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The Alaska Club

TAC Board: The Alaska Club Blog

Barbara DuBois

MA Health Ed. & Int'l Journalism; PhD Sports & Health History; Texas Tech Univ. & Wayland Baptist Univ. instructor; Health Ed. Program Manager Maniilaq Assoc.

Recent Posts

The Loneliness Epidemic: Strategies for Thriving in Alaska's Winter

on Feb 14, 2024 1:35:23 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Community mental health winter
Let’s be real. Winter is hard in Alaska. It may pose opportunities to do sports outside that we otherwise would not do such as skating, hockey, snowboarding, skiing, cross country skiing, skate skiing, but it is still hard. The ice, the cold, the darkness, the sense of being boxed in-otherwise known as cabin fever, the feeling of isolation all means we need to try harder to do what we need to do to stay happy and healthy.
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New Year's Resolutions

on Dec 29, 2023 4:12:19 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
As we commence the New Year with aspirations to do better, we know that most people who make resolutions, particularly in matters of health, fail. Fully 95% of people who go on a diet, do not achieve their goal. Many even gain weight in the process. There is definitely a better way. Success is at hand, and it is done one day at a time.
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Holiday Survival Tips

on Nov 30, 2023 10:56:48 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
Let’s take a look at how we can better navigate the holidays. The holidays should not be fraught with self-remorse in ostensible lapses in our otherwise general positive health practices. When we were kids, Christmas was the pinnacle of the year. Fond memories abound of mom’s homemade cookies, grandma’s pecan pies, and dad’s basted turkey. The holidays had this aura of hustle and bustle with visitors, family gatherings, decorating of the tree, concerts, and the alluring mountain of gifts. As kids we were so excited, we were ready to pop. Little did we understand the heavy load that burdened our parents with all the preparations. Just the shopping list alone was daunting, let alone the baking, decorating, gift wrapping, card writing, and driving kids hither, thither, and yon. Choir practice, dance rehearsals, parties, and the never-ending-days stacked with events seemed to add on more responsibilities, and strain to the already harried work-a-day world.
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Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention with The Alaska Club

on Oct 9, 2023 10:00:44 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
October is breast cancer awareness month, and The Alaska Club is 100% on board! On Friday, October the 27th, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, the Zumba members will be dancing like there’s no tomorrow at the “Party in Pink Zumbathon” at The Alaska Club South. There’s nothing more fun than a group of people dedicated to a cause while dancing with wild abandon! Also consider calling the Providence Imaging Center for a 20-minute mammogram that as of November 1 can now be easily conducted in the mobile mammogram van! This simple and easy procedure can be a lifesaving one as it is an important tool in the early detection of breast abnormalities.
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Living with Purpose

on Jun 23, 2023 4:21:02 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
The components of good health are myriad. One can think of them as a mosaic or a quilt, or maybe a work of Picasso or Monet, multiple colors, varying segments, merging, and blending into one wholistic, interacting, non-separable entity. You know the ingredients or patches and patterns well as you have heard them all so often: a good night’s sleep, movement, stretching, strength training, a nutrient-rich diet of water-based foods rich in roughage, antioxidants, and all manner of numerous undetected healthful components.
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Movement is Medicine

on Apr 10, 2023 10:19:47 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
Mental health is a cooking hot topic commanding attention in the halls of Congress, the schools, the churches, the workplaces and literally every major institution across the land. The most important recent study to come out on mental health was just published by the British Journal of Medicine on February 16. The findings? Movement is medicine! Physical activity has such a profound impact on mental health that the researchers who conducted the study at the University of Australia discovered that “…physical activity is 1.5 times more helpful than therapy or leading medications for reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress.” The mind-body connection has long been well-known, but the degree of physical activities’ effectiveness is now without a doubt.
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Be a healthier, happier you this year!

on Jan 16, 2023 2:13:27 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
Strategy and motivation are everything when it comes to keeping New Year’s health resolutions. I’d like to tell you that it is simple but change rarely is as we are battling a lifetime of habits. Health, sports, and psychology journals are replete with articles on motivation and the human psyche. Much to my surprise, when I was interviewing world class athletes for my doctoral dissertation, motivation was a frequent theme that came up. I always thought elite athletes were just driven people with no need of motivational techniques whatsoever. Au contraire. The methods that these successful athletes use are not just ones that are beneficial to world class sportsmen and women but are applicable to average-everyday-citizens also. Using the templet of Northwestern Medicine’s article’s suggestions in, “Successful Strategies to Meet Your Goals,” (and my own commentary,) the tools are clearly workable for anyone, elite athlete or average-everyday-citizen.
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Be Prepared, the Alaskan Winter is Almost Here!

on Oct 26, 2022 10:19:16 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
No doubt about it, winter is around the corner. This means a whole host of measures are in the works for Alaskans to get ready. Getting ready for winter means a wide variety of preparations. We drilled hooks into our garage ceiling to hang the bikes up and make room for one of the cars. The chimney will get inspected, the fireplace cleaned, and wood delivered. Carpets are shampooed, closets sorted out. Coats are donated to the homeless shelters along with hats, gloves, and scarves. The tires on the cars have been replaced with studded tires along with the oil changed and the various fluids checked. The pantry has been well stocked with non-perishable foods to reduce driving on ice and facilitate the ease of making meals. My neighbors are even insulating their garage and ceilings to reduce their heating costs.
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Pedal Your Way to a Better You!

Sick of high gas prices? What if I told you there was a way to save money & improve your health? How? Well, you need to kick yourself into gear and grab a BIKE! Regularly cycling can improve your life expectancy, aid in mental health, improve respiratory systems, reduce heart disease, and help your overall health and weight loss journey.
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From Mrs. Alaska Pageant to Breast Cancer Combatant

on Jun 10, 2022 12:00:00 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | healthy living disease breast cancer awareness
On May 14th, I had the honor of participating in the Mrs. Alaska 2022 pageant facilitated by the generous sponsorship of the Alaska Club. While I did not win the title, I won something that, in my view, is far more prestigious– the “Woman of Achievement 2022” award. This title is given to those who the judges considered worthy of recognition for their life’s accomplishments, and I am honored to have received it. When I entered the pageant, I was ambivalent about winning anything. Still, I felt drawn to the pageant’s emphasis on women having a strong sense of mission, physical fitness, and the resulting elevation of their self-esteem.
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Early Risers Get the Worm!

on May 4, 2022 2:39:17 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | healthy living exercise
Are you an early bird or a night owl? Most people are a moderate hybrid of these two choices but there are extremes in either direction. I, for one, am a semi-early bird. I get up around 6:00 AM, but I’m not exactly a fast mover when I do get up! My husband is a night owl, but he will get up long before I do anyway, except for weekends. Either way, daylight savings time is currently allowing us more time in the evening to spend hours outside. Plus, the additional light we have been gaining makes it easier to get out of bed early.
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How Are Things Going?

on Feb 17, 2022 12:00:05 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | mental health healthy lifestyles
How are we doing? That’s always a good question to ask eight weeks into the new year when the newness of the year and resolutions we made are already distant memories. There are current events that enhance the likelihood of us staying the course of those early year promises we made to ourselves (and maybe to others as well) of steps we would take to improve our health, our relationships, and our lives. The daylight is visibly increasing, the temperatures are warming, and our own home-grown Alaskans are setting the example of plying their hard-won, lifelong honed skills across the ocean in the Olympic Games in Beijing.
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New Beginnings

on Dec 30, 2021 1:34:43 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | healthy living
I love new beginnings because there’s always the sense of fresh starts, rejuvenation and a new, better me. In short, new beginnings mean hope that I will feel, look and be healthier and happier than ever before. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions most people make them concerning health matters. Losing weight and quitting smoking always top the list. Let’s be honest, most people fail in their long-term efforts and slip right back to where they were as they ended the year. In fact, fully 95% of people who lose weight, gain it back again and oftentimes add weight on top of that. This year, however, we have a plan! Instead of talking about the abysmal failure rate of those who lose and regain weight, let’s take a look at what people did right to shed pounds and got healthier in the process. We can not only be that elite 5%, but we’re going to expand our percentages and be a positive influence on others! The goal is to not overwhelm oneself with huge goals but instead set short, doable, daily goals. Rather than making a monster goal that seems so unrealistically unachievable, let’s concentrate on one or two modest changes that can bring long term success. In Alcoholics Anonymous, the motto is always “One day at a time.” We don’t have to commit to a lifetime of changes. We only make the changes today. Each day, we start anew. After all, we only HAVE today.
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Winter Is Coming!

on Nov 3, 2021 11:27:40 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | health healthy lifestyles vitamin D
We are in that weird fall/winter limbo season. You know, it’s not really fall anymore because the leaves are almost all completely off the trees, but then again, the snow is a little skimpy and mushy too. Hikers and hunters don’t forget that this is also a really high avalanche risk time as well. It’s very muddy in the woods, there’s puddles galore and bears have a ways to go before they settle down for the winter. The moose-match dating season is still ongoing so watch out for those frisky moose! Some nights are under 32º so puddles freeze. Some nights are not. If you want to give your Begonias a chance to make it to next year, you’d best put them in the garage and let the bulbs dry out.
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SUMMER IS HERE!

on May 24, 2021 12:45:48 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | strength training summertime fitness routine
On your mark, get set, go!!! People are getting their campers, kayaks and boats out of storage. They are sorting through their fishing and camping gear and setting the skis and skates in the corner of the garage. Meanwhile, the school year is winding down and the pace of summer is about to kick in with all the usual ecstatic expectations of living in America’s best playground. People spend thousands of dollars to come here in the summer and take part in what we literally just fall out of bed to do. Memorial Day weekend is the usual summertime kick off event and the roads will be clogged - mostly Alaskans eager to get outside and soak in all the natural glories the state has to offer.
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Humor Is Really Good Medicine

on Mar 1, 2021 3:56:57 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
“A merry heart does good like medicine,” or at least so the book of Proverbs tells us. There is a good deal of truth to this. When I hit the couch one Friday after work to scroll social media and tried to muster up the motivation to go work out, I found myself laughing uncontrollably at the improbable ubiquitous Bernie Sanders memes. The sight of Bernie bundled with his plaid mittens photoshopped in various famous paintings such as The Silent Scream of Edvard Munch, or in Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks, or hoisted by the baboon in The Lion King tickled my funny bone no end. The random absurdity somehow met my need for some inexplicably funny oddity. After ten minutes of scrolling and laughter, I got my mojo back and headed out for a workout.
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Alaskans Have the Power to Live A Robust Life

on Dec 21, 2020 3:51:37 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Getting Fit healthy living outdoors
When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with the story of Heidi, the little Swiss girl who was orphaned and sent by her aunt to live with her grandfather high in the Swiss Alps. There, she learned to tend to goats with the neighbor boy, Peter, drank fresh goat milk and ran freely in the mountain meadows. When she was sent to the city to go to school, she lived with a family who had a sick daughter named Clara. Clara and Heidi moved back to the alpine village to live with her grandfather where Clara recovered in the Alps, having found good health in the pure mountain air and the beckoning of the green meadows. The story’s emphases of living healthy and the rejuvenating influence of living in the mountains are good themes for this year.
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Good Eats & A Healthy Alaskan Harvest

on Nov 16, 2020 4:29:09 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Grocery list Healthy eating healthy living
Now that the vegetable gardens have been harvested, and the rich berry assortments from our mountain meadows have been picked, we are ready for some scrumptious healthy eats!
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Good Health at the Holidays

on Nov 22, 2019 1:45:50 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Holidays fitness routine Physical activity
The holidays are upon us and for many of us, it seems to wreak havoc with our healthy lifestyles. But, it doesn’t need to be that way. Here are some ways to navigate through the excesses of the holidays without eating and drinking our way into total upheaval:
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Maintaining a Family Exercise Routine While Back To School

on Aug 28, 2019 11:08:05 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
School is now in session and the whole rhythm of family life is changed. Fall in Alaska ushers in more than just beautiful colors, animals scurrying to get ready for the long winter and the last hurrah of summer. Labor Day weekend is coming soon. The Alaska State Fair, a great source of fun and entertainment, is also in full swing offering a terrific opportunity for great family time. Sometimes in the hurry and scurry of school and school activities we tend to lose our cohesiveness as families. In addition to this, students become absorbed in online obsessiveness, especially with their phones. Studies are now revealing that this lack of direct human socialization and increase of cyber involvement seems to result in more anxiety, depression and a sense of alienation among the youth. So how do we keep the same sense of togetherness as a family and keep our young people healthy to thwart these social/emotional pitfalls?
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Moving for Memories: Preventing Alzheimer's Disease

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Less Screen Time, More Play Time

Just two weeks ago, I attended an education conference in New York City on learning and brain activity in youth and children. The chief concern at this conference was the preponderance of screen time, primarily cell phone usage, teachers witness among their students. While studies have not made a direct correlation to the rise of anxiety and depression seen among children and youth to electronic device habits, bullying and obesity have been positively correlated to cell phone usage by these groups. Consistent with these findings is a greater sense of social alienation found among children and teens who are now logging long hours on their electronic devices and becoming sleep-deprived in the process.
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Checking in on New Year's Resolutions

on Jan 29, 2019 11:33:05 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Community fitness Gym New Year's Resolution strength training winter
Given up on your resolutions? We may be just a little stymied from our past habits of making unrealistic new year’s resolutions. This is especially true of making new year’s resolutions regarding our health. And the reality of permanent change in health behavior is much different than what we envision it to be. Let’s think about some of these unrealistic expectations which potentially sabotage us, thus preventing us from becoming the kind of health-oriented people we want to be.
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Twelve days could change it all

on Dec 13, 2018 10:59:07 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | 12 Day of Fitness winter weight loss fitness routine
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The Benefits of a Morning Exercise Routine

on Nov 2, 2018 9:33:07 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | swimming fitness fitness routine
For three years now, on an average of six days out of the week, you will find me in the Alaska Club pool sometime between 6:45 AM and 7:00 AM, everyday but Sunday. Some days I’m in the water for 20 minutes, some days for an hour. It is simply the most important thing I do to start my day. That kick-back-post-swim-rejuvenation feeling of well-being is so priceless, there is nothing like it. It’s an internal blast of energy that comes seemingly out of nowhere. Most swimmers experience this. I’m not the only one either who knows this and is consistently there at that seemingly ungodly hour. The regulars know each other by face, if not by name. We all have seen the same swim team members, various coaches, water-aerobic teachers, Richard the mechanic who works all night and me, the autopilot teacher. I say autopilot because I convinced myself about three years ago that I would be a better teacher, friend, colleague, wife and person if I peppered my life up with a pre-work work-out. Hence, I jump start my day with some smooth, gentle activity that energizes me in a seemingly non-arduous manner. Sometimes I swim in a lane with Richard and we discuss my crazy brother in Florida, or we just joke incessantly while swimming. The other morning another swimmer gingerly pointed out that my neck tie was precariously untied and we laughed raucously while discussing our mutually embarrassing water experiences. Many times, I simply am entranced in meditative swimming and zone out my surroundings.
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Exercise as an elixir to disease

on Oct 18, 2018 11:03:04 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Gym and Health Club Exercises healthy living injury disease
There is amazing news on the home front regarding exercise! It is no news that a sedentary lifestyle puts a person at risk for the “metabolic syndrome.” Metabolic syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a person who endures, “high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.” This syndrome dramatically increases a person’s risk for a whole host of diseases that are lifestyle related: heart disease, cancer, stroke, osteoporosis, diabetes, to name a few. Incredibly, even mental health problems such as depression and Alzheimer’s have now been recognized as more frequently appearing diseases among the inactive.
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A Magical Spring

on May 29, 2018 11:27:46 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | alaska summer hiking spring warm
There’s only one word to fully describe spring in Alaska: magic. It is a magical time of renewal, energy, sun (yes unlimited sunshine), green trees and blue skies and more outdoor time than you can come to terms with. It’s also sort of a progressive experience when you open the door in the morning to let your dog out and suddenly, you realize: there’s no expansive blanket of white snow everywhere. After seeing it for half a year and accepting the reality of white, everywhere, and yet a miracle occurs. Abruptly, Alaska changes its image quicker than a chameleon. The tulips and daffodils poke up through iced over soil, determined to emerge against the odds of bitter icy winds and gray days. I thrill at the emergence of just their little pointed sprouts and carefully monitor their growth.
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Keeping it cool on the trail

on Mar 22, 2018 1:45:33 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Hydration ski cross country skiing hypothermia warm
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We are the champions, my friend

on Feb 26, 2018 3:34:52 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Olympics US Ski Team
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A Survey of Weight Loss Diets

on Jan 24, 2018 11:20:37 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 1 Comment | Nutrition food Clean eating cooking weight loss diet
Losing weight is high on almost everyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions in this country. According to Angela Haupt, assistant managing editor of health at U.S. News & World Report, weight loss experts ranked the top 10 diets based on the following criteria:
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Winter is Coming!

on Oct 12, 2017 3:08:41 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Gym and Health Club Exercises fitness winter
The trees are shedding their gold and the snow is gradually creeping down the mountains. Alaskans are observing animals everywhere kicking into high gear as they ready themselves for a long winter and for the last autumnal rites of mating. People are posting on social media sites of bears foraging in neighborhoods, on heavily frequented trails and simply ambling down roads. Moose are precariously grazing on the Northern Lights Boulevard median, besides the Glenn and Minnesota Boulevard and literally everywhere besides someplace safe. My maternal instinct wants me to urge them away, but with my luck, I’d unwittingly influence them to run into traffic. The Parks Service continues to knock out the valiant efforts of the beavers’ damming projects at University Lake, only to see the dams rebuilt in a few days. All the critters know it’s coming. They’re getting ready.
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The Bear Facts on Healthy Living

on May 9, 2017 1:46:16 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | summer hiking healthy living
Like all Alaskans who spend any time outdoors, I have had my bear encounters…many of them right here in the Anchorage woods. One time I was walking in North Bicentennial Park (Bear Central Park) with my friend Rosie and engaging in some mindless chit chat, when Rosie abruptly interrupted me with a low-toned, ominously simple warning, “Barb, a bear.”
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Irish You’d Eat More Greens

on Mar 9, 2017 11:02:24 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Nutrition
There’s more to March than the traditional Irish dish: potatoes, boiled cabbage and corned beef. While it’s a delicious meal, the nutrition from this fatty, starchy food doesn’t possess the necessary nutrients to give you energy for any upcoming Irish jigs. So what should we be putting into our body? The answer is vegetables filled with fiber, vitamins and other nutrients. Here are just a few of the examples of good-for-you veggies: Kale-This leafy green is not just for health fanatics. It’s low-calorie, high in fiber and possesses zero fat. Not only is it easy on the digestive track, but also the vitamins, folate and magnesium make it nutrient packed. And for those lacking in iron, kale is an excellent source. Spinach-For the cholesterol conscious, spinach is your best friend. It’s low in fat and can reduce cholesterol. It’s rich in antioxidants, containing 250 mg of calcium per cup, and is one of the best sources of potassium (it puts the banana to shame). We should also mention it’s only 27 calories for a whole cup! Broccoli-Your parents were just looking out for you when they nagged you to “eat your broccoli.” Broccoli is considered one of the most nutritious vegetables, and reduces cholesterol and inflammation. It’s rich in vitamin K and calcium, making it great for your bones as well. And as a good carb, high in fiber and low in sugar, a cup of broccoli is the perfect side for the health conscious. Brussels Sprouts-Brussels sprouts are a great solution if your digestive system needs a little boost. These little guys also pack a lot of protein - and you don’t have to eat too many to feel full and meet your vitamin C and vitamin K needs for the day. All it takes is one serving.
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Good Friends are Good for your Health

on Feb 27, 2017 3:52:54 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 3 Comments | health friendship mental health
These days we hear a good deal about Mindfulness, a new form of health awareness. We are not only to live on a high level of the wellness continuum or practice holistic health; now, we are to be mindful of all the detailed and comprehensive factors that contribute to our health. On that note, I’d like to raise a little awareness level myself of one of the most critical and oftentimes discounted features of good health: friendship. There is an abundance of psychological literature, one of my best friends assures me, who also happens to be a psychologist, supporting the healthful benefits of friendship. For years I used to remind her that we really don’t all need hours and hours with a psychologist when a good friend and a good cup of coffee will do the trick. I just happen to have all three: friend, psychologist and coffee in one fell swoop. (Of course, if a good psychologist is what one needs, by all means, seek one out!)
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Get Started with Twelve Days of Fitness!

on Dec 6, 2016 4:54:16 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | fitness 12 Day of Fitness
It was one year ago almost to the day that I noticed this December Alaska Club promotional on the marquee: “Twelve Days of Fitness for $25” and at first blush I thought, “What’s the point of that?” I drove by the club everyday thinking about this and finally, I decided to convince my couch-potato husband, John, to take advantage of it. Now really, why on earth would anybody want merely twelve days of fitness? That’s it. Twelve days. There is a logic to just twelve days for $25. It’s the no-risk option. I mean, for a non-athlete such as my husband who needed to shed a few pounds, if he didn’t like it, well, it’s only twelve days and it’s only $25. No major gamble there if a person doesn’t like it, right? I think John was nervous that the Alaska Club would be filled with glamorous looking athletic types with natural six-packs who appear as if they have nothing better to do with their time than do two hundred crunches a day and figure out the latest smoothie recipe. Or maybe there would be the type of crowd that enjoyed suffering with grueling exercises.
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How to Cure The Winter Blues

on Nov 18, 2016 4:04:47 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | mind-body
Since the bitter cold is upon us, not to mention shorter days and longer, darker hours, I am finding the need to do more, much more, to keep my body pliable, my aerobic capacity up and every bit as important, my spirits high. As a baby boomer, I find myself in the ranks of a generation struggling with the long term consequences of some poor health habits and simply the progressive traits of aging: stiffness, poor posture, hours of sitting before a computer on a daily basis as well as the drying of joints, bones and the stiffening of muscles. Even though I have always been fairly athletic and proudly consider myself an active adult with decent self-care habits, I find I still need professional help to assist with some health matters that I cannot accomplish on my own. The Alaska Club has provided a plethora of ways I can resolve these problematic and reoccurring health issues.
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You "Otter" Be Swimming!

on Oct 21, 2016 1:28:04 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | swimming fitness
This fall my husband and I had one of our weekend getaways to Seward. We enjoyed strolling down to the harbor and sauntered about on the docks. We happened upon a young couple from Israel watching no less than seven different otters cavorting about in a semi-enclosed section of the harbor. Two otters were rafting up, one politely holding on to his nap buddy’s foot. Two more were simply tussling and somersaulting about in playful pairing. Another set were snatching shell fish off the docks’ peers not even a yard from our feet, loudly munching the shells like a kid eating Captain Crunch cereal with his mouth open. Each succession of crunching was followed by a quick spin to rinse off the shell debris. But the one otter that fascinated me the most was the one that liked to run interference. He’d glide in and try to disrupt the rafters, inject himself on the two players’ games and seemed mildly interested in the foodies. He just wanted some involvement. Anything and everything was good.
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12 Days of Fitness at The Alaska Club

on Dec 14, 2015 5:30:00 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 3 Comments | 12 Day of Fitness
Lately, we have been hearing a good deal about the Twelve Days of Christmas, but what about the new special called, 12 Days of Fitness at The Alaska Club? You may ask what the point is of that. I can only tell you from personal experience, that twelve days has made a big difference in our household.
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Insanity at The Alaska Club – Energy Breeds Energy

on Oct 9, 2015 11:00:00 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Gym and Health Club Exercises
The hardest part of my work week isn’t going to work. It’s getting up when it’s cold, dark and the bed is incredibly warm, soft and snuggly and I just yearn for one more hour of peaceful slumber. I always factor in at least one hit on the snooze button. So as you can guess, I particularly relish sleeping in on Saturdays. It’s one of the few luxuries in life that doesn’t actually cost me anything.
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Spa Experiences from Germany

on Aug 11, 2015 5:00:00 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Gym and Health Club Exercises spa
This summer I had the good fortune of travelling to Germany, the country of my cultural heritage. My mother was born in Belgard, Germany, and when she was a teenager, my grandparents decided her frail health required an environment conducive to rigorous outdoor activities. And so, my grandfather took a new position at the Post Office in Kolberg, a train journey one hour away from Belgard and situated on the Baltic Sea.
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Techniques for Managing Back Pain

on Jun 9, 2015 9:00:00 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Gym and Health Club Exercises Yoga
In the fall of 2013, I was really starting to have some pretty persistent and growing back problems. Now if you suffer something like this, my very first recommendation to you is to get checked out by your doctor.
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Staycation

on May 13, 2015 2:30:00 PM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments |
A little while ago I actually had a week off of work. I was not very motivated to take some expensive trip somewhere to rejuvenate even though I was feeling out-of-sorts and run down. It occurred to me that I could take a vacation right here, as everything I needed, I had here at the Alaska Club.
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Frequent Sauna Use Contributes to Good Heart Health

on Apr 20, 2015 10:30:00 AM By | Barbara DuBois | 0 Comments | Gym and Health Club Exercises
The other day I noted to my surprise that an article in the Alaska Dispatch News indicated that sauna users reduce their risks of dying from heart disease, and heart attacks and in general, improve their life expectancy. I was surprised because I thought people would be at a greater risk of heart failure just by virtue of exposure to a sauna's heat. Au contraire! Naturally, I was immediately curious as to how and what other outside factors might play a role as this was a study conducted in Finland.
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