Fit This in

This week we’re trying out online fitness. Back in the 1980s when VCRs were new, Jane Fonda brought aerobics classes into millions of homes with her workout videos. Today, streaming video services will bring any workout you can imagine into your home. This seems to be the ideal way to fit in some exercise and save money on expensive classes. But how do you get started and how do you find the workout that’s right for you? Jen, Noelle, Megan and Marsha are ready to help figure it out.

Jane Fonda Workout

Expert: Kendall Nielson, Owner/Creator of SHiNE DANCE FITNESS

Sponsor: Great Plates – the new Healthy Me PA recipe book. Sign up for your copy today.

Special Guest: Kendall Nielson.

This episode the Fit Crew is trying cryotherapy...not crying therapy (unless you really hate the cold). Whole body cryotherapy is a wellness treatment that is popular with athletes and people who suffer from chronic pain. It involves standing in a tank where temperatures drop to -212 degrees Farenheit. It is supposed to relieve pain and boost healing from injuries.

Expert: Tammy Bauer of Lancaster Cryotherapy

Sponsor: Healthy Me PA

Special Guest: Tammy Bauer.

Have our senses abandoned us? We're trying out Sensory-Deprivation Tanks. You’ve probably seen the Groupons for these so-called float spas - a next-millenium take on the decidedly 1970s trend of floating in a tank cut off from all outside stimulus. Is it really like Altered States or connecting with the Upside Down in Stranger Things? The Fit Crew has some very strong opinions on all things float spa.

Expert: John Suprik, owner of Life's Diversion Float & Relaxation Spa

Sponsor: Great Plates – the new Healthy Me PA recipe book. Sign up for your copy today.

Special Guest: John Suprik.

This week the Fit Crew is trying out Intermittent Fasting. The latest craze in dieting is not eating… doesn’t sound so new to us. New research shows – if done right – intermittent fasting can actually help you lose weight, and may have a host of other health benefits as well.

Guest: Marsha Novick, MD, Director of the Pediatric Multidisciplinary Weight Loss Program at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Sponsor: Healthy Me PA

Special Guest: Dr. Marsha B. Novick.

The Fit Crew tries matcha, the finely powdered green tea from Japanese tea ceremonies. It is now popping up all over the food world - from matcha drinks at the local coffee shop to ice cream, soba noodles and even Instagram yogurt bowls.

But what is it, what does it taste like - and are there real benefits to turning our food and drinks a color only Kermit-the-Frog could love? And just what was Noelle drinking?

Expert: Holly Doan, RD, LDN

Sponsor: Great Plates – the new Healthy Me PA recipe book. Sign up for your copy today.

Special Guest: Holly Doan, RD, LDN.

This week the Fit Crew tries out Pound. If you’ve ever dreamed of being a thunderous rock god while air drumming to your favorite song in the car, Pound could be the fitness class for you. Inspired by the infectious, energizing, and sweat-dripping fun of playing the drums, this high-intensity cardio class literally puts drum sticks in your hands and lets you pound out the beat as part of your workout.

Guest: Nikki Colucci, Pound instructor

Sponsor: Healthy Me PA

Special Guest: Nikki Colucci .

This week we’re trying out… Fitness Festivals. You’ve probably seen these events popping up in your Facebook feed - that’s how we found out about one in our area. Depending on the event, they showcase the hottest fitness and wellness trends, offering classes, cooking demonstrations and more. But who goes to these festivals? Is it Coachella for the fit set, with Lululemon leggings as far as the eye can see - or is there something there for the more casual fitness enthusiast? The Fit Crew visited a couple fitness festivals this summer to find out.

Thrive FitFest

Sponsor: Great Plates – the new Healthy Me PA recipe book. Sign up for your copy today.

Special Guest: Ashley Mentzer.

This week the Crew is trying out sleep tracker apps. We all know we should be getting eight hours of sleep every night - but what happens after your head hits the pillow? Sleep tracker apps can help shed light on what goes on during the night - providing information about the quantity and some say the quality of sleep as well.

Wearables:

Sleep apps:

Guests:

Sponsor: Healthy Me PA

Special Guests: Dr. Julio Fernandez-Mendoza and Dr. Venkatesh Krishnamurthy.

This week we’re trying out Barre. Who doesn’t want to be a ballerina? And ballet moves at the barre form the basis of this workout. As one Barre studio describes, it’s a way to “sculpt and tone your body with the grace of a dancer.” And it’s so popular that studios dedicated just to this fitness workout are popping up all over the country - taking on - or perhaps inspired by - the Pilates juggernaut.

Find out more about our expert, barre and pilates instructor Allison Zang, co-owner of Absolute Pilates.

Sponsor: Great Plates – the new Healthy Me PA recipe book. Sign up for your copy today.

Special Guest: Allison Zang.

It feels like meditation - and apps for meditation - are everywhere right now. I keep seeing this animation for the Calm app in my Facebook feed - the one where you do nothing for 15 seconds while you watch a video of rain gently falling on some leaves... It’s a modern twist on an ancient tradition.

Meditiation Apps

Books

Special Guest: Yasmin Haut.