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How did you fare after the big snow of December 2010?  If you’re feeling sore and achy after shoveling, sledding or just wading through drifts, use that sensation as a wake-up call says Jane Nielsen, general manager at APOGEE Bedford Hills.  “You might not be as strong as you thought you were—maybe it’s time to change your workout,” she says.

She’s there to help: Jane and the staff at APOGEE Bedford Hills are offering free 15-minute private stretching sessions to all APOGEE members. They’ll help you safely and gently stretch aching muscles to ease soreness. Then, you should address your weaknesses so you’re ready for the next big storm.

Where you’re aching is a key to the kind of training your body needs, says Jane.

Sore lower back? Basic Pilates moves on the Reformer will strengthen your Powerhouse, the core and back muscles that you probably strained while lifting and throwing the snow.

Sore legs? Lunges and squats will build strength in the quads and hamstrings to make pushing and lifting even the biggest shovel easier.

Sore shoulders? Try shoulder press and rows to strengthen your back and arms so you can throw snow with ease.

Huffing and puffing? If you’re out of breath, you need cardiovascular fitness. Try an intense interval training class or use one of the new treadmills, increasing the incline to challenge yourself.

Call  now (914-244-1606)  to schedule your free 15-minute stretch at APOGEE Bedford Hills—the staff is offering the sessions from now through 9:00pm Wednesday, January 5. Or, consider private training at APOGEE Bedford Hills or APOGEE White Plains.

Toned muscles, a strong core; cardiovascular fitness for health, stress relief or endurance for sports and recreation: Whatever your reason for working out, it’s results you want. If you exercise regularly and maintain the habit, you’ll begin to see and feel results in weeks. Here’s how.

Strength Training, Including Pilates:

If you’re a beginner: For the most rapid change, beginners should do Pilates twice a week.  “Pilates is a new physical language that you have to learn,” says Susan Moran, senior vice president of Power Pilates, an APOGEE Wellness company. Beginners will get results if they practice twice a week for an hour. “Just two hours a week—it will change your life!” says Susan.

Beginners can also strength train—with weights or other types of resistance—twice a week, says Jane Nielsen, APOGEE’s Fitness Manager. “It just takes 20 minutes,” says Jane. “You don’t need hours and hours.”

If you’re already active: Schedule in three weekly Pilates sessions and increase the frequency of your strength training to three or four times a week, says Jane. To allow your muscles a day to recover, don’t do the same exercises two days in a row, she says. “You might do lunges one day and work on inner and outer thighs the next,” says Jane. Ask an APOGEE trainer to create a list of exercises that challenge different muscles, reducing your risk of injury while working all of your muscle groups.

The exception: “You can work your abs every day,” says Jane.

Cardiovascular Training

Running, walking, cycling, striding on the elliptical, and indoor rowing build cardiovascular fitness, ease stress, reduce risk of chronic disease and help you maintain or lose weight.

If you’re a beginner: Schedule 30 to 45 minutes of cardio three to five times a week, says Jane.  Start with a goal that you are sure to accomplish; it’s better to be conservative and meet your goal than be ambitious and set yourself up for failure. “People say they want to workout six or seven days a week but that’s almost impossible,” says Jane.  Both APOGEE White Plains and Bedford Hills have a wide selection of group cardio classes to motivate you.

If you’re already active: Maintain a habit of 45 minutes of cardio five times a week. Ask an APOGEE trainer about making one or two of your workouts longer or more intense. Try a Spinning or Indo-Row class; there are challenges built into every session!

“Do cardio, Pilates and strength training every week and eat a healthy diet and you’ll look great,” says Jane. “Why wouldn’t you?”

Zara Scribner had been a Pilates student for six years and loved everything about it: She felt taller and more focused than in the years before. The positive changes from Pilates made Zara wonder what would happen if she added strength work and  cardio to her regular Pilates workouts. The results, she says, are worth the extra work.

Zara had tried strength training once before and was a bit dismayed by the results. “I had worked with a trainer in high school and gotten really bulky,” Zara says. “I didn’t want that again.” This time, she asked for a recommendation from her APOGEE Pilates instructor and began personal training with Jane Nielsen at APOGEE Bedford Hills.

Jane started Zara with weight training and ab work based on Pilates moves. “I was kind of cocky going in,” Zara remembers. “But I could hardly lift the weights!” she says. Zara is now working out six days a week, mixing three or four different activities: Each week she sees Jane for personal training once, attends three Pilates classes, and Spins or runs once or twice. Zara works her abs daily.

The daily workouts are remodeling Zara’s physique. “Jane knows how to train women,” says Zara. “My muscles aren’t bulky and I’m getting the definition I wanted.” She also has more energy for daily tasks.

Zara needs mental and physical energy: She’s just starting her second year of law school. “I have long lectures, and even exams last four hours,” she says. Zara credits Pilates with helping her focus. “I need to be consistent and persistent and set tangible goals,” Zara says. “I’ve definitely learned that through Pilates.” Pilates even helps with the stress of sitting while studying—“I don’t cramp up from being in one position for so long,” says the Armonk resident.

Now, Pilates, cardio and strength training are part of Zara’s life—she’s even training to become a certified Pilates instructor. And while her newly defined muscles are nice, Zara says the benefits of her new exercise habit go deeper. “I’m healthier and happier because I’m working out,” she says.

Save up to 30 percent on private Pilates and personal training through August 31. Learn more about this special offer!

At 26 years old and a professional horseback rider, you’d think the last thing Jennifer Bliss would need is a workout—after all, on most days she’s training horses, carrying saddles and gear, teaching lessons and running Harris Hill Farm in North Salem, NY. It would seem her daily life is rigorous enough to keep her fit.

Not so, says Jennifer, a four-time national champion in the pony hunter division who is now wining ribbons in the professional hunter division. “I have a baseline level of fitness, but my body is so used to riding that I feel I don’t get fit from that alone,” she says. Jennifer had a cardio habit, but wondered what a total fitness regimen would do. So five years ago Jennifer began training twice a week with Jane Nielsen, fitness manager of APOGEE Bedford Hills. “Jane has me doing things I never would have thought of,” says Jennifer, “and I work so much harder than I would on my own.” The personal training paid off: Jennifer is stronger and has more energy and less back pain—even after hours in the saddle.

Jennifer’s personal training sessions focus on strength training with weights. In addition, the North Salem resident takes Pilates or Spinning class twice a week, for a total of four weekly visits to APOGEE. Jennifer has found that Pilates especially helps her on horseback. “You use your core muscles so much in riding,” she says. “They help you maintain your position in the saddle.” A rider’s back absorbs the shock of every hoof beat, and the core strength from Pilates has helped alleviate the lower back pain that can result. “It’s definitely not as bad,” Jennifer says.

The personal training has helped Jennifer take on new riding skills, too. “Last summer I started reining—a type of Western riding,” she says. “In English you use your inner thighs, but Western calls on your outer thighs—totally different muscles.” Jane helped Jennifer build the strength she needed, switching to different weight machines. “Jane opened my eyes to how creative you can be during a workout,” Jennifer says. “Adding strength training to my cardio has made a big difference in my day-to-day strength and energy.”

APOGEE instructors can create a personal training program just for you. Take advantage of our special pricing on personal training and private Pilates sessions.