Monthly Archives: May 2010

A Body Fit for the Beach in Time for Summer: Introducing Koko’s New Seasonal Series!

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SURFERKOKOHappy Memorial Day Koko Nation! This weekend ushers in the official kickoff of summer. I can already smell those dogs on the grill!
You’ve been working hard through the colder months and now that the warm weather is here, it’s time to shed those layers. Are you ready? If you’d like to take it to the next level before the big beach “reveal,” Koko FitClub now offers SummerFit and SummerFit Advanced – full body strengthening programs, with extra core conditioning, designed to challenge your body and get it into swimsuit shape.
You can now choose from programs like SummerFit, getting you ready for whatever the current season has in store for you, as part of Koko’s new Seasonal Series. These optional programs can be inserted into your existing track throughout the year to prepare your body for anything, whether it’s Performance Golf, Born to Run, Snow Sports, or SummerFit. So when you finish with your next Koko program, ask the front desk about SummerFit and our Seasonal Series programs.
By the way, those dogs on the grill? I love them too, but go easy. A Memorial Day hot dog rings in at 190 calories. Just to put that into perspective: you burn 200 calories during a 30 minute session on the Smartrainer. All things in moderation, my friends. Have a great holiday weekend!

Koko Celebrates our Super Seniors!

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kokosuperseniorWednesday, May 26th is National Senior Health and Fitness Day. If you aren’t a senior, why should you sit up and take notice? Because if you’re lucky, one day you will be and your best ticket to aging well is regular exercise. Use it or lose it! At Koko FitClub, our senior members are doing just that.
 
Since Koko customizes workouts based on your fitness level and guides you every step of the way, it’s a great fitness solution for anyone. At our corporate club in Pembroke, Massachusetts, our membership ranges from teens to 75 year-olds. About 10% actually fall into the “senior” category, but we don’t think of them as average seniors. To Koko, they’re Super Seniors. They’re working strength programs like Forever Strong, Performance Golf and Sports Conditioning and seeing serious strength gains.
 
According to the National Institute of Health, when seniors lose independence and mobility, it’s usually because they haven’t been active. “Taking it easy” is not what you want to do as you age! By exercising on a regular basis, Koko’s Super Seniors aren’t just improving their golf games, they’re improving their strength, endurance, flexibility and balance making everyday activities easier. They are also fighting back against age related diseases like arthritis (ask your front desk about the new Koko HealthTrack for Arthritis,) osteoporosis, dementia, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
 
One of the most important Koko qualities, thanks to the custom programs, guidance and time efficiency, is the ease with which it can become a regular habit. It’s designed that way! And we wish for all of our members to reap the benefits of lifelong fitness by simply taking your Koko habits with you into your golden years…just like our Super Seniors! 
  
Mary Obana
President & Co-Founder

In the News: WSJ.com The Power of a Gentle Nudge

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kokocheerEarlier this week, I came across a fascinating discussion of a Stanford University exercise motivation study on WSJ.com. The researchers found that simple, periodic communication with people who are trying to exercise more consistently is very effective at increasing the amount of exercise they do- and they stick to it for the long haul. In other words: these gentle reminders helped them make a habit out of fitness. The article started me thinking about how Koko has fostered our members’ “sticktoitiveness” through email communications from the very beginning. And, wondering why the heck don’t we shout from the rafters this other really cool way Koko makes getting and staying in shape easier!
 
Since the very beginning, we’ve wanted Koko to be your cheerleader. We knew that to truly create a solution to “yo-yo fitness,” powerful motivational elements had to be part of the package. Everyone needs a boost now and then to keep their fitness routine going!  Our Smartraining technology is uniquely able to manage and log your performance and use that information to keep you on track, nurturing your fitness habit. It not only provides great instant feedback while you are are working out and the long view of your progress to date, it also helps Koko understand your exercise behaviors allowing us to communicate with you by email when you need us most, keeping you motivated, informed and on track with your program. 
 
Our anecdotal experience falls in line with the Stanford results. As an example, Koko sends a kindly reminder email when we haven’t seen you in a while. What’s amazing is that many of you drop a line back explaining why you’ve been away, expressing your excitement to return!  And that gentle nudge usually gets you back through the door within a couple of days. We can’t stress enough that Koko is a guilt-free zone, but we love that a supportive email check-in from Koko can help you get back on track! 
 
The article itself is worth a read. Interesting stuff! Here’s the link:
 
Mary Obana
President & Co-Founder
Koko FitClub

May 19th is National Employee Health and Fitness Day: Celebrate Koko Style!

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KokoworkerAccording to a Department of Health and Human Services study in 2003, US employers spend $13 billion dollars on obesity related disease every year! One effort to curb the obesity epidemic and its staggering costs to employee health and corporate bottom lines is National Employee Health and Fitness Day. The goal of NEHF is the promotion of health and fitness in the workplace through employer sponsored events. This year’s theme is “Making Healthier Habits Work.” Its a great time to find out what your employer is doing to encourage healthy habits, like exercise, and share your healthy Koko habit with your workplace! 
 
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
 
  • Find out if your company funds fitness memberships. Some cover a partial cost of membership based on their employees meeting a minimum visit requirement, (i.e. 3 days-a-week.) Letting HR know that Koko automatically tracks your progress and participation may encourage Koko’s inclusion on a company list of approved fitness centers. 
  • Ask HR if your time at Koko earns your a discount off your employer-sponsored health insurance. 
  • Koko easily fits into your lunch hour! Why not start a new lunch ritual that will boost your energy level through the entire afternoon.
  • Bring your favorite co-workers in for a free Koko demo. (You might find yourself with a workout buddy for that new lunch ritual!)
  • Rally a group of co-workers and coordinate a corporate discount between your company and your local Koko FitClub.
 You already know that Koko is designed to fit into your busy life, so by extension it can also fit naturally into your workday schedule. Combined with the ease with which Koko Smartraining technology tracks progress and participation, as well as the affordable membership cost, it is also a perfect match for your employer’s health and wellness program.  Why not celebrate National Employee Health and Fitness Day by sharing the benefits of Koko with your workplace. Ask your Koko FitClub staff for a few brochures to share with your company.

 

Mary Obana
President & Co-Founder

Three Days a Week: A Schedule You Can Live With for a Lifetime

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KokomanJugglerOn Wednesday, my friend Michael Wood posted a great explanation of the physiologic importance of recovery days and sticking to a three day-a-week Koko Smartraining strength schedule. I’m here to tell you the most important thing about Smartraining on a three day-a-week schedule: By fitting so effortlessly into your life, it very naturally becomes a part of your lifestyle. If you have always struggled to “make time” for fitness, this is a revelation. You now have a healthy exercise plan that gets results without requiring excessive time at the gym. Three days-a-week for 30 minutes fits so easily into your crazy schedule that you can happily stick to it for life. Wow!
When my husband (and Koko Co-Founder) Mike Lannon and I became parents, it quickly hit home that we no longer had the luxury of time to spend in the gym. We had to get in and get out. I found I couldn’t do what I needed to do to get the results I wanted in the time I had. My solution? Convince Mike to come up with a strength training plan for me. (What a guy!) The process left him truly appreciative of the money people spend on personal trainers and both of us determined to come up with a better solution. A solution that gets results and fits “real-life.” Alas, the idea for the Koko Smartrainer was born not long after our son!
Mike Lannon likes to compare Koko to the successful weight management programs. Programs that work because they remove the doubt and confusion surrounding healthy eating and replaces it with a simple, easy-to-follow, liveable system that makes choosing healthy foods a no brainer. Armed with a system like that, choosing healthier foods becomes second nature and a part of your life long-term. Koko does the same thing for fitness. Koko removes the doubt and confusion surrounding fitness and replaces it with a simple, easy-to-follow, liveable system for getting leaner, stronger and staying that way. An important part of that Koko liveability is the three day-a-week schedule. It is convenient and simple to fit into the realities of life for the rest of your life.
Now, I want to make sure you aren’t misunderstanding me. I’m not advocating you “do nothing” the other four days of your week. Take that fit, healthy body out and do something active that you enjoy! I’m very active, it just happens that the only “exercise” I have time for is strength training on the Smartrainer 3 days-a-week with a quick 15 minute blast of Koko Cardio if I have a little extra time. Thankfully, it’s all I need!
Mary Obana
President and Co-Founder