Proactive Fitness

03/31/2026

03/30/2026

Power, acceleration, deceleration & rotation work with KBs & prowler loops.

How well we produce force, change directions, speed up & slow down will affect how well we live. These elements can be the difference between tripping, falling & getting injured OR avoiding a fall & continuing to go about your life injury free.

Don’t forget to train your power!

03/30/2026

Smile! We’re Getting Happier as We’re Getting Older, Report Finds

We're not just getting older. We’re getting happier.

That's according to the World Happiness Report, which came out recently and found that people over 45 are generally happier than people in their 20s and 30s — and the gap is widening.

The researchers have been tracking this shift for years, and the picture keeps getting clearer: Older adults aren't winding down, and they feel better about life than ever.

That’s because:
• We get better at filtering out negativity

• Younger folks are less happy than they used to be, possibly because of social media.

• Globally, positive emotions are more frequent among people over 60 than they were 20 years ago.

People who stay active, connected, and invested in themselves age well in every sense.

Stay fit. Stay strong. Call us now to talk about your fitness, health – and happiness.

03/27/2026

Strength and Technique Week has Coach Kent breaking down renegade rows for us. Quality over quantity with modifications if needed!

03/27/2026

Healthy Recipe: Farro Bowl with Shrimp

Farro is a wholesome 20,000-year-old form of wheat that’s become a staple in many fitness-minded kitchens. It’s rich in fiber, protein, and antioxidants. And its mildly nutty flavor and chewy texture pairs well with all kinds of ingredients. Serve it as a side dish alongside any protein and veggie for one night, and reserve half for a hearty grain bowl the next. Here it’s joined by sauteed and well-seasoned shrimp, colorful quick-cooked vegetables, crumbled feta, and toasted seeds, all drizzled in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The farro makes an ideal medium for absorbing all the delicious juices and spices. Serves 4. – Susan Puckett

Ingredients
• 1 cup pearled or semi-pearled farro (3 cups cooked)
• 12 ounces peeled large shrimp, thawed if frozen
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
• 4 ounces (about 4 cups) spinach leaves
• 4 ounces feta, crumbled
• 4 tablespoons toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds

Instructions

1. Cook the farro according to package directions. (You should have about 3 cups). This can be done a day or two ahead of time and refrigerated until you’re ready to use it.

2. Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and place them in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of the salt, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, and thyme. Toss to coat.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the seasoned shrimp and cook and stir 2 or 3 minutes or just until they turn pink, then remove to a small bowl or plate and set aside.

4. Wipe out the skillet and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Heat over high heat, add the tomatoes, season with a little salt, and cook until they start to blister and burst open, about 5 minutes.

5. Remove the tomatoes to a small bowl, stir in the herbs, and set aside.

6. Turn off the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the spinach. Give it a stir, season with a little salt, then cover with a lid and allow it to wilt for a minute for a minute or two.

7. Divide the farro, shrimp, tomatoes, and spinach evenly among 4 serving bowls. Crumble the feta over the top and sprinkle with sunflower or pumpkin seeds and serve.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.

03/25/2026

Coach Kirstie with the Tip of the Day!

03/25/2026

Armed with Her New Mindset, She Hit a Wall and Walked Right Through It

Karen Bridges had a moment of clarity that a lot of people over 50 will recognize.

She was having trouble doing ordinary daily things, like working in the garden. Her balance was faltering. Her desk job kept her sedentary all day, and earlier years of being active "off and on" ended with the pandemic.

"I hit a wall of reality," the 65-year-old says. "I realized that if I didn't change anything in my life, then nothing would change."

That mindset shift made all the difference. She found the right gym and hasn’t looked back.

Self-Limiting Beliefs

Here's something that might surprise you. The biggest barrier to getting fit and staying fit usually isn't the body. It's the brain.

Self-limiting beliefs are everywhere.
• It's too late.
• I was never athletic.
• I can't stick with anything.

These thoughts feel like facts, but they're not. They're just habits of mind that can be changed.

Research consistently shows that people who believe they can improve their health actually do. The mindset comes first. The results follow.

This is how behaviour change occurs, not with willpower and guilt-tripping when you stumble.

After 50, you've already proven you can do hard things. You've navigated careers, raised families, weathered losses, solved problems you couldn't have anticipated. The trick is applying those lessons here.

Some of the most effective mental shifts include:
• Learning to align your actions with your identity ("I am someone who takes care of my health")
• Practicing patience with the process instead of demanding instant perfection
• And treating rest and recovery as part of the work, not an escape from it.

And then there's the move Karen made: go on autopilot.

Just Put on Your Shoes

In the beginning, when Karen didn't feel like going to the gym, she stopped negotiating with herself. "I forced myself to be on autopilot," she says. "I had to stop thinking and put on my shoes and get my rear end in the car."

That was it. The trick worked.

After several months of that, something shifted. The autopilot became intrinsic motivation. It does for countless mature adults who quickly notice they’re getting stronger, improving balance, and posting better cholesterol numbers.

Karen liked that part right away.

"Reaping the benefits reinforces my mindset," she says. "It built upon itself."

A couple of years into this new mindset, Karen is training at the gym two to three times a week, doing yoga and walking regularly, and moving through her garden and her hikes with confidence.

"I want to do things," she says. "I want to feel better. I want to enjoy life and experiences in the years to come."

That’s it, Karen! Call us today and let’s get you adopting the right mindset, too.

03/23/2026

Speed, power, rotation & coordination.

These elements of physical function are important to work on as we age to help us avoid falls or fall related injuries; improve balance, stability & locomotion; retain and maintain our freedom & independence.

03/23/2026

As if better balance, improved heart health, and sounder sleep weren’t enough to get you into strength training, here’s one more reason that might do the trick:

Weightlifting is good for your skin.

That’s the finding of a study published in Scientific Reports, which found that both aerobic exercise and weight training altered gene expression and improved the underlying health of facial skin cells and tissue.

Participants in the study saw their skin grow “more youthful at a cellular level” after they began exercising, one of the researchers said – and the biggest boost came from weightlifting.

Researchers examined 56 middle-aged Japanese women who were sedentary, then got them exercising – some in cardio, some in weightlifting. Both kinds of exercise improved their skin on some levels.

“But only resistance training bumped up the thickness of the dermal layer, apparently by increasing the activity of several specialized genes that pump out proteins designed to build and strengthen connective tissue,” The Washington
Post reported.

The study was imperfect and not completely conclusive, researchers said. And it’s still necessary to wear sunscreen and cover the skin with clothing when you’re exercising outside.

But the study suggests it’s possible that exercise – and strength training in particular – can make your skin look better.

Like we said – it’s one more good reason to start!