain long term. We’re not going to transform your body in seven days or less or promise you 10 pounds of fat loss in 10 days. What we can do however is provide a comprehensive system that provides our clients the blueprint for life changing transformation - a transformation that focuses on achieving a healthy lifestyle that will last beyond the summer months.

Our trainers help each client with goal setting, motivation and knowledge with the ultimate goal of a lifestyle transformation, not a short-term quick fix. Our professional trainers focus on each client individually and understand that every person, body, lifestyle and starting point is different. All clients react to different types of motivation and goal setting, that’s why we tailor each program to meet your needs, not the masses like the gimmicks that surround us this time of year.

Call the studio today and get started on your journey to health, fitness and gimmick-free weight loss!

Article by Heather Stella, Manager, Fitness Together of East Orlando

There may be no topic where there is more conflicting advice than that of nutrition. There’s plenty of diets out there, and as different as they may be, they all share one thing - they promise accelerated weight loss, increased energy and vibrant health.

It can be frustrating and confusing. I know this as a fitness professional who has extensively studied how diets affect weight loss in women in addition to personally helping hundreds of men, women and young people successfully lose weight and get healthy. But I also know it from firsthand experience. Before I found my passion for fitness and nutrition, I was like most - aggravated and puzzled by all the misinformation on exercise and nutrition.

But instead of giving up, I chose to turn my frustration around, transforming not only my own body and health, but that of hundreds of clients that I have worked  with throughout the years. I want to share with you some of what I have learned in hopes of helping you find your own nutritional balance to help you achieve the results you desire.

Change How You See Food

Often people think of food in the wrong way. They see food as the enemy, as a reward or as something they don’t think about until they’re so hungry they’ll eat anything within reach. If that describes how you view food this simple analogy might help: food fuels your body like firewood fuels a fireplace. You would never say to a fireplace, “Provide me with a nice warm fire and I’ll put firewood in you,” would you? Of course not. Yet we ask our bodies to work efficiently without giving much, if any, thought to the quality of fuel we put in it.

Beware of Fast and Easy

There is an abundance of different diets that emphasize restrictions or elimination of food groups for weight loss. These diets often promote “fast and easy” results by purchasing specialty food items that may lack proper nutrients as well as lead to a higher grocery bill. These companies can be confusing and lead to nutritional deficits, harming your body in the long run.

In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2009 reported that elimination of food groups in an attempt to lose weight can lead to altered insulin and hormonal values. These alterations have been shown to make weight loss over time more difficult. When you think about it, can the latest “miracle diet” promoting cookies or two bowls of cereal per day really be good for your body?

Balance is the Key

The need to have the correct vitamins and nutrients to get you through your active day seems pretty obvious. It is, however, easier said than done.

Enter Nutrition Together - our proprietary nutrition program. Whether your fitness goals are to lose weight, gain muscle or tone up, Nutrition Together has been designed to address your specific nutritional needs in a very balanced, straightforward way.

Getting to your goals takes planning and commitment, but once you have the knowledge and proper plan, your possibilities are limitless. At Fitness Together of East Orlando we have been dedicated to helping our clients reach their health and fitness goals for over four years. Help with your nutrition and exercise program, along with the motivation from our training team, is here to get you closer to your balanced lifestyle. NOTE:  For more tips on finding nutritional balance visit fitnesstogether.com/eastorlando/blog/.

Article by Heather Stella, Manager, Fitness Together of East Orlando

Heather Stella is a NSCA certified personal trainer who has her Masters Degree in Applied Exercise Physiology.  Heather manages the day to day operations of Fitness Together of East Orlando and would love to talk to you about your health and fitness needs.  Call Heather at 407-208-0620 to learn more and schedule a FIT consultation. It’s FREE and we can use the results of the consultation to design and implement a customized fitness and nutrition program for you.

Besides the social benefits of dancing, participating in a regular program of dancing will produce significant mental and physical health benefits. Dancing is a great stress reliever. It also stimulates the brain, builds confidence and helps you be more attentive. It has also been proven to offer great physical benefits as it tones the whole body in an enjoyable exercise.

Israel Rodriguez, guest performer for Orlando Ballet and former principal dancer for the organization, now teaches Latin cardio dance classes for Momentum, a newly formed organization focusing on young dancers. Rodriguez’ students say his classes beat staying home any day. “My students are able to move with more freedom [after taking classes],” he says. The Latin cardio classes concentrate on the entire body, important for overall health as dancing helps improve stamina for all kinds of movement. Rodriguez knows this first hand since he sustained an injury to his Achilles tendon and was unable to bear weight on that foot. But because of his perseverance and determination to continue to dance, he was able to make a complete recovery.

The Mayo Clinic research reports that social dancing helps to reduce stress, increase energy, improve strength and increase muscle tone and coordination.  Whether you like to kick up your heals to hip hop, ballroom or the two-step, dancing can lower your risk of coronary heart disease, decrease your blood pressure, help you manage your weight and strengthen the bones in your legs and hips.

Kristin Weissman, owner and CEO of Studio K, a dance facility in Central Florida, opened the studio in Oct. 2010. The facility offers dance instructions for adults and young adults with the largest number of classes offered exclusively to ages 16 and up. Studio K is mainly for adults who want to improve cardiovascular health by dancing.

Weissman has 15 years’ experience with public relations and has been dancing since she was 3-years-old. The facility concentrates on technique and style with a cardio twist - designed to get participants heart rate up. There are high intensity dance classes with a concentration on cardio. There’s even a “Hip Hop Boot Camp” where you are “whipped” into shape, as well as a “Hoop Dance Class” concentrating on dance techniques using a hula hoop.  Whether you want to learn the art of dance or simply want a fun way to workout, the studio offers classes for every level of experience and interest.

If ballroom dancing or ballet is not your cup of tea, why not try the latest craze, Zumba. “Ditch the workout - join the party!” is the official slogan for Zumba. It’s no surprise that it’s catching on like wildfire. Why? Zumba fitness classes are actually “dance” routines that are structured to be easy to follow but full of movement. You let go of your inhibitions and lose yourself in the rhythms. It’s all about the music. The mesmerizing sounds of salsa and merengue are the usual music choices for Zumba instructors, but every instructor is different and the selections are endless.

Attending a local Zumba class of 60 students, you are suddenly swept away with the music. Even students with little or no dancing technique find themselves joining in with little or no difficulty. Lisa Cotto, a student of Zumba at a local YMCA commented about the energy and spontaneity in the class saying, “When I burned 1,000 calories in one class, I knew I’d never be fat again!

Cotto dropped 70 pounds in four years after attending Zumba classes. She’s the poster child for dancing your way to a healthier lifestyle.  Also of note are Zumba classes for kids, senior citizens, aqua aerobic classes, toning and Zumba Dance for the Wii has recently been launched.

With so many options, it’s hard not to get lost in the music.

Article by Leslie N. Dawson

When Mark King graduated from high school he was 5 feet 3 inches tall, unathletic and just plain used to getting cut from basketball teams. But he also had NBA aspirations, incredible drive and an unwavering passion for the sport.

“I never understood why I loved something so much, but never got a shot,” King says.

As King grew older and up - he’s now 5 feet 11 inches - various opportunities started to present themselves. He is now the co-owner, president and head coach of the Florida Flight Basketball team that has recently moved to Avalon from Kissimmee. The Florida Flight Basketball team is a part of the Continental Basketball League (CBL) and will start its second season sometime in April or May.

“There’s only so much space in the NBA,” King says. “If you’re given a heart for basketball, you should be able to play basketball.”

After a 10-5 season last year, King and his team members are excited to be a part of the Avalon community.

“Community involvement is the root of our team,” King says. “And there couldn’t be a better community atmosphere for the Flight team.”

According to their website, the mission of the Flight basketball team is to “Utilize the platform of professional basketball to promote a positive, healthy, morally sound society that values the importance of teaching critical societal elements like teamwork, leadership, accountability and love and respect for others.”

With a bedrock Christian faith, King firmly believes that God purposefully places talent and ambition in everyone, and that it’s important to trust God’s vision.

It was this innate belief that kept King going through his early years of consistently being cut from teams and laughed at in high school for his NBA dreams. After graduating, King put his all into making it and ended up briefly playing at Pikeville College in Kentucky. He spent two years away from home playing in the minors, but when his wife became pregnant he knew he needed to settle down and find a new way to make his dreams come true.

“I realized that I’m a husband, and I was about to be a father,” King says. “So I just said, ‘Well, let me see if I can start something at home.’ And I did.”

Though Avalon doesn’t have a civic center for the Flight team to play at, Avalon Middle School offered their gym as a location for games.

With several months to prepare for its second season, the Flight team is still staying active in other ways - especially community involvement. The team participated in Avalon Aglow in December as well as other various community events.

“We really love the idea of being in Avalon,” King says. “My players feel like pros, like role models. They’re able to be seen in the public and reach out to the kids. We want to invest in the youth - if we want to make a difference in this world, we have to invest in the kids. We have to provide something for kids to do on the weekend that’s a good, positive environment for them to be in.”

Rabon Smith, General Manager of the Florida Flight team, is looking forward to the positive impact he hopes the Flight will have in the community.

“Moving to Avalon Park has been great,” Smith says. “We have visited with many of the local businesses and everyone has been very positive about having a professional basketball team in the community. We hope to provide fun, affordable, family entertainment to the people of Avalon Park and to become the team the whole community can rally behind.”

In the months leading up to the start of the season, the Flight team will continue to be active in various community events and programs. They’ve recently partnered with Avalon Dance Company and begun a Junior Flight Attendants Program. The team has plans to start a Scout League in February and begin filling out the remaining roster spots. The team is also looking for volunteers from the community and various ways to serve Avalon.

“The real championship for our team is off the court,” King says. “I’d rather make a positive impact in the lives of our community members than win every game.”

Article by Katelyn Schmidt

Dr. Bradd Burkhart is the newest sports medicine specialist and board certified orthopaedic surgeon to join the Orlando Orthopaedic Center practice. Treating everyone from weekend warriors to the players of the Cincinnati Bengals, Dr. Burkhart has a wealth of experience treating sports injuries, particularly in the knee and shoulder.

He has been awarded honors such as first place in the Florida Orthopedic Society Resident Research Competition and Orlando Regional Medicine Department of Orthopedic Surgery Research Award.  He has been published in several respected orthopedic journals.  Dr. Burkhart is also a current reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Recently he moved to Winter Park with his wife and their young son.

Below are some of the more common questions Dr. Burkhart hears during this time of year regarding recreational and spring sports injuries.

1.       What are some of the most common injuries you see from a recreational sports standpoint?

Some of the most common injuries we see during this time of year are overuse injuries, which typically are the non-surgical injuries. Tendonitis and various strains become more common as patients venture back into their activities in the New Year.  As far as surgical issues are concerned, common injuries include meniscal tears, rotator cuff tears and tears of the anterior cruciate ligament, just to name a few.

2.       Does any sport in particular tend to standout during this time of year? What about age group?

In younger children, middle and high school aged boys and girls, a variety of injuries come about as spring sports kick into gear. Most of the football injuries are tapering down now, but they pick back up in early August when tryouts begin.  More mature athletes suffer from a variety of injuries as well.

3.       If I think I’ve been injured, what should I do?

If you think you’re injured, the best thing to do is rest the area that’s hurting. Elevate and compress it using an Ace wrap. It’s ok to use ice in this situation as well. If you have trouble bearing weight, that will require immediate medical attention; but if it feels more like a strain or a pull that seems to linger, you should consult with a specialist just to be on the safe side, depending on the amount of pain you’re in. The goal is to get back to your activities as quickly and safely as possible.

4.       How long should I wait for an injury to heal before visiting a doctor?

As a sports medicine doctor, I see a variety of injuries, from those occurring within hours to the injury that has been nagging for months. If it’s something that’s more chronic and it doesn’t respond to over-the-counter medicines, icing and resting and it lasts more than a few days, I’d recommend coming in to see a physician. Something that’s very minor could turn into a bigger problem if it’s not taken care of. There’s no need to try and “tough something out” if you’re unsure or uncomfortable.

5.       What are some common injuries that are misdiagnosed and why?

Misdiagnoses can really occur in any part of the body. Patients will often present with injuries or strains of the shoulder and they can be diagnosed with a sort of catch-all phrase called “impingement.” But there a lot of things in the shoulder that can cause pain and should evaluated by a professional. Sports medicine specialists are highly trained to accurately diagnose these types of injuries so they’re able to find the root of the problem and provide a treatment solution.

6.       What should I do to avoid injuries while playing sports?

Some of the most important things to help avoid injuries are stretching and warming-up properly prior to any type of sporting activity. The injuries we commonly see are a result of strains or pulls and that has a direct correlation to whether or not your muscles and your body are ready to participate in the activity that you’re getting set up for. Take a few minutes and make sure to stretch all the major muscle groups to help avoid any unnecessary injuries.

Would You Like More Information?

If your question was not answered or you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Burkhart, contact Orlando Orthopaedic Center today. Dr. Burkhart sees patients of the center’s Lake Mary, Sand Lake and main downtown office locations.

Orlando Orthopaedic Center

25 W. Crystal Lake Street, Ste. 200

Orlando, FL 32806

407-254-2500

www.OrlandoOrtho.com