OVERCOMING NEW YEAR RESOLUTION PITFALLS
At the start of the new year, many of us set intentions to improve our fitness and wellbeing. As time goes on, it can become quite easy to fall into some common pitfalls. In fact, most resolutions get dropped by the second week of the year! As you get back on track, the key is to focus on goals that are realistic, sustainable, and designed for long-term success. Let’s talk about some common pitfalls and tips for staying on track with your fitness journey in 2025.
UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOVERY
Whether you’re a die-hard athlete or just someone who occasionally jogs to catch the ice cream truck, recovery is key. After all, your body isn’t a machine—it needs time to heal after a workout (or, let's face it, after life). And that’s where massage therapy comes in, a game-changing tool to help your muscles bounce back. Let’s break it down.
ART’S WEEKEND CHILI
Here is an Art weekend recipe, for which he gave himself a solid B+!
JASON’S KEY TO NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
Now that the celebration is over and we most likely put on a couple more pounds from a loved one's pies and/or cookies. It might be time to start doing the New Year’s resolution. For Jason, the key to this has been doing something he already loves or figuring out how to love something new.
CRISPY TUNA CAKES
A great tuna recipe from NYT Cooking!
THE BENEFITS OF PERSONAL TRAINING
The start of a new year often comes with health and fitness-related resolutions. These resolutions may include becoming stronger, eating better, developing a consistent workout routine, drinking less alcohol, etc. While these goals are realistic and attainable, sticking to them can be a challenge. This is where personal training at PFP can make all the difference. Here’s how working with a personal trainer at PFP can help you achieve your New Year’s fitness goals and sustain them long after January ends:
FEVER IS YOUR FRIEND
Most of us have reached for some Tylenol when we are sick and feel feverish. That makes us more comfortable, but is that the best thing to do?
A recent NPR report about illness and the benefits of raising your body temperature to fight off disease inspired me to write about this common concern – why are we afraid of fevers?
Let’s explore how fever can be your friend.
ERICA’S CHICKEN POBLANO LASAGNA
A family friend made this on the fly. Here, I'll try to reproduce it.
UPDATES AT PFP
Hey everyone – happy 2025! Here are all of our gym updates condensed into one place for the new year.
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU…
It’s that time of the year again when we all collectively agree to pretend that we’re suddenly going to transform into perfect, glowing versions of ourselves in 24 hours. Resolutions are set, gym memberships are activated, and Pinterest boards are filled with dreamy salads and motivational quotes. But by February, it’s usually just us, a bag of cheesy Doritos, and a firm belief that we were "probably too ambitious" in our goals.
Well, this year, let’s ditch the "I’m going to work out every day and eat only kale" approach. Instead, let’s go for bite-sized resolutions—tiny, achievable, totally doable goals that don’t make you want to cry by the end of January. Let’s talk fitness, nutrition, and self-care in ways that won’t make you feel like a failure before the first snow melts.
ART’S GREEN CHICKEN CHILI
This green chicken chili is a great winter dish. Enjoy!
PFP BARBELL METHOD: WHAT IS IT? WHO IS IT FOR?
Something new we are introducing at PFP in 2025 will be our PFP Barbell Method class. For current members, this may sound familiar, like PFP Method, our group fitness class we hold throughout the week at PFP. It is similar in terms of the length of the class and has a structure that should feel very recognizable.
GIVING A GIFT
It is that time of the year again, where we to buy our love ones a gift for the holidays. Sometimes it can be a struggle to find that perfect gift or we have that one person who seems to have everything. So what do we do for them?
THE BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR WOMEN OVER 60
As women age, staying active and maintaining overall health becomes increasingly important, especially when it comes to resistance training. Resistance training is often overlooked by both women and men over a certain age, and instead, increased fear happens when it comes to daily tasks, like walking up and down the stairs or moving something that is too heavy. Lifting weights can be a game-changer for women 60+ and those navigating perimenopause or menopause.
THE GREATEST GIFT
The greatest gift I’ve ever received that didn’t come wrapped in a check would definitely be my coaches! When I first walked into PFP, I was a stay-at-home mom in desperate need of an escape from my own four walls. Enter Gina and Caleb—two wonderful humans who convinced me to get back into fitness after I’d let it all go (you know, thanks to the magic of having babies).
TURKEY TETRAZZINI
A classic and warm casserole for cold winters, originally from NYT cooking.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU DON’T ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL
Goal setting is essential for many areas of life and will help stay disciplined and feel rewarded if accomplished. Whether it's a fitness milestone, career advancement, personal growth, or even a creative pursuit, the anticipation of achieving something meaningful drives us forward. But what happens when things don’t go as planned? When you don’t achieve your goal, it’s easy to feel disheartened or even question your abilities. The key, however, is to use the experience as feedback, rather than see it as failure. With the power of reflection and intention you can move forward and reestablish your goal.
GIFT-GIVING
Last week, we recognized Giving Tuesday. It’s a time around the holidays when we celebrate supporting various causes in our communities and around the world through charitable donations.
But what other ways can we engage in gift-giving? Let’s look at some other ways to give a gift without using monetary means.
BETTY CROCKER TURKEY POT PIE
Here’s the first of a few post-Thanksgiving, "What do I do with my leftover turkey" recipes!
HOLIDAY TRAVEL-FRIENDLY WORKOUT OPTIONS
Maintaining a workout routine while traveling can be tough, but maintaining a workout routine while traveling during the holiday season? It can feel like a whole other level of challenge. If your holiday travels resemble anything akin to when my husband and I travel back to visit my family this time of year, “stressful” simply doesn’t fully encompass the perils of winter travel, divorced parents and their separate holiday events, and trying in earnest to respect my introverted limits.