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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!

It’s been a long and harsh winter. Believe it or not, at one point this season, more than 70% of the country was receiving snowfall at the same time!

Between the short days and cold winds, it seems like there’s not much to do but trudge on inside and quickly close the door behind you – leaving many feeling the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a mild-to-severe depression often associated with winter and rainy periods of the year.

Well, enough of that! The cold climate doesn’t have to keep you feeling as lame as that cracker gift basket you got from Uncle Fred. Instead, try a few of these quick ideas to keep your mind and body sharp until spring-time officially hits:

Socialize

Winter and rainy days can be tough. But spending time with family and friends can make even the coldest night fly by. Try hosting a game or movie night once a week. Can’t get out the door? Don’t worry – set up a chat session using a web camera. This may be the perfect opportunity to check up on some distant friends or a loved one off at school.

Learn a new skill

Pick up a new language or finish that novel that’s been sitting on your desk. You can even spend your time indoors making those household improvements you’ve been putting off for so long. Getting something productive done will help release endorphins and make you feel the time indoors was time well spent.

Get moving

No matter what you do, the most important thing is to keep moving. According to a Duke University study, exercise is comparable to antidepressant medication in treating patients with major depressive disorders. So hit the gym, play with the kids or just take the time to stretch every morning – the important thing is to keep your body in motion.

Fortunately, spring is just around the corner. So use these tips to help ride out the last few days of rainy, winter weather and we promise, they will fly by.

Whether you’re up to your ears with shopping, working, visiting or hosting, you’ll enjoy this season more if you’re relaxed and aware. It’s easy to get caught up in the busy-ness, become stressed and miss the fun.

Give yourself a relaxing break with this Sun Breath exercise.  This simple move will work for you in multiple ways: You’ll increase your circulation, bringing in energizing oxygen and releasing deadening carbon dioxide; you’ll also activate your parasympathetic nervous system, releasing neurotransmitters that create feelings of calm and also lowering your blood pressure, your breath rate, even allowing more blood to flow to your digestive system. Plus, Sun Breath can help release shoulder and neck tension, no matter if you’re tense from highway miles, airplane delays, shopping, social obligations or, well, you have your own list!

Your prescription: Eight to ten repetitions, timed as follows: Upon awakening, before bed; before shopping, after shopping; before a party; during holiday baking; anytime you need a break.

Sun Breath
Begin standing, arms down by your sides. Take a few breaths to center yourself.  Feel yourself standing on the floor; notice your body.  As you inhale lengthen the spine and as you exhale relax your shoulders down your back.  After a few centering breaths, exhale then raise your arms directly out to your side and then up overhead as you inhale. When your fingertips touch, join the palms over your head and turn your gaze to look upwards.  Relax the shoulders and pause to hold the breath in.  As you exhale, slowly lower your hands to your sides, coordinating the full release of the exhalation with the contact of arms to your sides.  Repeat again with the inhalation, arms moving upward, creating a flow of breath and movement. Allow your awareness to be absorbed by the sound of your breath and the movement of your arms. Experiment with moving at half the speed. Notice your feet on the floor connecting to the earth while you lengthen towards the sky.  Continue for several minutes, completing at least eight repetitions. When complete allow the eyes to close and notice your body and your breath as you take in the moment.

Experience more calming exercises in APOGEE Unwind.
Our complete list of holiday stress-busters
Try a basic breath meditation

Alyssa Dorazio has invested a lot of time in fitness: She played soccer and lacrosse all through high school and has kept up an exercise routine ever since. When she started working and wanted to boost her fitness, Alyssa hired a personal trainer at a local gym. The Westchester native dutifully spent hours being trained but felt like her investment wasn’t paying off: There was really no change in her body.

Then, two years ago Alyssa joined APOGEE White Plains, started doing Pilates and found out what was missing: Intensity, focus, and core strength.  “Pilates has made me strong and lean,” says Alyssa. “The trainers here really understand how to train a woman’s body.”

In September, Alyssa tried the new TRX class and found a whole new way to challenge her body.  In TRX class, Alyssa puts her hands or feet through ropes attached to the walls: She must use her core to stabilize her body as the instructor directs the class to do squats, modified push-ups or other moves. “Instead of weights, you’re pushing or pulling your own body weight,” she says. The ropes are unstable; it takes strength and control to keep aligned. “It’s really hard!” says Alyssa. As with Pilates, there’s no boredom or rut, the instructor is always switching activities and effort. “You might do ab work then jumping jacks,” says Alyssa. “Your heart rate is always elevated.” These intense intervals deliver huge fitness benefits in very little time.

An added benefit is the mental workout that Pilates and TRX provide, says Alyssa. “During Pilates and TRX you have to be focused on what you are doing; you really understand what you are doing for your body,” she says. Such awareness has helped Alyssa clean up her diet, knowing what she eats will affect how her body works. “I feel so much better eating lots of fruits and vegetables and fish,” she says.

Alyssa realized just how fit she is when she was hiking outside of San Diego recently. The hike was straight up a mountain trail for one hour. “The guys on the trip were saying, ‘How do you make it look so easy?’” she says. “I realized how strong I am and that I know how to use my core.” For Alyssa, that’s a change worth the investment.

Find a TRX class in White Plains or Bedford Hills.

The last thing Angela Simpson needs when she works out is noise and chaos. “I live with chaos, “ she says. “I have three boys, ages 8, 9 and 10.” So when Angela dropped her membership at a national gym chain because of the loud music and crowds, a friend told her to try Pilates classes instead, and Angela found APOGEE White Plains.

“It’s calm and friendly,” she says of the APOGEE studio on Mamaroneck Avenue. “And I’m getting a complete workout—toning, cardio and strength with weights.”  In early July, Angela took her first Pilates mat classes and private Pilates training sessions.  A former gymnast, she found herself calling on core muscles in ways she never had before. “Now my stomach is flat, and I also have curves at my waist,” she says.

When  APOGEE introduced Functional Integrative Training (F.I.T.),  Angela signed up for IndoRow and Kettlebells, eager to add intense strength and cardio to her routine.  And has she ever! “In IndoRow, Lesly Levy takes me places I’d never go on my own,” she says.  Lesly synchronizes the class, so everyone is rowing at the same pace, then repeatedly takes the group to peaks of intensity, alternating with short periods of recovery. “I always think I’m not going to make it,” Angela says. “But I do!”

In her weekly Kettlebells class, Angela challenges her body in a different way.  “It’s really works  my backside,  especially my butt,” she says. Lunging and squatting while keeping a 5- or 10-pound kettlebell weight in motion is a challenge that builds total-body strength.  “I’d never even seen a Kettlebells class,” Angela says, “but after five minutes I said, ‘This is amazing!’”

“I’m getting a complete workout every week,” says Angela. She’s doing Pilates twice a week, usually one mat and one Tower or Reformer class, and one IndoRow and Kettlebells class, for a totally of four weekly visits.

As much as her body is challenged, Angela has found that time at APOGEE also creates a mindful awareness that benefits her outside the studio. “I go in all stressed, but come out feeling calm and refreshed—that is something I didn’t expect,” she says. She now has tools that help her in her daily life. For example, a Pilates teacher  pointed out that Angela holds tension in her shoulders and tends to take shallow breaths. “Now I am aware,” says Angela, “I’ll be in the car and notice that my shoulders are up around my ears. Or if I’m at home in a stressful situation, I can ask myself, ‘Am I breathing?’ and remember to take a breath.”

“I feel better in mind, body and spirit,” Angela says. “APOGEE is my own personal oasis.”

Find a Pilates or APOGEE F.I.T. class in White Plains.
Find a Pilates or  APOGEE F.I.T. class in Bedford Hills.