Americans Excercising Less In 2009 Than 2008

Though it might seem like Americans are becoming more health conscious every year, we at Fitcorp recently came across some interesting, yet disappointing findings.

Last Friday, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index revealed that Americans (overall) exercised less in 2009 than they did in 2008. While the percentage of Americans who said they exercised for at least one day a week for 30 minutes or more was only down one percentage point for the year (68.1% in 2009, down from 69.1% in 2008), the more troubling statistic came from the year-over-year comparison, which showed it was down from the previous year in 10 out of the 12 months.

With so much evidence today about the mental and physical benefits of getting regular exercise, we at Fitcorp are confused as to why it took a back seat in ’09?
Is this statistic going to be the same this year or are we going to make up the lost ground in 2010?

Read the article and let us know your thoughts: http://ow.ly/YbSa

Pregnant and Fit: Andrea Goldstone

I’ve always been passionate about health and fitness, and as a high school and college athlete, exercise science was a clear path for me. I not only love working out and feeling healthy, but I also enjoy helping others accomplish their goals and changing their lives – which led me to Fitcorp. I worked as a trainer at our BRC location for 4 years, followed by 2.5 years as Client Service Manager at Fitcorp’s Summer Street location, and am now a General Manager at our Copley location. I’ve enjoyed every position I’ve held at Fitcorp and love working with a group of people who share the same passion for fitness as I do. It’s also a nice perk to have fitness equipment in your office, as there are no excuses for not exercising.

Last spring I decided that I wanted to get back on track with running and really focus on speed and less on long distances. I can honestly say through the Cardio Transformation group training program at Summer Street Fitcorp, I got myself into the best running shape of my life in a matter of 12 weeks. I recently ran a timed mile faster than what I did in college. At 29, I was pretty excited about this accomplishment! I also was able to run 7-8 miles comfortably. Previously 4 miles was about my distance limit. Speed and interval work was a huge missing link in my past running programs, and this program really brought the pieces together for me. In addition to 3 days of running per week and 2 days on the Stairmaster for cross training, I also strength trained 3 days a week.

On my one-year wedding anniversary in September, I found out I was pregnant and was very excited! I knew this would bring some changes to my work-out program but vowed that I would still continue to work out and have always said that I would exercise until the day I gave birth (We’ll see if I can keep that promise!). The first 2 months of pregnancy presented its challenges because I was so tired and not quite up to par, but I continued to exercise anyway. I subtracted the intervals and speed work from my program but continued running 3-4 miles a few days a week. I continued this until about 8 weeks of pregnancy at which point I found my running endurance was more of a challenge and my posture/gait was starting to change. For the next 4 weeks I split up my miles and incorporated them with my strength training (run a mile, do a circuit of strength work, run another mile, etc.). At 12 weeks, I decided running just wasn’t as enjoyable now that I’m pregnant and decided to work on the Stairmaster and elliptical for the rest of my pregnancy. Some people can run through their entire pregnancy and I envy them.

I’m currently 21.5 weeks and due on May 17. With the exception of battling a recent cold, I’ve stayed pretty consistent on my 5-day-a-week workout plan (5 days cardio and 2 days strength training). On the days I do strength training, I do 30 minutes of cardio, and on other days, I try to do 45 minutes - 1 hour. Exercise is definitely more challenging, but I feel so much better after I do it! Stretching is a bit more challenging now that I can’t lie on my back, but I find ways to do it. Stepping on the scale and seeing the numbers climb despite my efforts in the gym has been something I’ve had to adjust to. It really bothered me at first, but now I understand that it’s out of my control and I’m gaining weight because my baby needs it. I’ve realized that, even with this happening, I can still be fit!

I’ve read so many positive articles on exercising and pregnancy and I am keeping my fingers crossed that my labor will be short and sweet since I’ve kept my body strong and fit (Stay tuned for that update in May!). There’s not question about it, exercising while you are pregnant is harder, but you feel SO much better…it’s well worth the extra sweat. On that note, I’m heading to the Stairmaster! Stay tuned for next week’s workout…