Edan Gelt - Communications Strategist, Fitness Blogger, Child-life Volunteer

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 fea...

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...

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...