In an effort to upgrade our member parking privileges, and to enhance the safety and security of our members while visiting the club; we are pleased to announce the following changes to our parking services.

Market Place Garage (located under Cutters Bayhouse) will now be the primary location for our member parking. Our new policy will allow our members to receive parking for the entire duration of our new validation period Monday through Friday, and up to 3.5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. Currently members are only entitled to receive parking validation for up to 3 hours. Additionally, we lengthened our weekday morning validation period to 5:00 am till 10:00 am.

THE NEW MEMBER VALIDATION HOURS WILL BE:
MONDAY - FRIDAY
5:00 - 10:00 AM
3:00 - 10:30 PM

SATURDAY - SUNDAY
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

* Please note that there will no longer be access to the parking garage behind the club, and we will be restricting passage through the club's rear fire exit.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign to increase awareness of this disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure. Seattle Athletic Club is taking advantage of this high profile month to offer information in order to educate women not only about the importance of early detection, but other factors.

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It is our pleasure to introduce Anna Miller as our new Group Exercise Director at the Seattle Athletic Club - Downtown.

Anna's philosophy is to motivate and inspire people to reach their full potential while utilizing safe and effective movement. She believes education, technique and coaching are the foundation for all successful classes. Most recently, Anna was the regional Group Exercise director for a national health club chain, and single handedly managed six different locations.

Please join us in congratulating Anna on her appointment, and welcoming her to our club.

For any Group Exercise questions or concerns, you can contact Anna at extension # 259, or by email at amiller@sacdt.com.

It is our pleasure to introduce Lara Baca as our new Membership Sales representative at the Seattle Athletic Club - Downtown.

Since Lara moved to Seattle in 1989 she has always been a member of an athletic facility. In the middle 90’s she was thrilled to discover Seattle Athletic club located in Northgate. Lara quickly found a new home and a great way to make some new friends, some that through time have become family. She is very excited to have Seattle Athletic Club become the next step in her professional career. Much of her free time is spent participating in Yoga, biking, rollerblading and cooking special meals for family and friends.

Please join us in congratulating Lara on her appointment, and welcoming her to our club.

For any Membership questions or inquiries, you can contact Lara at extension # 277, or by email at lbaca@sacdt.com.

As the second exercise in the Stomach Series, Double Leg Stretch continues to challenge your coordination, work the powerhouse and stretch your body. Click below to learn how!

DOUBLE LEG STRETCH

Maybe it’s your metabolism! We can now measure your metabolic rate and determine precisely what you need to do to lose weight.

This test is simple and painless... you just sit back, relax, and just breathe!

Contact Fitness Director Tim Koffler to learn more about this REVOLUTIONARY approach to weight loss.

There are a handful of movements that should be a staple in everyone’s fitness routine. The push up is one of those core movements. The ability to stabalize the whole body and elevate off the ground is invaluable. Though the push up is seen quite often in most fitness settings, it is rarely done right. Lets take a look at the movement, its progressions, and what to do and not to do.

READ MORE ABOUT THE PERFECT PUSH UP

"Wow, I can feel that spot you're working on radiating down my shoulder. What IS that?" Its Neuromuscular Muscular Technique being applied to a trigger point. NMT is a wonderful muscle releasing technique that allows your massage therapist to help your muscles release effectively without overworking them. What is also wonderful about this technique is that it can keep working even after the session is over. After your massage session is over, your nervous system will continue for a while to react to the therapy.

I'm often asked what trigger points are. One definition is that they are the most extreme expression of a tight muscle. A bit more of a descriptive definition is "hyperirritable spots in skeletal muscle that are associated with palpable nodules in taut bands of muscle fibers. The palpable nodules are said to be small contraction knots and a common cause of pain." When you feel your therapist putting static pressure on a spot, but feel the sensation elsewhere, you are likely feeling the trigger point referring pain along a nerve pathway. Sometimes a trigger point, one that is called an active trigger point, will refer pain on the nerve pathway without any outside stimulation. However when you are not feeling this referring sensation without the stimulation of pressure on it, it is probably a latent trigger point. These trigger points are not only uncomfortable but can also have an effect on muscle patterns, coordination and balance.

What causes trigger points? It can be many things or a combination of things - such as even mild dehydration, overuse or underuse of the muscle, posture, nutrition, stress, and direct trauma to the area. The good news is two-fold. By making healthy lifestyle choices such as proper exercise, stretching, drinking plenty of water, eating healthy and avoiding excess intake of certain things such as alcohol, sugar and smoking, you can help your body be less likely to develop as many trigger points. Secondly, when your massage therapist compresses a trigger point and you feel some local tenderness, referred pain, or local twitch response, feel free to hum with satisfaction knowing what is going on and that your LMP is helping your trigger points to release, leaving you with less pain, better circulation in the area and maybe even an opportunity for you to improve overall muscular health.