Rich Hesss column on fitness: The answer nobody wants to hear

January 10, 2010 12:00 am It is becoming more and more evident to me that regardless of how much they ask, people don"t want to hear the real answer.

It is becoming more and more evident to me that regardless of how much they ask, people don"t want to hear the real answer.

I have the answer and most likely, so do you.

How do I lose weight, get in shape, feel better, or look better?

Why do I even spend my time explaining it anymore? Ninety-nine percent of the time, I know they aren"t going to follow the program, or only do part of it.

How do I lose this gut?

"Well," I say, "it will involve four parts. You must include resistance training and cardio, but a big part is to also eat properly."

That is where I get "the look," before I get to number four. It"s at that point I know it ain"t gonna happen, and should put my clipboard down and walk away instead of wasting everyone"s time.

The truth is: It takes work. You need to dedicate yourself. Put the time in, follow the program, and you will get results"В guaranteed. Don"t follow the program completely, and you will not get the results you desire.

You would be amazed how much your body can handle, if you can handle it mentally. Push yourself harder than you"ve pushed before and you"ll get results you"ve never gotten before. The body is an amazingly resilient machine. (By the way: this is not a reason to do stupid, out-of-control things. You still need to use your head, exercise intelligently, and use proper form)

So, what"s number four? You already know, but I"m not telling. Not until next week.

n Rich Hess is Executive Director and Fitness Trainer at Middlecreek Area Community Center. You can reach Rich at richmacc@live.com or the MACC at maccrec.org

Class at Austin Peay State Universitys Foy Fitness Center makes stepping into ...

Kathleen Evans is 48 years old, but she feels better than she did at 28. "Nobody told me I would feel this good at middle age," she said. "I feel like a million bucks." The key? Regular exercise. People who think exercise is a chore haven"t found the right fit yet. For some people, competitive sports provide the needed motivation. For others, the mental discipline of martial arts or meditative qualities of yoga are captivating. For Evans, RB line dance is the winner, done in hourlong step sessions that incorporate low-intensity aerobic exercise. Students get exercise while learning line dance moves they can show off at parties. A longtime social dancer, Evans started teaching RB Step Sessions at Austin Peay State University"s Foy Fitness and Recreation Center in May 2008 at a friend"s request. Her passion and her students" enthusiasm quickly multiplied. Evans now teaches eight classes a week, in addition to working full time as an administrative assistant at the Foy Center. "Now that I"m teaching this class, I"m the happiest secretary in town!" Evans said, beaming. APSU"s group fitness classes are free for students but are open to anyone else for $2 per class. Regulars may buy a 30-class pass for $20. It"s the little-known best fitness deal in town. Three of Evans" weekly classes are held at the Foy Center, while the rest are off campus. All cost only $2 per class, except Wednesday classes, which are free. Evans said she"s not concerned about how little money she receives for choreographing and teaching eight dance classes per week. "It"s so much fun! It has a great deal of intrinsic value," she said. "How many times in life do you get the chance to help that many people? It"s gratifying." In addition to feeling great herself thanks to regular exercise, Evans sees her students come alive. Many of them are over age 50 and some were completely sedentary before taking her class. "I see a lot of them blossom," Evans said. "It makes a real difference. Some come to me and say, "I don"t have any rhythm. I can"t dance at all." They really amaze me how they put forth that effort and dedicate themselves to learning."

Indoor trails encourage fitness at Clinton County schools

ST. JOHNS When Gateway North Elementary School third-grader Mason Rogers gets home from school, he does a few push-ups, jumping jacks and sit-ups in his living room.

The St. Johns 8-year-old learned the techniques in his weekly gym class, where he and his classmates follow a sequence of exercise posters hung throughout the gym.

If its not gym day, then you can exercise at home, he said. You can be active. Its fun.

The Clinton Memorial Hospital Foundation in November installed indoor fitness trails at 12 elementary schools in Clinton County in an effort to combat child obesity, Director Peter Shannon said.

Michigans youth obesity rate is 28.9 percent, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationwide, the obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 more than doubled in the past two decades, increasing from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 2006, the Atlanta-based agency said. Among adolescents ages 12 to 19, the rate more than tripled from 5 percent to 17.6 percent.

The idea is to give kids some good physical fitness stuff to do on these cold days that theyre kept indoors, Shannon said. Kids need to get an hour or more of exercise a day, and its hard for the schools to do.

Read Tuesday"s Lansing State Journal for more on this report.