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.