Private and Group Swim Lessons

Wembley's pool deck

Are you debating between Private and Group Swim Lessons? We believe each student learns differently and may benefit more from one type than the other, neither one is better. It is important to understand the 2 types of lessons, and to be able to choose what works best for your child. Water safety is always a priority, remember, the ultimate goal is to have a child that learns to swim, enjoys the water, and is comfortable with and aware of water safety. The type of lesson is a preference…the endgame is the same.

Group Lessons

Many swimming locations/schools focus on group lessons putting several students with one instructor for a 30 minute lesson. At Wembley Club, we limit our groups to a maximum of 4 students with the majority of the groups being 2-3 students. Why? This allows for adequate time for the instructor to correct and guide each student. Depending on the size of the group, individual attention during a group lesson is approximately 10-15 minutes per child. One great benefit of group lessons is encouragement and social interaction with other children at his/her same swimming ability. In a group setting, often times students push to excel in stroke development and other skills as they see each exercise as a competition to complete with the other students.

group swim lesson

Private Lessons

Private lessons allow for the student to have one-on-one instruction for a full 30 minutes. The student sets the pace for the lesson. If the student excels in a skill faster than other skills, it allows more time to give attention to weaker skills rather than following the abilities of the other students, like in a group lesson. Students learn at different speeds; this makes private lessons more beneficial especially when initially learning to swim and are timid about the water. Another perk to private lessons is the flexibility in choosing a day and time that fits best with your personal schedule.

private swim lesson

Adults who wish to either improve strokes or learn the basics of swimming benefit from private swim lessons. The instructor can work one on one with the individual no matter what the goal is. Some adults have never learned to swim….that is okay, and why we are here!

No matter what the lesson type is, ultimately we strive for a comfort level between the parents, students, and teacher that will allow the student to thrive and become an awesome swimmers or improve the skills they already possess. 

We are very fortunate at Wembley to continue lessons throughout the year with the pool being covered during non-summer months!

Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out for any swim lesson inquiries. Heather@wembleyclub.com

Check out our Swim Page for more information about everything going on at our pool!

A Little Insight for Tennis Parents

The ins and outs of tennis can be tough, especially watching from the sidelines where you aren’t allowed to talk to your child. There are many different reasons we see parents get frustrated with their child, whether it’s due to their behavior, their commitment or lack thereof, or just their overall game. Not seeing the results you want for your child can be tough, but you have to realize sometimes it’s tougher on them.

Growing up myself in a tennis family I was lucky, my father always knew how to talk to me after my best and my worst matches. Some children don’t have that luxury, and sometimes the “soccer mum” comes out in you. Which is totally okay to be your child’s number one fan.

There are many points to this post that I’d like to touch on, but my main point would be that
children feel pressure just like the rest of us. They just don’t quite understand how to deal with that emotion, so it comes out in different ways such as bad behavior, poor shot making ability, decreased effort levels, etc. If you aren’t familiar with tennis, sometimes the better option is to speak to their coach and let them know what is happening.

Communication between a coach and a tennis parent is vital, and without it there are mental and physical barriers that your child may never overcome. Speak up, get involved to a point to set
your child up for success. Below is a link that I think most tennis parents should read.

https://www.tennismindgame.com/child-tennis-and-you.html

I have also added a link to one of the best tennis books I recommend for any tennis parent, called The Tennis Parent’s Bible. If you are really looking to help your child along their journey in one of the toughest individual sports, I highly suggest you give this a read.

https://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Parents-Bible-Second/dp/1523255935

Check out our Tennis Page to see everything that is going on at the club!

Balancing Your Mind With Boxing

Boxing has become the new “it” workout because it’s not only a fabulous cardiovascular workout; where you’ll get your heart pumping, blood & sweat flowing, strengthened muscles and bones but it also helps balance your mind! As we all are trying to currently navigate thru life’s changes, stresses, fears and living in a world filled with division, chaos and hatred…..here’s a few reasons why you should glove up and take your workout to the heavy bag.

1- Boxing allows you to switch off from the outside world and be present in the moment.

Boxing is fast, furious and above all FUN, leaving little room in your head for anything else. Being able to avert daily stresses can help you to truly take time out, giving you a fresh perspective to better deal with problems, or things that are bothering you!

2- It’s an excellent form of stress relief and stimulates endorphin production.

When punching the heavy bag, your brain increases the production of endorphins, the neurotransmitters that create those feel-good thoughts and feelings. Punching helps to relieve muscle tension that can collect when you experience stress. As you continue to punch, you will find your focus is improved, increasing your concentration and helping you forget the reasons why you are stressed! SCORE 😊!!!

3- Boxing builds self confidence as much as physical strength.

It can help make you feel more powerful mentally and give you the fighting spirit to enable you to deal with any of life’s more challenging situations. Boxing also instills a sense of achievement which builds confidence and self-esteem.

4- Boxing can help you manage anger and overcome it safely!

Physically, hitting a punching bag produces a response in your body that helps to relieve tension. Boxing, especially in a group setting is a safe way to release tension or aggression without hurting yourself, or others, helping you to work through any negative feelings and effectively overcome them!

From boosting your confidence, to helping you deal with everyday stress, boxing is the ultimate form of working out, balancing your mind, and achieving personal growth!
Hope to see you all on the heavy bag!
🥊🥊Krista Nightwine

Glove and wrap options:

If wrapping your hands is too complicated these are a great alternative to traditional wraps:

Boxing Inner Glove Wrap

Boxing Gloves come in a variety of weights. The weight is a personal preference, most men choose between 12-16oz. and most women choose between 10-14oz.

Boxing Gloves

Workout slump

Getting Over Your Workout Slump

We are all feeling it these days; the workout slump. COVID hit us, fitness clubs closed, and our routines became lax. As the weather gets cooler and the days become shorter it is much easier to just stay out of workout mode. This slump only makes us less energized, I promise. Being too tired to workout will only make you more tired throughout the day. You need that daily movement to help keep your endorphins going throughout the day, to keep your immune system healthy, for structure in your day, and for your mental health!

So the question is….HOW, WHAT, WHEN?

HOW

Send a friend or family member a text now asking him/her to meet you at a fitness class, for a short run, at the gym, at the pool to swim laps, anything, tomorrow- yes, TOMORROW, not next Monday. You can give yourself 20-60 minutes, your health and well being is a priority. Start with a small manageable goal to feel good and successful! If you are a person that likes to do things on your own time and don’t want to meet a friend, lay out your fitness clothes tonight and get started tomorrow.

WHAT

What kind of workout? Any kind of movement and exercise is good for the mind, body, and soul! Do not do something you don’t like to start, do something that seems interesting, fun, and energizing. If you hate running, then don’t tell yourself that tomorrow you will start running 3 miles a day, that is a mental and physical game you would have to overcome. Leave those goals for down the road when you need a fitness change up, a challenge. You may think you don’t like something, like water aerobics because it is not hard enough or only for older people, but in actuality EVERY exercise has its benefits (side note…water fitness can be very challenging). At the very least go for a brisk power walk and enjoy the fall leaves changing.

WHEN

One of the #1 reasons why I hear people, especially busy parents, say they cannot workout or attend a fitness class is that they do not have the time. There is time in the day, it just needs to become a priority for you. I am certain that you scroll on social media, amazon, the news, and email more than 20 minutes a day for unproductive reasons, just to pass time, me too-we all do! Take this time to put down the phone and move!!

I am very aware of the time crunch for working out being a mom of 4 and that is why for me personally I have had to train myself to love early morning workouts. At 5:30am there is really nothing that will get in the way besides sleep. I tell people all the time, “You will never be mad at yourself for waking up to workout, but you may regret that you hit the snooze and started off your morning bummed to miss your workout.”

If you are not a morning person and have actually tried it, then find another time in your day that you can commit to and say no to any distractions during this time. Tell yourself that you can go to dinner, happy hour, book club, etc. after your have given yourself the gift of movement.

My last suggestion is so exercise while you are at your child’s practice or when they are warming up before a game. There is generally space in the area where you can do some sort of walking or movement for 20 minutes, you do not need to sit and watch every second of the warm-up or practice. Or park early to pick them up from school or practice and while you are waiting walk, find a space to do a mini HIIT workout, run the bleachers, anything!

I must note that with all of this being said, please also respect your bodies and the need for rest which may even mean Restorative and Slow Flow Yoga. If you are already in workout mode, remember it is equally important to let your body re-cooperate.

Do not be hard on yourself if you miss a day, need to rest, or something came up, this is how the rabbit hole can start–we are all human and deserve grace for ourselves. I have confidence you will pick back up later in the day or tomorrow to feel great!

You can do this, feel great, come to a class, reach out if you just cannot get motivated–That is why we are here for your at Wembley!

~Colleen (colleen@wembleyclub.com)

Wembley Fitness Classes

8 limbs

Yoga for Anxiety and Depression

With everything going on in the world, and the weather getting colder, we are all experiencing some level of anxiety or depression, or most likely both. Yoga has been used as a very effective way to manage anxiety for hundreds of years. Whether it’s a situational anxiety attack, or a long term chronic depression, Yoga can be used to help alleviate symptoms.

Why yoga? Yoga is an eight limbed practice. That means that the movement, which we already know to be beneficial to anxiety, is one 1 of 8 parts.

The practice of yoga is beneficial for so many reasons.

The yamas and niyamas of yoga remind us about non-judgment, non attachment and keeps us more mindful. Mindfulness is so important when managing anxiety and depression.

Another limb is Breathwork. By controlling your breath consciously you can learn how to control the entire body with just the breath. Yogic breathing helps increase bloodflow, reduce heart rate, reduce blood pressure and tames the body’s stress response.

There are literally thousands of reasons yoga is such effective management of anxiety and depression. I encourage you to give yoga a shot if you’re experiencing these challenges. Meet us on your mat.

-Leigh

yoga helping your body

Want to join one of our yoga classes? Click here to see what class is best for you!

What is Functional Fitness?

~Michelle Scacchi

Our bodies are wonderful examples of function, designed to complete an action continuously; even when we are sleeping or unaware. How brilliant! With that being said, we are highlighting the awareness of functional fitness in the next few paragraphs and the significance of functional fitness presently, during these unprecedented times. The word ‘functional’ refers to something working well with a purpose. ‘Fitness’ is the condition of being physically fit and healthy, the quality of being suitable to fulfill a particular role or task.

‘Functional’ is a key word and action that is being examined from the inside out, literally from the inside of the gym to the outside. The present special circumstances of social distancing has caused us to re-focus the importance of functional fitness in different populations, young and older alike. The best practices are vital for every age. Movement patterns, such as squatting, lungeing, pushing, pulling, hingeing, rotating, walking and running are utilized in every day activities. Doing these movements in our fitness classes keep us strong and capable for every day life.

Join Michelle for a Class offered Monday, Wednesday at 7:30am and Virtually Friday at 7:45am. Check out a recording from one of her sessions!

Check out our entire fitness schedule here!