Did This Doctor Break the Law?

Just when it seems like things can’t get any worse for Tiger Woods, the whirlwind of speculation and rumors surrounding him have now become sports-related.

The New York Times website reported Monday that a Canadian doctor who treated Woods at least four times after his knee surgery in 2008, is now being investigated by the FBI for allegedly supplying professional athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.

The Canadian sports medicine pioneer, Dr. Anthony Galea, was found with Human Growth Hormone (HGH) and Actovegin, a drug extracted from calf’s blood, in his medical bag at the U.S.-Canadian border in late September, and was later arrested on October 15, the report said. Prescribing HGH is legal in Canada, and is acceptable for some purposes in the United States, but using, selling, or importing Actovegin is illegal in the United States.

Galea became famous in the professional sports world for his development of a blood-spinning technique called platelet-rich plasma therapy, which is an FDA-approved injection-based therapy that speeds up a person’s recovery after surgery. He said he has been using HGH for personal use for 10 years but has never given it out to any professional athletes.

So, we at Fitcorp are wondering if the law is actually being broken here?

Read the article, and let us know what you think?

FITCORP ADVICE ON HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT HEALTH CLUB

As the President and CEO of Fitcorp, I have seen thousands of people join our network of fitness centers over the past 30 years. I’m pleased to say that most of these people have had a very pleasurable experience and have succeeded in accomplishing their fitness goals. However, the key to success lies in choosing the right health club, one that fits an individual’s specific fitness needs.
Many people hope that joining a health club will provide them with the motivation to exercise on a regular basis. But all health clubs are not the same. Take a deeper look at what each club offers so you will be joining the club that has the best chance of helping you develop a steady fitness habit. Make sure you include a visit to Fitcorp. For over 30 years, Fitcorp has been a leader in the fitness field, and our experience and professionalism has stood the test of time. Here are the factors you should be looking for before you make your final choice.

• Convenience and Hours of Operation
  I rate convenience as the most important factor that a person must consider when choosing a health club. Your attendance will steadily decline if your health club is not located near your home or place of work. If it takes longer than 10 minutes to walk or drive to your health club, you will not likely attend on a regular basis. What hours and days of the week is the club open? Does it open early enough or stay open late enough to accommodate your anticipated workout schedule?
• Facilities and Services
  Make sure the health club has the kind of equipment and facilities you most want. Do they have enough cardiovascular equipment, strength training machines and free weights? Do they have a functional training area for you to stretch and use a stability ball, foam roller, etc? Do they have group fitness classrooms, a basketball court, squash, racquetball, or handball courts? Do they have a sauna, steam room or whirlpool? Ask about the other services that they might offer. Do they offer massage, physical therapy, nutrition services, acupuncture, etc.?
• Staff
  How friendly are the club’s employees? When you walk in the door, are you greeted with a warm hello from the front desk staff? Do all the Trainers have degrees in Exercise Science? Do they act like knowledgeable fitness professionals? Are they fully familiar with the equipment and able to give you help and direction? Do they display their credentials? Are they wearing name tags? Are the Trainers available to meet with you when you join to show you how to properly us the equipment? Does the club charge extra for this service? If you plan to hire a Personal Trainer, what hours are they available?
• Overcrowding
  Is the club packed with members during the hours when you expect to workout? How difficult will it be for you to find an open piece of cardiovascular equipment or to participate in your favorite group fitness class? Almost all health clubs experience heavy use during January, but there still needs to be room for you.
• Group Fitness Classes
  It’s very important that you review the club’s group fitness schedule if you plan to participate in classes like yoga, Pilates, Zumba or spinning. Does the club offer these classes at times that work for you? How crowded are the classes? How often does the club change it class schedule? How long has the instructor been teaching the class? Does the club charge an extra fee for these classes?
• Cleanliness
  Is the club clean? Check out the locker rooms. How clean are the showers? Are dirty towels lying all over the floor? Is the equipment kept in good repair (check to see how many pieces of equipment have out of order signs on them)? How clean are the exercise mats? Is their dust underneath the exercise equipment?
• Safety
  Are you going to be safe in case you have a medical emergency? Are all of the staff members certified in CPR and First Aid? Does the club have an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator)? How many staff members are certified to use it? Does the club have an emergency plan?
• Members
  Do the members look like the type of people that you would feel comfortable around? Will you feel intimated when you are wearing your gym clothing? Ask a staff person how long the average person remains a member at the club.
• Guests
  Find out what guest privileges you have -- is there a fee for bringing a guest, and are you limited to certain hours or numbers of guests?
• Cost
  Purchasing a health club membership can be confusing. Be sure you understand the basics:

1. Joining fees
2. Are you buying a month to month or a contract membership?
3. If it is a contract, how long is its duration?
4. How it will be billed, and whether it automatically renews if not actively stopped
5. Can you put your membership on freeze? If so, for how long? Is there a fee for this service?
6. Are there extra fees for classes, personal training, child care, and parking?
7. Can the membership be used at other locations?
8. Are there any time limits on using any bonus items such as personal training sessions?
9. Will the fees go up after an initial discount period?
10. Are the fees refundable if you decide to terminate the contract?
11. Do they offer corporate or health insurance discounts or discounts for family members? Can you receive any membership credit for referring friends?
    

• Trial Memberships
  The best way to test out a health club is to try it out for free. Any good and reputable health club should be more than willing to let you try them out for free!
  

Fitcorp Fitness Centers by far exceed all the expectations you may be looking for in a health club. Over the years, Fitcorp has continued to provide the ultimate in cleanliness, safety, convenience, customer service and state of the art programs and equipment. For over 30 years, the Fitcorp staff has continued its professional excellence. They are carefully selected from the most outstanding in Boston, and they come with the credentials that will ensure your safety and success in reaching your fitness goals.

Deciding what health club to join is a little like deciding where you want to live. Ultimately, you want to be in a clean, safe, convenient location, surrounded by pleasant people and a professional, knowledgeable and accessible staff. When you walk into any of our fitness centers, ask any Fitcorp member, and they will tell you that you are in the right place.

So do your research before joining a health club. It may mean the difference between a great experience at a Fitcorp Fitness Center and a disastrous one elsewhere!

If Ted Can Do It, So Can You!

Our members join Fitcorp for many reasons. Some have never exercised a day in their lives. Others are in great shape and their goal is to maintain their fitness levels. Many members desire to lose weight. However, a good percentage of our members join Fitcorp because they have serious health issues that they hope to cure or control through exercise. Over the past 30 years, Fitcorp has helped thousands of people with various health issues achieve their goals.

Ted is one such member who joined Fitcorp after experiencing a catastrophic health problem. Ted was overweight as a child. He never played sports growing up, and he admits to spending most of his childhood in front of a TV eating junk food. When Ted went on to college and law school, his bad health habits followed him into adulthood.

Five years ago, Ted’s life seemed to be out of control. He was 100 pounds over weight, his blood pressure and cholesterol levels were in the danger range, and the stress of his job was causing him to consume way too much alcohol. His co-workers were worried about him, and many were politely encouraging him to join Fitcorp by leaving guest passes and flyers describing new fitness classes on his desk.

Unfortunately, Ted ignored their pleas and then, three years ago, he experienced a massive heart attack. This was followed by a triple bypass operation to repair his damaged coronary arteries. The good news was that Ted finally got the message that he was unhealthy, and he realized that he needed to change his life. After going through a 12-week cardiac rehabilitation program, Ted’s doctor sent him to Fitcorp where he began to work with one of our Personal Trainers and our Nutritionist. On weekends, Ted went out on long walks. Ted’s three-day-a-week exercise program quickly increased to four days and then five days. The guy who had hated gym class as a kid was now hooked on exercise.

Today, Ted is 90 pounds lighter, and his cholesterol and blood pressure are normal. More importantly, his outlook on life has drastically changed, and he has become a very successful litigation lawyer for a large Boston law firm. When I see Ted around the gym, I am reminded why I started Fitcorp 30 years ago. Our mission is to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

No Time For Exercise – That’s An Excuse That I Just Can’t Accept

I’m always shocked at how many people tell me the reason they cannot exercise is because they just don’t have time. This just amazes me.

How can people not understand that regular exercise is the most important thing that any of us can do each day? It is what sustains us, keeps us healthy and helps us to live longer, more productive lives.

Over 14 million people have diabetes, and over six million of them are unaware that they currently have the disease. Cancer and heart disease are two of the leading diseases that kill adults each year. Many people would be alive today if they had taken the time to exercise 30 minutes per day and had maintained healthy diets.

So how is it that these same folks who cannot find one half hour per day to exercise have time to eat lunch, call their friends, shop, pay bills, do laundry and watch TV?

Thirty years ago when I started Fitcorp, I used to tell people that regular exercise may make you healthier and allow you to live longer. Today, research has proven that regular exercise will improve both the quality and quantity of your life. A 30-minute exercise program conducted five days per week will prevent heart disease and many forms of cancer, control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, allow you to maintain a normal body weight, help you to sleep better, improve your sex life and help you cope with daily stress.

Exercise is the most important thing I do for myself, and I block out an hour in my schedule each day for it. I do not allow my workout to take a backseat to meetings, lunch dates, phone calls or TV.

So tell me, are you going to rethink committing one half hour per day to taking care of yourself?

by Gary T. Klencheski