Yes, it’s cookie season! Chocolate chip, crumbly oatmeal, brownies, Snicker Doodles, butter cookies, eat-me-don’t-walk-by-my-mom-made-these-you-must-have-one cookies. Sugar and sweets are everywhere during the holidays.

It’s one cookie today, one tomorrow. However, it’s not only calories you are wracking up but it’s also your hormonal health that may suffer. Ever heard about the sugar crash?

What sugar does to the body.

Let me remind you how it all works, glucose comes from carbohydrate foods. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body’s cells use the glucose. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and released into the blood when the amount of glucose in the blood rises. When your pancreas detects a rush of sugar, it releases a hormone called insulin to deal with all of that excess sugar. Insulin helps regulate that level of sugar in our blood; the more sugar in the blood stream, the more insulin is released.  Insulin helps store all of this glucose in the liver and muscles as glycogen and in fat cells (aka adipocytes stored as triglycerides).

Here is the problem: Our body often struggles to find the right balance since we are putting in a large amounts of sugar in our system. When too much insulin is released, blood sugar drops below normal levels. There you have it, sugar crash!!!!   What happens next, your body wants to level out the insulin level again so it starts to want more what? SUGAR! You guessed it. That’s why you can’t just have one cookie…

A few little tips to help control the cookie monster!!!!

1. Make sure to have healthy snacks on hand.
2. Eat nutritious, satisfying meals!!!
3. Get Sleep!!! Being tired will make it a lot harder to resist sugar as a matter of fact it makes your body crave it!
4. Don’t skip your workouts! Workouts help to balance your hormones and keep cravings minimal

AND if you do have a cookie make sure it is your favorite!!!!

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******WEATHER WATCH********

Winter Weather has arrived!!! Please make sure to check your email or Facebook for any class cancellations due to inclement weather. Your fitness is important to us but so is everybody’s safety!!!!

Also please help to keep the studio clean by bringing a change of shoes for class on bad weather days. Thank You!!!!! 

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THIS MONTH at FitHouse!!!

Dec10th- Angel Tree Donations Due!
A huge Thank You for your generosity and for spreading some extra cheer and love this holiday season! We were amazed by the willingness and eagerness of everyone to participate. Santa came strong this year!

Monday Dec 12th-Sat Dec 16th – Ugly Sweater Week!!!! Wear Your Ugly Sweater too FitHouse this Week for your chance to win the UGLIEST Sweater Prize!!

Friday, Dec 16th 7PM FitHouse Holiday Party at Girl Friday!!!! This is our way of saying THANK YOU for a wonderful year!!!! We know you all work hard now we want to see you play hard too!! Please let us know if you will be attending. Spouse and significant others are welcome. Attire is dressy casual! No Lululemon!!!

Month of December! – We’re decorating for the Holiday! Bring in your Christmas Cards to hang up on our board to spread some holiday cheer!

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Yuletide Yoga With Brit – Sunday, Dec 18th 

We received awesome feedback from our first restorative yoga session with Brit, so we’re bringing it back! Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia, and tissue. Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia, and tissue. Attention to breath work and how to incorporate better breathing to maximize the benefit of each pose. Beginners WELCOME! Drop in rate for individuals without group class packages available! Email [email protected] for questions!

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Muscle of the Month

GLUTEUS MEDIUS!!

As many of you know at FitHouse we put a lot of focus on proper muscle activation, form and technique while we are having fun and building stronger bodies!  When you train with us we want your body to get stronger and feel good and hope that you do too. Training with proper form and being aware of how and what muscles are working or not working are a BIG part of that!  Often it’s not a matter of training harder but training smarter. This month we are going to focus on a muscle in the lower body that is often overlooked, the Gluteus Medius.

There’s more to your butt than the cheek. While you may be trying to hit your gluteus maximus, your gluteus medius is usually ignored. And that can wreck your knees.

The glute medius prevents your knees from caving in when you’re squatting and lunging and deadlifting, This can cause ACL injuries and knee pain, as well as affect other parts of your lower body. When your knee caves in, your femur internally rotates, and the inside of your knee gets strained. As a result, your foot arch can wind up collapsing. It’s a cascading effect.

And if you fix it? You’ll help protect from ACL injury, but also you’ll be able to lift more weight  and if you’re a runner, you’ll run farther without pain.

The top three exercises for the Gluteus Medius are:

1. Hydrants
2. Lateral Band Walks
3. Side Lying Clams

Hmmmm any of those sound familiar?????

December is officially Upon us and it is time for some Fitmas Cheer at FitHouse!!! There is no better time to get our fit on!!! Let’s keep our Mojo up through the holidays and keep health and  fitness a priority this holiday season!!!!  Earn your tickets to win the FitHouse Basket of Cheer filled with all kinds of goodies!!!  Here’s how!!!  FitHouse will be raffling off a FitHouse Basket of cheer filled with FitHouse apparel, a water bottle, a Fithouse protein packed mug, stretching strap, resistance band and MORE!!!

Check below to see all of the ways that you can earn a raffle ticket in December!

1. Check in on Facebook when you come to class!
2. Bring a Donation for the CAS Angel Tree Families or Crib Fund
3. Participate in the 12 Days of Christmas Holiday Challenge
4. Wear an Ugly Sweater to Class
5. Wear Your Jingle Bells, Reindeer Antlers or Santa Hat to Class
6. Sing Karaoke at the FitHouse Holiday Party!!!

Pick up your ticket at FitHouse and place it in the bucket. Winner will be drawn December 30!!!

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AND THE WINNER IS……..

We just wrapped up the Final Month of the Biggest Winner Challenge!!! You will have to wait one more day to find out who the winning team and winning individual was!!!! Everyone kicked butt and it was a close ending!!! Stay tuned for the BIG reveal tomorrow!!!!

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THIS MONTH at FitHouse!!!

Dec10th- Angel Tree Donations Due!
A huge Thank You for your generosity and for spreading some extra cheer and love this holiday season!

Monday Dec 12th-Sat Dec 16th – Ugly Sweater Week!!!! Wear Your Ugly Sweater too FitHouse this Week for your chance to win the UGLIEST Sweater Prize!!

Fri Dec 16th 7PM FitHouse Holiday Party at Girl Friday!!!! This is our way of saying THANK YOU for a wonderful year!!!! We know you all work hard now we want to see you play hard too!! Please let us know if you will be attending. Spouse and significant others are welcome. Attire is dressy casual! No Lululemon!!!

As we continue to grow our team so we can serve you better you will be seeing some new coaching faces around FitHouse! We have some outstanding individuals looking to join our team. They are very excited as are we. Please welcome them and be patient as they get acquainted with the FitHouse Community and operating systems! I have no doubt they will be great additions to our team!!!

Joining Us this Week will be Coach Chris Yutzey
Chris earned his degree in Exercise Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is also certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Chris brings with him a passion to help people achieve their goals and learn how to make their bodies stronger and healthier by coaching proper movement patterns and helping individuals correct weaknesses.
His fun, energetic demeanor combined with his knowledge and passion make him a force to be reckoned with!

Welcome Chris!!!!!!

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Save the Date

~~Yuletide Yoga With Brit~~

Sunday, November 27th & Sunday, December 17th

We received awesome feedback from our first restorative yoga session with Brit, so we’re bringing it back! Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia, and tissue. Attention  Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia and tissue. Attention to breath work and how to incorporate better breathing to maximize the benefit of each pose. Beginners WELCOME! Drop in rate for individuals without group class packages available! Email [email protected] for questions!

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Muscle of the Month

GLUTEUS MEDIUS!!

As many of you know at FitHouse we put a lot of focus on proper muscle activation, form and technique while we are having fun and building stronger bodies!  When you train with us we want your body to get stronger and feel good and hope that you do too. Training with proper form and being aware of how and what muscles are working or not working are a BIG part of that!  Often it’s not a matter of training harder but training smarter. This month we are going to focus on a muscle in the lower body that is often overlooked, the Gluteus Medius.

There’s more to your butt than the cheek. While you may be trying to hit your gluteus maximus, your gluteus medius is usually ignored. And that can wreck your knees.

The glute medius prevents your knees from caving in when you’re squatting and lunging and deadlifting, This can cause ACL injuries and knee pain, as well as affect other parts of your lower body. When your knee caves in, your femur internally rotates, and the inside of your knee gets strained. As a result, your foot arch can wind up collapsing. It’s a cascading effect.

And if you fix it? You’ll help protect from ACL injury, but also you’ll be able to lift more weight  and if you’re a runner, you’ll run farther without pain.

The top three exercises for the Gluteus Medius are:

1. Hydrants
2. Lateral Band Walks
3. Side Lying Clams

Hmmmm any of those sound familiar?????

We are entering into the busy holiday season! Although this can be a magical time of the year it can also be one a very stressful time of the year for many! Along with the hustle and bustle of the holidays often comes poor eating, little sleep, extra indulgences and extra stress!!! All of the above can put a lot of extra stress on your immune system leading to anxiety, sickness, and a case of the blahhhs!

The good news is that YOU can make a decision to stay healthy and happy this holiday season by following a few rules! Check out my top 5 tips below to stay healthy this holiday season.

1. Eat Well..Choose Wisely!

There will be plenty of opportunities to indulge during the holiday season! The holidays are about celebrating and gathering with friends and enjoying life! Make sure that you indulge in the things that you really enjoy but not on a daily basis! You are what you eat…don’t be cheap or fake!!!

2. Make a plan to exercise

With the busy season make sure to keep exercise on your calendar by scheduling it weekly!  Sticking with an exercise routine will keep you  feeling good mentally, it will give your immunity a boost, keep you energized and help keep off those extra holiday pounds!

3. Don’t forget the water!

One of the most overlooked ways to improve our health is to make sure that we are properly hydrated!  Water is responsible for helping to regulate EVERYTHING in our bodies. It helps eliminate waste and toxins from our bodies. It also helps with  joint lubrication, oxygenation and digestion! With all of the extra holiday goodies we need to make sure we are keeping our systems well watered!!

4. Don’t Over Commit!

There are a lot of fun things going on throughout the holidays! Why does it sometimes seem like we need to squeeze a years worth of  gatherings, social events and activities into 30 days!  Remember  there are 11 other months of the year!  Make time to keep your sanity throughout the holiday season and take a night off to hang out in your PJ’s if you need to!

5. Take care of yourself.

YOU are important to a lot of people so make sure that you take care of yourself so that you can be at your best for everyone else this holiday!

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SOME SCHEDULE CHANGES AND SOME NEW FACES THIS WEEK!!!

As we continue to grow our team so we can serve you better you will be seeing some new coaching faces around FitHouse! We have some outstanding individuals looking to join our team. They are very excited as are we. Please welcome them and be patient as they get acquainted with the FitHouse Community and operating systems! I have no doubt they will be great additions to our team!!!

Joining Us this Week will be Coach Chris Yutzey

Chris earned his degree in Exercise Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and is also certified through the National Strength and Conditioning Association

Chris brings with him a passion to help people achieve their goals and learn how to make their bodies stronger and healthier by coaching proper movement patterns and helping individuals correct weaknesses.

His fun, energetic demeanor combined with his knowledge and passion make him a force to be reckoned with! 

Welcome Chris!!!!!!

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Please take note of a few schedule changes this week!

Note the time changes for Monday night classes. Both classes will be 45 Minutes

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**New**
FitHouse Online Store
December 18th Order Deadline!

Check out our NEW online store HERE with all the new FitHouse Apparel you could ask for! Samples of some materials are in FitHouse for you to try!

Order BEFORE December 18th and your orders will be processed and delivered January 6th. Get your items before the store closes!

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Muscle of the Month

As many of you know at FitHouse we put a lot of focus on proper muscle activation, form and technique while we are having fun and building stronger bodies!  When you train with us we want your body to get stronger and feel good and hope that you do too. Training with proper form and being aware of how and what muscles are working or not working are a BIG part of that!  Often it’s not a matter of traiing harder but training smarter. This month we are going to focus on a muscle in the lower body that is often overlooked, the Gluteus Medius.

There’s more to your butt than the cheek. While you may be trying to hit your gluteus maximus, your gluteus medius is usually ignored. And that can wreck your knees.

The glute medius prevents your knees from caving in when you’re squatting and lunging and deadlifting, This can cause ACL injuries and knee pain, as well as affect other parts of your lower body. When your knee caves in, your femur internally rotates, and the inside of your knee gets strained. As a result, your foot arch can wind up collapsing. It’s a cascading effect.

And if you fix it? You’ll help protect from ACL injury, but also you’ll be able to lift more weight  and if you’re a runner, you’ll run farther without pain.

The top three exercises for the Gluteus Medius are:

1. Hydrants
2. Lateral Band Walks
3. Side Lying Clams

Hmmmm any of those sound familiar?????

---

This Month at FitHouse – Save the Date

~~Yuletide Yoga With Brit~~

Sunday, November 27th & Sunday, December 17th

We received awesome feedback from our first restorative yoga session with Brit, so we’re bringing it back! Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia, and tissue. Attention  Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia and tissue. Attention to breath work and how to incorporate better breathing to maximize the benefit of each pose. Beginners WELCOME! Drop in rate for individuals without group class packages available! Email [email protected] for questions!

Wow what a week!  Isn’t it funny how life seems to unexpectedly throw things our way at times at the most inconvenient times.  Maybe it’s to help us become clearer on our why, maybe it’s to help us learn and grow, maybe it’s to test our faith or maybe it’s just part of life!  This was one of those weeks where challenge seemed to come in many forms.  At the end of the day I am reminded of the amazing support system that surrounds and to be grateful for the adversity as this too shall pass and from it great things will come!

With that said Christian is no longer with us on the FitHouse Team. This came as a surprise and with shorter notice than I would have hoped or expected. We believe in operating with integrity and honesty never with an intent to mislead. Unfortunately this situation and timing caused a little less communication than we would have liked for a few of our programs.

It is our #1 goal to make sure that each and everyone is provided with the best programs, classes and care at FitHouse.  We are working to keep the schedule as consistent as possible over the next few weeks with training sessions and classes  while we work to add some additional members to the team. There may be a few slight schedule adjustments for the next few weeks so we thank you in advance for your understanding and support.

FitHouse was built with a deep purpose to improve the quality of peoples lives both mind and body..that’s the bottom line.   We are trained in the science of exercise and how it relates to performance, health and behavior and we strive to continue to learn and grow and provide you with the best programs and classes out there.

Please do not hesitate to communicate with any questions, concerns or feedback that you have. YOU are FitHouse and we value YOU! Thanks again to all of you for your support, kick butt energy and desire to live better!!!

On a lighter note I’m turning my focus back to the stage. I am at The World of Dance hip hop competition in the heart of Chicago getting ready to watch my oldest daughter take the stage. Let’s just say these kids aren’t performing JuJu on the beat!  It is a proud mama moment. Kaylie has been obsessed with the World of Dance Competition for the past few years and a few months ago she found the opportunity to audition for a crew that was competing at The World of Dance Competition in Chi town. She made the crew and after a pretty heavy rehearsal schedule the past few months and a few meltdowns here we are. No matter what the outcome what makes me the proudest is seeing the girl that went for it even though she was afraid of failing. That girl did not exist a few years ago! When we step out of our comfort zone great things can happen and it becomes a little easier every time we do it!!

I dare you to be a little uncomfortable this week!

Make it a great one!!!!!

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Muscle of the Month

As many of you know at FitHouse we put a lot of focus on proper muscle activation, form and technique while we are having fun and building stronger bodies!  When you train with us we want your body to get stronger and feel good and hope that you do too. Training with proper form and being aware of how and what muscles are working or not working are a BIG part of that!  Often it’s not a matter of training harder but training smarter. This month we are going to focus on a muscle that often gets neglected in fitness, the SERRATUS ANTERIOR. You can see it pictured above.

When the serratus anterior muscles are weak, they can contribute to rotator cuff issues, neck problems, numbness down the arm and poor circulation. Think of this muscle as your shoulders best friend in plank, push ups and life!
Some Benefits to strengthening this muscle are

Proper Shoulder Function
Deeper Breathing
Less Neck Tension
More Range of Motion
Stronger Abdominals
Better Performance

Oh My SERRATUS!!!!

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This Month at FitHouse

Canned Food Drive – 1st – 20th

We will be collecting canned goods for the local food bank this month. Please bring your non perishable items to FitHouse and place them in the bucket by the door!!! Let’s help feed some families this month!

Kids 4 Week Sports Conditioning – Nov 7th- Dec 9th

COACH LINDSAY IS TAKING OVER!

Nov 7th thru Friday Dec 9th with one week off for Thanksgiving Nov. 21st-25th

4th Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Day Gobbler

November 24th 7-7:45AM and 8-8:45AM
Make room for Turkey, Stuffing and Pumpkin PIe and join in the 4th Annual Turkey Toss!! There is NO better way to start your Thanksgiving Day!!

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SAVE THE DATE

~~Restorative Yoga With Brit~~

Sunday, November 27th & Sunday, December 17th

We received awesome feedback from our first restorative yoga session with Brit, so we’re bringing it back! Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia, and tissue. Attention  Poses will be held for a length of time to allow release of tension in muscles, fascia and tissue. Attention to breathwork and how to incorporate better breathing to maximize the benefit of each pose. Beginners WELCOME! Drop in rate for individuals without group class packages available! Email [email protected] for questions!

We saw some great Halloween Spirit this Weekend,A BIG thank you to all of you who came out to join in the fun!!!! We will be voting on the BEST costume so make sure to wear yours tomorrow for a chance to Win a FitHouse TREAT!!!!!!

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This Month at FitHouse

10/31 There will be one class Halloween Night.

Circuit Express 6-6:30PM
Cardio Kickbox and Circuit Basics will be cancelled this week due to Halloween

NEW CLASS TIMES AND CLASSES ON THE SCHEDULE!!!

Make sure to check the Schedule for additional class times as well as some new classes! We always value your input so feel free to let us know how you like the changes. We are always excited to keep things fresh and provide the best experiences!

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Halloween Candy Collection – 1st – 8th To be donated to Wash County Food Bank

Save a few of the family favorites and bring the rest to FitHouse. We want to help you keep your house healthy this holiday season!!!

Canned Food Drive – 1st – 20th

We will be collecting Canned Goods for the local Food Bank this Month. Please bring your non perishable items to FitHouse and place them in the bucket by the door!!! Let’s help feed some families this month!

Kids 4 Week Sports Conditioning – Nov 7th- Dec 9th

The LAST Session of the Year Starts on Monday Nov 7th thru Friday Dec 9th with one week off for Thanksgiving Nov. 21st-25th

4th Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Day Gobbler –

November 24th 7-7:45AM and 8-8:45AM
Make room for Turkey, Stuffing and Pumpkin PIe and join in the 4th Annual Turkey Toss!! There is NO better way to start your Thanksgiving Day!!

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FitHouse Community

Do You Have an Idea for our FitHouse Community?!?!?!
Share it with Us!!!

What a beautiful weekend!!! I hope that you had a chance to get outside and enjoy the Indian summer!  We are heading into week two of The Biggest Winner Challenge and Linds shared the above picture/quote with her teams. I don’t believe I could have summed up the true meaning of what health and fitness are about any better!

I shared today the ideas of BEST practices. These are the things that you are doing in life that help you to look, feel and be your best. My mentor, Todd Durkin, just came out with his second book titled the WOW book. It has 52 wonderful short stories, ideas, etc. that are meant to guide, motivate and inspire. In one of those he shares his BEST practices that have helped him succeed in life. I have listed them below.

1. Get Up Early
2. Wait to turn on phone until after morning quiet time
3. Minimum 10 minutes of meditation/prayer time in the AM
4. Journal time (morning or evening ) 10 minutes
5. Eat a great healthy breafast and good foods through the day
6. Workout daily. Some days may be vigorous and some may be foam rolling or stretching. The focus is getting better
7. High quality sleep (minimum of 7 hrs)
8. Read or listen to material that inspires you
9. Spend time with people that challenge you physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually
10. Get time in nature every week. A walk, hike, etc.
11. Include recovery in your week. Massage, epsom salt baths, yoga, foam rolling

Which of these resonate with you??? Try making a list of your BEST practices. When life is going good these are typically the things that you are doing on a daily basis. It’s typical to fall away from your best practices sometimes, but when we have a list we can easily remind ourselves what may be missing from our lives if we start to feel stale! 

Make it a Great Week!!!!

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For all of our new members joining the FitHouse Community…

WELCOME!

This past week has been a pleasure to work with and meet all of you. Your dedication to making a change is inspiring and motivating. I know I speak for all of us coaches as I say we cannot wait to see the progress you will make!

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We just wanted to remind everyone of a few safety and courtesy reminders…

Shoes – Fall is HERE! Fall brings leave and rain… Which in turn leaves mud on the shoes! Please do your best to wear different shoes to FitHouse to prevent slipping and mud where you’re laying on our floor to recover from your hard work!

Classes – For safety reasons and limit capacity we ask that EVERYONE register for classes on our zen planner app! Please remove yourself with 4 hours in advance if you cannot make it! If you are having trouble registering please contact Lindsay at [email protected] and we will assist you!

We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation. We’re SO excited to make this October a dream it… do it one!

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This Month at FitHouse

NEW CLASS TIMES AND CLASSES ON THE SCHEDULE!!!

Make sure to check the Schedule for additional class times as well as some new classes! We always value your input so feel free to let us know how you like the changes. We are always excited to keep things fresh and provide the best experiences!

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JOIN US FOR PUMPKIN POTLUCK

TUESDAY OCTOBER 18th!

AFTER THE 6AM AM AND 9:15AM CLASSES

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PUMPKIN RECIPE OR DISH?!?!?! COME SHARE IT AT FITHO– USE AND GET SOME AWESOME PUMPKIN IDEAS FOR THE FALL!!!

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JOIN US AT TRICK OR TREAT ON THE TRAIL

SATURDAY OCTOBER 22ND!

(AGES 10 AND UNDER)

PRIZE IF YOU GUESS WHAT THE FITHO– USE TEAM IS GOING DRESSED AS!

Come dressed in costume and trick or treat along the paved trail. Immediately following we will have a costume contest at Shelter 4 (the end of the trail), so be sure to dress your best for a chance to win a prize! Bags will be provided. Pre-registration is recommended. Register either online or at the Recreation Center. Check it out HERE!

Fee: FREE
Day: Saturday, October 22
Time: 1 p.m. (line up begins at 12:45 p.m.)
Location: Community Recreation Center

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DREAM IT…DO IT…GOAL BOARD

CHECK OUT THE DREAM IT DO IT GOAL BOARD!

We are all motivated more by goals and we know that when we set goals we are more likely to move in the direction we are hoping for.

Now you can share and celebrate your goals with the FitHouse Community on the Dream It…Do It Goal board. Let’s Join forces and help each other on the Climb!!!!

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FitHouse Community

Do You Have an Idea for our FitHouse Community?!?!?!
Share it with Us!!! Here are some goodies we have brewing for October. Let us know what you think!
Pumpkin Bakeoff
Fall Foliage ride and run on the trail