Serious issues
If someone is suffering from arthritis and wants to help with the pain and stiffness, water exercise is the best place to start, fitness teachers agree.“Any doctor will tell you with arthritis, “You’ve got to exercise, movement helps,’” says Kristin Guy, operations manager at the Hixson Sportsbarn.Lisa Becht, wellness and aquatic director at the downtown YMCA, says water classes are “not going to be high intensity. It’s just about moving your arms and doing daily-living type things.”And many participants in water classes move on to other brands of exercise, says Beth Murphy, exercise coordinator at the downtown Y.“Once people start that, they find that they need the strength training,” she notes.For those suffering from diabetes, one of the keys is weight loss, the teachers say, so any class designed for that — aerobics, cycling, interval training — will help. Guy says she had a diabetic client who, after entering an exercise regimen, “was able to drop the medication.”And, of course, proper diet is another key to losing weight, the teachers say.The YMCA also has classes to address cancer, Parkinson’s and dementia.
Revving it up
If calorie burning is your goal, here are some figures that might help:› Aerobics/Zumba/Hot Yoga/Bikram Yoga: Up to 500 calories per hour› Interval Training/Circuit Training: Up to 570 calories per hour› Cardio kick boxing/Tae Bo/Boot Camp/Tabata/Piloxing: Up to 700 calories per hour› Spinning/Cycling/Indoor Cycling: Up to 800 calories per hour› Running/Indoor/Outdoor: Up to 900 calories per hourSource: www.watchfit.com
Get fit
To get an idea of who offers what in the area:› YMCA (4 locations) — www.ymcachattanooga.org› Sportsbarn (3 locations) — www.sportsbarn.net› Gold’s Gym (3 locations) — www.goldsgym.com› Planet Fitness (2 locations) — www.planetfitness.com› Workout Anytime Northshore — www.workout anytime.com› CrossFit Brigade — www.crossfitbrigade.com› Full Steam Crossfit — www.fullsteamcrossfit.com› Get Built Chattanooga Crossfit — www.getbuiltchattanoogacrossfit.com› Bodyline Studio — www.bodylinestudio.net› District 6 Fitness — www.district6fitness.com› Fitness Together — www.fitnesstogether.com› 1-on-1 Personal Fitness — www.chattanoogapersonal training.com› Koko Fit Club — www.kokofitclub.com› 9Round — www.9round.com/fitness/chattanooga-TN› The Blitz Family Fitness Complex — www.facebook.com/TheBlitzFamilyFitness Complex› B.U.S.Y. — www.givemeyourbody.com
The woman was determined to get in shape. She’d even joined a gym and hired a personal trainer.
But there was one lifestyle change that was off the table.