Each year millions of people around the world fire up their New Year’s resolutions and hit the gyms. The Wilmington Health Nuts are no different so we kicked off the New Year with a trip down to Port City Jazzercise. Upon first arriving I was greeted by the owners Sarah and Mike Chapman who graciously donated this class to us in an effort to help get the word out about this interesting form of exercise.
We started with a warm up and jumped right into a dance routine that was easy to pick up and fun to do. The last part of the class was weight training and core strengthening. In all we burned approximately 600 calories and felt great doing it. Both Saturday classes were well attended and from the looks on everyone’s face, it was very clear that good times were had by all.
How didJazzercise start? Well, I’m glad you asked. Judi Sheppard Missett, who turned her love of jazz dance into a worldwide dance exercise phenomenon, founded the Jazzercise dance fitness program in 1969. Judi grew the program into an international franchise business that today, hosts a network of 7,800 instructors teaching more than 32,000 classes weekly in 32 countries.
The workout program, which offers a fusion of jazz dance, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, cardio box movements and Latin style movements, has positively affected millions of people worldwide. Benefits include increased cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility, as well as an overall “feel good” factor. Additional Jazzercise programs include Jazzercise Low Impact, Jazzercise Lite, Personal Touch and Junior Jazzercise for kids. For more information, contact Chapman at 910-274-1969. For further information and worldwide class information, go tojazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT.
The Wilmington Health Nuts rounded out the summer with our final water sports adventure by taking to the inter-coastal waterway at Wrightsville beach equipped with kayaks courtesy of Hook Line and Paddle. It was a great morning to get out on the water and explore the coast and all the beauty the tidal marshes have to offer. Many who attended had never tried kayaking before, but took to the sport quickly. Not only did we all have a great time out on the water, but we got a great workout in the process. In fact during the two hour kayaking trip we burned somewhere between 400 and 800 calories depending on age, weight and time actually paddling. The reality is that some probably burned more because we had to paddle constantly to combat the wind and current on an outgoing tide.
We would like to thank Hook Line and Paddle who provided the kayaks for us to rent. Their rates were more than reasonable and they had a great selection of single and tandem kayaks to choose from. Rates are based on usage so it is an economical way to get out and try kayaking for yourself before you decide to purchase your own. Give them a ring and they’ll get you all set up. They even do guided tours.
Come and join us on our next adventure. You’ll have a great time, learn something new and meet some great people. This is great for anyone looking for a new way to exercise or new to the Wilmington area.
Great times were had by all when The Wilmington Health Nuts joined up with the guys down at Side Arm Surf & Skate to do some paddle-boarding. Though the rain and lightning did dampen the plans for our 3rd tour group, we still managed to take 2 groups out successfully. The general consensus from most of the members in attendance was that it was fun though they used many more muscles than they thought they had.
Paddle-boarding as a sport is relatively new and is catching on quickly in Wilmington, not surprisingly. Paddle-boarding is a sport that implements a board much like a surf board, but much more stable. It is made to allow the rider to stand up hence the name. Add a paddle to help you move and guide the board and you have a rigorous workout, fun and transportation all at the same time. To give you an idea about the calorie burning potential to paddle boarding, the average male can burn up to 1000 calories per hour and the average female burns 700 calories per hour compared to running on a treadmill or an elliptical, which does roughly half the calorie burning in the same time. Not only that, but people who paddle board usually take to it much easier than surfing and are standing up within an hour and feeling the core strengthening benefits within minutes. As a chiropractor in Wilmington NC, much of the back pain that I see on a regular basis can be attributed in part by a weak core so paddle boarding serves as a fun way to get the strength and stability you need.
Jason, one of the owners of Side Arm Surf took us out on our guided tour and was extremely helpful, especially to the first timers. If you want to join him on your own he holds demos and does guided tours. We will definitely be back. For more information about Side Arm Surf and Skate please visit their website and as always if you have questions about our events join the Wilmington Health Nuts.
This week, the Wilmington Health Nuts settled back, relaxed their tense muscles and took a Qigong class thanks to teacher and Acupuncturist Kristin Althea. We started off with some gentle movements progressing into some slightly more intense positions and finished off the session with some interesting breathing techniques. Our session was energizing and it became clear that Kristin enjoys her work as she guided us through the movements and why they are important.
So what is Qigong? Qigong, pronounced (“chee-gong”), is the Chinese philosophy and practice of aligning breath, physical activity and awareness for mental, spiritual and corporeal health, as well as the development of human potential. It includes aspects of Chinese martial arts and purportedly the spiritual awakening to one’s true nature.(1)
Although not proven conclusively from a Western Medical stand point, qigong is an accepted treatment option in the fields of complementary and alternative medicine. Qigong treatment is also used extensively in China as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has been included in the curriculum of Chinese universities. It is considered to be effective in improving the effects of many chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, allergy, asthma, arthritis, degenerative disk disease, cancer, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and addiction. Qigong works by improving the practitioners’ immunity response, increasing a person’s self-healing and self-recovery capabilities and enhancing one’s self-regeneration potential. There is quite a bit of literature on the practice of Qigong that you can learn by clicking here.
All in all, we had a great time and look forward to another class with Kristin. The class was held at Soil to Soul, which is attached to Progressive Gardens on Oleander Dr. For more information about Kristin Althea please visit her website http://www.redlotusacupuncture.net/
The Wilmington Health Nuts got to do a little shooting this past weekend with the help of the boys at Alastar TDS-C. We started off the morning with a safety lecture as well as instruction on the proper mechanics of shooting including: stance, aiming and safe handling of a firearm amongst other points. Then it was time to get busy putting holes in targets. Over the course of the day, we shot hundreds of rounds through 9mm handguns and got to take part in several drills that increase accuracy and help users train more effectively to use a firearm.
The icing on the cake was the chance to fire some of the other firearm types that are regularly used by military and police including assault rifles and sniper rifles. It was loud to say the least, but well worth it to get to try these bad boys out.
Alastar TDS-C has many different courses to choose from with beginner, intermediate and advanced courses to hone your skills. You can read more about it by click on the link to their website.As always, there is a video to recap the event following the article so check it out!
The Wilmington Health Nuts got to do a little shooting this past weekend with the help of the boys at Alastar TDS-C. We started off the morning with a safety lecture as well as instruction on the proper mechanics of shooting including: stance, aiming and safe handling of a firearm amongst other points. Then it was time to get busy putting holes in targets. Over the course of the day, we shot hundreds of rounds through 9mm handguns and got to take part in several drills that increase accuracy and help users
The Wilmington Health Nuts got to do a little shooting this past weekend with the help of the boys at Alastar TDS-C. We started off the morning with a safety lecture as well as instruction on the proper mechanics of shooting including: stance, aiming and safe handling of a firearm amongst other points. Then it was time to get busy putting holes in targets. Over the course of the day, we shot hundreds of rounds through 9mm handguns and got to take part in several drills that increase accuracy and help users train more effectively to use a firearm.
The icing on the cake was the chance to fire some of the other firearm types that are regularly used by military police including assault rifles and sniper rifles. It was loud to say the least, but well worth it to get to try these bad boys out.
Alastar TDS-C has many different courses to choose from with beginner, intermediate and advanced courses to hone your skills. You can read more about it by click on the link to their website. As always, there is a video to recap the event following the article so check it out!
Want to join the Wilmington Health Nuts click here and you too can come out and play…it free to join!
train more effectively to use a firearm.
The icing on the cake was the chance to fire some of the other firearm types that are regularly used by military police including assault rifles and sniper rifles. It was loud to say the least, but well worth it to get to try these bad boys out.
Alastar TDS-C has many different courses to choose from with beginner, intermediate and advanced courses to hone your skills. You can read more about it by click on the link to their website. As always, there is a video to recap the event following the article so check it out!
Want to join the Wilmington Health Nuts click here and you too can come out and play…it free to join
The Wilmington Health Nuts paid a visit to Crossfit Coastal to find out what the buzz is about. While we were there we learned what makes Crossfit different from other fitness locations and learned insights into their overall training philosophy.
Essentially, Crossfit offers members the chance to excel at their own pace while providing an atmosphere where competition with one’s self is encouraged. Coaches and staff don’t push members to work harder; they provide the training and motivation so that trainees push themselves to the next level. Their workouts are designed to develop all the known facets of fitness such as agility, strength, balance, flexibility, etc. To do this they have developed a testing system so that members can measure their progress. The huge chalk boards around the gym attest to the amount of effort each member puts forth to test themselves. Most of these workouts are tested repeatedly so that progress can be accurately measured.
Our workout was relatively easy, so that the basics of Crossfit could be understood, however Crossfit caters to some of the most elite athletes from all walks of life and every possible sport. If you want to experience an atmosphere of excellence and pride in your achievements, Cross fit can definitely accommodate your needs.
The Wilmington Health Nuts got together on a beautiful Saturday morning for a nice, quiet, relaxing, HARDCORE BUTT KICKING WORKOUT compliments of Chris McAbee of Wilmington Performance Labs right here in Wilmington, NC.
The workout consisted of a fast paced warm-up followed by rounds of power boosting high jump/skips, push-ups, bear crawls and dead bugs followed by a short jog at the end of each round. Needless to say the Health Nuts got everything they expected and probably a little more.
Wilmington Performance Labs is a new training facility that offers functional assessments for athletes who want the best performance as well as state of the art equipment and knowledgeable trainers adding that personal touch to get the results you want. Chris offers his boot camp every Saturday morning with rates as low as $10 for a single heart pounding workout. For more information about Chris and his facility, please refer to their website. Wilmington Performance Labs.
We got some great footage of the workout as you can see from this week’s video. If you are interested in joining The Wilmington Health Nuts, we would love to have you. Membership is currently offered at no charge and you can be guaranteed a new, exciting event every few weeks. Thank you Wilmington Performance Lab for a great time and an awesome workout!
Back by popular demand, the Wilmington Health Nuts had an opportunity to re-visit Evolution Mixed Martial Arts at Wrightsville Beach to take a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Class.
We had a great time and learned some of the basic moves involved in mixed martial arts that can gradually be built upon over a period of years. Those that continue the disciplined training required can eventually reap the benefits of greatly improved confidence, security and pride in what they have accomplished.
The instructor, Louis Barrios, is very knowledgeable and a patient teacher with years of experience training fighters, though he is not alone. Evolution is known in the area for having some of the best martial arts trainers in the state. They also train several amateur and professional fighters.
Evolution specializes in many different martial arts forms including: Muay Tai, Jiu-jitsu, and Boxing. The classes are diverse with many male and female participants.
All in all, we had a great time thanks to the guys at Evolution with their eagerness to teach and patience with all of us beginners.
The Wilmington Health Nuts enjoy all types of exercise including high intensity, low intensity, and the outdoors. Lake Waccamaw offers a great outdoor setting and several trails. We hiked the lake’s longest path, a 5 mile stretch of lake front scenery called the “Lakeshore Trail”. All in all, we hiked approximately 10 miles and saw some of the beautiful scenery that the lake has to offer. The lake itself has a unique history.
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of civilization dating back thousands of years in addition to artifacts from the Waccamaw-Siouan tribes. There are also some unique plant and animal species found at the lake that are not found anywhere else on the planet. These are referred to as endemics. At Lake Waccamaw, fish endemics include the Waccamaw darter, Waccamaw silverside and Waccamaw Killifish. There are also some unusual mollusk endemics including the Waccamaw spike and Waccamaw fatmucket and snail endemics like the Waccamaw amnicola and Waccamaw siltsnail.
The terrain around the lake is flat and there are only some twists to the path and maybe a log or two to get over making the distance the only real challenge. This is a great place to go if you want some peaceful alone time as there are few visitors outside of the peak season. If you enjoy trail running, I would highly recommend this location.
Every couple of weeks, the Wilmington Health Nuts have the opportunity to get together for a little exercise, some social networking and a lot of fun. Our past meet up was at Urban Fitness, where we returned for a high-intensity training session. This time, we used the Tabata method to really crank up our heart rates. This workout showed us that you don’t have to train for lengthy periods of time to get a great workout. In fact, our total workout was only around 20-25 minutes. In that time, however, we all experienced the kind of fatigue one would expect if they were doing sprints for 20 minutes.
What is Tabata you ask? The Tabata Method for high-intensity training is a popular regimen based on a 1996 studythat uses 20 seconds of ultra-intense exercise (at 170% of VO2max) followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated continuously for 4 minutes (8 cycles).
Our exercises consisted of push-ups, planks, TRX jump squats, bench dips, and kettle bell swings. As always, Maleia and her crew did a great job leading us through the routine.Urban Fitnesshas many quality workouts and training options to fit your needs so show them your support by visiting their website.
To give you an idea of how it went and just how intense it was take a look at our latest video from the Wilmington Health Nuts. Better yet, Join the Wilmington Health Nuts and see for yourself how Wilmington does fitness.
http://www.wilmingtonhealthnuts.com – The Health Nuts get busy with some Tabata High intensity Training at Urban Fitness in Wilmington NC. Find out more about us at http://www.wilmingtonhealthnuts.com
Each year millions of people around the world fire up their New Year’s resolutions and hit the gyms. The Wilmington Health Nuts are no different so we kicked off the New Year with a trip down to Port City Jazzercise. Upon first arriving I was greeted by the owners Sarah and Mike Chapman who graciously donated this class to us in an effort to help get the word out about this interesting form of exercise.
