We wanted to warmly introduce Emma Hanson!

 Emma grew up in Winona, Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth with a degree in Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. Emma grew up playing all types of sports but focused on basketball and swimming in high school. In college she held a position working sporting events where her love of sports and exercise grew. After college, she worked as a strength and conditioning coordinator as well as swim coach for different high schools.  

In her free time, she says, "I enjoy crocheting, cooking, outdoor activities (hiking, camping, sunsets), and traveling."

Emma says, "I am passionate about empowering individuals in their exercise and nutrition path. By dedicated myself to educating others on exercise and nutrition to help them build healthier lifestyles through informed choices and sustainable habits."

Northstar Fitness has a core team of Fitness Professionals that work with each client on their...

We are proud to announce the newest member of our growing team.  Welcome Quinn Steckbauer!  Quinn Joins us from UW-Oshkosh, where he played basketball for the Titans while he completed his bachelors degree in Strength and Conditioning with a minor in psychology from UW-Oshkosh.

Quinn grew up in Merrill, WI, and he recently received his Certification as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist.  In his free time, he enjoys anything outdoors including camping, biking, and hiking.   He enjoys basketball, golf, tennis, and volleyball, and playing with his cat Dudley, and is a fan of the Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Quinn says, "I have enjoyed sports and exercise my entire life.  They improve my health and overall well-being.  I want other people to feel that same improvement and be able to achieve their goals!  There's nothing more rewarding than helping someone do something they thought wasn't possible!"

His fiance,...

The first step of the fitness journey is the hardest.   We have a desire but no momentum.  And there are other barriers to getting started… 

We say we’ll start tomorrow.  The next day, we again say we’ll start tomorrow, and years later, we still haven’t made progress.  

Some of the most common reasons one fails to get started on their fitness journey:

• I’ve tried everything and it hasn’t worked. 
• I have nagging or chronic pain or I am worried about getting injured.
• I don’t like working out, don’t like to sweat, or don’t like feeling sore.
• I don’t know if anything will help
• I’m confused – there are so many options out there.
• I’m busy

Everyone has been there at some point.  Which one most resonates with you?  Is there one not listed here that has prevented you from starting?

Regardless of the reason, these become real roadblocks preventing us from taking that...

Breathing can do a lot more than help us not pass out during a workout. It can affect the overall quality of our workouts and our energy levels. So it's important to understand how your body uses that oxygen.

Your body processes the oxygen you breath to be able to pass into your blood stream to feed the muscles of your body.  The stronger muscle you have, the more oxygen your body processes. 

As you age, we don’t process oxygen very well.  That’s why you get winded going up stairs.  Your body neither demands more oxygen nor uses it. During a resistnace training workout, your muscles require oxygen much greater than when doing walking or running.  

After the proper stimulus is applied, your body uses more oxygen to help with the muscle rebuilding process, called the EPOC Effect.  Your body calls for more oxygen that helps muscle rebuilding over days.  When you walk, however, the EPOC effect is very small and does not extend past the...