Some cost a bundle; others are surprisingly affordable—especially compared in the long run to health care costs. “Staying healthy is the best way to keep health care costs down,” notes George Prisco, manager of Mike Arteaga’s. “It’s a proven plan, and we’re trying to sound the trumpet on that one. We’ve made it easy for corporations look at us as an integral part of their corporate wellness program, because the way to keep costs down is to get employees healthier instead of waiting until they have some problem that could have been prevented with regular exercise.”
An interesting trend in exercise options is the “boot camp” approach. Lest reality TV shows mislead you, they’re about getting tangible results in a fun format, not humiliation. “I cringe at that trend,” says Terri Stuart who has been teaching boot-camp style exercise for 30 years since her first job as a trainer for the Navy. Today, she runs Hudson Valley Boot Camp, with ongoing classes in Newburgh, Goshen, and Warwick that draw new moms, baby boomers, empty nesters, working people—just about anybody. “We’ve got a woman who is 78 who could hardly get up the stairs because of arthritis,” Stuart says. “Now her bone density has reversed and she’s blowing everyone away.”
Stuart’s classes are outdoors whenever possible. “You’ll be enjoying the beauty of Mother Nature, getting in the grass, sometimes out in the rain,” she says. “And it is intense interval training—short spurts of intensity alternating with short rests. I work out with them so they can see my form, because form is everything.” A neat collaboration Stuart has devised is two days of boot camp plus one of yoga at Happy Buddha Yoga in Goshen. “I call it yoga boot camp fusion, and it gives you flexibility and stretching in addition to the kick-butt workout.”
Personal Coaching
Coaches and trainers offer a one-to-one relationship that adds specially tailored fitness plans, plus motivational clout. Like fitness centers, personal trainers come in diverse personalities, price ranges, and areas of expertise (or lack thereof, so select carefully).
Dorothy Hamburg has an MS in exercise physiology and is owner of Personal Strength and Training in New Paltz who specializes in one-to-one strength/weight conditioning and in therapeutic exercise for people with special physical concerns such as a previous injury. “We start with something that will build confidence,” says Hamburg, “something that is an attainable level where you are making gains without too much stress. And I’m not just designing an exercising program. I’m also teaching you to recognize what’s happening physically, what the muscles should feel like while they are contracting, to know we are in the right spot for the muscles we are trying to train.”
Hamburg’s clients often find that as fitness goals are accomplished, bigger ones beckon—even the triathalons in which she participates herself, and coaches. “Someone might begin with fast walking, and slowly work up to running. As they gain confidence, they might branch off into perhaps participating in a 5K run, and I’ll work on a program with them for that. One of my clients ran her first 5K last year and loved it.” Hamburg is a great role model: She wasn’t athletic until her adult years, and knows you don’t need an athletic background to become fit now.
When seeking a personal trainer, research their credentials. Hamburg says to look for a graduate of a top, accredited program such as from the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the American Council on Exercise. Ask for details about any other special training or certifications.
The Weight You Love
Lifting or moving weights to build strength may conjure images of massive, sculpted bodybuilders, but some degree of weight-bearing exercise is recommended for nearly everyone, especially as we age. Weight borne by the skeleton, plus the stronger pull from muscles at their attachment points, stimulates bone to add density and durability.
Of course, gyms have equipment galore for this, but you can get a weight-bearing workout on your own by such things as hiking or snowshoeing with a backpack; doing yard work that moves weight around (mulch, landscaping plants, a push-it-yourself lawn mower); rowing and paddling against the current; and clearing snow with a shovel (but educate yourself on doing so safely!). When somebody asks why you are doing it “the hard way,” show them your muscles.
