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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
-Marianne Williamson

We’ve spoken about motivation in the past as well as the benefits of consistency when it comes to exercise and health. That’s why we’re happy to announce the success of our APOGEE Challenge.

If you’re not familiar with our challenge, it’s a competition where one member will win a Whole Foods gift card. Participants must complete 28 days of exercise within one month in order to be eligible. Not an easy task by any means – But that hasn’t stopped these motivated members from kickn’ butt and rocking steady! In no particular order, here are our challenge participants all of whom are still in the running to win:

But, if we had to guess, we’d say they were motivated by something more than just a gift card (although it doesn’t hurt!).  So keep up the motivation, guys! Every challenge becomes a stepping stone once we overcome it.

And, for those of you who need proof that consistency pays off, here’s a wonderful letter we received from a member, Allison who want’s everyone to know just how much Pilates has improved her already stellar tennis game.

“As a recreational and competitive tennis player, I am always looking for ways to improve my game. I started taking group tower classes at Apogee Pilates studio in White Plains. I started with a once weekly class. I quickly saw improvement in my core strength on the court and in daily activities. My posture improved and I realized that I needed more. I now do a minimum of two private sessions per week. The outcome is tremendous. I am capable of so much more on the tennis court with increased speed, endurance and accuracy. I also believe that Pilates has helped strengthen me and has saved me from injury. I highly recommend a commitment to pure Pilates for competition in any sport and for longevity.”

Allison McCarthy

White Plains, NY

So, just to be clear, we want there to be tons of names to choose from for this month’s winner and we want even more names next month. Great job, everybody!

Imagine a day without your cellphone. Not possible, you say? How about your MP3 player? If it’s not already plugged into your ears, we’d bet that it probably will be at some point today.

Gadgets and technology surround us – there’s no denying that. But for the sake of our health and in honor of Earth Month, we thought it may be a good idea to reexamine our technology addiction and see how getting off the grid can be good for both our, and Mother Nature’s health.

Let’s start with computers. Work and play, computers seem to be a part of everything we do. But using one for too long can lead to serious health issues like Carpal Tunnel, headaches, eye fatigue and back pain. Take a look at your posture while you’re reading this. Go ahead, we’ll wait . . . Done?

Chances are you were slouched over and your head was resting on your hand – Not good for your back, neck or complexion. And not exactly good for the environment either. It may sound strange, but internet use releases around 300 million tons of CO2 per year. That’s a pretty hefty number. So by logging off and shutting down your computer (all the way down, not just powering down your monitor) you can truly make an impact on your own health and the sustainability of our environment.

Now on to cellphones and MP3 players – seems like a long day when you forget one at home, right? Well, maybe that’s a good thing. The use of cellphones and music devices isolates us from the world. Taking the time to talk face-to-face with a friend might end up making us happier than that last “LOL” message did. An active social life is vital to a healthy existence.

In-ear headphones and Bluetooth devices can lead to permanent hearing loss and even the painful tearing of your eardrum. And, although not fully recognized by the FDA, research shows that the increased radiation from cellphones and other such items correlates directly to an increased risk of brain cancer and other health issues.

The batteries of these devices are notoriously difficult to dispose of and the plastics they contain often end up in landfills. Considering the average life span of a cellphone is only 9 months, it may be time we reexamine how often we power down and write a letter in place of a text.

Technology makes our world better. It has improved our standard of living and is capable of things we could only imagine a few years ago. But this Earth Month, let’s remember to unwind, unplug and take a mini vacation for our planet and ourselves.

As you may already know, it’s our birthday month and, although we’re dying to tell you how you can check out Facebook and Twitter to win lots of prizes, we also want to recognize another great aspect of April – Earth Month.

Each April during Earth Month, the World Health Organization (or WHO) recognizes World Health Day by identifying key heath issues facing the nations of our planet.

Tomorrow, April 7^th, World Health Day will be opening with the topic of antimicrobial resistance. It sounds sophisticated but it’s pretty simple. Antimicrobial resistance is the ability of microorganism (the kinds that cause sickness – think viruses and germs) to survive despite the use of antibiotics and other drugs.

Think of it like athletic training – the more practice a microorganism gets at defeating Penicillin, the better it will get at it. In other words, the over use and misuse of certain drugs can actually help these microorganisms evolve and pass on stronger resistance to their offspring rendering the traditional infection-fighting drugs useless.

Now, before you panic – there are some simple steps you can take to help slow or even prevent the development of these super-bugs.

-Try not to use Instant Hands Sanitizers unless you have to. Overuse of alcohol-based sanitizers dries out your hands anyway!

-Don’t take medicine unless instructed to by a medical professional. This is true on college campuses where z-packs (an antibiotic blitz on your body) are handed out like candy. If you need it, absolutely take it as instructed. But no need for overkill when dealing with a cold.

-Stay healthy in the first place. Eat well, live well and play well. Your health will be better overall and you won’t get sick as often or be sick as long when you do.

Those are just some simple ways that you can get involved. Keep an eye out for more updates from WHO and remember to live well. It’s earth month so now you have an excuse to get out from behind the desk and get outside!

It’s our birthday month! That’s right – not just one day, but a whole month. And to celebrate, we’re going to be giving out prizes and free gifts along with some helpful information and fun facts about who we are and the community that surrounds us.

So, what better place to get started than the very beginning? We’ve put together this list of 5 interesting facts about the Classical Pilates method and its creator. We bet even some of you seasoned vets didn’t know all of these!

1. Joseph Pilates, a German national, developed his techniques rehabilitating bed-ridden patients during World War I while in an English internment camp. His students reported fewer injuries and illness than any of the other camps.

2. It’s a myth that PILATES is an acronym for “Proximal Integrating Latent Agile Toning Exercise”. The name comes from the styles creator, Joseph Pilates who changed his name from the original Pilatus.

3. Joe Pilates brought his new exercise to America in 1926, introducing the routine to ballerina, dance and athletic schools.

4. Contrary to common belief, Pilates will not make you taller but it does improve posture which allows you to display your full height and stature.

5. Pilates was originally termed, “The Art of Contrology”

There you have it – 5 fun facts. You learn something new every day. Be sure to keep an eye out for our next set of facts and some giveaways to come soon.

Oh, and do us a favor – Give us a Happy Birthday wish by liking our Facebook page on or before 4/7/11 and following us on Twitter. OK? Thanks!

This super-food is as much a head scratcher as it is a tongue scorcher. Today, we’re talking about cayenne pepper.  It seems loopy, but adding cayenne pepper to your diet can actually improve your overall physical health in just a few short days.

Now, cayenne increases metabolism by immediately influencing the venous structure which is great for overall metabolic health and digestion. This can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Great! That alone would be enough for some of us to get on board – but trust us, when you hear all the benefits of this little spice you’re almost not going to believe it.

Cayenne feeds vital elements into our capillaries, veins and arteries helping adjust and keep blood pressure at a normal level. But it doesn’t stop there. Cayenne is like a bad cholesterol targeting machine, cleaning the body’s arteries and helping to get rid of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides (AKA, the bad stuff).

Cayenne is also great for stomach and intestinal health. It can stimulate the intestines and aids in assimilation and elimination of waste. Because of its warming effects, cayenne has even been used by some to help heal wounds due to frostbite as it can help to revitalize damaged skin cells.

It’s useful in alleviating allergies and muscle cramp thanks to Capsicum – a common ingredient found in muscle creams. And, surprisingly enough, this also makes cayenne peppers great for heartburn. Yep, that’s right – a pepper good for heartburn.

So, enough about the benefits – here are some great ways to add this super-food to your diet:

• Add a dash to water with some fresh lemon juice and a little maple syrup for a simple, cleansing drink.
• Mix diced cayenne with some olive oil, chickpeas, garlic and salt for a great hummus dip.
• Toss some powdered cayenne into your chocolate chip or double chocolate cookies – it will add a rich flavor and really make the chocolate shine!
• Add some powdered or dried cayenne to peanuts, pretzels and trail mix for some nice heat.

Do you have any surprising ways you like to add cayenne to your diet? Let us know! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.