February 2021 Volume 4 Issue 2
FEBRUARY NEWS
A WARM WELCOME TO FEBRUARY

This month, we will focus on your most important muscle of all, your heart. You will recover from a pulled hamstring and the like, but recovery from an injured heart (emotional or physical) is a whole other affair. 

We want you around for the long run. Therefore, this month we share tips from the Mayo Clinic to keep your heart in top physical form. Don’t despair. It’s not all cardio, fruit and weight lifting.

We are also psyched to report our new Plexiglas dividers in the cardio room which allow an additional treadmill and ARC trainer to the hourly reservations. Our team is always looking to improve your fitness experience without jeopardizing your health and safety. 

One last note, as it is mid-winter: If you have a reservation at the same time a storm is brewing, check your email. We may have indicated a change of plans. 
PHOTO: JON STRAGGAS
Concord Carlisle junior Cyrus Tavakol breaks a 2006 school record in a virtual meet against Acton Boxborough and Weston at the Beede Center, January 21, 2021. Very great to see that dedication, team spirit and record breaking races continues. Read more details in this fantastic story written by the Boston Globe. 
DATES TO REMEMBER

  • February 10 - Member Registration - Spring 2021 Programs
  • February 13-19 - Pop Up Water Fitness Classes
  • February 14 - Be Kind to Your Heart 💗
  • February 17 - Non Member Registration - Spring 2021 Programs

The Beede Swim & Fitness Center will be open normal operating hours during February Break.
HEALTHY HEART 💗 HEALTHY LIFE


We mined the Mayo Clinic’s website for some heart healthy tips to keep your most vital organ ticking. 

  1. Add at least 10 minutes of moderately intense physical activity to what you do every day. Sure government recommendations say to include physical activity for 30 minutes or more a day, but the bottom line is even 10 minutes makes a difference.
  2. Fruits and Veggies. Lots of them. Nothing new here.
  3. For two weeks try to get eight hours of good, quality sleep each night.
  4. Skip the elevator (if you can.). Walking up and down stairs tones leg muscles and may even control blood sugar. Good news! The Beede Center offers 21 stairs down and another 21 back up. That’s 42 steps in the right direction! 
  5. Socialization, even during pandemics, is vital to a happy heart, says Dr. Craig Sawchuk, a Mayo Clinic psychologist. "We are social animals by nature, so we tend to function better when we're in a community and being around others." A sense of community is an added bonus of the Beede Center.
  6. Add a dash (or cup) of cocoa to your diet. Flavanols in cocoa beans are filled with antioxidants that reduce cell damage implicated in heart disease. Sprinkling a teaspoon over your morning oats makes your taste buds happy and your heart healthier! 
  7. Combine steps 5 and 6 with this recipe borrowed from The Simple Veganista. - (You don’t have to be vegan to indulge.) Add a few socially distanced friends around a firepit for the optimal in heart health.


Healthy Hot Chocolate
This recipe is simple. Here is a quick rundown of some nutritional benefits: The 254 calories per serving are balanced out with these bonuses: Iron = 16%, Calcium = 43%, Vitamin D = 26% and Cholesterol 1%.

  • 6 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk, plain or vanilla (regular milk works but skews nutritional values.)
  • 6 oz semi-sweet dark chocolate or 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or coconut or pure cane sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon (or 2 cinnamon sticks)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • pinch of cayenne

Slow Cooker: (We used this technique.) Simply place the ingredients in the bowl of your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 2 – 3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.

Stovetop: This method is the quickest and will be ready in under 10 minutes. Place ingredients into a medium sized pot and cook over medium-low until chocolate is melted or cocoa powder has been dissolved, stirring occasionally.
PLEXIGLASS FUN

Members Mardi Hutchinson, on treadmill, left, and Brenda Chia, on the ARC Trainer, enjoy heart-healthy workouts while being among the first to take advantage of our new, portable Plexiglas barriers.

By now, many of you have already taken advantage of the Plexiglas barriers in the Heart Healthy Cardio Room. These portable shields allow us to offer an additional ARC Trainer and Treadmill for each reservation. Without the barriers, the equipment would need to be spaced 14 feet apart from each other. Though slim, the new additions do require the temporary relocation of some treadmills to the lobby. Those treadmills are offline for the time being. The Spin Bike and Rower in the lobby remain available for exercise. 
RESERVATION REMINDER

A quick refresher. All members are offered one reservation per day, with the exception of parents/caregivers who may reserve the children’s pool in addition to their own reservation. Select one area each day where you wish to workout. If space allows, you may ask the front desk staff if you may workout in two or more places during your single reservation. Your workout will be completed once your reservation time is up. 

For example, you reserve the ARC Trainer for 7:00am you finish after 15 minutes and want to lift some weights. Ask the front desk if there is space in the Strength Room, as we must always comply with government-mandated capacity rules. If you get the green light, go ahead and pump some iron. After 10 minutes may you wish to soak in the Therapy Pool. Check with the front desk again. We will radio the pool deck to make sure there is space for you downstairs. 

We realize the majority of reservations are 55 minutes and visiting three parts of the facility requires some rigid time management. Therefore, we offer three longer time slots. Every Monday through Friday our 5:30am, slot offers 85 minutes and our 7:00pm, slot offers 90 minutes. Get an early start Saturdays and Sundays with an 85-minute session at 7:00am. All reservations are listed at concordrec.myrec.com. 
ENTRY PLAN

We are abiding by the Commonwealth’s mandate for capacity limits and therefore, must comply. Members with reservations may enter as follows: 

  • 10 minutes before: Class participants and those needing extra assistance
  • 5 minutes before: All aquatic participants
  • 1 minute before: Strength Room and Cardio Room participants 
WHITE POND

Mid-winter is the ideal time to think about swimming in the great outdoors. 
Registration for 2021 Membership begins February 10th.
Bill Lehmann awarded TBMM-CES Certification 

The Beede Center applauds Personal Trainer Bill Lehmann for his recent certification as a BioMechanics Method Corrective Exercise Specialist. Bill finished the intense training in November, adding to his continuing study of exercise and physiology. A TBMM-CES designation allows Bill to evaluate and provide steps to help his clients alleviate musculoskeletal deviations that cause muscle dysfunction, joint discomfort and limit mobility. Left untreated these problems eventually jeopardize other body parts and quality of life.

Some examples of musculoskeletal deviations are collapsed arches, round shoulder and cervical pain. According to the program about 90 percent of the population suffers from unnecessary pain that can be treated with correct movements. The TBMM-CES certification is endorsed by both the American Council on Exercise and the National Exercise Trainers Association.

The intense training, Bill said, clarifies the finer nuances of client functionality. “The BioMechanics Method takes the complex workings of the body and simplifies it for all levels of knowledge,” he said, adding, “It especially helps with imbalance issues.” 

He is excited to incorporate these techniques and tools into his clients’ individual restoration needs through the cutting-edge curriculum.

Once the assessment is completed and the program design for corrective musculoskeletal imbalances exercise skills has been taught, practiced and mastered, clients can begin to return to or continue a program of regular exercise without limitations.

Dedication is key and Bill recommends clients commit to 10 one-hour Personal Training sessions. Sessions cost $60/hour for Beede Center members and $80/hour for nonmembers. Members receive a deeper discount and pay only $550 when booking 10 sessions at once. Bill may be reached at 978-505-7041 or blehmann@concordma.gov. 

It’s still early in the implementation process, but Bill, who is also certified to work with patients of Parkinson’s disease, expects clients who are dedicated to the program to see nice improvement.
SCHEDULING TIPS

You know that moment: You are positive you made a reservation for the Strength Room but your confirmation email was deleted and you’re not sure when and where you’re supposed to be at the Beede Center. Happens to lots of us. A quick and easy way to check is to log into your concordrec.myrec.com account and click on the calendar icon. It will show all your past, current and future reservations. Takes seconds and saves a lot of time!
UNTIL NEXT TIME...

Many thanks once again for entrusting us with your health and fitness needs. It is a pleasure for us to work with you. Stay tuned for the March issue for a feature on our up-and-coming young swimming stars The Otters. There will be much more. Until then, have a wonderful heart healthy month. Stay Fit.