FITNESS
Finding
Fit n es s
Americans young and old are opting
for a healthy lifestyle.
Sinai/JCC Program
Inspires Reporter
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
II had been swimming
three to four hours a
week at the Jewish
Community Center
when Sinai Hospital
and the JCC announced their
first joint wellness program
for "anybody who needs help?'
It piqued my interest, but I
was almost too frightened to
try it out. I wanted to shape
up, yet I feared the inevitable
truth that could surface from
a fitness test. I was okay in
the aerobic sense, but I knew
quite well all the swimming
in the world wouldn't melt my
fat away.
I figured taking a test
might serve as a motivator. I
was searching for an explana-
tion. Why are junk foods so
unhealthy? I needed to see
the results in writing. If it
was signed by a physician and
supervised by an educated ex-
ercise guru, maybe I would be
convinced that a healthy
lifestyle was the only way to
go.
I opted only for the fitness
evaluation, which is part of
the complete wellness pro-
gram that provides a medical-
ly trained staff to supervise
participants with exercise
and diet.
The initial fitness test —
also taken by Jewish Welfare
Federation Executive Vice
President Marty Kraar,
Jewish community leader
Jane Sherman and Jewish
News Associate Publisher Ar-
thur Horwitz — included a
cardiovascular fitness test
(stress test on a treadmill)
with a heart monitor,. resting
and exercise blood pressure
response and tests for
cholesterol levels, percent
52
FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1989
body fat, muscular strength
and lung capacity.
At the end, each of us
received personalized car-
diovascular risk factor pro-
files, nutrition counseling, a
review of our health histories
and exercise prescriptions
and consultations.
The program, which at-
tracted 45 participants since
its inception in February, is
designed for those who don't
have heart disease but want
a structured, medically sound
cardiovascular fitness
program.
I was obsessed for a month
before the test. I continued
swimming, regularly increas-
ing my distance. Yet after
each workout, I treated
myself to something good. My
favorites were huge turkey
sandwiches topped with cole
slaw and Russian dressing,
grilled cheese sandwiches
with greasy French fries,
tuna fish sandwiches with
loads of mayonnaise and
melted cheese, birthday cake,
M&M's and Snicker's bars.
Yum. No big deal. I knew how
to burn it off.
I could justify eating any
junk food — donuts for
breakfast, chocolate chip
cookies before lunch, corn
chips and salsa after work. I
didn't gain any weight and
had no worries.
Then came the big test day.
I fasted for 14 hours before
a doctor greeted me with a
gigantic needle to take my
blood. Soon I would know my
cholesterol level. Then he pin-
ched my fat with skinfold
calipers. Ugh . . . My body fat
content was 26 percent —
rated fair. Just add three
more percentage points and I
could join the women of the
world with poor body fat
ratings. Didn't sound like a
good idea. The ideal body fat
level for a woman ranges from
20 to 25 percent.
After that moment of
humiliation, the doctor
dragged me to a scale. I
weighed myself and asked
him to turn away. Incredible.
My height — 5 feet 5 inches
— hadn't changed and I still
weighed 130 pounds — the
same figure from before I
started my workout program.
Somehow, everything now
made sense. I was angry
because I hadn't lost any
weight and I worked so hard
at staying fit. But how could
I give up Snicker's bars? I'd
just cut something else in-
stead. Sure, try telling that to
an exercise physiologist.
Apparently, my weight
wasn't as bad as it first ap-
peared. During my follow-up
fitness consultation, Lauren
Vander, Sinai's leading exer-
cise specialist, told me my
ideal body weight is 123 to
128 pounds. Water, bone and
muscle are considered when
measuring body fat, she said.
Therefore, she calculated my
WELLNESS REPORT
Maximum Percent
Fitness
Level
Kimberly Lifton
Jane Sherman
Marty Kraar
Arthur Horwitz
above
normal
above
normal
normal
normal
Exercise
Capacity
Body •
Fat
Total Heart
Health
Score
101%
26%
96%
97%
91%
96%
22%
24%
12%
72%
85%
Source: Sinai Hospital Cardiovascular Fitness Center
Top: Marty Kraar tests his
stamina on a treadmill at Sinai
Hospital in Detroit.
Left: Jane Sherman relaxes as
she gets a reading on her blood
pressure.