Posts

The Psychology of Reciprocity in Business By Edan Gelt

Image
There is an unwritten law that says if someone gives you something, you should give something back.  It is an instinctual psychological reflex that has become a social norm but many of us don’t even realize it. The other day I was back to school shopping with my daughter.  We were both starved and tired and decided to check out a new eatery, a unique fresh food concept.  We walked up to the counter and after quickly reviewing the menu we were overwhelmed. My overly picky daughter probably wouldn’t like anything and the menu seemed complicated for our starved state. As we were about to walk away, the woman working behind the counter asked us if we ever had Kefir.  Of course we had; being married to a European, Kefir was a household staple.  We nodded and she said, “Before you go, take a free sample”.  She then grabbed a decent size cup and filled it half way with the frozen dairy delight and asked if we would like a topping.  She then handed it to us and told us to have a grea
3 comments
Keep reading

Zumba – 30 of 30 complete!

Image
I’ve never tried Zumba before, to be honest, I was just too intimidated.  A friend and former colleague Lidia saw my posts on Facebook and invited me to her class at LA Fitness downtown.  I figured if I was going to embarrass myself, I might as well do it in front of her.    Lidia’s passion is dance and she used to do it competitively, dedicating nearly all of her free time to it.  She’s recently given up the art and now takes to the dance floor three times a week at various LA Fitness locations close to her Chicago home.   I arrived at LA Fitness on Sunday morning, post a St. Patty’s day hangover and joined Lidia and her regulars in the studio.  The music started and off she went as I tried to keep up as she Merengue’d, Salsa’d, and Bachata’d her way cross the dance floor.  She was amazing and as I side glanced in the mirror, I knew I looked like a flailing fish but I was kind of keeping up and totally having fun. The music was rhythmic and the infused hip-hop dance moves were f
1 comment
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Keep reading

Acupuncture for Fitness Junkies

Image
I’ve never had acupuncture; needles make me a little squeamish so I was a bit hesitant to try it. Being a fitness junkie, something is always hurting – my knees from running, my neck from cycling, my mid-back from just about everything.  I was researching different ways to deal with the constant stiffness and pain.  As I searched, acupuncture continually showed up in my search results.  After years of hemming and hawing, I finally tried acupuncture at Your Medicos in Buffalo Grove and LOVED IT (and the therapist Kevin).  I can’t wait to go back.   I love massages – the more pressure the better so I was in my element for the first part of the session.  Kevin knew just the right spots and spent extra time working the knots and tight areas along my neck and back.  About half way into the session – Kevin inserted the needles, which thankfully are hair thin.  I have to admit, I was scared - however, after he put the first few in, I realized the fear was unfounded – I hardly felt them. 
Post a Comment
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Keep reading

Approaches to Gauge Your Fitness

Image
Achieving fitness goals can be a challenge for anybody. Through dedication, focus, and responsibility you can achieve your objectives. Everybody's fitness level is different and is personally based on factors including aerobic endurance, muscular fitness, adaptability, and body composition. Fitness is more than how quick or long you can run, how much weight you can lift or what your body looks like in a swimsuit. If you need to know how solid and fit your body is, have a go at surveying your fitness level with these tests: Resting Heart Rate Your resting heart rate can be a good, simple sign of your general fitness level. The quantity of times your heart pulsates every second, assesses your aerobic fitness limit. At the point when your body is very still and loose, take your pulse for 60 seconds. A lower RHR translates to a stronger cardiovascular system and higher aerobic fitness level. Brisk Walk This test shows the level your cardiovascular fitness is at. Utiliz
3 comments
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Keep reading

FITNESS FAVES AND FADS – A MARKETERS PERSPECTIVE

Image
Last month I launched a social experiment, branding myself as a fitness mom and started a blog at www.edanjoygelt.com . My brand wasn’t far from the truth – I’ve religiously, worked out for decades and fitness has always been a part of my life, I just wasn’t an expert athlete. At the start of my experiment, my goal was to understand the impact of social media and obviously reap the benefits from the exercise but what I also gained was a lesson in the marketing and psychology of fitness.   A marketing strategist to the core, I was excited by what I learned and couldn’t wait to share.   Profit Model It’s well known that the strategy behind the lucrative fitness business includes a monthly membership fee and attendance.  The more people that sign up + the more people that don’t show-up = the more money the club makes.    This strategy has allowed many basic and full-service clubs to enter the market at varying costs and still be wildly profitable. Clubs may offer bare bones eq
10 comments
Location: Chicago, IL, USA
Keep reading