Many fitness experts say that running is one of the best exercises you can do for overall body fitness. It’s great for building body strength, improving cardio and key in losing or maintaining weight. But, in these tight economic times, it’s also your wallet’s new best friend.

Perfect if you want to exercise without committing to a long term gym contract or spend your hard earned money every month to just get in the door, running offers a viable, proven alternative to stay healthy. “Running is basically just putting one foot in front of the other; it can be done anywhere, anytime,” says Betsy Hughes, owner of Track Shack, one of Orlando’s top running resources since 1977. “Simply open your front door in the morning three or four days a week, walk or run for 20-30 minutes and your whole day will be more productive,” she says.

“I started running several months ago after deciding not to renew my gym membership,” says Eastwood resident, Amy Sager. “I was really only using the cardio equipment anyway, so I decided just to stick to the trails and save the money.”

Running or walking for exercise only requires good shoes fit by a professional, according to Hughes, making running accessible to everyone of every fitness level. “Beginners should start out with a regular walking routine so their legs can adjust to all of the pounding,” says Hughes.

Your wallet is sure to appreciate that you can run almost anywhere in East Orlando and all it takes is a little planning. “You should try to plan a route on a flat surface, like a bike trail or sidewalk, rather than the road since they are often uneven, increasing risk of injury.”

For many, their running routine starts in the early morning. But, energy isn’t the only reason why so many start their day with a run. “We like to think of running as therapy because it can truly change your life,” she says. Hughes has seen first-hand what running can do for the heart, and the head. “Running can be the thread that supports you through difficult times, it can keep your mind clear, help you think straight and make you feel better about yourself physically as well,” she says. “Running is relaxing because it is stimulating.”

If that’s not enough to put a smile on your face and keep a dollar in your wallet, maybe it’s time you step outside, lace up those shoes and hit the pavement. Remember, consistency and moderation are key in your running routine and your bank account. “Stay with it but don’t overdo it, and of course, enjoy yourself above all else,” says Hughes.

Article by Corey Gehrold

It’s no question that the East Orlando community has a variety of recreational activities for kids of all ages to take part in. Whether it’s riding bikes, playing on playgrounds or participating in sports programs, outdoor activity is essential for kids. With numerous parks and three YMCAs (Avalon Park, Blanchard Park and Lake Nona), afternoons will never be spent without anything fun to do.

Sara Au, a resident of Stoneybrook, is fond of the organized sports and neighborhood activities the community has to offer her two kids, Derek, 7, and Kacey, 5. “We really enjoy riding our bikes around the neighborhood, and that’s one of the greatest things about the East Orlando community,” she says.

Aside from riding bikes around the neighborhood, Au’s son also participates in soccer, flag football and other seasonal sports at the Avalon Park YMCA. He has one practice and one game each week.

“He has had wonderful coaches for the last three years of our participation, and he’s really blossomed into not only a good player, but somebody that really knows how to play on a team,” Au said.

Au has also noticed a correlation between Derek’s grades in school and the outdoor activity he gets. “I have seen a pleasant improvement in his schoolwork and his grades because of his participation in sports,” Au said. “He gets his energy out on the sports field or on the basketball court and he’s able to focus better in school. Having an outlet where he runs around for a few hours is really key.”

Although Au says she’s made a lot of new friends through the sports programs at the YMCA, she feels that running around the neighborhood is the best way for her children to meet other kids.

“Riding their bikes out in the neighborhood is the best, because it’s just free play,” she says. “They go from their bikes to their scooters to just running around to playing dodgeball in the cul-de-sac and they just keep going.”

Avalon Park resident, Jennifer Englert, also loves for her kids to get outdoor activity. She brings her daughter, Alex, 6, and her son, Colin, 2, to parks in the community several times a week. They frequently visit Moss Park, the parks in Avalon Park and Blanchard Park. “We play on the playground mostly, and just walk around the lakes,” she says.

For Englert, one advantage stands out from the rest. “One of the nice things about the parks is that there are always lots of kids, so it helps you get to know other parents in the community and the kids to know other kids, even if they’re a little younger or older, which I think is nice,” she says.

Article by Nicole Lauber

One month down, eleven to go.  So, how did 2010 start for you? If you committed to take better care of yourself in 2010, was January a month where you made progress toward your goals? If you struggled to make change stick in January, then you’re in good company.  As frustrating as this struggle can be, there is good news:  it doesn’t have to be that way, for you or anyone else.

Take heart, 2010 can be the year in which you proudly proclaim, ” I’ve finally succeeded in achieving the change I desired this year!” But, you’re going to need a detailed plan (a roadmap of sorts). While I’m a big believer in having goals, writing them down and keeping them in the forefront of your mind, goals without a specific plan (with clearly defined action steps) are doomed to go unfulfilled. With that in mind, here’s a step by step process for you to follow.

Step 1:  Set Long Term Goals for 2010

Be as specific as you can. To say you want to lose weight or get fit in 2010 will do little to help you lose weight or get fit. But, a goal to lose 30 pounds of body fat by December 15, for example, will help direct your focus.

You must also attach powerful reasons as to why the change must occur. Think about the consequences of not reaching your goals. What will you miss out on if you don’t change? What are the negative  health implications for failing to change?  How will you feel, physically and emotionally, if you don’t change?

I know that this may sound a bit negative, but my experience tells me that people will do much more to avoid the negative than they will to experience the positive. This truth was driven home in a recent episode of The Biggest Loser. Contestants were shown the potential negative health risks for failing to change the way they were living. While I no longer watch the show consistently, this episode was the best I’ve watched in several seasons. Based on the poor health condition of each contestant, the medical staff showed each  the likelihood of significant medical problems down the road if they didn’t change their ways now. It made a significant impact on each of them. Failure was not an option.  You can harness this same power. What do you want to avoid experiencing?

Step 2:  Chunk it Down

Then, take your long term goals and break them down into smaller goals. I have found that four to six week goals are a good time frame. Repeat the same process of being specific, setting a specific due date as well as listing the consequences of failing to make the changes required to achieve these short term goals.

Step 3:  Develop Action Steps

For each goal, list the specific action steps you have to take to make sure change occurs. Identify general categories, then get specific listing specific actions you must take. In my opinion, this is where the wheels come off the cart for many. Without  knowing  the specific steps to take you’re  doomed  to fail, or at best, struggle to achieve limited change. Most find themselves here. They don’t fail for lack of desire; they fail for lack of knowledge. But, once you have the knowledge in the form of an action plan you can believe in, great things can happen.

Step 4:  Take Consistent  Action

Once you have a detailed plan you can believe in, taking consistent action to implement the steps in that plan is truly where the rubber meets the road. It may not be the easiest of roads to travel but it’s the road with the greatest reward.  It is after all the “The Road Less Traveled.”

Article by Glenn Beard, PT

Do you want to embark on that road less traveled and achieve the change you desire in 2010? Call Glenn at 407-208-0620 and schedule a complimentary fitness consultation  to learn how Fitness Together can make it happen for you. To learn more, visit www.FTOrlando.com.

You only get one chance to make a first impression. You only get one chance to make sure you say the right things and put your best foot forward. But first, above all else, you want to make sure you have The Right Smile.

Dr. Axel Castro and Dr. Maribel Morales, husband and wife team and owners of The Right Smile Dentistry, realize that there are a lot of reasons to smile in East Orlando and your dentist should be one of them. That’s why they have placed more emphasis on one word above all else at their Lake Underhill practice since opening in 2005: trust. “For a lot of people, the dentist can be a scary place, especially for kids,” says Morales, a mother of two. “My husband and I know that by choosing to sit in that chair with us, it means something. We want to show you the same respect you show us.”

Castro agrees: “The truth is that patients have no control over the procedures that take place in their mouth,” he says. “Because of that, there is a lot of responsibility on our shoulders; and, that’s why we feel it’s necessary that patients feel their treatment is fully explained and they know what’s about to happen, why it’s happening and what they can do to make sure the experience is as comfortable as possible.” One of the keys for building their successful practice from the ground up, has been developing that strong doctor/patient relationship says Castro. “We want patients to feel certain of two things: that they will be treated with compassion and that the treatment performed is absolutely the best for the condition.”

Once a treatment is decided upon, it’s time for the doctors to go to work. At The Right Smile, they know they are only as good as their instruments. “We’ve made sure to make continuous upgrades to our technology here so our patients have less to worry about,” says Morales. Features include everything from same-day computer generated porcelain crowns to state-of-the-art cancer screening systems, digital X-rays and, most importantly, a brand new sterilizing area which is monitored and tested monthly by a private, certified screening laboratory.

Again, the idea behind investing so much effort into technology and cleanliness is to make the patient experience that much better. “When we decided to take the next step and open our own practice, that was something we promised to always emphasize,” says Castro, in reference to a patient’s experience. “We have to maintain that quality experience, otherwise we’ll be just ‘another dentist visit,’” he says. Morales adds: “One of the reasons we got into dentistry as a profession was because it was one of the only ways in the medical field to always be challenged and make sure that others could benefit in a healthy way while improving their self-image at the same time.”

The patient first philosophy shows itself again in the doctor’s respect for patient’s time. In fact, the doctors book their days to minimize patient time in the chair and treat them at their appointed time. “There’s nothing worse than having to wait for something you have an appointment for,” says Morales.

The respect and open dialogue approach has taught the happily married couple that often a patient’s most common concern is not pain or discomfort if they know what’s going to happen to them; instead, it’s affordability of care. “Every year insurance coverage provides far less service and an increase in claims denial,” says Castro. For this reason alone, the office has implemented a unique system to assist patients. “We have a procedure to follow up dental claims with insurance companies as well as a system to resubmit denied claims backed by supporting documentation, including claim specific letters written by one of us and person-to-person calls to the company,” he says. For those without insurance, the office works diligently to create customized financial arrangements that are competitive with the insured patient base. “We do it because everyone deserves to have a healthy mouth,” says Morales.

“We treat people how we would want to be treated, it’s as simple as that,” says Castro. “The Right Smile provides old school patient service with technologically advanced dentistry. We do our best to help you smile, literally.”

Article by Corey Gehrold

Interested in learning how The Right Smile can help you? Contact their Waterford Lakes office to schedule an appointment today.

The Right Smile Dentistry
12301 Lake Underhill Rd., Suite 104
Orlando, FL  32828
407.380.7046 - www.TheRightSmileFL.com

As adults, we all enjoy a bit of healthy competition in the workplace. But, for many of us, finding that same competition on the ballfield just isn’t that easy. The days of recess, after school sports leagues and intramurals have been replaced by spreadsheets, desk chairs and busy calendars. For those of us who still have dreams of hitting that game winning home run or spiking a volleyball for match point, it’s difficult to find a quality group of people to consistently play with. And league play? Forget about it. At least, that used to be the case.

Today there are several options within just a few miles of your home to fulfill that competitive spirit with adult aged recreational sports.

If you’re more of a dabbler and you don’t want to commit to a full league, consider the options that can be found on MeetUp.com. Dozens of groups have been created throughout the area for sports ranging from softball to dodgeball and everything in between. “I joined a group about five months ago and so far I go almost every three weeks or so just to relax and meet some new people,” says Kassie Smith of Waterford Lakes. “It’s a lot of fun and there’s no pressure, just some people that want to play and have a good time.”

But, if you’re looking to take that next step and you’re looking for weekly league play, you may want to consider the YMCA or the Orlando Sports and Social Club. The YMCA offers recreational and competitive leagues for various skill levels and ages throughout the year. Sports include basketball, flag football and more, but offerings typically will vary by location. Here, sports last for seasons, and many of them have multiple seasons spread throughout the calendar.

As for the Orlando Sports and Social Club, the group offers five sports all year long (flag football, soccer, sand volleyball, softball and kickball) separated by skill level from recreation to competitive playing in leagues on a weekly basis. The group also arranges social meetings for members to get to know each other, relax and build new friendships. “All throughout your school career you get to play whatever sports you want,” says Ezra Simmons, director of the Orlando Sports and Social Club. “In college you can play intramurals, and it’s a great way to meet new people doing something you love. Then suddenly you graduate and you’re stuck behind a desk, staring at a computer screen all day with no outlet.” This is where the club fits right in.

“Our philosophy is that just because you’re older, it doesn’t mean they have to take the fun away,” says Simmons. “The sports we offer give every person of every skill level a chance to run around and play their heart out…all while expanding their social circles or using it as an organized way to schedule time for their friends to get together.” League play for the club runs as much as five days a week for flag football and softball, with two leagues apiece for their other sports, respectively. Locations vary by league and sport from Winter Park to Downtown and even MetroWest.

The idea, according to Simmons, in placing leagues around Orange and Seminole counties is to allow everyone who wants to play a chance to play. “We’ve got teachers; doctors; lawyers; singles; people married with kids; young professionals just out of college and really just all kinds of people that want to come out for a chance to have fun, socialize and meet people in a structured, yet recreational sports environment,” he says.

Recreational sports in general, no matter where the location or which organization you choose to utilize, offers players a chance to exercise, break the monotony of everyday life and even network. “I know people that have been able to get jobs from the contacts they’ve met out there, for sure,” says Simmons. “Over the years, through playing recreational sports, I’ve met some of my closest friends and so many other wonderful people. I really can’t think of a better way to be active and make new friends.”
Article by Corey Gehrold