Lasting Fitness

  • September 2007
  • Torrie Davis '07
  • Sunnyslope High School

 

 

Huffing and puffing. Feet hammering soil. Rocks crunching beneath shoes. Sweat dripping down. Cramping. No, it’s not a cop chasing a criminal down the boulevard, but a cross-country runner practicing at 5:45 in the morning before any sun, and before school begins. This is how my cross country team and I stay in shape for the cross country season.

Although many become involved in sports during high school, it is estimated that 16% of teenagers between the ages of six and nineteen are obese. This accounts for more than nine million teens across the nation, according to the Center for Disease Control. Many factors may play a role such as poor eating, lack of exercise, family history, medical illness, or depression issues. Those who are obese are at risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. I was surprised at the number of teens in America at risk and decided to consult local fitness specialist Ron Moore, better known as “Captain Fitness,” at his studio, Oasis Personal Training.

Ron encourages everyone in high school to join a high school fitness program to ensure a fit and healthy lifestyle year around. Ron runs a high school fitness program near Sunnyslope High School located at 8911 North Central Avenue. His studio is available to teens M-F, for 5 hours a day. The Oasis staff designs an individual program for each teen, supervises their workouts and helps set fitness goals to create a positive body image and attitude.

Ron told me that depending on one’s body type it may be easier for some to maintain a healthy weight. A person’s parents and their genes contribute to the three different body types. First is the mesomorph body type, which is an athletic person with low body fat. A wide receiver or a soccer player is a mesomorph. The second body type is an ectomorph, a thin person, who may have trouble gaining weight; for example, a basketball player. The third body type is that of an endomorph. An endomorph is a stocky person, who has a thick midsection and gains weight easily. The endomorph body style is usually a pear shape. Every person, whether you are female or male, black or white, falls into one of these three body structures.

Playing seasonal sports in high school helps with self-esteem and exercise endurance, but for personal fitness it is important to maintain the same activity level year around. Students may only take the required credits of P.E. and not re-enroll. If students do not supplement activities with extra-curricular activities, the students may miss out on healthy opportunities and consistent fitness regimes. Ron added that there are some things we cannot change about our bodies (like stubborn baby fat that stays around until we’re finished growing, or genetic traits like the length of our legs, body type, or height). But through exercise and a healthy diet, we can reduce our body fat percentage and increase lean mass, to sculpt our body to become the best endo-, ecto- or mesomorph you can be.

I learned some good tips from Ron to maintain a “loveable self.” We teens need to exercise regularly, be positive about ourselves, be proud of our accomplishments, and surround ourselves with positive people who are not doing drugs or things that will harm the body. Our environment plays an important role in our health.

So be smart when making decisions that affect your lifestyle: the people you are around, your social choices, the classes you take, and habits you create.

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This page was last modified on 3 September 2007 at 10:30