By Heather Newman, Detroit Free Press
Jun. 25–Michigan, it’s time to get moving.
The beaches are warming up and that long July 4 weekend is almost upon us. If you’re staring at that swimsuit in dismay, you’ve got a lot of company.
We asked readers to tell us what they did to get and stay in shape, and got more than 600 responses.
Find several of them here — and an avalanche of them at www.freep.com/shape, where you can add your own.
There are some big reasons to take the suggestions seriously. The Michigan Department of Community Health reported this month that according to preliminary 2007 data, we’re in shockingly bad shape.
More than a quarter of us are obese. That’s more than 6 million people in this state who could use a little help trimming their waistline.
The number of us getting any kind of leisure-time exercise at all has also declined to 20.9%. That’s down by more than 11 percentage points since 1990.
Ready to help change that statistic? Check out what others have been doing to get moving and get the weight off:
“I am trying, really trying to exercise in some fashion daily. The good news has been my rediscovery of the treadmill. The key to return visits to the treadmill has been a special selection of books. I love to read, and fortunately, I can read and walk fast at the same time!”
Betsy Hemming, 49, Beverly Hills
“I have a 7-year-old daughter, Miranda, and just keeping up with her is a real workout. She’s involved with soccer, swimming, and tae kwon do. She and I spend a good deal of time working on her skills. As a result, I too get a decent workout.”
Eric Stileski, 46, and Miranda Stileski, 7, Waterford
“My favorite thing to do in order to stay in shape is swimming. … It is a great all-over workout for the body.”
Allison Baumhart, 23, St. Clair Shores
“I have lost more than 60 pounds over the past two years, and strength training really has made a difference. … I can lift, pull, and push more things around the house and garden. I love feeling strong!”
Elan Sandelin, 39, Detroit
“A young colleague at work turned me onto ‘Dance Dance Revolution.’ It helped me lose about 12 pounds.”
Brian Nichols, 42, Livonia
“I recently started playing pickup basketball for 60-90 minutes at a time, two to three times a week. That, combined with better diet choices, I have now lost eight pounds in the past four weeks.”
Jason Schairer, 29, Royal Oak
“In my attempts to get fit and stay healthy, I find taking my dog, Eddie, for walks to be most rewarding.”
Jessica Shuler, 26, Novi
“For peace of mind, I started an intense workout schedule: Five to six days a week doing intense aerobics and light weightlifting. I’m hooked! I have never felt better, been more energetic and excited to keep going. The surprising benefits are just as rewarding as the weight loss!”
Ezra Graziano, 25, Birmingham
“I play Wallyball during the winter months and do strength and flexibility exercises at home to stay fit, and with the nicer weather, have been walking and riding my bike. Wallyball is volleyball played inside of a racquetball court.”
Kim Howard, 42, Novi
“I am a 38-year-old stay-at-home mother of 6-year-old kindergarten triplet girls, and I do all possible to stay fit — I have to! My husband, Mark, and I take Allison, Abigail and Noelle to Lifetime Fitness in Novi every weekend to show them how important it is to be fit and active.”
Kimberly Dunn, 38, Northville
“I put on concerts with my 9-month-old daughter. … First, I put my MP3 player on shuffle, then I dance and sing while I’m holding my daughter. I incorporate exercise moves with the dances. We do all of this to the beat of the music for about 20-30 minutes. It’s great exercise, since my daughter is over 20 pounds, and is a break from my normal gym exercise routine.”
Laila Jackson, 34, Detroit
“One thing I am doing to try to get in shape is to focus on fitness while at work. I am parking further away to get more walking in, taking the stairs, walking at lunch and bringing my lunch to watch calories and portions.”
Lori Martich, 45, Harper Woods
“I bribe my body (with the promise of one snack-size bag of M&Ms) to get up each morning and hit the gym. Once I hear the thumping of the music and the bright lights hit my eyes, it is all about getting that heart rate up and sweating.”
Maria E. Gilbert, 45, Birmingham
“I Rollerblade, walk briskly on a treadmill, play the Nintendo Wii and use an exercise ball and hand weights.”
Miria Strzalkowski, 39, New Baltimore
“Five years ago, I decided to get in shape. I found a plastic stepper at a garage sale on the last day marked down to 25 cents. I began to use it in my basement and, along with South Beach diet, lost 30 pounds.”
Marie Showers, 60, Dewitt
“I play indoor soccer from September through April in over-30 leagues, for men and coed.”
Michael Kelly, 42, Canton
“For a while now, my daughter has been after me to learn to fence. … So, here’s what I’m doing to work on getting fit enough to fence: I’m digging a pond in our backyard. I make sure to use correct posture as I hop on my shovel, lift the dirt and haul the wheelbarrow. It’s really an all-over workout … a nice mix of strength training and cardio …and I’ll have a nice product when I’m done.”
Marge Lisius, 46, Redford
“To stay fit, my son likes to ride a unicycle. His dad and sister also ride, and have participated in the local Fourth of July parade for a few years.”
Nancy Abram, 40, Alpena
“I belong to the YMCA Wellness center, which is right around the corner from where I work. So to stay fit, I give up lunches in exchange to go work out on my lunch hour.”
Nancy Baran, 50, Haslett
“For one year now, I’ve been taking a class at Schoolcraft College called Swimnastics. It consists of water exercise and has helped my back a great deal. I’ve lost over 20 pounds from having a better attitude about eating.”
Dorothy Minch, 68, Livonia
“I play sports as much as I can. I play roller hockey twice a week and golf in between the two days.”
John Pawlik, 27, Hudsonville
“I just keep moving. I make sure I don’t sit for long periods of time. I am 82, and think that it is important to keep on moving, up the stairs, down the stairs, household chores, walking — walking a lot.”
Lorraine Perry, 82, Birmingham
“Twelve weeks ago, I changed the way I eat and started trying to get more exercise. In those 12 weeks, I’ve lost almost 43 pounds. … I walk at least three times a week, more if you count push-mowing our half-acre lawn. … People need to know that by making a few simple changes that they can become healthier. I still stop at the coffee shop every morning for a large mocha whatever-you-call-it coffee…but now I get no whipped cream and I order it nonfat. I’m drinking water instead of soda, too.”
Steve Woerner, 34, Dansville
Contact HEATHER NEWMAN at 313-223-3336 or [email protected].
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