For many people, one of the most important resolutions for the New Year is to get in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. While it’s a challenge that many take seriously, it can be difficult to achieve without direction.
Local professionals like Frank Beam and Melissa Munday have some great advice that can help anyone with these goals become more active and stay healthy.
Munday is an exercise physiologist at BlueRidge HealthCare’s Phifer Wellness Center, located at 2165 S. Sterling St., and she said that finding time to exercise can greatly benefit a person’s health.
According to Mundy, a review in the Canadian Medical Association Journal states that a consistent exercise program lowers the risk of premature death, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, heart disease, depression, osteoporosis, and diminished cognitive performance.
She recommends that each person consult with their physician in order to develop an appropriate new workout and diet routine.
“The decision to start a new plan should always be discussed with your physician first,” she said. “Exercise offers a plethora of both physical and mental benefits. Not only will you feel better and have more energy throughout the day, you can be sure all that exercise is doing amazing things for your health.”
Beam owns and operates FLEX Gym of Morganton, located at 903 W. Union St., and knows that picking up a new routine can be difficult. He said the most important way to start and maintain a healthy routine is to make sure that those new habits are specifically designed to suit the needs of the individual.
“You just can’t give out generic diet plans and workout routines,” said Beam. “Everybody’s goals are different.”
Whether they’re working to stay in shape, get back in shape, lose weight, develop new skills or improve skills they already have, Beam said the workout routine has to be calculated exactly for them.
“We might have a kid coming in who wants to be a better wrestler, and then we might have an elderly person coming in who wants to get a greater range of motion in their knee,” Beam said. “We wouldn’t give those two people the same workout and diet plan.”
Eating a healthy diet that is appropriate for the workout routine is also an imperative component, according to Beam.
“If you don’t eat right, you won’t feel right,” he said.
Just as the workout plan must suit the goals and needs of the individual, so must the diet plan.
“If they don’t eat right, they don’t feel like working out. If somebody has high blood pressure, we’ve got to take their sodium intake into account,” Beam said. “If they’re diabetic, we’ve got to watch their sugar. Just like the workout has to be modified, the diet sometimes has to be modified.”
When a customer steps through the door at FLEX Gym, Beam and his staff work to find the program that works best for that person. Beam said that being specific in meeting that person’s needs is the most important aspect of helping them achieve their goals.
“We find out if they’re diabetic, if they have high blood pressure, what kind of surgeries they’ve had or what type of injuries they’ve sustained. Safety is the most important thing,” said Beam. “Then we modify the workout with respect to their medical history. You never want to make their conditions worse.”
In working to find the right routine for them, Munday said each person should consider setting realistic goals and taking things one step at a time.
“Setting realistic, yet achievable goals is the first rule of success,” Munday said. “Set smaller goals initially and once achieved, challenge yourself with a larger goal.”
Munday said that once the individual has developed a personalized approach, sticking to a new routine will have its own challenges. She and Beam both agree that having a “workout buddy” can make the process easier.
“A workout partner is the best way to keep up with your goals. Then you’ve got some accountability,” said Beam. “It’s easy to talk yourself into not coming, but if you’ve got a friend and you’ve agreed to do this together then you’re more likely to be consistent.”
While working with a friend can help one stay motivated, Munday said it’s important also to stick to one’s own goals.
“Exercise with a committed friend with like schedules,” she said. “However, do not allow a schedule conflict with your partner to dictate your physical activity.”
A 10- to 15-minute phase of moderate- to high-intensity exercise will help yield the best results, said Munday.
“Crank up the intensity,” she said. “(Working at) 60-85 percent of your maximal heart rate has been shown to elicit improvements in fitness levels, increased weight reduction and muscular strength and tone.”
Munday also recommends that the individual be committed to following the routine, whether it’s convenient or not.
“Find a time to exercise that works for you,” she said. “There is no 'better' time to exercise — simply exercise when you can.”
With all of the health benefits that come with a regular exercise routine, Munday said it’s important to stay dedicated and motivated to success.
“Many people choose to begin a new exercise program at the start of the year and find it difficult to maintain as the spring and summer rolls around,” she said. “It is important for people to understand why their newly adapted routine is crucial to continue regardless of busy schedules and warmer weather.”
Beam and Munday both agree that committing to a program and a healthier lifestyle is a big challenge, but can be achieved by making smart decisions about the new routine.
“It takes more than a New Year’s resolution,” said Beam. “It takes a lot of willpower.”
MAKING A CHANGE
A few tips to help establish and maintain a healthier lifestyle in 2014:
• Consult your physician about changing your routine
• Find a workout and diet plan that’s right for you
• Start small and set realistic goals for yourself
• Get a workout buddy, but don’t let schedule conflicts stop you from working out
• Use 10- to 15-minute intervals of moderate to high intensity exercise
• Stay motivated
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