starting an exercise program

Congratulations! You've decided to start an exercise program. What will exercise do for you? A recent series of Gallup Surveys found that those who exercise regularly:

·        Feel more relaxed

·        Have more self-confidence

·        Experience improvement in creativity and mood

·        Have more control over other habits, like smoking and eating

·        Feel a stronger sense of control over their health 

·        Are more attractive to the opposite sex   

·        Are more satisfied in all areas of life.

More obvious, but equally important, are the physical benefits. Regular exercise can reduce the risk of:

·        Cancer

·        Obesity

·        Osteoporosis

·        High blood pressure

·        Elevated cholesterol

·        Coronary heart disease

·        Sudden death from a heart attack

The Centers for Disease Control found that inactive people run the same risk of having a heart attack as people who smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. It's important to note that only 10 percent of the population smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, while 60 percent are inactive.

Despite its many benefits, regular exercise has caught on with only 20 percent of adults in our society, primarily because only one of every two people who start an exercise program sticks with it. The Wellness Center has the people, programs and facilities to help you be the one who keeps it going! Only by adopting an active lifestyle as a lifetime activity will you achieve its long-term health benefits.

staying with it

How do you stay with a life-long exercise program when, so many people start and stop? Join a quality health club. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, headed by cardiologist Dr. James M. Rippe, have studied exercise adherence. They've developed several tips to help people maintain a regular exercise program. A quality health club provides everything you need to follow their advice. The Wellness Center staff members will help you:

·        Develop a personal exercise plan. They'll motivate you to stay with the plan and continually upgrade your program.

·        Establish realistic goals. Setting unattainable goals will lead to frustration. Quality health clubs have knowledgeable, experienced fitness specialists and trainers who work with you to set realistic, attainable goals.

·        Choose reliable equipment. Good health clubs have excellent equipment and keep it in good condition. And they provide enough equipment to offer you a good workout. Most people don't have the money or the space for state-of-the-art, quality exercise equipment.

·        Establish a time and place for regular exercise. Because your club is designated as the place for your exercise routine, health-club membership will help you make exercise a habit and keep you on your program.

·        Enlist the support of friends and family. Health clubs such as the Wellness Center offer the opportunity to make friends, involve your family, and surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude toward what you are doing.

·        Vary your activities. Varying your exercise routine prevents the boredom that can lead to giving up. Quality health clubs offer you a number of ways to vary activities. Some of the activities that may be included are aerobics, stationary cycling and rowing, strength training, running/walking on an indoor track or treadmills and swimming.

·        Avoid injuries. Without proper information and instruction, you can injure yourself and become discouraged or physically incapable of continuing your program. Quality health clubs make sure their equipment is safe and hire instructors who will help you prevent injuries by showing you how to use the equipment properly for the proper amount of time.