INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Many New Year’s resolutions deal with losing weight, getting fit and eating healthier. Weight loss is at the top of many people’s goals at the start of a new year and with good reason. Seven of 10 people in the U.S. are overweight.
More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7 percent) are obese.
Obesity contributes to heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.
For many people looking to trim excess pounds, a gym appears to be a top choice, but other options may be a better choice for some people.
Experts point to walking as an exercise that not only leads to better health, but is relatively inexpensive.
The proper equipment is a must, and the number one piece of equipment is shoes.
“When I first started walking to regain my fitness, it didn’t go so well,” said Louis Zorzi, 66, a one-time runner.
The Sebastian resident learned that he needs to buy new shoes every month.
“You can wear down your soles unevenly, and then your gait can be bowlegged, leading to some structural issues,” he said.
Walking is best done according to a schedule.
For example, walk in the evening three times a week, while listening to an iPod or radio. Early morning and late evening are the best ways to beat the Florida heat and sun damage.
Experts say people need to start with small goals in mind and build up the distances they are going to walk over time. An all-or-nothing attitude may cause an injury by overdoing it.
Getting a walking buddy also is a good idea although it has both good and negative sides.
On the days you don’t feel like walking, you may decide to go so you don’t let your friend down. Other days, a walking partner might not want to go and you can cave just as easily.
Yoga is another fitness approach that has many fans. Studios continue to spring up, making access convenient.
“We encourage class participants to do what they can and focus only on what is happening on their own mat,” said Elise Mahovich, who has owned Living Yoga Studio in Vero Beach for eight years. “You don’t want to compare yourself to others and their abilities. You don’t ever want to compare yourself to what you might have been able to do 20 years ago,” she said. “Yoga is all about the now.”
What Mahovich is referring to is that fact that most people in Western cultures spend a lot of time regretting something that happened or did not happen and worrying about what may or may not happen in the future.
The result is that they spend very little time “in the moment,” which yoga enthusiasts point out is the only thing that truly exists, and the only thing a person can do anything about.
Each yoga class, whether simple or advanced, begins with getting “centered” so that what happens on the mat is the only focus, the busy-ness of the day placed in the past.
“The benefits to yoga are many,” Mahovich said. “Perhaps the smallest of them is improved fitness.”
Zumba has caught on in popularity and is definitely the anti-exercise. Legend has it that an aerobics instructor forgot his music tape for his class so he put on a favorite collection of Latin dance music. It was a hit.
While Zumba is done with a leader, and class members are encouraged to perform a set routine of fun moves, many students simply love to dance free-style. More and more free-style classes are popping up.
“You no longer have to go to a club where there is smoke, alcohol and late hours to have fun dancing,” said Dave Dufresne, manager of Any Time Fitness in Sebastian, which also has a location in Vero Beach. “It’s the anti-exercise because it’s fun, you make great friends, and you don’t have to feel uncoordinated.”
For Dufresne, the variety of classes offered at fitness clubs are like side dishes to the main course: circuit training.
Dufresne motivates clients to get started by pointing out all the negatives that have and will continue to occur health-wise if no action is taken.
Next, he sets short-term goals in addition to the main long-range goal.
“If you think about the end goal and how far you are from it, you can easily get discouraged,” he said. “But if you set small goals, you get excited when you reach them, and are eager to set new goals and accomplish them. It keeps you going.”
The body is one smart cookie.
After about eight weeks of any activity, it learns to be efficient in its movements.
The result? The dreaded plateau.
“We create a new routine every two months to keep the body moving in the right direction,” Dufresne said.
Martial arts is another fitness option people might consider. That’s because a novice can start at zero and build his or her skill level.
There also is a built-in motivator if a student wants to go deep: competition, for all age groups and skill levels.
“As you get fit, you gain confidence, you discover your natural ability and then hone it, and you can get inspired to go on,” said Joel Garcia, manager of American Top Team Vero Beach. “We have programs for everyone from children to seniors.”
Children are apparently very receptive to martial arts.
Pediatricians stress that children today are getting more obese and severely lack enough exercise.
Childhood obesity is on the rise, with children for the first time in history at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
All of the many types of martial arts teach children discipline, respect, confidence, team work, life skills and focus.
The competition circuit is a natural motivator to youth who crave praise.
