Both MINT locations will be open all of Memorial Day weekend with a few changes in the hours, listed below:
May 25-Sunday, May 27
Downtown|Same hours, no classes
Dupont| Same hours, classes under instructor discretion
Monday, May 28
Downtown| 8am-8pm, no classes
Dupont| 11am-6pm
Be sure to sign up for our MINTmorial Contest! Refer friends and choose what you win!
From MINT Master Trainer, Mary Duke Smith
For those of you who have already tried TRX as a part of your workout
routine – either with your trainer, in a TRX class or by learning it on your
own, you probably have found ways in which it enhances your overall
fitness and functionality.
If you have not yet tried TRX suspension training, here are a few reasons
why I think it can be a very helpful part of anyone’s fitness routine.
• The basics of TRX suspension training are easy to learn.
• Using the TRX allows you to move naturally.
• TRX allows you to learn movements that would otherwise be too difficult
for you to do – and then increase the challenge level incrementally as you
improve.
• You can work on your flexibility and range of motion with TRX in a way
that allows you to gradually progress at your own pace.
• Your core will be actively engaged in your workout when you use TRX.
• You can make your TRX workout as challenging as you want it to be.
A lot of what we hear and see about TRX in the media refers to its use with
training professional athletes, soldiers and other highly fit people. TRX is
great for these populations, but you don’t have to be super-fit to enjoy the
benefits of TRX. Really anyone can do it and the benefits are there for you
to experience! Come try it out in a class or training session and see how it
can work for you!
From MINT Owner & CEO, Patrick John
If you know us at MINT, you know our primary mission as a company is a relentless commitment to your total wellness. We’re not happy until you are reaching all of your goals. One of our official ‘core values’ is SIMPLICITY; a feat not easily achieved with our large variety of services. That is, until now! We have just introduce the ONE Plan - A session that is interchangeable to use towards Personal Training, Pilates, Spa, Nutrition, Physical Therapy, even Private Yoga. If you’ve utilized our FLEX plan for training or Pilates, it’s exactly the same plan, except now you can use your sessions for any of the aforementioned services. The sessions are only $79 each and do not expire. This is a monthly package plan of 8, 12, or 16 sessions. ‘ONE Goal, any Program’- Simple, really.
Some conditions: Members only. To train with a ‘Master’ Trainer you must also have a MINT Conditioned-level membership. A single ONE session = one 50min training, Private Pilates, Spa, or Nutrition session, or THREE Group pilates sessions, or one 30min Physical therapy session. Monthly plan with just two required payments. Available for purchase starting this week! Stay tuned.
From MINT Owner & CEO, Patrick John
Reporting back from a post I made to this blog eight months ago. At the time I had let the demands of family and the businesses take over all my time, and was off balance without regular exercise. I made a no-excuses commitment to get back into regular training. My trainer Will Noel knew my challenges and created a very systematized and methodical approach, and I plugged in daily bike rides to and from work and watching total calories.
Just like anything in life, it’s amazing what we can accomplish when we really apply ourselves- since then I’ve lost over 5lbs, but most important feel terrific, sleep great, and am more productive- plus old clothes fit again! 34 jeans- wow! It’s also amazing what we can accomplish when we acknowledge that we can’t do it alone! See you on the workout floor.
Patrick
From MINT Director of Sales, Chris Carnecchia
I needed to write something that would make you say “What in the world is this about?!” It’s about a a simple truth that we, even professionals in the fitness industry, tend to forget from time to time. Last fall, what had been a routine Doctor’s visit turned into a rushed ambulance ride to the Hospital. I’d gone in to the Doctor after feeling lethargic for three days, the symptoms worsened and progressed to practically causing hallucinations. It turned out that a bacteria had spawned severed dehydration. After being treated at the hospital with two bottles of IV, an extremely thick chalk mixture, and a quite sweet drink that numbed my entire insides I was sent home. Three days later after drinking one or more gallons a day of water I was felt like superman! I was embarrassed to have reached the point of such severe dehydration as a result of the bacteria.
However, the entire experience reminded me of the simple truth that water is just like fuel. It allows your body to work properly, flush out toxin and gives you the energy to do everyday things.
You may not always feel the need to drink water when you should, always remember to hydrate! Follow these simple steps to fuel your body:
So drink the FUEL it is the most important item to your body, fitness goals, everyday operation, and life in general. Trust me I know the consequences.
10 Things you Didn’t know about Sarah, our Registered Dietitian!
1. I used to work at advertising agencies, producing TV commercial campaigns. I am MUCH more passionate about nutrition!
2. My pet peeve is clapping after a movie in a movie theater. The people who made the movie can’t hear you!
3. I have 5 reality tv shows on my DVR right now - don’t judge!
4. My name is Sarah and I am a chocoholic. I have tons of tips on how to satisfy the cravings without tipping the scale for all my fellow chocolate-lovers
5. I am slightly fearful of the black squirrel. Their eyes are so dark and ominous!
6. I am a California native and a newbie to the East Coast.
7. I cringe when people call dietitians the “food police.” My job is to provide education, encouragement and support. I don’t believe in negative reinforcement
8. I went to college at UC Berkeley, and no, I did not wear tye-dye shirts or sport dreadlocks
9. Teaching spin classes was the catalyst that drove me to go back to school to become a dietitian. I love watching people transform their lives through diet and exercise, come try out one of my classes at MINT!
10. I truly believe that nutrition and health is a personal thing, and so I work with my clients to develop individualized programs that meet their lifestyle.
Email me to make an appointment so I can learn more about you!
From MINT Dupont Fitness Director, Vanessa Hailes
After running two marathons, one half-marathon, four 10-milers, six 10-k’s, and an unknown number of 5k’s, you would think that I would have some sort of grasp on my training details including my pace, my heart-rate, my distance, etc. The only time I have ever had an idea of how fast I’ve run them is looking up my chip time post-race and thinking, ‘Wow, I’m not that bad!’. I’ve always been a ‘go-with-the-flow’ kind of runner – just going where the wind takes me, and not taking anything too seriously – but deep-down, always wanting to get better.
I began running marathons in 2009, and was more motivated to track my distance using websites like WalkJogRun and MapMyRun, then using basic math skills i.e. ‘when did I get off my couch and when did I get back onto it?’, to get a rough estimate of my pace. There were countless times after a run that my running buddies and I would recall a training run and say ‘Yeah, we ran 8 miles – or was it 9?’ just to look it up and find out it was only 5. I became more motivated because my running was somehow improving (based on my race times), so I began to get more curious about knowing exactly how far I was running and how fast. I started researching GPS watches and Nike tracking devices you could insert into your shoes and use with an iphone – but I came across some minor problems which included, 1.) not have the money for a GPS watch (or the desire to wear something as big as an ipad on my wrist), and 2.) not having an iphone due to my loyalty to Sprint.
Then one day, I put my foot down, and I finally upgraded to a Droid. I began exploring the wonderful world of running apps available and came across one that has since changed my world – Endomondo. Why do I love this app? Its tracks my workouts (running, cycling, and MORE), analyzes them, automatically archives each workout, and I can even challenge my friends. Before beginning a workout I choose a customized goal – distance, calories burned, time, pre-set routes, another friend (live!), or go against a previous workout. Along the way, my Endomondo pal chimes in over my music and tells me my mile time, lap time, and expected finish time – and it updates itself after each mile. When stopping (for traffic lights, of course), the time and workout automatically pauses, and when running resumes, so does the workout – it has a voice-over that indicates this each time.
Endomondo has been a great recommendation for all of my running friends, whether they’re seasoned runners, or just beginning. Its all based on real-time GPS, and takes the thinking (and tapping of your watch) out of the running experience. Workouts can automatically upload to Facebook or Twitter accounts so friends can view routes, be impressed by distances and pace times – but if you have an off-day and are embarrassed about your run, you also have the opportunity to remove it, or be like me and just comment under it that, ‘I had a cramp’.
Sometimes on different points of my run, I noticed that I hit a really great stride on a hill during a certain song (it was probably Britney Spears, I’m not embarrassed), and the beauty of Endomondo is that I can go back and look at my route and see exactly on the map where my songs changed! Its simple to use and provides various modes of motivation. You can use it as a weightloss tool to track your caloric output against your daily input, or just out of curiosity of knowing how far you went and how long it took you to get there. The fact that its hooked through my phone allows me to run with more peace of mind, and less bulk of also having to carry an additional ipod. Albeit, a droid or an iphone isn’t the most compact of running devices, but its become my one-stop-shop for music, gps tracking, and 911 emergency-access if I fall into a pothole (yes, it’s happened).
For those of you who haven’t tapped into this amazing FREE resource, take the time to add it to your phone and see how it can change your entire perspective on your workouts, how it prompts continuous goal-setting, and the ability to find more motivation for every mile.
MINT’s Registered Dietitian Sarah Romotsky recently contributed to the Well+Being blog on Washingtonian wit her tips for avoiding devilish choices at DC’s lunch go-to Pret.
The Best and Worst Sandwiches, Soups, and Salads at Pret A Manger
By Jazelle Hunt
Thanks to its socially conscious approach, there’s not much to dislike about Pret A Manger. The soup/salad/sandwich eatery came to the District in 2009 and quickly became a staple (especially forWashingtonian staff). So it was with great interest that we asked DC-based Sarah R., RD, to take a look at the menu of this reliable British import.
“They have a good amount of ‘slim’ options, so they already make it easier for customers to recognize the better choices,” she says. “But people can get confused with so many options, and there are definitely some traps they may not be aware of.”
Check out her picks for the best and worst items below.
Breakfast
Worst
• Blueberry muffin: Shocker—muffins are totally useless nutritionally (and bagels aren’t too far behind). “Muffins are probably the worst things you can have in the morning; they’ll sit in your stomach and make you tired,” Sarah reveals. “Out of everything, even the chocolate croissant, the blueberry muffins have the most calories, sodium, fat, and carbs, and very little fiber or protein.”
Better
• Plain croissant: If you really want a pastry, Romotsky recommends the plain croissant for its bit of fiber. “Maybe have half with an egg for protein,” she adds.
Best
• Oatmeal: Tried-and-true oatmeal is so healthy, you can order a large. Just be careful about sprucing it up—stick to almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, and no more than one pack of sweetener. Stay away from dried fruit.
Sandwiches
Worst
• Egg salad, Parmesan, and spinach sandwich: “It sounds like it’s pretty healthy, but the trap is the word ‘salad,’” Sarah explains. “This salad is held together with mayonnaise, so it has half your daily sodium, 650 calories, and 25 grams of fat. You might as well have a slice of cheesecake.”
Better
• Egg salad and arugula sandwich: If egg salad is your thing, then this is the way to do it, our expert says. “In general eggs aren’t bad, but in an egg salad the mayo is the problem. This one’s a bit lighter.”
Best
• Spicy shrimp and cilantro wrap: “I was really excited about this one—it’s got lots of protein, little saturated fat, and it’s on a low-calorie tortilla,” Sarah says. With its snack-worthy 290 calories and hefty 22 grams of protein, you’ll get a filling meal and still have room for a treat later.
Soups and Salads
Worst
• Steak and ale soup: “This was mind-blowing to me. It’s like the equivalent of four sliders,” Sarah says. “For 35 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, and 1,125 milligrams of sodium, you could’ve eaten huge amounts of food.” If you really want a beefy soup, Pret’s beef stew is a better bet.
• Pret’s cobb and greens salad: As expected, the cobb , with its bacon and blue cheese, isn’t your friend. Though high in protein, it’s got lots of fat and sugar that render the salad unhealthy.
Best
• Turkey chili: Sarah says, “There were a few [soups] I really liked, but if you get soup for lunch you want to feel full. [This] is high in protein and lower in sodium than most soup.” It comes with pretzel bread, which she recommends swapping for a whole-grain option if available.
• Tuna niçoise salad: Our expert explains: “The tuna has healthy fat, there’s an egg, which is a great source of vitamin D, and it’s a low-calorie option.” The high protein content is a tummy-filling bonus.
Sarah R. is a nutritional counselor at both locations of Mint Gym, and serves gym members and nonmembers. She can be reached at sarah@mintdc.com, or ask for her at 202-328-6468.
Our third and final component to the Ski Series – here’s hoping you find snow somewhere to put all this information to use!
MINT Master Trainer, Lance Breger
Much like your skis, boots and poles, a stable and strong core is essential to have before hitting the slopes.
Your core is made up of over 20 different muscles that connect to your pelvis and spine.
These muscles are important even though they will be covered by many layers of clothing because of their influence on preventing injuries and increasing your ski performance.
When training the core there are three areas to cycle every 4 to 6 weeks:
1. Core Stability
2. Core Strength
3. Core Power
In today’s blog we will focus on one core stability and one core strength exercise:
Core Stability Exercise
Horizontal Medicine Ball Figure 8 with Two Feet Standing on Bosu
12-15 repetitions, one set in each direction
Core Strength Exercise
Bodybar Wood chops
8-12 repetitions, one set in each direction
Part Two of our Ski Season Workout Series
MINT Trainer, Maurice Henderson
Because we can’t ski year round it’s important to prepare our bodies the best we can, without snow!
Here are two ways to prepare your heart and lungs for the endurance needed for the slopes…
1)How many days?
3 to 5 days of something you enjoy doing like running, rollerblading, elliptical training, or stairs. They’re some of the best things you can do because it’ll get the heart pumping and those legs working.
2)How long per workout?
A) Change the pace of the workout frequently to simulate the activity for 20 to 45mins per workout.
B)Pick one day to do 1 long workout for 60mins or more to build endurance for the long day.
