By Nic DeCaire

Until about a year ago, I didn’t know what the word ‘inclusion’ meant. At least, I didn’t know the role it played in fitness for people with disabilities or special needs. It wasn’t in my vocabulary.

It is now.

In the classroom, inclusion refers to the educational practice of keeping students together so that kids with disabilities learn in the same environment as their peers.

But what about inclusion in fitness? I think it’s just as important there, too.

It wasn’t until Fusion Fitness held a fundraiser for Preston’s March for Energy that I learned about the lack of inclusion opportunities that currently exist in physical education and fitness. Preston Buenaga, 16, has mitochondrial disease. The charity named for him and run by his parents provides adaptive bicycles for kids with special needs.

Preston’s mom, Deb, educated me on how she had to fight for inclusion when it came to physical education for Preston. Most schools are not equipped to make it possible for children with physical and cognitive disabilities to participate in P.E. class. They often lack special equipment, staffing and the knowledge. As a result, these children wind up sitting on the sidelines, not able to join their classmates.

We all know that childhood obesity is a problem. Unfortunately, among children with functional limitations that affect their physical activity, nearly 81 percent are overweight or obese.

So how does sitting out during gym class help these children? It doesn’t.

It’s my job as a fitness professional to help people live a healthier life. And over the years, I’ve been honored to meet a few athletes who are amazing at what they do. They didn’t listen when people told them they couldn’t be active like their peers because of a disability.

If you haven’t heard of Jon Stoklosa, Google his name. Jon, who lives here in Newark, has been powerlifting since he was a teenager. He currently benches around 400 pounds. The most I have ever benched is 300 pounds. Let’s just say Jon is strong.

Did I mention he was born with Down syndrome? I don’t need to, because it hasn’t made a difference in what he’s been able to accomplish.

So what’s the secret? Jon’s parents made sure he was included. Not once did they say he wasn’t able to do something. They just figured out what his ability was and made it work.

It’s amazing to watch a person do a clean and jerk with perfect form. It is even more amazing to watch someone do it with one leg. But that’s just one of the feats of strength Travis Pollen can demonstrate. He’s such a regular in the University of Delaware Carpenter Sports Building that students are unfazed to see him remove his prosthetic leg before an exercise.

Like other adaptive athletes, Travis has created fitness opportunities for himself where others only see limits.

So now I get the message of inclusion. I want more people to have the chance to be active. And that’s why I’m honored to be part of the inaugural “Inclusion Means Everyone 5K.” It’s a walk/run event being held in Newark on Independence Day.

Its purpose is to encourage everyone – no matter their level of ability – to be active. We say inclusive and we mean it – people with walkers, strollers, adaptive bikes, wheelchairs, crutches and any other kind of equipment are welcome at this event.

The best part is that the money raised will go towards teaching physical education teachers in Delaware schools how to work with students with special needs. This way, those students can be included in gym class like their peers.

Fitness is one of the main reasons I am where I am today. It changed my life. My hope is that by promoting inclusion and teaching others how to make fitness possible for these children, it will change theirs also.

Nic DeCaire is the owner of Fusion Fitness Center on Main Street. He writes a monthly column for the Newark Post.

Original Source: http://m.newarkpostonline.com/features/article_8bc3edb3-0eb5-57c0-9863-31a6a95020b5.html?mode=jqm

By Nic DeCaire

As I scrolled through Facebook the other day, I came across a picture that made me stop. It was four or five women standing on stage in bikinis.
I know what you’re thinking — typical man.
But the women caught my eye because they weren’t typical figure competitors. I was a competitive bodybuilder for many years, and in the sport, you strive to have the most muscle and lowest amount of body fat. That’s what I’m trained to look for when I see those pictures.
I looked at these women and started judging. These women should not be on stage, I thought. They aren’t in good enough shape.
I read the caption. These women each had lost more than 100 pounds.
My head dropped in shame.
Was I ever wrong.
I can tell you from experience that being on stage and letting a crowd of people judge your body is probably one of the most terrifying things you could do in this world. Imagine standing under bright lights — half-naked, I might add — and letting people pick apart your flaws.
Most fitness competitors have flat stomachs and muscle definition. These women did not. They did not stand on stage with abs and tight legs. They had curves and cellulite, and it did not matter. They had achieved something remarkable, and you could see it from the smiles on their faces.
They were standing proud, as they should have been.
My initial reaction made me think about how society views fitness. If you look at a magazine cover, fitness is defined by abs, curves and biceps. So, if you don’t have a flat stomach or a six-pack, does that mean you aren’t in shape?
Why can’t women wear a bikini if they are bigger than a size two without thinking people will judge them for it? Society has made us so insecure about our bodies that we are never satisfied with what we have — even those with a washboard stomach.
Everyone has a different reason for exercising and staying healthy. It can range from trying to lower cholesterol or blood pressure, rehabbing an injury, trying to fit into old jeans or simply enjoying the way it makes you feel.
Your fitness journey is exactly that. It is YOUR JOURNEY. You decide what healthy and fit means to you, not a magazine or website.
Too often, I hear personal trainers tell their clients what they should be doing and how they should look. What gave them the right? Who are we to tell someone they need to lose 20pounds to be in shape if they really don’t want to?
At Fusion, we have made a conscious effort to ask clients what they truly want out of fitness. It is their journey. We are just there to help guide them on the path.
I wish I could take that moment back when I saw that picture for the first time. Those women deserved more than that. They are brave for standing on stage and competing. I bet they have an amazing story and I would love to hear how they achieved their success.
Maybe if that was the way society saw it, we would have more people trying to live a healthier lifestyle because they would not be judged when they get started.
Nic DeCaire is the owner of Fusion Fitness Center on Main Street. He writes a monthly column for the Newark Post.

Read Full Article: http://www.newarkpostonline.com/features/article_30e27408-8c4b-59a5-9c96-84df53a4c4ff.html

By Nic DeCaire | Guest Columnist

When I imagine a “BOSS,” I think of someone in a leather chair behind a desk filled with papers, phones and computer monitors. They bark orders from inside their office and hit a button on their phone to yell at their assistant for coffee.

When I picture a “LEADER,” I think of a person on the floor, talking to their employees and customers. They throw around high fives and compliments, stepping in when they see someone needs help.

When I opened my business nine years ago, I was more of a boss than a leader. I was young and I thought I knew it all — it was my fitness club, I signed the checks and if you didn’t like it, don’t let the door hit your gluteus maximus on the way out.

As years went by, I began to think differently about the way I managed. I knew it was effective but not effective enough. My employees worked for me, but they didn’t respect me. I also didn’t like who I was becoming.

I started reading books from industry leaders and following them on social media. People respected them and their employees loved working for them. This is what I wanted.

I knew I needed to change.

So how do you change from a boss to a leader? Slowly.

In my case, I started by showing my staff how to get it done instead of doing it myself.

Like many owners, I used to do it all. Nobody could do as good as job as me and I could get it done faster, I thought.

But I started to realize if I ever wanted to take a day off or at least have an hour to grab lunch, I had to start trusting my staff. I started with small tasks. I showed employees exactly how I wanted it done. You can’t get mad at them if you never taught them.

Once I saw that they could handle smaller projects, I trusted them with bigger ones. This created enthusiasm instead of fear.

If you create an environment where your employees are enthusiastic about work instead of fearful, your bottom line will grow. But the opposite also is true.

I remember eating dinner at a bar. The bartender made a mistake with an order and the owner came over and yelled at him in front of the customers. He fired him five minutes later. I have not gone back to that restaurant since, in part because I felt uncomfortable.

If you expect your employees to work hard for you, you better work hard for them. I will never ask my employees to do something I won’t do myself.

I was eating lunch at a local restaurant when a server walked out of the kitchen and a cucumber fell on the floor. (Three years, later this image is still stuck in my head).

The waiter saw the cucumber hit the floor, but kept walking. I thought to myself, “He will pick it up on the way back.” He walked right over it without a second glance. Four other employees and one manager did the same thing.

Finally, a young waitress saw it, grabbed a napkin and picked it up. When I was done my meal, I walked over to her and handed her my business card. I told her if she ever needed a job to give me a call. The reason?

She took pride in her job.

It took me many years to transition from a boss to a leader. I am still working on it. For some, it comes naturally. For others, it may never come at all.

You can read all the books you want, follow all the famous leaders in the industry and attend every great seminar, but if you do not put what you learned into action, you will still just be a boss.

When you are a leader, you have a team that joins you on your mission. It is more than a job — it’s a lifestyle.

People work for a boss out of fear. Usually, they will work hard enough not to get fired. But at the end of the day, it is just a job.

At the end of the day, you can be successful as a leader or as a boss. I am not telling you to change.

But I would much rather have my team help me change lives every day than have my employees work for me while I try to change lives myself.

#ResultsAreEarned

Nic DeCaire is a 2014 DBT40 honoree and the owner of Fusion Fitness in Newark.

Read Full Article: http://beta.delawarebusinesstimes.com/are-you-a-boss-or-a-leader/

NIC DE CAIRE, SPECIAL TO THE NEWS JOURNAL

I love how this time of year changes people’s behaviors. It seems to start once the weather breaks 60 degrees and the sun comes out.

You see more smiles on the street. People say, “Good morning,” and actually hold the door for you. You can almost smell the happiness in the air.

It’s like the winter months made them hibernate, and now they are ready to be human again. And not surprisingly, this is when people start to work on projects they’ve been putting off.

The vegetable garden gets tilled. The shed gets a new coat of paint. The broken door is fixed. The house gets power washed and the gutters get cleaned. We switch out our winter clothes for spring time clothes.

Welcome to spring cleaning.

We focus so much on things we have been neglecting around the house, but we don’t think about ourselves in the process.

This time of year is great to think about how you can spring clean yourself for a healthier lifestyle.

Here are some “cleaning” tips to start off the season right:

1. Get outside – You have been cooped up in the house or a gym all winter long. Now is the time to get outside. I find that people will go for a longer walk outside than on a treadmill. People don’t view it as a chore. Take advantage of all the beautiful parks that Delaware has to offer. Start walking trails. My favorite is Brandywine Creek State Park.

2. Throw it out – Go through your pantry and see what you have been storing all winter long. Get rid of the food that isn’t making you healthier. I would tell you to throw it out, but since there are so many people in need, donate it to your local empowerment center. I like to get rid of anything that has an expiration date in the next decade. Somehow that doesn’t seem like the best choice for your body. Try to choose foods without preservatives.

3. Eat local – Take advantage of local farmers markets and food co-ops to eat healthy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Try some new recipes with your healthy purchases. Not only are these foods healthy, delicious and fresh, but you are supporting local businesses. Check out the new Newark Natural Foods Co-op in the Newark Shopping Center. It is beautiful.

4. Clean your desk – Having a messy desk where you work can create stress and reduce productivity. Starting your day with an organized work space – even if you are busy – can help you to better focus on what you’re doing and also allow for healthier choices. I like to take the first five minutes of my morning to organize my desk so I can anticipate how I will spend my day and focus my attention.

5. Relationships – We all have unhealthy relationships that could use some spring cleaning. It might be a friend, coworker or even a spouse. Cleaning out these unhealthy relationships will allow you to focus on your own happiness instead of always dealing with unneeded stress from them. I suggest honesty – explain how the relationship causes you stress. If you need to, tell them you read a newspaper column that told you to eliminate unhealthy relationships. I am sure they won’t mind.

As you begin to make a list of all the things around the house that need a spring cleaning, make sure you do not neglect the most important thing.

You!

Nic DeCaire, owner of Fusion Fitness Center in Newark, has been training clients for more than a decade.

Read Full Article: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/health/2015/05/18/ways-spring-clean-life/27505785/

Jen Rini, The News Journal

So you’ve been been faithful to your Move It Delaware health challenge commitment for the last month, and you found a good groove, hitting the gym, walking every day or doing something else you love.

Then it happens. Your nose is runny, your throat is scratchy and your joints ache. You’re sick.

Fear not, health experts say depending how you feel you can still get those minutes in.

One rule trainers use is that it’s okay to work out if you’re sick from the neck up, says Nic DeCaire, owner of Fusion Fitness in Newark.

“Below the neck is when you should rest,” DeCaire says.

Mild to moderate exercise, such as walking, while getting over a cold does not appear to be harmful, the American College for Sports Medicine found, but a gradual progression to normal activity is recommended.

A fitness enthusiast might not give up that workout when sick, DeCaire said, but the average person usually will change their routine a bit to rest and recover.

However, choose wisely which exercise and where you’re doing them.

“If you’re sick, don’t come to the gym,” he said. “I get that you want to keep it up … Don’t get the rest of us sick.”

Gym equipment can be a contamination magnet for rhinovirus, which causes the common cold. It can live on hard surfaces for up to seven days, and experts say antibiotic-resistant Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, is one of the many bacterium that could be transmitted by shared yoga mats.

“Just be courteous to other people .. .If you really need to do a workout, do it at home and do it outside,” DeCaire said.

Go easy on the music and don’t push it with high intensity movement.

“Your mind might not be a 100 percent clear, so your form might not be good which could lead to injury,” he said. “It really depends on what your body feels like that day. Recovery is important. Make sure you are hydrated plenty of fluids.”

You really need to monitor your symptoms the minute you come down with something, says Dr. Ray Carter, a pediatric and internal medicine physician with Christiana Care Health System’s Concord Health Center.

“Some people definitely feel better when they continue to exercise,” Carter said. “Some people feel that it doesn’t help.”

Overall, though, exercising with fever is not a good idea, he said. There is a danger of hypothermia with the perspiration, and your fever could get worse.

If you take anti-allergy pills or over-the-counter decongestants like Robitussin, it’s relatively safe to workout, Carter said, but be wary of medications that make you sleepy.

“The last thing you need is to feel a little drowsy when you are out running on the road,” he said.

While you shouldn’t start exercising if you are not well, some researchers say walking, light jogging or meditation can help to build the immune system up again, Carter said.

Though there’s no concrete data that explores how exercise can aid someone’s recovery, “If it makes someone feel better I’m all for it,” he said.

Jen Rini can be reached at (302) 324-2386 or jrini@delawareonline.com. Follow @JenRini on Twitter.

Move it Delaware! prize winners

Week 1: Kelly Drzymalski

Week 2: Karen Maykut

Week 3: Kathy Bailey

Week 4: Virginia Todd

Keep logging those minutes! This year’s goal is to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week – you choose the activities that work for you.

Weekly prizes will be given to participants and include tickets to the Phillies and 76ers, a $150 gift card to The Grand Opera House, tickets to Longwood Gardens and more.

The grand prize is a $1,000 gift card.

Move It Delaware is sponsored by Christiana Care, the DE Center for Health Promotion at Delaware State University and The News Journal.

Source: http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/health/2015/04/27/can-still-move-sick/26436375/