February Newsletter 2015

ELECTRONIC GUEST WAIVERS ARE HERE!

Now there is an easier and more convenient way to provide a signed guest waiver for your guests under 18 years of age. Just go to the Ojai Valley Athletic Club website at ovac.caclubs.com and click on the purple button that says: Guest Waiver. Then click on the red/orange button that says Ojai Valley Athletic Club. You will see the waiver on the screen. The parent of your guest needs to click on the box that says Agree and Acknowledge and fill in the information on the form. They click Accept and type in their signature. Then they hit the Submit button. The waiver will automatically be sent to the club and can be retrieved at the Front Desk. There is no more need to email or fax a waiver. Remember, all guests under age 18 must have a guest waiver signed by their parent before they can enter the club. We hope our electronic waiver will simplify this process. If you have any questions about the waiver, please call Nancy Prather at 646-7213. Thanks!


LORNA JANE TRUNK SHOW-RIGHT HERE AT OVAC

imgSALE PRICES
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27th 4-7pm

Come see the best and newest of the Lorna Jane collection with special event pricing – 10% off or $20 off a $100 purchase.

Lorna Jane is a new women’s active wear collection from Australia now available in the U.S. They have stores in Santa Barbara and Westlake Village and would like to reach out to the Ojai community.
MOVE, NOURISH, BELIEVE

OJAI VALLEY ATHLETIC CLUB IS NOW
ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR LIFEGUARDS!

imgApplicants must pass a swim test and pass a Lifeguard Certification Course (offered at OVAC) or be Red Cross Lifeguard Certified. Applicants must be willing to work weekends through Labor Day. Please apply in person at the Front Desk.


PILATES NEWS

Pilates is NOT like yoga, contrary to popular belief. Pilates is all about the CORE (ie Beautiful to the Core). Every exercise and movement is coordinated with breathing and posture to achieve the optimal abdominal workout. It is a combination of stretching and strengthening that is good for ANYONE!
Pilates is so popular that even the Celebs are doing it! Look who:
img• Miley Cyrus
• Hilary Duff
• Amanda Seyfried
• Anna Paquin
• Ashley Greene
• Cameron Diaz
• Megan Fox
• Sandra Bullock
• Chelsea Handler
• Kate Hudson
• Reese Witherspoon
• Jennifer Aniston
• Gisele Bundchen

So if you have not tried it yet…please do! You’ll love how diverse it can be.

Call our Pilates Director today to set up a COMPLIMENTARY One-on-One session is our private Studio with one of our awesome instructors!

Pamela Smith-Vos
805-832-2020 (call or text)
[email protected]

Victoria Ott, specializes in injuries, scoliosis, and structural imbalances.
Julie Fox enjoys working with and specializes in Senior Fitness
Pamela Vos, specializes in matching you up with the most compatible instructor to suit your workout style, personality and specific needs/desires.

PILATES QUOTES BY CELEBRITIES

“I’m a Pilates person. It’s great. I had a hip problem. I had a chronic back, a pinched nerve and a hip problem and it’s completely solved all of it. I love it. It makes me feel like I’m taller.” – Jennifer Aniston

“Pilates is the only exercise program that has changed my body and made me feel great.” – Jamie Lee Curtis

Even the fellas are into Pilates. New York Knicks, point guard, Jason Kidd admits “I love Pilates.”

“Now [after doing Pilates], I have muscles of steel and could easily deal with giving birth.” – Hugh Grant

When David Beckham began feeling tired and worn out he decided Pilates was the way to go.

Vanessa Williams-Vanessa has been doing Pilates for a long time. At 49, she is still just as fit and beautiful as she was at 29. She revealed to a fitness magazine during one interview, “I was doing Pilates before people even knew how to spell Pilates. I started with Pilates guru, Mari Winsor after my first child, 22 years ago. She used to come backstage and do a mat floor workout with me when I was doing Kiss of the Spider Woman on Broadway. Core strength balances your entire body. It pulls your shoulders back, tucks in your pelvis, makes you walk straighter, and gives you great posture.”

In 10 sessions, you will feel the difference. In 20, you will see the difference. And in 30, you’ll be on your way to having a whole new body.” – Joseph Pilates
AQUATICS NEWS

GREAT JOB 2015 ONE HOUR SWIM PARTICIPANTS!

imgMany Ojai Masters and Ojai Heat youth swimmers took on the One Hour Swim challenge. The One Hour Swim, held every January, is a fun and challenging event to see how many meters they can swim in one hour. The results will be printed in the March newsletter and posted in the lobby as soon as they are in.


HIGH SCHOOL SWIM WORKOUTS ARE BACK WITH FRIDAY WORKOUT ADDED!

Swimmers 13-18 will enhance and maintain and swimming skills. Coached by local water polo official and competitive swimmer, Mike Sullivan, classes will challenge the advanced swimmer while having fun swimming with peers. Contact: Elin Cheverez [email protected]
Starting Monday, February 2
Mondays, Wednesday & Fridays 5:00pm-6:15pm
Cost/Monthly:
Members: $75.00 Non Members: $100.00


OVAC WELCOMES NEW SWIM INSTRUCTOR TARA LENEHAN

We are so lucky to have swim instuctor Tara Lenehan return to OVAC. Tara was a swim instuctor for 5 years at OVAC and has returned after completeing her degree at UC Davis. She has many years’ experience giving learn-to-swim lessons and excited to share her talent with our members.
To schedule lessons with Tara: email: [email protected]
Cost: $150.00/4 30 min lessons $40/30 min lesson


OVAC Lap Pool Schedule

img

OVAC coaches will always do their best to accommodate lap swimmers. As swim class attendance continues to grow you may be asked to share a lane if you plan to swim during scheduled classes. To ensure a comfortable lap swim, it’s best to plan your lap pool workout before or after swim classes.

TENNIS NEWS

The amazing weather has led to a very active January at OVAC Tennis. USTA Leagues are in full force and keeping our weekend play very busy. All the teams have started strong with wins against many Ventura County teams. It's great to see the growth over the past couple of years regarding USTA Leagues. Both Adults and Juniors have been very competitive. I hope everyone is getting some good tennis in over the winter months. If you need some help getting started please contact me (746-5094).

See ya on the Courts!
Ryan

VALENTINE'S DAY MIXER

FEBRUARY 14TH 5:00PM
With Valentine's Day on a Saturday, I thought it would be a great idea to have a mixed doubles social. Play will start at 5:00 and hopefully we will do a fun dinner somewhere in town afterwards. If you are interested please contact Ryan (746-5094). There will also be a sign up at the front desk. Hope to see everyone there!!

USTA 3.0 LADIES TEAM GOING TO SECTIONALS!

Congrats to our 3.0 Ladies for qualifying for Sectionals in San Diego this month. The following will be competing in the Southern California section:
Kathrine Schmidt
Kelley D'Angelo
Michelle Gaston
Cassandra VanKeulen
Mattie Oehmke
Kathy Bergmann

Kick some tennis butt!!

INGREDIENTS FOR REAL WEIGHT LOSS

imgBy Danielle Williams, Fitness Director
You know I still wake up every day surprised when I look in the mirror! Although I feel fit and like my body now, that wasn’t true for most of my adult life. Through my mid-thirties and the births of my first two daughters I was soft, pudgy and had never set foot in a gym. I know what it takes to turn that around. More importantly, I have spent the last 10+ years helping others get there – no matter where you’re starting from.

So many of woman I meet are fed up with the constant struggle of trying to decide what to wear to best hide your “out of shape-ness”. I’m writing this to reach out to you if you feel that you are constantly fighting a losing battle with food, if you exercise but never see results, if you are simply fed up with what you see in the mirror.

You may find this hard to believe but you already have ALL the ingredients you need to get the body you deserve. Maybe you don’t recognize your body anymore. Maybe you are like many women I know who now drink that extra glass of wine at night. And despite all your efforts at working out or eating “ok”, you’ve added weight in every place imaginable. No one wakes up one day and waves the “change my body” magic wand (although I bet someone somewhere is trying to sell that for the low, low price of $19.99 plus shipping and handling). But, the life events you need to jump start your transformation are coming together this March. The “change wand” will be waved and the process of change can begin. In fact, you will find that once you start to change, these changes will fuel themselves and without “trying” your metabolism will race, you will fire like a well oiled machine and your body will change right before your eyes. Unfortunately, most people miss their opportunity to make dramatic changes. Don’t be one of them!

I’m sharing this with you so that you know you are not alone. Be reassured that if you really, really want it you actually can have your dream come true body, no matter what your age, how fit you are today, or your current weight. The window of opportunity for your transformation is opening in March. This will be your opportunity to say not only “I can do it”, but “I AM doing it”. The scale WILL drop, your body WILL change, your clothes WILL be looser, and you WILL look and feel like a new person. And, everyone else will be able to see it.

This is generally the point where people let their fears get the best of them – “I’m afraid of change”, “I’ve tried before and failed (maybe many times), “I’m not worth it”, “I don’t have time”, “I can’t afford it” or even “What happens if I really do achieve my goals?!?” Remember that fear, doubt and uncertainty are totally normal, but it shouldn’t dominate your thinking. Don’t hang onto the negative thoughts or they will take hold as you continue to mull them over, feeding more negative emotions and wasting your precious life energy. Re-focus on your positive desire for change. Make a conscious choice about where your thoughts are focused – do NOT allow past fears and uncertainties dictate how you feel today and how you will act. In your heart you know why you want this transformation, you know you’re worth it and you are prepared to do what it takes.

If you only remember one thing from this article, please remember that getting the body you want is not about huge, hard or dramatic change. Rather it’s about making small incremental changes consistently. Small. Incremental. Consistent. Stunning success stories have all happened through simply living “one successful day at a time.” Don’t analyze the mountain of change or you will feel anxious and question “can I do it”? Just start with one simple change to be better today. Tomorrow, repeat this. And the next day until a week has gone by and you realize you haven’t had that glass of wine and you are waking up full of energy and actually want to work out. In fact, you are loving it! You will slip into those “Dream Jeans” for the first time in a long, long time and realize they actually do button up!

Join the DREAM JEAN CHALLENGE today and let us show you the rest of the ingredients.
HERE’S THE DATES
March 1st – April 22nd M &W 6:00-7:00am with Eric
March 2nd- April 23rd Tu & Th 9:45-10:45am with Danielle
HERE’S WHAT IT INCLUDES
*2 group training sessions per week for 8 weeks led by a certified personal trainer.
*8 more solo workouts designed by a certified personal trainer (2 per week).
*Nutrition program and journal.
*A positive mindset AND you WILL fit into your “dream jeans.”
HERE IS THE COST (non-refundable) Reserve your spot with an email to [email protected]. $198.50 billed in March plus another $198.50 billed in April (non-members pre-pay $476). Away during this time? No problem, we can pro-rate out the time you are away.
QUESTIONS OR TO SIGN UP: contact Danielle Williams at [email protected] or 818-219-4835.

2 EXERCISE MISTAKES THAT COULD HARM YOU

By Danielle Williams, Fitness Director
In order to continue to gain all the well documented benefits of exercise, it is important to protect your joints and muscles by avoiding these common fitness blunders.

Squatting with your weight forward
Squats are a super beneficial exercise, strengthening the muscles in the front and back of your thigh (quads and hamstrings) and rear end muscles (glutes). This bend and lift movement mimics what people do when sitting or standing, and it is a natural movement that you have performed since about 14 months of age. But commonly, people dump their trunk forward while squatting. Instead make sure you are moving your hips backwards. Think about sitting down and back in a chair. This takes stress off the knees, hips, ankles, and major joints. Plus, when your hips are moving backward, it allows you to use the bigger muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes). Also keep your back straight to protect your lower back. If you are new to squatting remember that squatting with just your body weight is still considered strength training.

imgAssuming push-ups are too hard for you
Remember that your push-ups don’t have to be done on the ground, with your body supported solely by your hands and toes. This powerhouse exercise (which works your chest, shoulders, arms, upper back, and core muscles) is just as effective—and much less intimidating—with your knees on the ground (pictured), or with your hands elevated on a stable surface. As a matter of fact, push-ups can even be done in a standing position. To do standing push-ups, stand facing a wall at arm's length with your feet hip-width apart and legs in a comfortable stance. Put your arms straight out to match the height of your chest and place your hands on the wall. Slowly bend your arms, keeping your back straight until your forehead touches the wall. Straighten your arms and repeat. To make this exercise more challenging, start the movement with your body further from the wall.