Have you considered personal training?   Maybe you aren’t even sure if it is something you “need”. The benefits of personal training are often unknown until you experience the value of working with a trainer first hand. Even just learning a few tips or implementing minor adjustments to your work out can make a big difference in your results. We recently welcomed an amazing new personal trainer to our team; Bryn Honnold. Bryn was a competitive soccer player and track athlete. An Edmonds native, he graduated from Meadowdale High School where he participated in the Sports Medicine Program as a student athletic trainer. He attended the University of Montana where he was a student senator and volunteered for the ALS Foundation. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Exercise Science. Bryn has worked as a physical therapy aide and an exercise specialist. His passion is to empower and...

Diet Brackets Fad Diets, Counting Calories, Fasting, Juicing, High Protein, Low Fat, Whole Foods, No Carbs, Low Carbs… No wonder we are overwhelmed, discouraged and numb to the latest or greatest health trends around us. We are sick of yo-yos and bandwagons. Yet, we want to be healthier. We want to know what is real and helpful when it comes to nutrition and our overall wellness. How do we discern the peaceful, clear route amidst the crooked chaos of information? How can we stay grounded while the madness of different health messages suck the courage to try something new or better away? We are individuals with beautiful, unique stories that make us all wonderfully human. We have body strengths and weaknesses. We all have tendencies and traumas that make our approaches to health and wellness complicated. There aren’t actual quick fixes out there that thoroughly address our whole selves and...

Harbor Square loves seeing families staying active together. When our youngest members aren’t quite old enough for their own memberships and feel a little too old for the kidZone, what is available for them? Kids are always welcome to use the racquetball courts, basketball courts, and swim during “family swim” or lifeguard hours (children must be attended by an adult member when participating in these activities). If you get a little tired of these sports in and of themselves, our fitness director, Levi Diggs, has some suggestions for fun games to play with your kids in the gym. As a parent of two kids, I, of course, want the best for them and I want them to live healthy lives. I think one of the best things I can do for my kids health is be healthy myself and model good habits. Without prompting, our kids watch me and my...

Out with the Old. In with the New! You may have noticed, there is a new barcode scanner at the front desk. Our recent update to the computers required new hardware, including a new barcode scanner. First of all, we have had our share of technical difficulties during this transition and just want to say “Thank you!!” for being patient and understanding with our service desk staff as we were troubleshooting the issues. This new scanner takes a second to read a barcode and you must hold the barcode still while it scans. It will “beep” once it has successfully scanned your barcode. Secondly, we need your help keeping our club secure and efficient. Please bring your barcode with you every time you visit the gym and check-in by scanning your barcode at the front desk. This helps us keep the club secure and ensures that our staff is available...

What Will 2020 Hold? Statistically, this chart represents most people, most years. With “Diet and Healthier Eating” topping the Resolutions chart, motivation most often fades and goals are often abandoned in less than 6 weeks. What will 2020 hold? Probably the same. People clearly WANT to be healthier and resolutions are a clear signal that individually and culturally this is a problem that is begging to be solved. What about you? Have you made a conscious decision to set a goal for yourself in the new year? Why do most resolutions lose their luster? How can YOU make resolutions that stick and are set up for success? When it comes to healthier eating, the plan must be achievable, realistic: • Get educated • Get prepared, get a plan and program • Get accountable Are you? • You don’t know where to start and how to approach a different way of...

Welcome! Please join us in welcoming Dakota Sheffield and Trisha Wilkerson to their new roles at HSAC. Both are familiar faces as Dakota has been with us as a personal trainer, and Trisha as a member of our Smoothie Bar and Balanced Habits teams.     Dakota is mechanically minded and is excited to implement progressive strategies as our new facilities manager. Dakota has hit the ground running, learning all there is to know about what makes the club function on the most fundamental level. He is looking forward to setting a foundation for preventative maintenance resulting in less downtime and increased longevity of equipment. Trisha brings her extensive background as a life coach and counselor to her new role as our concierge. Trisha has a heart for people and truly enjoys walking alongside our members as they journey their individual paths towards health, fitness, and wellness. As a Balanced...

Pardon Our Dust Thank you for your patience as we have been renovating the club. We are so happy with our new “Smoothie Bar & Eats” and hope that you will really enjoy this new space when you visit the club. Moving forward, we will continue to add to the lobby renovations with a drop ceiling and new lighting. Phase II of our remodel will be the addition of pickleball courts, an extended and upgraded functional training space, a new recovery space, and the addition of new equipment. We will continue to send out information about our progress and will keep all affected spaces open as long as it is safe to do so. Les Mills Launch Week! Join us for Les Mills Launch Week! New content, new music, new exercises to keep you getting results! Drop by for these featured Les Mills launch classes between December 8th and December...

Bowl Full Of Jelly The holidays are filled with fun and so much food. We want to enjoy the parties, people, and eating. It is common to see these festive foods as “temptations” or something that we “treat” ourselves to. We overindulge, avoid, and dance around these foods throughout the next several weeks. This anxious and guilty holiday eating season is often a negative emotional layer to the festivities. In some cases, the internal struggle over food keeps us from allowing ourselves to enjoy events and the people we love. Yet, we don’t have to experience holiday eating this way. We can approach fancy dinners and festive food differently. We can approach and experience the holidays and its food with peace and intentionality. You can choose to eat certain foods on purpose with no guilt, but with intentionality—knowing that you are embracing an educated and empowered way to eat. Rather...

Striving To Improve We are always striving to improve your membership experience at Harbor Square Athletic Club. Continuousupgrades to our facilities and services, taking us from “Good” to “Best”, are a top priority, therefore increasing the value you receive as a member. We would like to take this opportunity to inform you that we have commenced on our latest renovation project. Our membership has grown immensely and the fitness industry continues to evolve. To keep Harbor Square relevant, on the cutting edge, and providing our members with the best and most innovative equipment, we are expanding the downstairs functional training space into Court 8. While we regret that our allocated space will result in the omission of this tennis court, we hope that the addition and improvement of several amenities will result in a paramount fitness experience. These improvements include the continuation of our current functional training space, additional fitness...

Balancing The Holiday The holiday season is in full affect, especially at Costco, with Christmas decorations already being sold! Where did the time go? We have had some amazing results with our Balanced Habits 28 day Kick Starters this past month! Those that really embraced the program have found a new balance with food that they can carry on throughout this holiday season. If you didn’t get the opportunity to do Kick Start, don’t worry! You always have the opportunity to sign up for our Life program. Our “Lifers” are getting real, life changing results! The “Life” program is founded on the same principle of balanced eating with weekly one on one help from a supportive food coach. So, let’s think about how you want to ring in the New Year. Why not step into the New Year feeling your best, with confidence, instead of waiting for it? Life is...