Alliance Fitness Center celebrates 30th anniversary

November 1, 2021 Vera

Company Name: Alliance Fitness Center

Number of years in business: 30

Founder: Sarah Small

Founded: 1991

Location: 1 Meridian Blvd., Spring Township.

Principal leader: Sarah Small

What does your company produce: Fitness center.

How many employees: 14.

Mission: The mission of the Alliance Fitness Center is to unite the finest team of fitness professionals who together remain dedicated to helping individuals enhance their health and longevity through quality wellness programs. We have dedicated ourselves to reaching the highest level of education and expertise possible with the sole purpose of helping our clients eliminate those unhealthy lifestyles plaguing the American population.

How company started: Founded in 1991, our parent company Corporate Health Alliance (Alliance Fitness Center was located in the Meridian Corporate Center) rapidly made its mark in group exercise, providing Reading, Allentown and Hershey based companies and school districts with quality group exercise options. With over 31 years of experience in commercial and corporate fitness center management, Sarah M. Small, president and marketing director of CHA, expanded the companies services to include health awareness, behavior intervention programming and corporate site management and fitness facility consulting.
When it comes to fitness, Alliance Fitness Center evaluates clients specific needs, goals and preferences. One reason for our high client success rate is that we turn each member’s distinctiveness into a training advantage. Alliance fitness trainers and nutrition coaches are masters at creating specialized programs that align with client goals while focusing on their overall fitness experience. We ensure that fitness becomes a part of your lifestyle and that our clients enjoy themselves in the process.

Key to company’s success: Education first — an AFC Certified Personal Trainer has the education and expertise to assess your physical capacities and program you with an individual exercise program that fits within our abilities and goals. Whether you’re an athlete looking to increase sports performance or a busy career person looking to stay fit and healthy, our trainers will set you up for success!

Website: https://www.alliancefitnesscenter.com

Phone Number: 610-376-2322

Business Spotlight highlights company anniversaries beginning with the 10th anniversary and in five-year increments after that. To submit a Business Spotlight, go to readingeagle.com and click the Main Menu on the left side, then click on the Business tab, then the Business Spotlight form. All information in the story was submitted by the company. The Reading Eagle reserves the right to edit submitted copy for style, clarity and

How to Change up Your Workout Routine for Fall

October 30, 2021 Vera

Even if you’re not shuttling kids back to school or in a climate where autumn brings changing leaves and dropping temperatures, there tends to be a shift in our schedules and moods that comes with the start of fall, says Minneapolis-based Lindsay Ogden, a National Academy of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer and the digital manager for content and coaching at for Life Time, a national fitness company that runs gyms and corporate wellness programs.

Fewer hours of daylight might find you spending less time outdoors, especially in the evenings or early morning hours. You might find yourself less motivated to stick with an outdoor workout, particularly if you had been exercising at one of these times, Ogden says. “Maybe it’s now dark when you get up.”

RELATED: What Sleep Docs Want You to Know About Turning the Clocks Back and Shorter Winter Days

Some people find themselves more energized to work out at new times throughout the day, she says. Or you might find yourself craving new ways to work out altogether. That “fresh start” feeling that comes with trying new activities can be really motivating, says Ogden.

The novelty can make it playful and fun — and something you look forward to rather than something you feel like you have to slog through.

Here are a few ideas of activities to try that can help you fit in lots of movement and embrace the change of season:

1. Apple Picking

Fall offers lots of outdoor activities to help you get a few extra steps in, from apple picking to navigating a corn maze to hiking or cycling.

Activities like these can up overall activity throughout the day and offer short bursts of intensity, says Ogden. For example, apple picking requires overhead stretching, as well as twists and forward bends (all good for maintaining mobility). A corn maze might inspire you to sprint through in a race with your friends and family.

RELATED: Mobility Exercises to Boost Your Health and Fitness

Getting different types of motion than you’d find in the gym can improve fitness overall, Ogden explains, since you’re using multiple muscle groups. Plus, she adds that being outdoors can give you an additional mental health boost.

“Wherever you are, think about ways to enjoy the season and truly embrace it,” Ogden suggests. Enjoying movement will make it feel less like work.

2. Fun Runs

Fall is definitely “fun

The 14 Best Fitness Trackers, Watches and Bands In 2021

October 29, 2021 Vera

Staying in shape is hard work (and honestly, that can feel like a humble brag to anyone trying to get into shape in the first place). It’s especially hard to do on your own, without any help, coaching or encouragement. That’s why a lot of people turn to tech to keep themselves active and engaged in their personal health and fitness journey. A fitness tracker—whether it’s a fitness band or a smartwatch—can remind you to exercise, monitor your activity level during and after each workout and track your progress over time. The best fitness trackers are the next best thing to having your own personal trainer.

Wearing a fitness tracker helps keep you on track to your fitness goals.

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Choosing the right tracker can be daunting. Fitbit, the company that singled-handedly popularized the concept of fitness tracking, sells no fewer than seven different models on its own. And then there are fitness trackers from Samsung, Garmin, Amazfit and a dozen other companies. It pays to shop carefully, because not all trackers are designed for the kinds of exercise you want to do, and some have extra features, like smartphone notifications, heart rate monitoring, stress tracking and blood-oxygen level sensors.

No matter which fitness tracker you choose, there’s a good chance it’ll cover all the basics pretty well, but you might want extras like water resistance (great if you’re a swimmer), the ability to track stairs and built-in GPS so you don’t need to bring your phone along on a long run. We’ve rounded up 14 of the best fitness trackers you can buy today; no matter where you are on your fitness journey, there’s a model here for you.

Best Fitness Tracker Overall

Fitbit Inspire 2

The Fitbit Inspire 2 captures the flag as the best overall fitness tracker because it represents, in many ways, the template from which all other trackers are created. The Inspire 2 represents the culmination of everything Fitbit has learned about making wearables over the years, and includes pretty much everything the average person needs in a fitness tracker. It counts steps, distance and has sleep tracking features. It automatically recognizes when you’re doing a variety of common workouts and starts tracking—over 20 kinds of workouts in all. It’s waterproof to about 150 feet and you can wear it into a pool to track swim workouts.

The Inspire 2 replaces the older Inspire HR

How the US Army’s holistic health and fitness program will prevent injuries

October 28, 2021 Vera

It appears the era of “a couple of Motrin should do the trick” could be nearing its end in the Army.

“My sergeants major right now, they hurt. Their bodies hurt,” Col. Phillip Kiniery, the commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, told Task & Purpose last week. “I need to make sure that the next group of leaders and senior leaders in the Army don’t feel like I feel physically. That they’re healthy … I wish we thought this way when we were going up.”

The 4,500-soldier brigade is part of an effort to address injuries early and give soldiers more access to physical and occupational therapy through the Army’s holistic health and fitness program, which was announced in 2017 and officially put into Army policy last year. It focuses on total wellness, not just physical fitness, and urges mental and spiritual wellbeing, getting enough rest, eating well, and, more simply, just taking care of yourself.

Referred to internally as H2F, the holistic health and fitness program encourages soldiers to take better care of their minds and bodies, not simply push through the pain after an injury, and emphasizes learning how to physically train properly. And at least one brigade commander is hoping that with that kind of change, the next generation of Army leaders won’t have the same kinds of aches and pains as, you know, all of you do. But to do that will require a certain level of humility from leaders.

This is the Army’s plan to stop physically breaking so many of its soldiers — Paratroopers assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, utilize the physical training strength and conditioning coaches at the Falcon Holistic Health and Fitness Center (H2F) on October, 18, 2021 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (U.S. Army/Staff Sgt. Andrew Mallett)

“That’s what I’m fighting every day: ‘We’re the 2nd Brigade, 82nd, we’re going to jump into combat anywhere in the world, we’re the 82nd Airborne Division,’” Kiniery said. “Like hey sergeant, I got it. You can kill anything, you can jump out of every aircraft, but just stop and listen to this strength coach because you’re doing it wrong.”

While the program could bring positive changes to soldiers everywhere, it will likely be years before it’s implemented Army-wide. There are currently 28 Army brigades — located at Fort Bragg, Fort Drum, Fort Polk, Fort Bliss, and Joint Base Lewis McChord — who have started implementing the holistic health and fitness program.

Welcoming every body: UF Trans Health + Wellness Initiative partners with RecSports to provide students with ‘Gym 101’

October 26, 2021 Vera

The gym can be intimidating at first, especially for queer students confronted with gendered spaces. So UF’s Trans Health + Wellness Initiative tries to make it easier.

“Everyone has a right to be in fitness spaces,” UF applied physiology and kinesiology third-year and THWI president Dahlia Wrubluski said.

THWI hopes to provide queer students with the tools they might need to start their fitness journey free from stigma and social barriers. On Oct. 4, the club hosted a meeting in collaboration with RecSports to provide students with an introduction to gym facilities and exercise techniques.

THWI started last Spring and has hosted events promoting open conversations about what health and wellness mean to the transgender, intersex and gender non-conforming communities.

Wrubluski said THWI’s main purpose is to “deprioritize looks in fitness” and create a space where students can break down the unspoken cis-normative nature of fitness culture and feel comfortable engaging in physical activity.

UF English freshman Miles Wasser, who identifies as non-binary, explained that the gym environment heavily relies on gender roles and often alienates those who fall outside of the gender binary.

“It really does not feel welcoming to anyone is isn’t cis-presenting,” Wasser said. “It’s not just focusing on aspects of your body and how you’re moving, it’s also analyzing ‘am I moving in a way that looks more masculine or feminine?’”

THWI hopes to assist queer students in their fitness activities by educating about gym resources and creating safe spaces where they can exercise with a sense of safety and confidence.

“I realized there was a need for trans-inclusive health that goes beyond reproductive and hormonal health and focuses on holistic preventative health, and exercise, fitness and wellness are some of the things that are central to preventative health,” Wrubluski said.

The meeting was surrounded by a sense of community within the attendees. The close-knit group met in Little Hall and had an open conversation about why fitness matters in the queer community.

“What we tried to do was put together a presentation that would be inclusive enough to be able to accommodate any needs and hopefully break down barriers,” Cory Bennett, RecSport’s fitness programs assistant director, said.

The meeting covered “Gym 101,” which included basic gym etiquette, general body mechanics and how to overcome the initial anxiety of going into a gym space for the first time.

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City Planning Commission Approves Two Amendments Promoting Health and Fitness

October 25, 2021 Vera

Image of current districts under the FRESH program. One of the Mayor’s proposed zoning amendments will expand the FRESH program in outer boroughs. Image Credit: NYC DCP

Commissioners raised concerns about the removal of special permits as a way to vet out illegitimate massage parlors. On October 20, 2021, the City Planning Commission voted to approve two applications proposed by the City to support small businesses and promote healthy food options and fitness. The two applications, the FRESH Program Expansion and the Health and Fitness Text Amendment, were part of a series of zoning proposals proposed earlier this year.

FRESH Expansion

The Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program offers zoning and tax incentives to encourage the development of accessible stores for fresh meats and produce, perishable goods and other grocery products. FRESH zoning incentives include an additional square foot of residential floor area for a mixed building for every square foot provided for a FRESH food store and a possible increase in maximum building height by 15 feet authorized by the City Planning Commission to accommodate the extra floor area. FRESH food stores can be built as-of-right in FRESH eligible districts instead of seeking out a special permit.

Currently, the FRESH program operates in specific districts, including portions of Manhattan Community Districts 9 through 12, portions of Bronx Community Districts 1 through 7, portions of Brooklyn Community Districts 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 16 and 17, portions of Queens Community districts 1 and 12 and the Special Downtown Jamaica District. The proposed zoning change expands the FRESH program in Bronx Community Districts 8 and 9; Brooklyn Community Districts 1, 2, 12 and 13; Queens Community Districts 1, 3, 4 and 14 and Staten Island Community District 1.

The commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the amendment, and did not issue any comment on it.

Health and Fitness Text Amendment

The Health and Fitness text amendment would allow gyms, martial arts studios, spas, massage therapy businesses and other health related businesses to open as-of-right where zoning permits. Currently, these health related businesses must first seek special permission from the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), which can add months in the timeline and thousands of dollars of upfront costs to open these kinds of businesses. During this time of economic recovery, the City wanted to remove the significant barriers that prevent these small businesses that provide health benefits from