Icy temperatures, gusty winds and winter weather might not make the hike to the Central Campus Recreation Building very alluring - even for the most dedicated fitness buffs.
"When it's dreary and cold and snowy outside, are you going to set your foot out the door to go work out? No," said Anita Sandretto, School of Public Health human nutrition program director .
The recent warmer temperatures may remove one of the excuses for not exercising. Whether warm or cold, it's important to keep your body in shape all year round, Sandretto said.
The state of Michigan lies on the bottom of the heap for weight control.
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| JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily Instructor Katherine Vasetsky watches as LSA first-year student Amy Gerurink punches a bag held by fellow LSA first-year student Becky Slayton during a kick boxing class last night. |
"There's no question about it," Sandretto said. "We're among the worst."
But students who are willing to venture out into the frosty air can take advantage of the Department of Kinesiology's U-move classes.
The classes, which run the gamut from Tae Kwon Do to water polo, generally cost $90 per semester for a class that meets twice a week.
But starting today, the classes will be prorated for 20 percent off for registering late.
Attracting more than 5,000 people a year, the classes can help students keep up with their fitness resolutions, said Pat Van Volkinburg, U-move director and an assistant prof. of physical education.
"If I take a class I'm more likely to stick with it," said Business first-year student Elyse Steiner, who is enrolled in a step aerobics class through U-move.
First -year LSA student Bonnie Ng said her only complaint is about the size of her aerobics class.
"Sometimes it gets kind of crowded," she said.
Getting the munchies becomes a bigger problem in the winter when people are indoors all the time, Sandretto said. Shorter daylight hours can also cut down the time spent moving with earlier bedtimes.
"People just sort of hibernate during the winter," she said.
But Van Volkinburg said many people remain dedicated to their workout throughout the year.
"For the die-hard exercise people, weather doesn't matter," she said.
Climate could factor into Michigan's high rate of obesity, said Ann Arbor Bally Total Fitness manager Jeremy Trumble. He also attributed the problem to a scarcity of fitness centers in Michigan.
"Michigan's pretty rural," Trumble said. "Back home at mom and pop's there might not be any place to work out."
But it's not impossible to keep fit in the winter without the luxury of a fitness center or an exercise class.
For those intimidated by the idea of going to a gym, Trumble suggested looking at fitness magazines or working with a personal trainer to target individual trouble spots.
Van Volkinburg recommended using every available moment to sneak in a little exercise - walking faster, using the stairs everywhere, getting off the bus one stop early.
"Sometimes fitness has just to do with your attitude in everything you do," she said.
02-02-99
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