JUST PRESS THE RED BUTTON…..

We hope you are enjoying your workouts on the new and improved equipment. As the final step to making this a rewarding experience the TV screens are now up and running.  There is a choice of eleven channels offering a daily diet of news, music, entertainment and sports news.  We expect the use of the screens will act both as a motivator and a distraction, helping you to get more from your exercise and to keep going just that little bit longer!
Please bring in your own headphones if you have them – if not you can purchase headphones from us for £4.

Putting your foot in it……

The purpose of an athletic shoe is to enhance performance and prevent injuries by protecting your foot from the stresses of your sport.

The Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has given the following tips for finding the right shoe:

• Try on athletic shoes after a workout or run and at the end of the day. Your feet will be at their largest.
• Wear the same type of sock that you will wear for that sport.
• When the shoe is on your foot, you should be able to freely wiggle all of your toes.
• The shoes should be comfortable as soon as you try them on. There is no break-in period.
• Walk or run a few steps in your shoes. They should be comfortable.
• Always relace the shoes you are trying on. You should begin at the farthest eyelets and apply even pressure as you make a crisscross lacing pattern to the top of the shoe.
• There should be a firm grip of the shoe to your heel. Your heel should not slip as you walk or run.
• If you participate in a sport three or more times a week, make sure you purchase a sports-specific shoe.

It can be hard to choose from the many different types of athletic shoes available. There are differences in design and variations in material and weight. These differences have been developed to protect the areas of the feet that encounter the most stress in a particular athletic activity. The features of a good sports shoe include cushioning, flexibility, control, and stability in the heel counter area, lightness, and good traction.  Athletic shoe companies produce many models for various foot types, gait patterns, and training styles. It is always best to get proper information about the type of shoe that should be selected for your foot and the activities you participating in.

A date for your diary:

• In June Sarah Jane from Sportzform will be coming in for an evening to give expert advice on footwear and give you an opportunity to try on a selection of sports shoes – don’t miss it. The date will be confirmed in the next few days.
• Chippenham Harriers Running Club are celebrating their 25th anniversary with a half marathon on 14th September.  Talk to a member of the team about making that your next target.

Members of the Month for March are:

• Julia Ponton – excellent commitment to training and the achievement of her goal by completing the 5km Race for Life on Sunday 11th May.
• Robert Knight – fantastic effort and dedication in the gym and at classes.

Well done:

• Colin and Teresa Coupland.  Colin is now regularly attending the gym three times a week and both are cycling in from Corston to the Sunday gym circuit class.
• Christine Mac: Making good progress with knee rehabilitation and back to all her classes.
• Emma Harris who with her partner Becky Priest won the Lark Inland Sailing competition on 18/19 May.
• Graeme Pattie who ran the 10km Dundry Thunder Run on 22nd May.
• Kat Mangham who completed the 5km Race for Life on Sunday 11th May.
• Amanda Duffin who walked the marathon Moonwalk in London in aid of Breast Cancer Research.

Good luck to:

• Norma McMorrine who is competing in the Race for Life 5km this month.

New and returning members:
In May we welcomed Michelle and Steve Ellis, Alastair and Katriona Smale, Jane Davidson, Vicky Davidston, Emma Harris, Emma Leigh-Goodall, Christina Croft, Martin Bridge and Norma McMorrine.
We look forward to working with you and helping you achieve all your health and fitness goals.

School Vouchers
If you are offered Sainsburys’ Active Kids vouchers or Tesco’s Computers for Schools vouchers and you don’t have a school to give them to please put them in the pot in reception and we will pass them on to some of the local schools.

Focus on Fitness shirt sale

A few Focus on Fitness shirts and t-shirts are still available. Ask a member of the team about sizes and colours.

And finally –
‘Being defeated is often a temporary condition.  Giving up is what makes it permanent.’  Marilyn vos Savant American columnist