| Explore with LifeBalance: The LifeBalance Program is pleased to help you save on your out-of-town adventures. Whether you are looking to go a few hours out-of-town, or half way around the world, LifeBalance partners with many travel and tour operators to find the trip that suits you.
For a complete listing of travel and tour related LifeBalance Providers, visit the LifeBalance Travel / Tours page.
Core Curriculum Weight Training: Much has been written about the benefits of cardiovascular training, but it's important to remember that strength training is also an important component of a balanced fitness program. A well-designed strength-training program can provide the following benefits: Increased strength of bones, muscles and connective tissue, decreasing the risk of injury and increasing the quality of life. Muscle tissue is partly responsible for the number of calories burned (the basal metabolic rate or BMR). As muscle mass increases, BMR increases, making it easier to maintain a healthy body weight. As general strength increases, the effort required to perform daily routines (carrying groceries, working in the garden) will be less taxing. Start with the core curriculum - Many exercises work all the major muscle groups. Consult with a certified fitness professional to learn safe techniques before beginning a strength-training program. Start with sets and repetitions working the muscle group to the point of fatigue. Make sure you breathe normally throughout the exercises. Stay Motivated - An encouraging aspect of strength training is the fact that you'll likely experience rapid improvements in strength and muscle tone right from the start. Don't be discouraged if visible improvements begin to taper off after a few weeks as your fitness level improves. To help keep your motivation up, find a partner to train with you. Aim to exercise each muscle group at least two times per week, with a minimum of two days of rest between workouts. Vary Your Program - Machines and free weights are effective tools for strength training, and a combination of the two is generally recommended. Utilizing both machines and free weights provides exercise variety, which is important for both psychological and physiological reasons. Research continues to demonstrate that strength training increases both muscle and bone strength and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. A safe strength-training program combined with cardiovascular and flexibility training will give you the benefits of a total fitness program. (American Council on Exercise)
To Go Organic: Nowadays when you're grocery shopping, the dilemma may not be whether to buy broccoli or spinach but whether to choose organic broccoli or conventionally grown. What do you get when you buy organic? Here's a guide: To earn the name organic, fruits and vegetables have to be grown in soil that hasn't been treated with toxic chemicals (like synthetic pesticides or fungicides) for at least three years. Organic dairy products and organic meat come from animals that have been raised without hormones or antibiotics and fed only organic feed. There is no such thing as pesticide-free. Organic crops are exposed to agricultural chemicals that are already in the environment in rain and in groundwater. Farmers rely on non-chemical practices like rotating crops between fields to stump pests and improve soil fertility as well as natural pesticides such as soap or botanical compounds. When you're buying organic, the key is to make sure the blueberries, milk or tortilla chips you put in your cart are labeled certified organic. That means the producer has been examined by an outside agency to ensure organic authenticity. Free-range is another buzzword. It means the farm animals have access to the outdoors. All organic animals are free-range, but free-range doesn't necessarily mean organic. Again, look for the certified organic stamp. Natural usually means that the food contains few or no additives such as preservatives or coloring, but there aren't any standards (FDA defines natural as minimally processed) so take it with a grain of salt. You may also see no genetically engineered ingredients stamped on some of the organic food you buy. That label distinguishes it from a growing number of genetically modified products. Usually, non-organic foods have the same nutritional value as organic foods. But many who buy organic do so not only because it's earth friendly but because of taste. (FoodFit.com)
The
randomly drawn correct answer to this trivia question
wins a LifeBalance Member Event gift certificate to
an upcoming event.
Last
month's trivia question, which asked members to identify a photograph of a LifeBalance provider was
correctly answered by Holly Withner
of Alaska. The correct answer was SegTours of Anchorage. Congratulations!
This
month's question is in the form of a photograph. Where is this picture from? (Hint, it's the current home to a Washington based LifeBalance provider)
To
answer this month's trivia question, simply fill in
the form below.
The
correct answer to this month's question will be revealed
in the next edition of eAction! |
|
LifeBalance members can now Search for Savings in a whole new way with the new and improved LifeBalance Search page.
Members can browse lists of providers by location and category, search by business name, peruse lists of business names in a specific state or region, or perform an advanced search, which allows the selection of multiple regions and/or categories.
Visit the LifeBalance Search for Savings page today to get started.
LA Fitness: LifeBalance Members now save at LA Fitness locations in Oregon & Washington.
Visit the LifeBalance LA Fitness page today for details.
The LifeBalance Wellness Window is the newest component of the LifeBalance Program and offers members streamlined access to all things wellness related, including fitness and health club listings, personal coaches, massage practitioners, yoga and Pilates classes and more. The Wellness Window also offers members health and wellness related articles and content, including daily fitness tips, healthy recipes, motivational insight, fitness tools, health and wellness calculators and more.
"Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it.”
– Jesse Owens.
Juggling Pieces of Life: Do you ever feel overwhelmed, like you are juggling pieces of life in the air and trying not to drop any of them? Don't worry; this is a natural state that all human beings go through. Feeling overwhelmed is a sign to take a moment and ask yourself what you need. The items on your to-do list will not magically disappear; however, there may be things on your list that you can delegate or eliminate by choosing not to do them. A mentor of mine teaches that there is always time to do one less thing. (Brought to you by Jason
Stein Coaching)
The Olmecs, the oldest known civilization of the Americas, were the first users of cacao. Cacao is, of course, used for making chocolate. In the early 19th century, the English developed solid eating chocolate. Richard Cadbury introduced the first chocolate box in 1868, when he decorated a candy box with a painting of his young daughter holding a kitten in her arms. Cadbury also introduced the first Valentine's Day candy box. In 1875, after experimenting for 8 years, Daniel Peter of Switzerland added milk to chocolate to create today's familiar milk chocolate. He then sold his creation to his neighbor, Henri Nestle.
Grow into your Challenges: When a new challenge arises, you might think that you need to first acquire some new skill, knowledge or resource in order to deal with that challenge. Yet in every case, you can begin with something you already have, and then steadily grow into the challenge. Along the way you will most certainly acquire new skills, develop new knowledge, gain access to new resources. That is a big part of the value of a challenge. Yet the best starting point is where you currently are. The sooner you begin, the sooner you will grow strong enough to move successfully through whatever challenge you face. There is a path that leads directly to the most positive outcome you can imagine. And the first step on that path is right in front of you. No matter how imposing the challenge, no matter how ambitious the goal, you have what is necessary to take the first step. And once you're on your way, you'll find and develop what you need to continue. Start with what you have, move confidently forward, and you'll grow into what you need. (Global
Fitness)
Working Well: Working well with your supervisor is integral to success in your job. No matter what your supervisor’s personality, here are a few guidelines to help you be successful. 1) Make sure all of your information is thought-out and accurate. 2) Always document important conversations, tasks and directions. 3) Let your supervisor be the decision-maker. (Brought to you by Xenium
Resources)
|
|
For
a complete overview of the LifeBalance Program website,
visit the About LifeBalance
section of the site and take a guided tour.
Find
exclusive LifeBalance savings at over 2,000 recreational
& cultural businesses throughout Alaska, Oregon
and Washington. The LifeBalance Program Provider
Network gives members the opportunity to quickly
search for specific recreational and cultural providers
by geographic region and category, or by business
name, through the LifeBalance
Search for Savings.
You
can use our secure server to make payments online
for many LifeBalance Member Events and Tickets. LifeBalance
offers members over 1,000 special events at reduced
rates with the top vendors, instructors, and venues.
LifeBalance also has your ticket to the arts, including
theater, dance, musical performances and more. Visit
the LifeBalance Events Calendar
and the LifeBalance Ticket Window for a complete listing and select the event that interests
you and then complete your registration.
You
can also easily print the LifeBalance Program materials
and this newsletter by visiting the
Printable Materials section of the site.
The
LifeBalance Program always welcomes your feedback!
Complete the LifeBalance
Survey and let us know about new recreational
and cultural businesses that you would like to see
added to our existing network of benefit providers,
new member events, suggestions for the LifeBalance
website or even suggestions for this online newsletter.
If you would like to speak to a member of the LifeBalance
Customer Service Team, please call 503.234.1375 or
888.754.5433.
The
LifeBalance Program
Absolute Recreation Management, Inc.
503.234.1375 / 888.754.5433
www.LifeBalanceProgram.com
/ info@LifeBalanceProgram.com
Privacy:
Rest assured that the LifeBalance Program will
not share your email address or any other private
information with any third parties. Your info is
safe with us!
Subscribe
/ Unsubscribe: To SUBSCRIBE to this online
newsletter (for a different email address, forward
to co-workers, family, friends or other LifeBalance
members), visit the LifeBalance Program Member
Sign In located at www.LifeBalanceProgram.com/signin.php.
To
unsubscribe from this newsletter, simply click on
the following link: www.LifeBalanceProgram.com/eaction/sub/ |
Save on babysitters, elder care, pet sitters and more at Sitter City
Save on admission to Silverwood Theme Park
Save on admission to Wild Waves & Enchanted Village
Save on Blockbuster Total Access online movie rentals
Save 50% on enrollment and more at all Anytime Fitness locations
Save on your Home Buying, Selling & Mortgage Needs with EBGI
Sunday, August 10th 2008 will be the 13th annual Providence Bridge Pedal. This is your opportunity to bicycle across all of Portland’s bridges and visit LifeBalance Providers at the Bridge Pedal Expo on August 9. 
