This installment of Ask the Trainer is about meeting your dog’s exercise requirements. Wait! Don’t click away – I know it’s a touchy subject, but I have some new ideas which don’t require you to recast yourself as “athlete.” But seriously, the first question I ask when someone calls me about training is the dreaded question about exercise and mental stimulation. How much is your dog getting and is it enough? I say “dreaded” because chances are the dog isn’t getting what it needs to be balanced (after all, people are only calling me if they’re having problems), and most owners are aware of this and feel some level of guilt. Unfortunately, however, lack of exercise is the number one cause

The Fall season officially begins this week for Sacramento’s very own sport and social club. Appropriately named the Sacramento Sport and Social Club (SSSC), this unique adult sports experience has something in store for all types of social rec athletes in the Sacramento area. The idea first arose in 2008 when SSSC founder Brad Satterwhite (“the Commissioner”) and a co-worker of his wanted to get a group of their colleagues together for some good-natured out-of-office fun. They decided on bowling, but when the crew couldn’t find a local league that fit their needs, Satterwhite stepped into the role of league organizer. This league of work colleagues started with 12 teams in what later bec

By Robert Linkul MS CSCS-CPT D*  I like to think of myself as a fairly organized and routine individual. I wake up at the same time every day, I eat the same breakfast every morning, I take the same route to work and always park in the same parking spot. As a certified personal trainer I live and die by my schedule book. Rarely, do you ever see me without it. In my line of work the more "routine" based individuals seem to be more successful. This however, is not the case when it comes to exercise. I'm not talking about the "daily routine" or time of day you have selected to exercise. I'm talking about your program design: selecting which exercises to perform, the correct weight to lift,

Losing weight and getting into shape often top the lists of New Year's resolutions Americans attempt to commit to annually, and that resolution is met with the advice that a plan that combines diet and exercise is the best way to achieve or maintain desired results. But diet and exercise alone isn't enough of a plan to keep an individual committed to getting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. From everyman Jared Fogle to supermodel Cindy Crawford, the presence of a supportive community played an integral role as a third element toward goals that incorporate losing weight, getting fit and staying healthy. "Getting weight loss support from family, friends and sometimes even professionals

For many of us, winter spells hibernation. A lot of staying under the covers, accompanied by wine and movies. Sure we get some stretching in while reaching for the snooze button, or maybe a little cardio jumping over that puddle. Most of us enjoy doing a little activity each day, but, unfortunately, will be faced with rain clouds, brisk winds and short days during the next couple of months. Strolling the park outdoors, walking to the store, or even walking to work, aren’t ideal options in the freezing temperatures and wet streets. One solution to the winter funk can be found right here in Sacramento, with XOSO Co-Ed Sport and Social League – a league that includes outdoor and indoor kic

FOLSOM, Calif. Dec. 13, 2010 – Nick Clark, Folsom-based lifestyle coach and wellness professional, today announced that he will co-lead Zuda Yoga Folsom’s 40-Day Transformation, a program to help participants change habits and rid their lives of “things” holding them back. What: 40-Day Transformation with Corri Chadwick & Nick Clark Time: Friday, January 21, 2011 at 7:30pm - Tuesday, March 1, 2011 at 7:30pm Place: Zuda Yoga Folsom 220 Blue Ravine Rd. Ste 130 Folsom, CA Cost/Rewards: Program Cost: $199 includes a copy of the book, “40 Days to Personal Revolution,” and a 40-day continuous yoga pass for Zuda Folsom (all current class passes will be frozen until after the program). Also, enjo

Sunday, Dec. 5 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. The California International Marathon will begin in Folsom and end at the West Steps of the Capitol, where live music will greet 13,000 expected participants.  

Working out is supposed to be rewarding. For some, even fun. On Oct. 9, 2009, for Sacramento Kings forward Francisco Garcia it was neither. Garcia was in training camp preparing his body for the rigorous NBA season. During a bench press exercise, while laying on his back on an exercise ball known as the Gymnic – “Burst Resistant” Plus Stability Ball, the ball suddenly burst open and sent Garcia crashing to the floor while still holding on to the weights. Garcia broke his right forearm and damaged ligaments in his wrist in the fall and missed all but 25 games of the 2009-10 season. Roger A. Dreyer of the law firm Dreyer Babich Buccola Wood, attorney for the Sacramento Kings Limited Partn

FOLSOM, Calif. Nov. 22, 2010 – Nick Clark, Folsom-based lifestyle coach and wellness professional, today announced that he will teach the warm up series for all of the runners of this year’s Folsom Turkey Trot. He will also be teaching one of the two classes held at ZUDA Yoga in Folsom on Thanksgiving. “Yoga is a great workout for the mind and the body,” said Nick Clark, founder of Nick Clark Health. “It offers a mental and physical challenge and teaches students to push past barriers in order to grow. It is an honor to be able to teach to several hundreds of people on Thanksgiving morning. There is no better way to give thanks to a community that supports health!” Clark teaches at sever

"Here is to camaraderie, lugged steel, and plus fours. Here is to the (truly) social ride. Here is to tippling from hip flasks, maintaining a leisurely pace, and flaunting with style." The quote from Sacramento Tweed's blog reflects the invitation the group extends for bicyclists to join a jovial "Seersucker Ride" June 27. Sacramento Tweed, founded by Rick and Erin Houston last November, is an inclusive group that organizes bike rides emphasizing the activity as a social and leisurely event. Ride organizers include Chris Tafoya; Lorena Beightler, creator of Sac Cycle Chic; Jim Brown, communications director for California Bicycle Coalition; Brad Gleed; and Alan Barnard, creator of EcoVe

 "What did the yogi say to the hot-dog vendor?" "Make me one with everything"                 Yoga? Me? Not bloody likely.  Up until recently, when I thought of yoga , I conjured up  people named "Moonbeam" and "Mudpuddle" singing "Kumbaya" while stretching and massaging one another's colorful auras.  No thanks.  I don't drink soy milk, I'd rather die than become a vegan, I can't stand drum circles, and patchouli makes me retch.                Don't let the degree from the University of Oregon fool you; I'm no hippie.  Except when it comes to the music festivals, /cause they're far out, man.  Come High Sierra, I will be gallivanting barefoot, loving all my fellow Earth creatures, and m

"Connect, Breathe, Let go" is the message behind Padme Yoga Center, which is scheduled to open in June in East Sacramento. The new yoga center will focus on the teaching and practice of Yoga Vinyasa, a form of yoga performed in a warmer heat, or "hot yoga." Sophie Levy, owner of the new yoga center, called the warmth a "Hawaiian Heat", saying the room temperature will be kept around 85 degrees. She explained that the higher temperature allows the muscles to relax while the movements physically challenge the body. The range of knowledge about this teaching will be demonstrated by instructors who will teach beginner classes through advanced classes. There will be a total of 10 instructors

FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH FOUND IN EXERCISE By Karen Everett Watson Roseville, Ca. – How do you prevent falls, build stronger bones, stay socially connected and lose weight? According to Lynell Ross, nutrition and wellness coordinator for the Village Center at Eskaton Roseville, the answer is . . . exercise. “Exercise is the fountain of youth,” said Ross. “If I could bottle it, I would be a millionaire.” Ross emphasized that exercise is the key to fall prevention which is the number one cause of fatal injuries to seniors. “If you have strong muscles you can catch yourself before you fall,” said Ross. “Exercise improves balance and creates flexibility. These are very important as we age.” Mill

Anyone looking to meet new people, get some exercise and have a little fun need not look further than the Sacramento Ultimate Players Association (SUPA) for ultimate frisbee. Established in 2003, the SUPA offers people the chance to play organized or scrimmage ultimate frisbee year-round. It has been growing in membership annually since its inception. "When we started, we were just looking for structure and organization," said Mike Tomlinson, founder of SUPA. "The idea was sort of a prospering ultimate community. It went from one night a week with six teams to three nights a week. There are also some tournaments thrown in there. "We were doing only one short event.  Now we're doing arou

Midtown exercise guru Chip Conrad doesn't talk about exercise routines — he talks about rituals. “A ritual is what inspires progress," he said. "Routine just meets base needs. And the only way for movement to empower the body is if it's progressive. You have to get better at it." Conrad’s gym, Body Tribe on 21st Street in Midtown, is surely Sacramento's most unique gym. It doubles as a social center and even art gallery on Second Saturdays. But the real difference is that he takes his acolytes through workouts that eschew weight machines and counting reps and instead focuses on movement. “I try to get people to move in the ways the body is supposed to move," he said. "I won't let a mach

Anyone who has driven out of the grid via 16th street has probably noticed a large red brick building lined by cypress trees with a neon sign hanging from the corner. This building is the home of Pipeworks, a fitness center and climbing gym. Pipeworks is a part of Touchstone Climbing & Fitness, which runs four other gyms in the Bay Area. Touchstone was founded by Mark and Deborah Melvin in 1995 with the opening of Mission Cliffs in San Francisco, setting a standard for future indoor climbing facilities. Pipeworks opened in Sacramento six years later and continued to set standards by offering full fitness facilities as well as world-class climbing. Upon entering, one might be overwhelmed

Please see "Playing in the dark" by clicking on the Storyline tab to the right. This article is a follow-up to "Playing in the dark."   The NBA season is rapidly approaching and many youths will be heading out to shoot hoops in their neighborhoods. However, depending on where a child lives, he our she may have few opportunities to play outside.    John Anderson, a regular at the Southside Park basketball courts, laments that many parks are taken up by soccer and picnic tables preventing him from playing football. Dy'Andre O'veal, another regular at the courts, adds that, "we don't really have a place where there's room to play football." Thus, after-school activities are limited to TV, t

As the sun sets in Sacramento many homes glow with TVs and computer screens but at Southside Park the swish of net, the hitting of the backboard and a rhythmic bouncing of a basketball can be heard as a  pick-up game commences. Unfortunately, these games are cut short as darkness envelops the figures and makes it impossible to continue playing.     John Anderson, who lives near Southside Park and plays everyday with his friend Dy'Andre O'veal, says that the lack of lighting "is a problem" and thinks that the addition of lights will bring more people out to play.     Currently, Anderson says that only every other day do enough people show up to get a game going - the other days it's jus

According to the American College of Sports Medicine 2008 study, San Francisco is the most fit city in the U.S. (www.americanfitnessindex.org). Sacramento did not make the list of top 16 most fit cities. The only other two California cities that made the bottom of the list were Los Angeles and Riverside. While the results of this study may be debatable, it poses a good question about how fitness-friendly our city is. How does our city rank in terms of the number of bike trails, walking trails, exercise facilities, etc? There seems to be a huge link between fitness and fundraisers. People will exercise as long as it is for a cause. Look at the events below that happen either at the Capi