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Dickerson believes that our society is
inundated by television, magazines and tabloids that give people
quick tips on how they should take care of their health. Much of
this mass-produced advice pushes people to lose weight in one way or
another. The popular consensus being marketed delivers a backward
message that you will feel better if you look better.
The problem is that when people use
some of the diets that are currently being promoted, they may lose
weight, but at the same time they may be eliminating vitamins and
minerals that their body needs. This can lead to other problems for
the body.
Dickerson points out that health is
oriented in activity not in vision. People should not think of how
they will look. They should simply think about how to take care of
their body. Although weight may put pressure on the heart, a person
can be heavy and still be healthy.
Exercise and frame of mind are very
important to health. People do not need get-healthy-quick plans. All
it takes is common sense. There are many ways for people in the
Lincoln area to be active and to live healthier lives. People walk
at the Lincoln Recreational Center, there is a Curves for women in
Lincoln, and aquatic classes are available. Dickerson said that all
of these are good ways to maintain one's health.
The Fitness Balance provides a good,
balanced way to do so by offering several different approaches to
maintaining one's health. The Fitness Balance philosophy is for
fitness professionals to provide clients with the best science-based
advice and information available, a safe environment, and prudent
instruction. Practitioners must foster an atmosphere that promotes
health-enhancing activity.
The Fitness Balance, located at 125 N.
Sangamon St., is a complete gym with free weights, strength training
machines, treadmills, bands, fit-ball, cycles, elliptical and smith
machines.
At The Fitness Balance a wide array of
services are offered. The services range from yoga, core training
and muscular fitness to FIT4. FIT4 places its emphasis on range of
motion, gentle strength and flexibility, and stamina.
The emphasis in the yoga classes is on
flexibility, strength and endurance. Currently, 17 classes on yoga
are offered during the week, including one for men.
Core places its emphasis on torso
musculature with Pilates exercises. W.o.W., or Women on Weights,
provides instruction for safe, effective strength training.
Diane Meyrick and Mary Shattuck are
also instructors at The Fitness Balance. The classes are taught on a
weekly basis. For more information and a schedule, stop by The
Fitness Balance or call (217) 735-4463.
The Fitness Balance also provides
allied services. A registered dietician is available by appointment
for people seeking advice for balancing dietary intake. Body
composition and weight management advice is also available. Only the
most current, evidence-based advice for weight control and fitness
improvement is offered.
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Personal training is also available at
The Fitness Balance. This training is done by appointment. The
personal training can include technique instruction, home exercise
or strength workouts, post-rehab or post-therapy exercise, and
individual, goal-oriented training. Personal training addresses the
physical domain of health: muscular strength, muscular endurance,
cardio-respiratory fitness, body composition and flexibility.
Dickerson, who has a bachelor's degree
in kinesiology from Illinois State University and is a certified
exercise instructor and certified weight trainer, emphasized that a
regular routine of exercise and common sense will lead to a longer,
healthier life.
Men and women lose a certain percentage
of their strength each year after they reach the age of 45. They
lose muscle mass and bone strength. Some of the common ailments of
aging, such as osteoporosis, back problems and broken hips, can be
greatly decreased if people take steps to counteract the loss of
strength that occurs.
People who are not active are most
likely to experience problems. For example, people who break their
hips hardly ever regain fitness. This is because their bodies become
imbalanced when they become inactive and they lose their strength.
However, this trail of decline can be
avoided. If you maintain your feet and leg strength by remaining
active, you can prevent falls. Staying active will also maintain
your flexibility in your knees and legs. Those people who do not
remain active will lose that flexibility and will progressively lose
their ability to use all of their joints as they age.
Exercises such as stretching and
stressing the muscles strengthen the bone. Abdominal and back
exercises are also very important. Dickerson also stressed that
people must balance their strength programs. If you do one side of
your joints, you should also do the other side.
There is an old saying that an ounce of
prevention is a pound of cure. The Fitness Balance offers people in
the Lincoln area an opportunity to utilize professional expertise in
planning a fitness plan that best fits their individual needs.
In Lincoln the Fitness Balance, the
Lincoln Park District and Curves all provide programs, equipment and
a place for people to go to participate in physical activity that
will help their bodies to remain healthy and active as they age.
Lincoln College also provides a lap
swim from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for a small fee each semester.
Dickerson
says that common sense is all that it takes for people to have a
healthy, balanced life. If you spend a little time in exercise and
physical activity now, you won't have to spend a lot of time with
bad health later. Stay active and live a life of quality and health.
[Don Todd]
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