Village Wellness Book

THE LITTLE ORANGE BOOK THAT’S BIG ON WELL NESS

Your Wellness Starts Here...

What does wellness mean to you? What does it look and feel like?

In this wellness booklet, you will discover how to feel more vibrant and alive while surpassing your health and wellness goals and how, at the Village, we can help you along your journey. We believe in the potential that lies within each and every individual to embrace and achieve optimal health and wellness.

There are countless benefits that health and wellness bring; greater energy, enhanced productivity, improved relationships, and living your greatest life. Your health and wellness isn’t just a passing fad; it’s a lifelong commitment to yourself as well as those you love and that matter most.

This little orange book is a transformational guide to revitalizing your life from within. Together, let’s explore all the different ways you can obtain greater health and wellness so you can feel happy and fully engaged in your life.

what the Village offers you!

Yoga & Meditation: Discover the transformative power of yoga and meditation. Relieve insomnia, lower back pain, stress, anxiety, build strength and coordination. Begin your journey towards better health and inner harmony today.

Spa & Salon: Indulge in serene bliss at our resort-style day spa and salon, where expert therapists provide personalized treatments such as massage, facials, body care, and salon services. Experience ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation.

MedSpa: Discover the hidden oasis of rejuvenation and wellness in Scottsdale’s desert landscape. Our premier MedSpa offers cuttingedge cosmetic medical treatments and traditional spa services, promising ultimate relaxation and transformation.

Chiropractic Care: Discover personalized chiropractic care at your clubs. Our on-site chiropractors bring expertise and peace of mind. Inquire at the welcome desk for more information. Improve your well-being today.

Physical Therapy: Recover faster and get back to what you love with our trusted physical therapy partners. Visit the welcome desk for information on how they can help you at the Village.

Nutrition: Unlock the full potential in your workouts with a personalized nutrition counseling. Our village dietician, Jamie Miller, will create a customized program to help you achieve your fitness and health goals.

Table of Wellness

CONTENTS

14 7

Yoga Classes

Finding the Right one!

With all the styles of yoga offered you might not know where to begin. Here is an overview of some classes to try.

10

Posture

Core Workouts

Unlock A Stronger Core!

A strong core is essential for enhancing your quality of life and preventing chronic pain and injuries. Make these ab exercises a part of your routine!

What should good posture look like?

Good posture boosts energy, core strength, and confidence, while reducing pain and tension. In fact, it’s a cornerstone of a healthier, better life!

A Journey Worth Taking... Habit or Practice Worth Building.

22

Meditation

Health Foods

Journey Worth Taking... Swimming The Incredible Health Benefits!

Meditation is for everyone, anytime, anywhere. The only qualification you need is to be a human being and, I’m pretty sure if you are reading this, you meet this qualification.

You Probably Aren’t Currently Eating!

When naming superfoods, items like blueberries, salmon, spinach, and almonds are common However, the top 5 foods you probably aren’t eating but should be, as well as tasty recipes to showcase how to use them.

Swimming is a low-impact exercise that offers a huge number of benefits for individuals of all ages and skill levels.

FINDING THE RIGHT Class for you!

by Susan Young, Certified Yoga Instructor

With the growing popularity of yoga, you may be thinking now is the time to start practicing but don’t know where to start. To help you in selecting the perfect yoga class, you may want to ask yourself some questions: Do you prefer a class with more movement or more stillness? Do you prefer practicing in a heated space with humidity or a room that is not as hot? Would you prefer doing the same sequence each class or prefer a different flow every time? The Village offers several different styles of yoga classes.

Flow and Power Classes: If you prefer a class with more movement and are new to yoga, then a Yoga Flow Basic or Gentle Yoga class is a good place to start. This class links breath with movement as you flow from one pose or asana (the sanskrit name) to the next. It becomes a moving meditation that strengthens the body, increases flexibility, and calms the mind. A Yoga Flow class will build upon a basic flow class by introducing more challenging asanas and moving at a quicker pace. A Power Yoga class will include even more poses that require strength. Expect more chaturangas (yoga push-ups) and options for arm balances.

Yoga Inspired Stretch, Restorative Yoga, Deep Stretch & Meditation, and Sound Meditation: If you prefer a quieter practice that promotes healing and relaxation, Stretch Classes, Restorative Classes and Mediation Classes might interest you. These classes have fewer asanas (poses), and you hold them for longer periods of time. Props such as straps, yoga blocks, blankets or bolsters are often used. These props help properly support your body as you are increasing your flexibility, healing and restoring the body. Restorative Classes are typically gentler. Poses are held for longer periods of time using props to offer support to the body as it releases tension. Yoga Inspired Stretch and Deep Stretch & Mediation both incorporate meditation throughout the class with the use of breath. These classes focus on increasing the flexibility in the connective tissues in the body which get tighter with age and physical activity.

Sound Meditation uses the frequency of Tibetan or Himalayan singing bowls, gong, or bells to help students enter deep relaxation and reduce physical pain. Additionally, Aerial Yoga allows students to use the support of silks to do inversions as well as improve flexibility and range of motion.

Hot Yoga Sequence: In this class students return to the same sequence of asanas to increase strength, flexibility and balance. If you like consistency, heat, and humidity, then the Village Hot Yoga Sequence may be right up your ally.

Heated Yoga Sculpt: Heated Yoga Sculpt combines yoga with elements of a bootcamp style class. You will use your body weight as well as weights, bands, and other props to sculpt the body, increase strength, and become more toned.

Village yoga classes feature many different styles of yoga. Some days you might be more inclined to up the intensity and practice a power class in the heated studio. Contrarily, other days your body might need a deep stretch or a calming restorative practice. Try a variety of classes and see what resonates best for you.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep affects both mental and physical health. It’s vital to your well-being. When you’re tired, you can’t function at your best. Sleep helps you think more clearly, have quicker reflexes and focus better. Take steps to make sure you regularly get a good night’s sleep.

Excercise

Getting some exercise each day is one of the best things you can do for your health. Not only does it help to maintain a healthy weight and benefit coordination, muscle strength and flexibility, but it can improve your mental health. When you exercise, your body releases mood boosting endorphins.

Flexibilty

Being flexible is a key aspect of physical health. With appropriately flexible tissues, your joints can move more freely, allowing more functional movement patterns. You’ll also be more likely to have the range of motion necessary to perform strength training exercises to their full potential, allowing for better results.

Follow a Healthy Diet

You need to eat a healthy and balanced diet and ensure your body receives enough amount of nutrition. The food you consume determines how healthy your inner system is. When your body lacks essential nutrients, it leads to serious health problems.

Fun

According to the CDC: The percent of adults age 18 and older who met the Physical Activity Guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity is 24.2%.

UNLOCK THE SECRET TO BETTER POSTURE:

BY ROBIN MESERVEY, GAINEY GROUP FITNESS DIRECTOR

How’s your posture right now? Did you automatically adjust your stance as soon as you read that? While some are mindful of posture, most of us move through our day unaware of how we sit and stand. Our modern lifestyle, filled with activities like texting, typing, and driving, often leads to improper alignment. But remember those childhood reminders to sit up straight? Turns out, Mom was right. Good posture boosts energy, core strength, and confidence, while reducing pain and tension. In fact, it’s a cornerstone of a healthier, better life!

What should good posture look like? If you look at yourself sideways in the mirror, it should look like a plumb line from the top of your head that goes through the middle of your ears and shoulders and just behind the center of your knee and in front of the center of your ankle.

Getting back and maintaining great posture is totally doable with the development of some simple habits and exercises. Here are some daily practices to improve your posture:

• Take breaks from long periods of sitting or standing. Set a timer for every 60-90 minutes to take a break by standing up and moving/ walking, stretching (anything to open up the chest or reduce lower back and neck tension would be optimal), grabbing a drink of water, and bringing mindfulness to your breath and posture in that moment.

• Take 5-10 minutes each day to lie down on your back with arms at a “T,” with a yoga block just at the bottom of the shoulder blades. You could also do the same with a rolled-up towel (lengthways) or a foam roller (lengthways) along the spine.

• Don’t cross your legs while sitting; keep your feet on the floor, with your ankles in front of your knees, and knees elevated above hips.

• Get an adjustable standing desk, so you can vary your sitting and standing throughout the day.

• Exercise regularly so that you are strong and able to hold your posture.

• Look at your phone and computer at eye level.

BEST EXERCISE CLASSES FOR GREAT POSTURE:

• Yoga

• Strength/Muscle Toning

• Foam Roller

• MAT Pilates or Reformer Pilates

• Healthy Feet

Remember, your posture is not just about how you look but how you feel and perform in your daily life. Embrace these practices and classes, and you’ll be on the path to a more confident, healthier, and energized you.

Looking to take the next step in improving your posture? At Village Health Clubs, we offer a range of group fitness classes designed to help you master the art of good posture. Our experienced instructors are here to guide you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. Join our classes today and start reaping the benefits of better posture!

HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I BE DRINKING?

Water is an essential nutrient at every age, so optimal hydration is a key component for good health. Water accounts for about 60% of an adult’s body weight. We drink fluids when we feel thirst, the major signal alerting us when our body runs low on water. We also customarily drink beverages with meals to help with digestion. But sometimes we drink not based on these factors but on how much we think we should be drinking. One of the most familiar sayings is to aim for “8 glasses a day,” but this may not be appropriate for every person.

DAILY WATER FORMULA

half an ounce or an ounce of water for each pound you weigh. 200 lbs = 100 oz

men: 19 and older

women: 19 and older

cups, or 104 ounces

cups, or 72 ounces

pregnant women 10 cups, or 80 ounces

breastfeeding women 13 cups, or 104 ounces

INFUSED WATER

Instead of purchasing expensive flavored waters in the grocery store, you can easily make your own at home. Try adding any of the following to a cold glass or pitcher of water:

• Sliced citrus fruits or zest (lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit)

• Crushed fresh mint

• Peeled, sliced fresh ginger or sliced cucumber

• Crushed berries

Fun

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

Physical Activity Guidelines:

• 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity.

• Muscle-strengthening two or more days a week.

A STRONGER CORE

BY TARA LITTLEJOHN, OCOTILLO PERSONAL TRAINER

Are you ready to take your fitness journey to the next level? Having a strong core is about much more than just flaunting a set of six-pack abs at the beach. It’s about ensuring your body functions optimally, maintaining stability, balance, and preventing injuries in your day-today life. Let’s explore the best ab exercises that can help you achieve this goal, Aim for 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions, three times a week.

1. Deadbug: A Core-Strengthing Classic

The Deadbug is a classic exercise that targets your core while also enhancing stability. Here’s how to do it:

• Start by lying on your back on an exercise or yoga mat with your knees bent.

• Brace your lower lumbar spine against the mat and lift both legs up into a tabletop position, with your knees and hips at 90 degrees.

• Raise your arms straight toward the ceiling.

• Maintaining a neutral spine, extend your right leg forward while simultaneously raising your left arm overhead in a controlled manner.

• Return your arm and leg to the starting position, then switch to repeat the movement on the opposite side.

2. McGill Curl Up: Core Strength without the Strain

The McGill Curl Up is a fantastic ab exercise that focuses on your core without straining your lower back:

• Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms flat on the floor with your hands underneath the small of your back and your elbows resting on the floor.

• Tuck your chin toward your neck and engage your abdominal muscles.

• Lift your head and shoulders up toward the ceiling while feeling your abdominal muscles contract without pushing your lower back into your hands.

• Hold the head and shoulders up for 2-3 seconds, then slowly lower back to the floor and relax your muscles.

3. Bird Dog: Achieve Core Stability

The Bird Dog exercise is an great way to build core stability & strength:

• Start on all fours in the tabletop position.

• Place your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.

• Maintain a neutral spine by engaging your abdominal muscles.

• Draw your shoulder blades together.

• Raise your right arm and left leg while keeping your shoulders and hips parallel to the floor.

• Lengthen the back of your neck and tuck your chin into your chest to gaze down at the floor.

• Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower back down to the starting position.

• Then repeat on the opposite side.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU NEED A REST OR A

REST DAY WORKOUT

Fitness is important for your health, but overdoing it can backfire. Here are some signs that you’re due for a rest day or a rest day workout:

• Your muscles are always sore. Having sore muscles all the time means you aren’t letting your muscles heal.

• You’re exhausted. Feeling fatigue shows you’ve used up your energy stores and your body is feeling stressed.

• You can’t sleep. If you feel too buzzed or wired at night to sleep, your body isn’t leaving the high-stress exercise state. You may have too much cortisol and adrenaline running through your body.

REST DAY WORKOUTS

The best rest day workouts are low intensity but enjoyable. Moving around can help to improve endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin hormones. These hormones are chemicals your brain makes, and they can help you feel happy and relaxed.

Here are some examples of low-intensity activities to do on your rest day.

Walking

Slow jogging

Biking

Yoga or tai chi

Dancing Kayaking

Swimming Rowing

Hiking

WHEN

NOT TO

A REST DAY WORKOUT

If you injured yourself during a fitness routine or are in pain, skip the rest day workout. Instead, take a complete rest day. Passive recovery lets your body put all its resources into calming pain and healing injuries.

Make sure you eat healthy meals every day, since all those carbohydrates, proteins, and fats help your body fuel up for success. After a low-key rest day workout and three healthy meals, you should be ready to jump back into your regular fitness routine.

REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS

Time off gives your body and mind a break from strenuous training. You can use rest days to relax, clear your head, and focus on other forms of self-care. That could mean doing a hobby, getting a massage, or spending time with loved ones.

That way, you’ll be mentally prepared for your next sweat session. If you have more focus, energy, and strength to devote to your workouts, you can perform optimally and stay on track to reach your fitness goals.

According to the World Health Organization, physical activity reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Exercising improves brain performance, sharpens your memory, and reduces stress.

THE INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF SWIMMING

BY RODNEY KINNEY, ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR & TRIATHLETE

For those who didn’t grow up as swimmers, swimming can be an intimidating exercise to add to your workout routine. However, there are many health benefits of swimming, making it the perfect workout for anyone. It is a low-impact exercise that offers a huge number of benefits for individuals of all ages and skill levels. Whether you’re an athlete looking to enhance your performance or someone who just wants to maintain a healthy lifestyle, swimming is an excellent option. To help elevate the anxiety and misconceptions about swimming, below is some information to help better understand the incredible benefits of swimming for anyone.

Full Body Workout: Swimming uses almost all major muscle groups, making it an incredible full-body workout. From the arms, shoulders, and back to the core, glutes (butt), and legs, every motion involved contributes to building strength and endurance.

Low-Impact Exercise: Swimming is a low-impact exercise. Therefore, it puts minimal stress on joints, bones, and connecting ligaments. For anyone recovering from an injury or even for older adults with joint issues, swimming offers a safe and effective way to stay active without making any existing conditions worse.

Outstanding for Cardiovascular Health: Swimming is an excellent option for aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise elevates a person’s heart rate and improves cardiovascular fitness. Swimming consistently will enhance lung capacity, and your body will learn effective use of oxygen and exercise the heart. Anyone can improve their endurance and stamina through swimming, which leads to benefits like reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attacks.

Improve Flexibility and Range of Motion: Swimming involves many repetitive movements. Swimming regularly will improve joint flexibility and range of motion. Everyone can benefit from better flexibility, which can be crucial for anyone involved in sports.

Weight Management: Swimming is a highly effective calorie-burning activity that aids in weight management. The water resistance requires more effort to move through, which increases the burning of calories.

Mental Health Benefits: Swimming has become a great way to achieve positive effects for mental well-being. The repetitive movements, focus on breathing and form, and relaxing effects of being in the water, all contribute to reducing stress and clearing the mind. Many find swimming as a form of active meditation, helping them unwind and improve concentration.

Get Social! Swimming provides an opportunity for anyone to enjoy being social. This can be done by joining swimming clubs, participating in water-based group activities, or simply swimming with friends. All of these can create a sense of camaraderie and fun.

In conclusion, swimming, without a doubt, offers incredible benefits for both athletically active and those who are just looking for new ways to exercise. It provides a great full-body workout and low-impact exercise, great cardiovascular benefits, mobility, weight management, mental fitness, and great opportunities for social engagement, swimming is a very rewarding fitness activity.

STAY CONNECTED

When you talk, also listen. Ask about someone else’s day, or follow up on the topic of a previous conversation. Showing sincere interest in another person’s life builds relationships and listening to other people’s concerns can often shed a new light on your own challenges. Offer help or advice if asked – listen and respond.

Make social plans. Create opportunities to strengthen your relationships with fun things that both you and your friend or relative will enjoy. Looking forward to special activities boosts our spirits, gives us energy and makes us more productive.

If you’re shy and hesitant about meeting new people, just a few questions can get a conversation going. Think about neighbors you pass regularly, co-workers, people in your exercise class, a cousin you’ve lost touch with, or those who volunteer in the same organizations you do. If you don’t already have people you can talk with regularly about what’s on your mind, it’s worth the effort to build connections for your emotional health. If you find yourself anxious or timid about social interaction, you may want to consider talking to a therapist or counselor to build your confidence in social situations.

SET S.M.A.R.T. GOALS

Sometimes you’re presented with a wonderful framework, but you still feel stuck. We’re here to walk you through exactly how to use the SMART method. To get started, try to answer the questions below about each of your new goals:

Specific: What do you want to achieve? What will the outcome of your goal look like? Specific goals are easier to focus on. Try creating a vision statement to narrow the scope if you’re stuck.

Measurable: Is this a goal that you can track? How will you do that, and what progress do you want to see over time?

Attainable: Be honest with yourself. Is this goal attainable? If it’s not, go back to the drawing board and try to think of something more achievable for you at the moment.

Relevant: Before you begin pursuing your goals, make sure they’re relevant and realistic. As you work toward achieving them, things may change, so make sure you adapt your goals if needed. Something else might become a priority, and that’s OK.

Time-bound: When exactly do you want to start working on this goal? Is this a short-term or long-term goal? Is it a series of smaller goals that build to a bigger thing? If they’ll take longer, are you prepared to keep working on your goals and wait a while for success? Set a deadline and keep yourself accountable.

A Journey Worth Taking... Habit or Practice Worth Building.

I had a lot of lofty and just down-right incorrect ideas about meditation: magical enlightenment from the get-go, immediate answers to all my problems, and instantaneously turning into the most peaceful, loving, positive person on the planet. I thought I had to have a certain belief system, way of life, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Truth is... Meditation is for everyone, anytime, anywhere. The only qualification you need is to be a human being and, I’m pretty sure if you are reading this, you meet this qualification. So, let’s get started!

by Robin Meservey, Gainey Group Fitness Director

Keep it Simple!

THE THREE SIMPLEST MEDITATION PRACTICES

1. Simply focus on your breath and as thoughts come up, allow them to pass through.

2. Envision breathing in and out of your heart space (yep... It’s in your heart area and your fourth chakra) and seeing your heart expanding and receiving and sending love.

3. So Hum meditation. As you breathe in, say to yourself, “so” and as you exhale, you say “hum”. So Hum means, “I am that” which means that you are part of and belong to everything in this awesome, amazing universe. So beautiful!

Don’t get all judgy on yourself. All is well and good in meditation. Some days you experience some amazing sense of peace and the next you may or may not. You are just being the observer... Not the judge. Plan for a consistent time of day to practice and be patient. Habits are built through consistency and the benefits of this particular practice are mind-blowing; reduced stress, greater creativity, productivity, kindness, and self-awareness, ability to manage negative thoughts, and the list goes on. Get an app. Use that electronic device for the good stuff. Apps have all kinds of meditations, courses, etc. My favorite is Insight Timer. So... Get your meditation on! Namaste.

Focus On Positivity

Positive thinking, or an optimistic attitude, is the practice of focusing on the good in any given situation. It can have a big impact on your physical and mental health. That doesn’t mean you ignore reality or make light of problems.

Mindful Communication

Full Attention: Simply, in your day-to-day conversations with others, practice giving your full, undivided attention to the other person, letting go of your judgments, opinions, grievances, clever insights.W

Practice Gratitude

Where thankfulness is an emotion, gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance. Gratitude involves being thankful, but it is more than that. Gratitude means expressing thankfulness and being appreciative of life daily even when nothing exciting happens.

Reflective Journaling

Reflective journaling allows you to engage in a process of ongoing self-reflection and self-discovery that can support your personal and professional growth, deepen your relationships with others, and help you live a more authentic and fulfilling life.

Fun

According to Harvard Medical School

Maintaining good relationships with your friends and family, reduces harmful levels of stress and boosts your immune system.

TOP5

HEALTH FOODS You Probably Aren’t Eating

BY JAMIE MILLER, VILLAGE

REGISTERED DIETICIAN

When naming superfoods, items like blueberries, salmon, spinach, and almonds are common items that probably come to mind. However, some of the top health foods are ones you probably aren’t eating! Village dietitian, Jamie Miller, is sharing the top 5 foods you probably aren’t currently eating but should be, as well as tasty recipes to showcase how to use them.

Canned Sardines: Instead of reaching for a can of tuna, try out canned sardines. These small, oily fish are packed with omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, vitamin D, selenium and protein. Additionally, they are budget-friendly, convenient, and a sustainable and low mercury seafood choice, leaving no excuse to not pick up a can next time you are at the grocery store. One 3.75 ounce can of sardines provides 22 grams of protein, 1300 mg of omega 3 fatty acids, 137% of your daily needs of B12, 89% of selenium, and 69% of vitamin D. Because of these nutritional stats, sardines help lower cholesterol, are an antiinflammatory, support healthy bones, and even help prevent mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Seaweed: Don’t reserve eating seaweed to just in your sushi. Seaweed, or also called algae, is dense in antioxidants—such as vitamins A, C, and E which help to boost immunity and prevent chronic diseases. It also is a rich source of iodine. Since one of the causes of hypothyroidism is a deficiency of iodine, this is a top food choice to support thyroid health. Seaweed also is surprisingly high in protein. One cup of seaweed has just 45 calories, but provides 5 grams of protein.

Watercress: Watercress is a cruciferous green that according to a review in Preventing Chronic Disease, holds the top spot for nutrient density. The ranking is based on foods that have the most nutrients for the least amount of calories, having 4 calories in one cup. It scored a perfect 100% for nutrient density, even beating out kale, spinach, and collard greens. It’s a powerhouse ingredient due to its rich source of vitamin A, E, K and calcium.

Turmeric: Turmeric is famous for its golden- orange hue, giving mustard and curry dishes their famous colors. But the spice is even more prized for its major health benefits. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Individuals with inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, ulcerative colitis, allergies and infections all can find relief from this powerhouse spice. One key to remember is that turmeric must be consumed with black pepper to activate its nutritional benefits.

Jicama: While it might not be the most common vegetable you add to your cart, this root vegetable is one to add to your rotation. It’s 90% water, so is only 40 calories per cup but gives you 25% of your daily fiber needs. It’s unique in the way it’s a source of inulin fiber, a water-soluble and prebiotic fiber. This prebiotic fiber feeds the good bacteria in your gut, to improve digestive health. Jicama also comes with an impressive amount of vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.

LIFE’S Better AT THE VILLAGE

To live a healthy lifestyle you need to take care of your mind and body. At the Village we have everything you need in our clubs for complete wellness. We have yoga studios for your meditation practice, Spa & Salon for beauty and recovery, MedSpa, chiropractic care, physical therapy, and nutrition to ensure you are healthy and feeling your best.

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