The following are articles taken from our bimonthly newsletter, The Buzz. If you would like to subscribe to the electronic or hard copy version, please let us know.

HIGH FIVE! CELEBRITY WAITER DINNER WRAP-UP

On October 11th, SOhO Restaurant was filled with the energy and excitement of our 3rd Annual High Five! Celebrity Waiter Dinner, with great food, a silent auction, and celebrity service!

The event was a tremendous success, raising over $10,000 to support Body Electric’s programs, including over $4,200 at the silent auction and over $2,000 in tips raised by our celebrity waiters.

Thank you to all of our generous sponsors, volunteers and attendees!

Celebrity Waiters
· Hannah-Beth Jackson, Former State Assemblymember
· Susan Rose, County Supervisor
· Lisa Braithwaite, Body Electric Executive Director and Co-Founder
· Connie Cody, Inside SYV Magazine
· Paige O’Brien-Jasinski, LPGA
· John Zant, Santa Barbara News-Press
· Sean Simms, S2 Fitness
· Jill Shalhoob, Shalhoob’s Restaurant

And the top tip-getter: Susan Rose raised over $700 in tips!

The huge success of the event was made possible by our generous community sponsors: Mullen & Henzell LLP, Deana Blackwood, Ghitterman, Ghitterman & Feld, Silverander Communications, Bellevue Corp and Carl’s Jr.

Special thanks to our fabulous host for the event, SOhO Restaurant and Music Club, and all of the generous local businesses that donated to our silent auction.

Fund Development Committee
· Ellen Durham
· Julie Harris
· Nicole Olsen
· Samantha Sanders
· Vicki Wedmore

LETTER FROM LB

As many of you know, I will be “retiring” from Body Electric at the end of the year. It sounds funny to say that, being such a youngster and all. But in order for BE to truly blossom and become all it’s meant to be, the founders eventually have to let go.

It was a difficult decision for me in many ways; it’s not easy to walk away from my “baby.”

I’m proud to have brought Body Electric to where we are today - with the help of many volunteers, board members and other community supporters over the years who believe so strongly in what we’re doing.

It’s extremely gratifying to know that eight young women have received our annual Body Electric Athletic Scholarship. It makes me smile to think of the middle school and high school students who can find books about female athletes in their school libraries, thanks to our book donations over the past five years.

The hundreds of women and girls who have enjoyed our Adventure Club and Women’s FitFest activities feel like sisters to me. The community members who read The Buzz and send us their notes, articles and personal success stories inspire me.

I’m especially proud of our commitment to gender equity and our passion for physical activity. We never waver from our mission - this is a key aspect of our strength as an organization.

I adore the camaraderie of BE and the feeling of sisterhood that this organization generates. Body Electric is full of women who enourage and challenge each other; we may not all be athletic role models, but we all support each other’s efforts, no matter how small.

I am grateful for all the personal support and mentoring I’ve received, helping me to create, develop and grow this organization. I came into this as a program developer and would-be entrepreneur, and I’ve learned so much that I’ve used my experience to start two businesses!

Now it’s time for me to step aside and invite a new leader in, someone who can take BE to the next level and nurture new kinds of growth and progress.

I will will always maintain involvement at some level, and will continue to be Body Electric’s biggest fan and advocate.

Here’s to Body Electric’s big, bright, fabulous future!

POSTURE, "STRAIGHT UP"

You’ve probably heard it a million times, most of us from our caring and concerned mothers: “Sit up straight,” or “Don’t slouch.”
When you read that did you try to sit or stand taller? Well, relax and exhale (because you probably just held your breath) and let’s discuss this rationally!

Even the mere suggestion of the subject and most people instantly snap to attention. This new image usually reveals two interesting and humorous results.

The first is a disappearance of the neck. The second is a rosy appearance to the face caused by the mighty attempt to suck in their stomach and hold their breath. Now, held too long, that rosy color fades to a violet blue as their body gasps for air to avoid suffocation and death.

No longer able to hold the “posture,” their chest deflates, the shoulders fall, normal coloring returns, and the question mark formation of their spine resumes.

The idea of healthy posture is so fleeting to most of us, we don’t even try. Most people don’t understand what correct posture is.

However, as with good eating habits and exercise, good posture is a lifestyle choice. It is attainable and maintainable. Simplicity is the key and I’ve laid out three very simple steps to help you achieve good posture. Here we go.

Open, Exhale, Tuck. That’s it!

Step 1: OPEN. Open expresses the optimum position the body’s rib cage should attain. Of the three steps, this is probably the most difficult step because there are three actions involving the opening of the rib cage.

The first action is to think about opening a double door, that the breastbone (sternum) is actually being split in two and allowing the rib cage to open as if it were two doors. Opening up the rib cage causes the shoulders to press back.

The next action of OPEN is to press the shoulders down. Don’t press hard, just enough to get them away from your ears. If you’re wondering how your shoulders can be going in two different directions, think about the shoulders moving along an angle. An angle achieves two directions ­ in this case, down and back.

Remember when your neck disappeared earlier? With the practice of this step, you’ll find that you actually do have a neck, a long and lovely neck.

The last action of OPEN is a little difficult too. With all of this other stuff going on, lift the rib cage up off of your hips. Yes, you have three actions happening: open, down, and now up. Initially, this is a lot to think about and act upon. Your success and achievement directly correlate to your practice and patience.

The abdominal muscles play a large part in this action, so let’s chat about them. The abdominal muscles are a series of long strips of muscle that run from the breastbone down to the pubic bone. A common misperception is that you can work just the “upper abs” and then just the “lower abs.” Let’s get this cleared up once and for all.

During the ab section of a class, I would ask the participants to press a finger or two into the muscle area just below the breastbone. With each sit-up, a muscle contraction can usually be felt. Next, I would ask that participants press into the muscle area just above the pubic bone, and a muscle contraction was felt there too. And, of course, if participants pressed in the middle of the abs, a muscle contraction was felt there too.

The point I’m highlighting is that when you work the abdominal muscles, you work the entire muscle structure. There are techniques to strategically stress specific sections of the muscle, but understand it is the entire muscle that works and contracts.

Most people think that abdominal muscles are meant to be sucked to the back of the spine in order to appear flat. Readjust that to think of your abdominal wall as similar to a wrinkled sheet of paper. What do you do with a wrinkly sheet of paper if you want to write on it? Smooth it out!

Think about upwardly smoothing out your abdominal wall. It almost feels as if I’m pulling my upper abdominal wall (from my belly button and up) toward my heart. The happy part of this step is that you may actually see some of that mushy middle area “smooth out,” and hey, is that a little bit of waistline you see?

Now check yourself. With all of this action happening, did your shoulders lift? Did your rib cage close up? Again, practice. Each time you will find your comfort zone. Be patient, diligent, and don’t give up on yourself.

Step 2: EXHALE. You’ll be glad to know that this is the simplest yet most overlooked aspect to posture. Exhale your breath. The trick when you exhale is not to let go of the work you’ve just accomplished. Breathing is required!

Exhaling results in a relaxation of the body, a remedy to stress. Correct posture is not a stress to the body, but recapturing it is work and until second nature, can be stressful. Soon you will notice that you are holding your new posture, breathing normally and uninhibitedly. This a rewarding sign of your new core strength, your posture.

Step 3: TUCK. There are two actions involving the area of the hips and pelvis. The first action is to tuck the hips under. It is a small and subtle forward thrust. This action takes stress and pressure off the small of the back and elongates the lower portion of the spine. The second action of the TUCK step is opening the pelvic area. This action is similar to the action of opening the rib cage.

When should you work on your posture? Every waking moment: in the shower; driving in the car; sitting at your computer; watching TV; preparing dinner; doing laundry; lying in the sun; playing with your children; working out.

The effort of posture should become autonomic, happening without conscious thought or effort (like your heart beating or breathing). You’ll notice that you feel better when you are in good posture and will now begin to notice when you are not in good posture.

What are the rewards at the end of this endeavor? Good posture has positive effects directly on the body. By utilizing the lifts and opens, you are now taking pressure off of bone and joint structures (spine, hips, knees, ankles) and shifting the weight to muscle structures, specifically the abdominals. It is these muscle structures that are designed for support.

In the course of taking pressure off of these areas, the body’s ability to function internally is optimized. By unwrinkling the midsection, the diaphragm functions more freely and easily, and breathing is less taxing. The action of inhaling and exhaling is deeper, resulting in a more relaxed state, and the blood system and organs become better oxygenated, nourished, and more efficient.

You may notice that you feel lighter on your feet; well, you probably are! When the body is accurately carrying the “load,” you will find that accidentally stepping off of the curb, an inadvertent trip, or just a meager stumble will not result in wadding yourself up on the sidewalk with your pride spread all over. With the appropriate postural lift, you’re able to catch yourself from falling, leaving your ego intact.

As you take on this new lifestyle endeavor, notice if people around you begin to size you up. “You look different,” “Are you losing weight?” “Are you working out?” they may ask. You can simply tell them that you are engaging in healthy posture and try to contain your chuckle at their shoulders becoming intimate with their ears, their face displaying most of the colors of the rainbow, and the dramatic deflation of their effort.

Hey, did you just stand taller?

By Angela Wynne
Retired Fitness Instructor
Bachelor of Social Work
Bachelor of Clinical Psychology

ELLEN'S JOURNAL

Part five and the last in a series, the following is an excerpt of the journal of Ellen Durham, a woman who works full time, volunteers for Body Electric, and is starting a new business on the side.

With our journal series we bring you the challenges and accomplishments of an average woman: someone who, like all of us, balances a life full of work, play, friends, family and occasional struggle.

We hope you find inspiration in their daily endeavors, and perhaps decide to try something new and challenging yourself!

-----------------------
August 25 -­ A day of driving in Los Angeles ­ I can’t believe I used to do this commute almost daily! My butt is sore from just sitting all day and I look forward to stretching.

August 31 -­ I have been in Phoenix for 4 days. It is so hot ­ I have discovered that the coolest part of the day is actually at 5 am. Weird weather ­ and it is so hot that even in the evenings I don’t want to work out!

September 5 -­ I am starting to lose some weight. I notice my butt is smaller and my bra is fitting looser, yet my thighs are still the largest part of my body and somewhere along the way I have gained my grandmother’s arms. I don’t have the complete arm wobble yet, but I can tell that it could be right around the corner if I let it swoop in and take over.

September 15 -­ I don’t feel 40 ­ how is it possible I’m turning 40 this year? What on earth happened to 35? I am told by everyone over 40 that it was a great year but no one younger that that is talking up 40 like it’s Mecca.

September 23 -­ It’s been a good week. Lots of birthday celebration and I am still sticking with my workout. I am pretty happy about that. And I see a huge difference in how I look and feel. I may be 40 but I feel younger.

October 1 -­ Work has been crazy and I am feeling bad that it has taken so much time that I am not able to give as much energy to the celebrity waiter event this year.

I am overbooked on my commitments and normally stuff would start to fall away ­ like personal time and workouts so I can make all my commitments. I seem to have a shift going on where workouts still remain a priority and I am able to limit my time on other things.

October 19 -­ I had an awesome vacation. We got engaged. What more could I add? My life keeps getting better.

I’m still doing the Pilates. I think my body is waking up, as I am noticing the muscles are getting better defined. This week in workouts I was so disoriented from being on vacation ­ and my cell phone rang at the end of the workout ­ that I left the gym with one of my shoes and one belonging to someone else. How incredibly funny and how do I explain that I left with one of someone else’s shoe? I still giggle when I think of how I was so focused on the work call I did not pay attention to what I was doing.

November 1 -­ I now own a limited liability corporation! Life is getting very exciting and I anticipate the launching of my business officially at the beginning of next year. I can’t believe it’s becoming a reality! It’s very exciting; I’m thrilled by it.

I looked in the mirror this week and can see a sharp contrast in my stomach. I can easily pull it in now ­ and the muscles in the upper abs are beginning to get more defined. I discovered that if I keep my abs tight during my entire workout that I could get a better workout.

I tried a second Pilates studio this month and found that it’s like they are speaking an entirely different language than the first one. It is very odd and challenging.

November 8 -­ I got reorganized at work this week. I still have a great job but I will be traveling a bit more over the next few months to come up to speed.

I’ve started doing some mat work at home with the Pilates moves that I learned and I am enjoying the mat workouts on my own.

I’ve been doing the journal now for over a year and have very much enjoyed the experience. I liked the accountability to all the readers and I think that being accountable to more than one person created a stronger push for me to stick with my goal.

I am thrilled with all I have been able to accomplish in the past year with getting my business started, traveling with my current job, getting a new job at my current employer and juggling that with my business. All this while finding a workout niche and sticking with it, and hitting a milestone birthday.

What a totally awesome year. I can’t say enough about it and how much writing a journal has added to the experience. I love that I have these moments documented.

In closing all I can offer is what worked for me. I found a workout method that I love. And a trainer that makes the experience fun and we laugh a lot. I love the challenge to myself and that I feel like I am doing something for myself. It is a lovely thing.