Here at the Body Loft we endorse the TRX suspension straps and RIP trainer, both improving your functional training. You might be asking what is the RIP trainer and how does it benefit me? Well here is the low down. 
The RIP trainer is a lever bar and resistance cord that challenges and benefits your body through rotation, speed, and balance and coordination. These movements are found in almost all the sports we participate in the Lake Tahoe Basin as well as our daily movements, i.e. picking up groceries, kids, and other daily activities. It is important when we are active that we maintain control through our rotational movements to prevent injury. The RIP trainer uses resistance to build these muscles that stabilize our spine. Rotational force is achieved through the resistance band, which in turn helps produce more rotational force which forces you to control the rotation at the same time. The more you stretch the band and farther you are from your anchor point, the harder the resistance and the more force you generate creating a more difficult movement. This can be applied to both static and dynamic movements, helping build a strong body and exercise routine.
So now that you know how the RIP trainer works, how does it work our body? Every exercise on the RIP trainer enables your entire body, by connecting the lower and upper body through the core. On top of that you are building your coordination, balance, and total body power. If you do not stabilize your core using the RIP trainer, you will feel the resistance pull you back towards the anchor point. The exciting thing about this piece of equipment is that it each exercise can be customized to target to meet any goal or objective. So when you come to the Body Loft and see the RIP trainer, don't be scared be excited to integrate these dynamic moves into your exercise routine!

As we begin this new adventure here at the Tahoe Body Loft, it has become clear how important healthy habits are in achieving and maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle. A negative habit can break your routine and cause that dreadful plateau, affecting your motivation to reinforce the healthy habits. "A unhealthy habit is easy to develop and hard to live with; a healthy habit is harder to develop but easier to live with" (Whitfield, 2015). So how do we replace our unhealthy habits for healthy ones?

First it is important to remember that although we may not gain instant gratification from a healthy habit, these positive choices will have a much bigger reward in the long term. Sometimes that is hard to remember when we are taunted daily by poor choices that satisfy a craving in the short term. To ward off these evil bad habits it is important to break your long term goal (weight loss, strength, health, maybe even quitting smoking) into smaller manageable goals (Whitfield, 2015). This will help the larger goal seem less daunting to achieve. The smaller goals will also help you see the benefits of your new healthy habits and build your motivation to achieve your larger goals!

So in celebration of opening our new fitness gym, here are some tips on how to build physical exercise into one of your healthy habits. The benefits of physical exercise are not only for your physical health, but can help you unwind, socialize, get out doors, challenge yourself, and maybe even have some fun! In general, 30 minuets of exercise is a good goal and habit to add to your daily routine, and this doesn't necessarily have to be a fitness routine (Zeratsky, 2014). Start out by taking an extra 15-20 minute walk or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Are you in a job where you sit a lot? Take a stand break every hour to stretch or walk around. If your ready to take it up a notch, join us for one of our group fitness classes or personal training sessions. Once you get that ball rolling, it become habit!