Active Body & Health, Severna Park, MD

The culmination of their passion and expertise has resulted in Active Body & Health. "We really love what we do," Debi says. Their love is evident in the way they coach their clients as well as in the way they teach their children, Luke and Lauryn, who are familiar faces at the studio. "We're small and close-knit like a family, but clients are getting a knowledgeable, professional touch. One of my favorite parts of my day is when someone tells me how much I’ve changed his or her life—it’s so rewarding!”

Active Body & Health Dave Vincent, co-owner of Active Body & Health,says with a smile, "Whether it’s a one-on-one or group exercise class, we have a culture here that I can't explain." Active is an intimate, state-of-the-art fitness studio in Severna Park. Along with his wife, Debi, Dave has successfully created an environment small enough to be personable, yet big enough to offer everything promised by corporate mega-gyms.
“It’s so easy to get lost at a typical gym,” Debi says. “Here, we treat you as a guest because that’s what you are. We bring our expertise and training to help you achieve your goals, whether that means training for the Iron Man, regaining strength after an illness, conditioning to make the Varsity soccer team, or losing weight and staying fit. No matter what, you’ll have a fitness friend for life.”

Active offers a mix of programs for all ages and fitness levels. The loft-style studio, painted in bold greens and blues, is the only place in Severna Park to house Peak Pilates apparatus, TRX equipment, bosuballs, kettle bells, tires, battle ropes, free-weights, cardio, and so much more. Along with its equipment, Active’s trainers are also top-notch. “Our staff not only holds advanced levels of certification in Pilates, personal training and sports performance, but puts great effort into creating fun, dynamic classes and programs to keep our clients motivated, excited and in shape,” says Debi.

One of the studio’s most successful programs is the 30 Day Fitness Challenge. This challenge includes live weekly Active workouts; six DVD workouts from Beach Body; private, online coaching from Debi and other trainers; fat-burning foods menu; Shakeology recipebook and 30-day supply of Shakeology products. “This program is so popular because it’s all inclusive. You don’t have to plan or think about it. All you have to do is commit and you will see results,” shares Debi. Other popular programs include Active Boot Camp, Private or Small Group Pilates, Personal Training, and A3 (Active Athletic Acceleration) Sports Performance.
Active’s strength lies not only in its ability to determine the needs and wants of its clientele, and its creative approach to fitness, but also in the expertise of its trainers and the philosophy with which they approach health. Dave and Debi both come from extensive fitness backgrounds and both hold degrees in the fitness field, along with national certification through Peak Pilates and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Dave also holds certification as an Ignite 360 trainer.

The culmination of their passion and expertise has resulted in Active Body & Health. "We really love what we do," Debi says. Their love is evident in the way they coach their clients as well as in the way they teach their children, Luke and Lauryn, who are familiar faces at the studio. "We're small and close-knit like a family, but clients are getting a knowledgeable, professional touch. One of my favorite parts of my day is when someone tells me how much I’ve changed his or her life—it’s so rewarding!”

Of course, to get the most from our resources, we encourage you to schedule a free, 30 minute consultation with one of our Active Trainers. Call today for an appointment at 410.518.6566 or Contact Us

Debi Vincent, Owner

You may have seen people in the gym, on tv, or in their living room….rolling around on some white, blue or black foam cylinder. This cylinder is called a foam roller and is a very effective tool used in many of todays’ workouts. At Active we use the foam rollers with athletes and clients of all ages and fitness levels. Many of our clients have purchased one and do their exercises and stretches at home. We also recommend that clients foam roller before their workouts.

WHY do we recommend foam rolling? The use of foam rollers is based on the concept of acupressure in which pressure is placed on specific surfaces of the body. The use of foam rollers has progressed from an acupressure approach to self-massage. Who doesn’t want that?

The roller can be used at the beginning of a workout or prior to exercise. It should be used to apply pressure to sensitive areas in muscles-sometimes called trigger points, knots, or areas of increased muscle density. The idea is to allow people to apply pressure to injury-prone areas themselves. The roller is usually used to apply sweeping strokes to the long muscle groups like the calves, adductors, and quadriceps, and small directed force to areas like the TFL, thoracic musculature, hip rotators, and gluteus medius.

The feel of the roller and intensity of the self-massage should be properly geared to the age, comfort, and fitness level of the person using the roller. There is no universal agreement on when to roll, how often to roll, or how long to roll, but generally, techniques are used both before and after a workout. Benefits of foam rolling prior to a workout are: it can decrease muscle density and promote a better warm-up, prepares and aligns the body for the upcoming workout. Rolling after a workout may help muscles recover from strenuous exercise. Another benefit of the foam roller is that it can be done on a daily basis.

How long to use the roller is also determined on a case-by-case basis. At Active we tend to allow 5-10 min. prior to and after a workout. Foam rolling is hard work that can even border on being painful. Good massage work, and correspondingly good self-massage work, may be uncomfortable, much like stretching. Therefore, it is important that you learn to distinguish between a moderate level of discomfort related to working a trigger point or tight muscle and a discomfort that can lead to injury.

General Rule of Thumb: When you are done rolling, you should feel better, not worse. And the rollers should never cause bruising

Summer and watermelon are inseparable. Thankfully, watermelon is not only

delicious, it is extremely healthy as well. Watermelon does a lot more than

quench your thirst on a hot summer’s day.

Watermelon nutrition facts reveal this fruit as a jack of all trades; providing

healthy amounts of virtually all essential vitamins and minerals.

One of the main health benefits of watermelon is its status as a powerful

antioxidant, found in vitamins A and C, which helps to neutralize free radicals

that can lead to inflammation, general sickness and chronic illnesses-oftentimes

causing strokes and heart disease.

Some other great benefits of this easy to love fruit:

*Watermelon has a higher concentration of lycopene than any other fresh fruit or

vegetable-providing cancer fighting benefits.

*Watermelon is a fruit that is rich in Electrolytes, Sodium and Potassium that we

lose through our perspiration.

*Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. This

makes it an excellent alternative to high calorie, caffeine and sugar drenched

energy drinks that caused dehydration.

*With a water concentration topping 90%, it aids your metabolism. With its

healthy amount of fiber and protein, your body will work hard to simply process

the watermelon.

*Watermelon acts as a cooling agent to your body and helps to remove ammonia

from the body. It is effective in reducing your body temperature and blood

pressure.

*The antioxidants found in watermelon help in reducing the severity of asthma.

*Watermelon protects against macular degeneration and glaucoma.

Wether you choose watermelons for their health benefits or simply for their good

flavor, they can be an excellent snack or summer dish.

Watermelon Mint Pop

• • 1 Cup packed fresh mint leaves
• •4.5 T minced ginger, divided
• • 3 Tbs agave nectar
• •1/2 t dried chili flakes
• • ½ Cup filtered water
• • 4 Cups cubed watermelon
• • Seltzer or Soda Water
• • Pinch sea salt

Make mint syrup. Place mint, 2 Tbs. minced ginger, agave, chili flakes, salt and

filtered water in a medium sized saucepan. Cover and bring to a gentle boil over

medium high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Remove

from heat while mint is still a vibrant green. Let sit for 10 minutes. Pour through

a strainer and discard solids.

Place remaining ginger and watermelon in a blender and puree until well

blended. Pour the mixture through a strainer(preferably lined with a double

layer of cheesecloth) and let stand for 15 minutes and let stand until all the liquid

has dripped through. Do not press the puree. It will make it cloudy.

Mix the mint syrup and watermelon-ginger juice in a sealed glass jar and chill in

the fridge. Mixture will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

To serve. Pour ½ Cup mixture into a tall glass, top with 6-8 ounces chilled

seltzer or soda water and stir.