Pedal on the Pier Santa Monica | Vision Fitness & Wellness
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Pedal On The Pier For The Kids

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At Vision Fitness and Wellness, we believe everyone should have the opportunity to engage in one of the most basic human endeavors: movement. This joy of movement begins with each of us from an early age. We learn to sit, to crawl, to walk, and to play. A youthful spirit of play is present in all of Vision’s programs, and we are often reminded of the purity of children on a playground, simply moving.

Unfortunately, the harsh realities of certain parts of the world directly impact today’s children. These kids desperately need our help, and they deserve to be safe, fed, healthy, and free to explore. That’s why this year, we are partnering once again with the Harold Robinson Foundation for an exciting event benefitting at-risk youth. This event, called “Pedal on the Pier,” will take place June 1st, 2014 at Santa Monica Pier.

Pedal on the Pier features over 400 cyclists on 100 high-tech stationary bikes. Folks are sponsoring both individuals and teams to ride 100 miles in five hours. The ultimate goal is raising $500,000 in order to send 20 inner-city schools to all-expenses paid camps. The camps themselves will have a host of activities which are not only fun, but also develop leadership and character in a safe, nurturing environment.

My team and I would greatly appreciate your donation – every pledged dollar counts, and will be passed on directly to the Foundation. Your donation is also completely tax-deductible. To make a pledge, simply click here.

If you’re interested in being a member of our team, have any questions, or would like to start training for the event, please email us at clientservices@visionfitnessandwellness.com. What a fantastic way to get back in shape, with a clear goal in sight! If you’d rather not ride, the event itself will be a fun day for the whole family, featuring a DJ, celebrity guests, food, vendors, and much more. Come on out and show your support in person!

Thank you in advance for your support. I know these kids really appreciate it, as well. We look forward to seeing you all in June!

Vision Fitness and Wellness Run Club
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March Run Club Sessions & Race for Success

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What full body workout can you do with ZERO equipment? Join our Run Club and experience a whole new way to enjoy the outdoors, build camaraderie, and get in great shape. There is nothing else like the natural high of lacing up your shoes, meeting up with friends and new faces, and taking in the Westside of Los Angeles the way it was meant to be seen: one run at a time!

We believe that running here in SoCal is its own kind of poetry – the soft pitter-patter of feet, the lapping of the waves nearby, the feeling of fullness as you fill your lungs with ocean air. Our Run Club participants look forward to their Saturday run adventures all week. There’s no better way to release stress and energize your entire weekend. We’re starting a new session March 1st, so register with us today.

We also want to invite both experienced runners and up-and-comers to an exciting event at Loyola Marymount University on Saturday, March 8, 2014 – the Race for Success 5K Run/Walk and Kids’ Run! The 5K Run/Walk will start at 8 am, followed by the 1K Kids’ Run at 10 am. Register here for this fun family event. Choose “Vision Fitness & Wellness / Playa Physical Therapy” to join our team.

Vision Fitness and Wellness Run Club
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Start Your Running Journey Now

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Never having been a runner, I began participating in Natania’s running classes at my gym. With her diligent coaching, I began to actually ENJOY running and her tips on technique and form are priceless. Soon after, I joined her Vision Run Club. She met me on a weekend and ran a 5K with me so that we could establish my base time. After that, I began attending her weekly classes and followed the daily training schedule. Six weeks later, I ran my next 5K and shaved off 3 minutes from my time. Her workout regime was systematic and safe! Natania emphasizes safety, good body mechanics and not to go overboard. I highly recommend joining her running club!!! She definitely knows her stuff and keeps your best interest in mind! Am proud to say that I’m running my next 5K in a few days. :) Thank you Natania-you’ve given running a whole new meaning for me!

– Priya Siva, Vision Fitness & Wellness Run Club Member

Why We Started the Vision Run Club

Hey – it’s Natania here and I want to share my running story! I wasn’t born a runner. I became a runner.

I was a very competitive athlete in regards to gymnastics, baseball, swimming, etc. But I was never really good at long distances. I remember from public school we had to run a mile and I could barely make it. I recall starting and then not being able to continue to run and wondering, “Why?” I never felt successful in running as a child, so I didn’t follow up with it. I felt successful swimming and diving and doing short 50 meter sprints and using my body in that way, and that’s the path I followed.

My career went on and I moved out to California. Running had always been in the back of my mind as something that I wanted to do.  I lived in Santa Monica, and I had dreams of getting up and running to the pier. Initially, I worked a lot in corporate executive positions within the fitness industry that pulled me away from working one-on-one with clients, which is where my true passion lies. During that time I felt separated from what I really wanted to do. It was a lot of time, a lot of work, and a lot of stress. There was a time when I got sick and I put on some weight – about 20 pounds heavier than my healthy body weight.

I met an amazing friend at work, and I noticed that she had a calendar for her track practices. I became intrigued, and I said to her, “I want to get back into running. Would you be my running coach?”. She took me out to run, and on the first day we did some drills, and then she said, “Okay, let’s run.” I took off and she told me, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down!  You’re not going to be able do this run that fast.”  And I said, “Really? I need to slow down?”. And I realized that all my life I always started fast and sprinted and everyone had tried to get me to slow down for longer runs.

My friend was a mid-long distance runner, so I ran with her, and then she brought me over to her track team. That was challenging. I wasn’t let on the team for over a year. I kept showing up to practices and I was still the slowest one on the team. But I really wanted to develop as a runner and overcome the challenge. I entered my first track meet, and the 400 meters nearly killed me – the last 100 meters I had no clue what hit me, like a bear on my back! It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done both physically and mentally.

Now when I do run, I use it as a form of meditation, a form of focus that brings me back to the things I really love: movement, health, happiness and feeling alive. I love sharing that with people. I love to give back all that’s been given to me over the course of my running journey. I run because it helps me overcome things that I think are not possible. I run because it helps me break through seemingly impossible obstacles. I run because I sometimes have to dig deep and find that inner strength to move forward. I hold on for just a second more and say to myself, “I can, I will.”

I hear all the time, “I am not a runner, I can’t run, etc.”. Deep down I think some people really do want to run but are concerned, fearful about hurting themselves or have had a bad past experience, like my own. Running is a form of freedom, inner strength and form of motion. Everyone wants to be free. All it takes is moving away from the “I can’t” mindset and giving it a shot. With the right coach, belief from within and from good friends on the outside – you can become a runner.

Ready, set, go!

At Vision Fitness and Wellness, running is about teamwork. We know that every runner is at different levels, and we are here to make sure your runs are fun, social, and on track with good form.  We offer six weekly runs as well as local 5K and 10K group runs.  Our Run Club is starting a new session this Saturday, January 11th.  Sign-up today and receive a free Lorna Jane/Vision tank top!

The New Year is the perfect time (and perfect weather) to start on your own running journey.  You don’t need to carry an Olympic torch – just the unique torch inside of you.  Call us now at (424) 731-0140or email to join the best run club on the Westside of Los Angeles.

May the wind be at your back, always. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give up on your dreams!

About | Vision Fitness & Wellness
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Playa Vista Fitness & Wellness- Changing Seasons & Your Training Program For Success!

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Sunday (Sept. 22) at 3:44 p.m. was the arrival of the September equinox. The Northern Hemisphere shifted from summer to fall, and the South emerged from winter into spring.

It is that time again where the air seems a bit crisper as summer fades and fall begins. Fall, as we’ve all known since we were little, is the season of change and transitions. Seasons are not meant to be static, and neither are people. We are at our best when we are open to new ideas, flexible to life’s curves, and willing to get out of our own comfort zones.

The same goes with your training. You might have the best intentions with your training program but for some reason you are no longer seeing the changes you would like and your motivation is zapped! The reason might be you have to change up your training program to go along with the changes in your body and also progress you towards your goals.

Training does have its change of seasons as well. The term widely used is periodization. Periodization is simply cycling through different types of training to create specific changes all leading towards a desired goal. Each type of training program either builds on or enhances the prior and future. That goes for both strength and cardiovascular training. “Instead of doing the same routine month after month, you change your training program at regular intervals or “periods” to keep your body working harder, while still giving it adequate rest.

For example, you can alter your strength-training program by adjusting the following variables:

  • The number of repetitions per set, or the number of sets of each exercise
  • The amount of resistance used, heart rate zones you are in during your program
  • The rest period between sets, exercises or training sessions
  • The order of the exercises, or the types of exercises from traditional to progressive
  • The speed at which you complete each exercise
  • There are many different types of periodized strength-training programs, and many are geared to the strength, power and demands of specific sports.
  • Such a program will allow your muscles to strengthen gradually and is appropriate for anyone interested in general fitness.

By changing each variable you will create a different adaptation in your body. By collaborating with a trainer you can look at your vision for yourself in regards to your health, fitness and wellness. Vision Fitness is excited to offer our Quick Fit session at our best rate of $30 to get you started on your new program!

Partnering together to plan out your training program and the different phases of training will be one of the most powerful determinants in you reaching your goals this year!

A happy and a healthy to you always!

The Vision Fitness and Wellness Team

 

 

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Playa Vista Personal Trainer – TRAIN SMARTER, NOT HARDER!

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xr6571_make-yourself-smarter-with-brain-training2xHeart Rate Training for your cardio program will not only help you stay on track with your fitness and wellness goals but also ensure you have a good base and jump start for next year! Heart Rate Specific Training will reprogram your metabolism to burn more fat. A cardio program based on your individualized training zones will assist you in creating metabolic efficiency. This relates to your ability to train your muscles to burn fat.

Benefits of Heart Rate Training:

  • Helps you maintain and lose weight this holiday season
  • Improves your performance and endurance
  • Train smarter and not harder
  • Teaches your body to burn fats

So where do you begin?

The best way to create an individualized program is to meet with your trainer and perform a sub max VO2 test. This test can create individualized zones for you to train in based on your ventilation and heart rate readings. From the test, the ratio of measured Oxygen (O2) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2) during ventilation gives an indication of the type of fuel being used during exercise (fat or carbohydrate).

A major marker on the test will be your Anaerobic Threshold. This is when there is a shift in the blood lactate levels and fatigue sets in. The rate at which this occurs is different for each individual and each activity. Based on your heart rate ranges individualized training zones and a program is created for you. Training in these zones properly can improve your anaerobic threshold meaning you will be able to work harder for longer periods of time before fatigue sets in.

If you do not have this option you can start by figuring out your maximum heart rate. One-way to do this is using the formula 208-(0.7 x AGE )= MAX HEART RATE. This is the most conservative formula but not going to fit for everyone. You can use this number to create a cardio program based on the energy systems or adaptation you want to create that day for your program.

Knowing what zones you should train in is based on your goals and current level. Here is a basic overview of the different training zones and the adaptations that occur.

Warm up Zone — 50 – 60% of maximum heart rate: The easiest zone and probably the best zone for people just starting a fitness program. It can also be used as a warm up for more advanced athletes. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. 85% of calories burned in this zone are fats!

Zone 1 (Fat Burning) — 65 – 75% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%.

Zone 2 (Endurance Training) — 75 – 85% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.

Zone 4(Performance Training) — 85 – 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you’ll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.

Red Line Zone 5 (Maximum Effort) — 90 – 100% of maximum heart rate: Although this zone burns the highest number of calories, it is very intense. Most people can only stay in this zone for short periods. You should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so.

Recovery heart rate- This is the heart rate your body will drop to after two minutes, after stopping an exercise session. For instance you exercised for 30 minutes and your heart rate was at 155. Two minutes after you stopped exercising, your heart rate then decreased to 95. This recovery heart rate measure helps to evaluate your overall heart fitness level. Use this measurement to compare between exercise sessions.

Heart rate training and creating an individualized program with a Cardio Coach can be a valuable and fun way to stay on track!

train smarter, not harder. Avoid Holiday weight gain

A happy and healthy to you always!

The Vision Team