Private health clubs have come a long way from their humble beginnings just using dumbbells and medicine balls to build muscles.

Today, a modern health club is filled with high-tech exercise machines, endless rooms with instructor-led workout classes, steam rooms, lap pools, basketball courts and fully-stocked juice bars with healthy snacks.

Now, Summit Health and Fitness in Flagstaff has added new services through a partnership with Mountain Heart Cardiovascular & Sleep Research Institute.

"It was an opportunity to move the fitness club to another level of personal training," said Tony Guistina, the general manager of the Summit Health and Fitness.

The marriage of the existing health club with the medical clinic across the street is expected to give members a more specialized regimen that focuses on the total health of the individual, not just great abs.

The two businesses will share the services of a registered dietitian to help offer free health and fitness assessments to members.

Physicians from Mountain Heart will also serve as an advisory board on developing new exercise classes catering to those with specific medical concerns. An example of a new class might be a yoga class aimed at pre-diabetics.

Guistina said with three exercise rooms available, the health club will not have to cut any existing classes.

"Now we will able to do is to add specialized classes for different lifestyle management techniques," Guistina said.

Guistina, who helps train Olympic athletes, explains the same exercise regimen will work well for some but not others.

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Fitness from the heart: Summit teams with Mountain Heart

The traditional financial-planning prescription for life's financial emergencies is to hold three to six months' worth of living expenses in cash.

But how should retirees handle unplanned expenses? Should they also have an emergency-fund cash cushion on hand, or should they simply increase their withdrawal rates when they need to and then tighten their belts at a later time?

With an eye toward unearthing some best practices on how to handle unplanned expenses during retirement, I turned to the Investing During Retirement forum of Morningstar.com's Discuss boards.

Not surprisingly, our healthy contingent of retired posters had already given this question considerable thought, and many worthwhile strategies poured forth. Some retirees have carried on with the traditional rainy-day fund in retirement, while others have attempted to factor in unplanned expenses into their withdrawal-rate projections. Several advised that with some advance planning--putting a time horizon on new-car purchases, for example--it's possible to circumvent unexpected expenses.

To read the complete thread or share your own in-retirement strategy for managing unplanned expenses, click here (http://socialize.morningstar.com/NewSocialize/forums/p/307666/3267735.aspx#3267735).

'The Old-Fashioned Rainy-Day Fund'Several posters stated that there's no need to reinvent the wheel; unplanned expenses should be anticipated and addressed just as they were during the working years--by maintaining a liquid reserve that can be tapped in a pinch.

For steelpony10, that means "a cash reserve of uninvested money for nonroutine and unpredictable expenses. The old-fashioned rainy-day fund. It's been around for years. The same thing people should have when they weren't retired."

Bobk47 noted that he and his spouse haven't had to tap their emergency reserve to date, but it's there if they need it. "We do have an emergency fund that I pretty much just keep in an FDIC-insured account. It isn't earning anything but I know it will be there in an emergency."

Festus is also a believer in setting aside extra for the inevitable unexpected expense, writing, "In retirement it really is all about having enough money and being able to stay ahead financially, regardless of what comes along the way. I have a savings bucket to cover the unexpected surprises that seem to appear from time to time, no matter how prepared you think you are, they arise from nowhere."

Richendric and his spouse maintain two liquidity pools. "We have owned a home for 40 years and always had a 'maintenance accrual' account for large unplanned expenses on the home. For real emergency expenditures not covered by insurance, such as acts of God, personal accidents/health related issues, and emergency cash for children (already had one of these), we would use our cash reserve."

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How to Manage Unplanned Expenses During Retirement

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- See if you can relate to an email I received: "Practically every time I commit to exercise, I fall off the wagon because I don't have the energy to make myself go."

This is a very common reason many find it impossible to remain dedicated to an active lifestyle. Talk about a power outage!

Several things need to happen to feel like exercising before or after work hours. After all, few of us have the luxury of exercising in the middle of the day when energy levels may be higher. These four keys to energy will make or break us:

1. Exercise recovery

2. Sleep

3. Pre-workout fuel

4. Hydration

Exercise recovery

This involves diet and the amount of time between workouts.

Diet: Your body gives you a golden opportunity for about an hour after a workout. During that time, you need to replace the carbs and protein you've expended. If you don't, your muscles won't build as effectively, and you won't replenish your energy stores.

View post:
CindySays: How to prevent a personal power outage

Heusden-Zolder, Belgium There were three Kenyan highlights at the 33rd KBC Night of Athletics at Heusden-Zolder on Saturday (7). Olympic 800m champion Pamela Jelimo improved her world leading performance by 0.15 to 1:56.76. Abraham Kipchirchir Rotich set an astonishing 1:43.15 in the 800m, while Albert Kiprop won the 5000m in a personal best of 13:01.91.

A time trial for Jelimo

The target for Jelimo was to try and improve her seasonal best performance in her last competition before the Olympics. Marilyn Okoro from Great Britain paced Jelimo through the first lap in 55.3 and then the Kenyan continued her solo effort to finish in 1:56.76, shaving 0.15 seconds off her world leading best seasonal performance.

"Im happy with this race. It boosts my confidence that I am getting better all the time, just ahead of the Olympics," Jelimo said. "This was a time trial today and it is very difficult to race alone like this, without being challenged by other athletes. In London I have to be competitive at a 1:55 level and that is what I will working on in the next weeks. There every athlete will be at her best and I want be ready."

Rotich issues a challenge to Rudisha

At the age of 19 Rotich is an amazing athlete, full of confidence and ambition. When he set a personal best last Thursday in Lige (1:43.62), he promised that he would go faster still in Heusden-Zolder. And that is what he did. Ideally paced again by the American Matt Scherer in sub-50 at the bell Rotich hardly seemed to slow down and even relaxed coming in to the finish. But his time of 1:43.15 said it all. He now becomes the third fastest man in the world this year.

"Im not so happy, because I didnt feel well today," said Rotich surprisingly after he crossed the finish line. "I found it hard to focus and to concentrate today and I didnt feel comfortable in the race. After racing in Lige I expected to run 1:42 today. I saw Rudisha running 1:41 yesterday in Paris and one day I want to challenge him. I want to become the best in the world."

Hellebaut and Jonathan Borle delight the local fans

The local fans turned out massively to support their heroes for London. Defending Olympic High Jump champion Tia Hellebaut won her competition with 1.94m. Hellebaut will now compete in the London Diamond League before leaving on a training camp in France for her ultimate preparations.

Jonathan Borle looked impressive in the 400m. American Manteo Mitchell had no reply left when Borle stormed away with 150m to go. The Belgian clocked 44.93 against 45.75 for Mitchell. He also won another battle: his twin brother Kvin won the 400m in Madrid in 45.09.

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World leading 1:56.76 for Jelimo, Rotich improves to 1:43.15 in Heusden-Zolder

Poonia is at number nine in the latest IAAF rankings, and all eight ahead of her have above 65m personal best, with Germany's Nadine Muller leading the chart with 68.89m.

The Indian said she had been undergoing yoga and other mental exercises during her training in the United States under 1976 Olympic champion Mac Wilkins so that she concentrates on her throw during the Olympics.

"Concentration is the most important thing to get the distance. I do yoga especially breathing exercises and meditation in the United Sates (at Portland where she had a three-month training). I also had regular discussion with Virender (her husband-cum-coach) and Mac Wilkins (at the training centre at Portland in US)," she said.

She, however, keeps away from following what the other season leaders were doing so that she does not feel the pressure.

"I don't want to follow what Nadine Muller or Sandra Perkovic or Stephanie Brown Trafton (Beijing Games gold medallist from United Sates) are doing. That will put pressure on me. I want to concentrate on my strength," she said.

"I don't want to put myself under pressure. I don't want to think that I can become the first Indian track and field athlete to win an Olympic medal. People may have expectations after my Commonwealth Games feat but for me I will be happy if I give my 100 per cent," she added.

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Meticulous planning key to success in Olympics: Poonia

Everyone needs sales and personal development training. Even you. The challenge is how much and what kind.

With thousands of training options, it's difficult to select the best programs.

I just got an email solicitation telling me to "create a unified approach to learning management." Huh? What does that mean? Wouldn't it be a better message to suggest "a real-world approach to learning success"? Or am I missing something?

Last time I checked, training and education were all about the learner.

The email meticulously listed every element of current day training, from classroom to mobile app. They left out one small item - RELEVANT CONTENT.

What's your approach to training? What's your approach to learning? What's your approach to education?

The haunting words of Jim Rohn have rung in my ears for more than three decades. "Formal education will earn you a living. Self education will earn you a fortune." And with the state of the economy and training cutbacks, this message is more urgent and relevant than ever.

What's your self-education plan for the next 24 months? Are you learning about sales and success as many hours as you're watching TV? Or are you waiting for the training department to give you new information?

The classroom environment is in total transition. With the maturation of e-learning, and the addition of mobile and tablet (ok, iPad), information is being transferred in new, faster, and better ways. "Just in time" has given way to "on demand."

For the classroom to remain a relevant and vital part of anyone's learning success, several elements must be present - and beyond the classroom (or in place of it) the same elements apply.

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Learning management or learning success?

By LUCIAN McCARTY lmccarty@saratogian.com Twitter.com/SaratogianCDesk

SARATOGA SPRINGS It seems self-evident that the rigorous exercise of pilates would help dancers with their form, but simply saying Pilates is good wasnt enough for Meghan Del Prete.

I wanted proof, said the pilates instructor and owner of Reform, a True Pilates Studio on Division Street. Now, after a 10-week study with three dancers of different ages, she says she has it.

Del Prete, who is also a member of Skidmore Colleges dance department, will be presenting the findings of her study and discussing the results at 10 a.m. Monday at the National Museum of Dance for Dancers Health Day, which will feature a number of lecturers and presentations.

The dancers in Del Pretes study submitted to measurements by two physical therapists of their balance, coordination, flexibility, core strength and other factors important to their craft throughout the 10-week study.

The participants attended about three classes weekly and Del Prete said the results were clear.

You can see how the increased core strength helps balance and the quality of their movements, Del Prete said. Theyre less wobbly.

One of the physical therapists practiced dance-specialized therapy and measured hip rotation, balance and movement-based tests.

Del Prete said she got the idea for the dance-focused study because she was a dancer through college and in the years following. It improved my dancing significantly, so Ive always wanted to work with dancers, she said. I felt strongly it made a big difference.

Before the dance study, she had conducted a similar study on men who golf and practiced pilates.

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Reform. a True Pilates Studio owner to present study findings on pilates for dancers

Singer actress Miley Cyrus arrives at the Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night at the Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona, March 24, 2012. UPI/Art Foxall

License photo

STUDIO CITY, Calif., July 7 (UPI) -- U.S. singer Miley Cyrus' pilates instructor said critics shouldn't worry about the star's shrinking waistline because "she's healthy and she feels good."

Mari Winsor said she's been working with the 19-year-old for the past four months on an almost daily basis at her Studio City, Calif., gym, People magazine reported Friday.

"What we focus on with Miley is posture. That was my main concern when she first came to me," Winsor said. "I wanted to get her shoulders down and get her to relax her upper body. If you notice, her posture is a lot better.

"She works hard," she added. "When this girl comes in, she is on fire. She's focused."

Winsor said she thinks people who are worried the actress is losing too much weight "need to chill out."

"She's healthy and she feels good, that's the main thing. She's smart about her body. She wanted to sculpt her body, that's all."

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Pilates instructor defends Cyrus' weight

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Soon after Emily Jones discovered yoga 12 years ago, she knew one day she'd teach it.

"I was drawn to the fact that it was not just a physical practice, although it was a physical practice. It involved much more than just my physical body ... it made me feel good. It helped me gain control in different areas of my life."

Jones, 37, joined her love of yoga with a lifelong goal of owning a small business in January, when she opened Lifespring Yoga and Nutrition on Quarrier Street in downtown Charleston.

She had been teaching yoga in various venues and said opening the business was a way to focus her energy.

"I found myself running everywhere," she said. "I didn't feel like I was able to fully commit my energy into the development of one spot. I felt like my offering of this of this practice could be much more powerful if I could just focus my attention to one area, one location instead of having three or four going at one time."

While yoga classes are offered at local agencies in the area, Lifespring may be one of only two stand-alone yoga studios in Charleston.

April Woody opened the Folded Leaf on Bridge Road in January 2008.

"I had absolutely no idea if it would work or not," Woody said.

Yoga studios' fortunes in the Kanawha Valley have been a mixed bag.

Woody had a Teays Valley branch of the Folded Leaf for a year and a half, but she ultimately closed it because she didn't have enough customers.

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Second woman turns yoga into a business

Many communities have private or community center yoga classes specifically for children, and some offer classes for children growing up with developmental delays, physical challenges or disabilities. As with other physical activities for children, there are personality, safety and health issues that should be considered when comparing instructors and programs. The space should be clean, airy and uncrowded and the yoga instructor should be knowledgeable and encouraging. Children with disabilities should be enrolled in inclusive yoga classes so accommodations made for their mainstream peers are provided as naturally as those for a specific disability.

Some community organizations and local parks departments offer Mommy and Me or family centered yoga classes that are especially comfortable and beneficial for children with disabilities. They may help adults remember the diversity of the children they knew growing up and remind us that every child is unique and interesting. And unlike therapy, parent or caregiver participation ensures that we understand that nothing is as easy or manageable as it looks when an instructor is describing or modeling the movements.

Yoga is a personal experience that should not be viewed as a competitive sport. Some families will want the most stylish gear and to achieve perfection in every movement; others will be supportive of one another and help the instructor build self confidence and relaxation into the experience. Many of those who practice yoga in the latest fashions are as apt to create camaraderie and trust in a class as those who are wearing worn out gardening clothes.

My son decided to enroll in a parks department yoga class and I signed up at the same time to make sure it was appropriate for him and to monitor his blood sugar. Because I had injured an ankle the instructor showed me helpful accommodations to avoid pain or further injury. I was not the only person who enjoyed the support and encouragement. My son assisted the instructor several times after the initial classes and enjoyed being a support for others.

One woman undergoing treatment for cancer was supported by a small circle of friends who added to the positive and peaceful atmosphere. We were not aware of the special circumstances until well into the season when my son noticed she had missed a class or two and said he was glad she was back. In regular life, a great deal of diversity is subtle and does not need to be explained or commented on.

If you have not been to a yoga class or experienced yoga techniques, you may be unaware of the less glamorous side effects of stretching and bending bodies or holding positions. Bodies make noises and let go of some constraints of civilization when they are freed to do so. Sometimes children, teens and adults have what would ordinarily be inappropriate reactions during a yoga class that observers might not understand. For this reason, as well as other benefits that are described in the literature, I urge parents to participate in yoga classes with their children or in adult classes.

Browse at your public library, local bookstore, or online retailer for DVDs featuring Yoga for childrenand books like: Yoga for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Step-by-Step Guide for Parents and Caregiversor Yoga for the Special Child: A Therapeutic Approach for Infants and Children with Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, or Learning Disabilities.

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Yoga and Childhood Disabilities