Bespoke Fitness for Achon Uganda: A charity event

I am asking for your help!  The first two weeks of October,  Studio DelCorpo will be hosting a number of special classes to raise money for my friend Mike Fee’s organization,  the Achon Uganda Children’s Fund.  I am asking a select few of the most talented instructors I know to join me in this effort; and I ask all of you to join in, have some fun, get a great workout, and be a hero. All we ask is that you donate $20 per class and 100% of the money we raise will go to Achon Uganda.

DelCorpo has supported other charities in the past, but this one is especially close to my heart.  The foundation was started the father of a very dear friend mine, Mike Fee.  Mike’s dad, Jim Fee and the Olympic runner Julius Achon founded this charitable organization in 2007 to fund and build the first and only medical facility in the small town of Awake in Northern Uganda—Achon’s hometown.

Sadly, Jim Fee, an avid cyclist, lost his life in a tragic bike accident.  Since then Mike succeeded his father and continues to spearhead fundraising efforts for this great cause. 

Studio DelCorpo is timing these classes to coincide with Mike’s own fundraising challenge:  In honor of what would have been Jim’s 70th birthday, Mike is going to ride his bike up and down his Dad’s favorite route, Mt. Diablo in California...7 times, hence the name of the event "7 for 70.”  This herculean task is estimated to take him 14 hours.

To find out more information about Mike's effort, Mike has set up a site at www.gofundme.com/7for70; (donations can be made there). You can read all about the foundation at achonugandachildren.org.

Many thanks for helping me help Mike, and the men, women and children of Awake, Uganda.  See you at our classes!

TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT, PLEASE RSVP TO: CHERYL@DELCORPO.COM.

BE A HERO:  JOIN US FOR AN AMAZING WORKOUT FOR AN AMAZING CAUSE

Take a mini-vacation with YOGA

Our yoga post today is written by a special guest, Katarina Arneric, migliore yogini, one of the best yoga instructors I have had the pleasure of learning from.

Today Katarina shares instruction for Supported Reclined Bound Angle Pose.  This is the perfect pose to help open up tight chests,  shoulders and hips, (which are a by product of this freezing cold where our shoulders are up to our ears), and to generally provide a calming sensation. Think of this pose as a mini-vacation!

Here's more from Katarina:

"Yoga is the best cross training activity for running, Crossfit, tennis, football, dance and pretty much life in general.

Yoga helps balance you out. It balances out the right and left side of your body since we are naturally uneven. It balances out strength and flexibility. It also balances the body, mind and spirit. 

No matter what your workout or fitness activity of choice, here is a pose that will balance out any Chicagoan in this cold winter:  Supported Reclined Bound Angle

How to do it:

1. Roll up a thick towel or blanket like a hot dog.

2. Set it on the floor to be the length of your spine and lie back with your hips directly on the floor, whole spine and head being supported by the blanket/towel.

3. Open up your arms to a “goal post” close to 90 degrees at the armpit and elbows.  If this is too much strain on your shoulders, open up your arms wide, away from the torso, out to the side with palms facing up.

4. Bend your knees, bring the feet together and butterfly the knees out to the side.  If this becomes too intense on the hips, prop a pillow under each of your knees for support. 

5. Take a deep breath and relax your body into the support of your props and the ground.

6. Stay for a minimum of six more breaths, work your way up to breathing in the pose for two minutes.

Benefits:

-Decompresses the spine.

-Opens up the chest and front part of the shoulders. 

-Opens up the inner thighs and hips.

-Is a great counter balance pose to rounded posture, hunched shoulders from bundling up and hiding in our coat collars to stay warm while walking about this winter.  

-The best pose, in my opinion, to do after sitting at a computer all day."

by Katarina Arneric, Certified Yoga Instructor and Health Coach

Katarina takes a mini-vacation.

klahealth.com

BRILLIANT.  EASY.  BESPOKE.