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Let me start out by saying I'm not writing this to beat anyone up or make anyone feel guilty or bad about him or herself. Most of what I write about in these articles arises from conversations I have with most of you when you are in the club. You joined Lifestyle Fitness because you wanted to make a change in your life...we're just here to help.
Most issues creep up on us slowly. They start as small concerns and wind up being big problems. Fifty years ago there wasn't a weight problem in the US (that we know of). Twenty years later we started to notice things were changing, but still didn't really pay much attention.Now thirty years later obesity is looming large as one of our major health issues. Let's start by looking at some statistics:
What is obesity? The current measure of obesity uses the Body Mass Index or BMI to determine weight classifications. The BMI is calculated using a person's height and weight information. While not perfect, it does allow for consistent measurement of trends over time.
So someone with a BMI of 30+ falls under the definition of obese. As this sampling of data shows, we are getting heavier. What's scary is the huge rise in childhood obesity.
The next question is why? Why are we getting heavier? I have a few ideas...
- The 24 hour availability of food.
- Less active jobs/lifestyles.
- More meals eaten outside the home/bigger portion sizes.
- More TV & computer time.
These are some of the major reasons why we are getting heavier. These translate into another set of secondary reasons that we'll discuss over the next few newsletters.
What does this mean for you? Take the statistics above seriously. I'm willing to bet that no one surveyed planned on getting heavier, out of shape and racked with health issues. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we will have health issues, but most health issues are brought on by our lifestyles and the changes in our culture.
Examine your lifestyle now to see if you are on the same path as those thirty years ago when the survey only showed that 15% of us were obese. Chances are good that the other 85% didn't think it would happen to them.
What to do now. Calculate your BMI. Take your weight in pounds and divide it by your height in inches squared, then multiply the result by 703. For example if you are 5'4" and weigh 140lbs, your BMI would be calculated as follows:
(140/642)*703= 24
Check the Body Mass Chart to see how you are classified. A score of 25 or higher increases your risk for obesity and health problems down the road. No matter where you fall on the chart, now is the time to make changes in your lifestyle so you don't one day become a statistic.
In the next newsletter we'll take a look at some of your habits that could cause you problems later on and what you can do about them right now. It's those small changes that you can make today that will pay you dividends in the future.
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All Pilates exercises emphasize core strength and stabilization of the shoulder, hip and knee joints. If you are suffering from back pain, poor posture or have very little core strength, Pilates exercises will help to strengthen these problem areas. 
t comfortable with the congenial atmosphere as well as the quality equipment and the wide variety of classes. 
t is to see your friends from Lifestyle Fitness. It is the only night I will give you a free pass to eat and drink whatever you like, because the calories are going to a good cause.