Manhattan Park District offers personal trainer for your lifestyle

Written in 2006
Did you know there is a personal trainer available through the Manhattan Park District?
Wanda McCormick, personal trainer offers her program through the Manhattan Park District where residents can sign up to keep those New Year’s resolutions.
McCormick does not believe in New Year’s resolutions when it comes to fitness as fitness should be a lifestyle, not a quick fix.
“How many years have we found ourselves doing the same old thing? At the first of the year we make that resolution to get in shape and stay in shape. Everyone does it, that’s why the health clubs are so busy in January then by Valentines Day most of us don’t even know the way to the gym,” McCormick states. “It is a winning situation for the health clubs as they make their money. We keep paying them each month hoping we will just go back, then life takes over.”
McCormick asks, “Why do we put our health on hold until January 1st? From Halloween on we are stuffing ourselves and adding another 10 lbs to our already unhealthy body until that dreaded new years resolution. Shouldn’t we be concerned about how we feel now and how healthy we should be everyday of the year? We should be. How are we going to get through the day with no energy and how do we take care of our kids or loved ones if we’re not taking care of ourselves first?”
There is good advice McCormick has to offer especially to women. “Why do we, especially women, put our health on the backburner?” she asks. “We use so many excuses, reasons, barriers, whatever we need to call them to not make our health a priority. There are so many ways that we can fit exercise into our daily regimen. We need to make that appointment with ourselves in order to be there for everybody else.”
McCormick says one of our biggest barriers is time, “I just don’t have time for exercise.” There are several things we can do. McCormick suggests, “You could get up earlier before your day usually starts. I run a Get Fit Camp that begins at 6am. If you can’t get out of the house or don’t have equipment at home, do bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges and push ups.”
If you work, exercise during the first ½ hour of your lunch, then cleanup and eat during the last ½ hour. If you’re an at home mom, exercise while your kids are at school or napping. Exercise after your husband comes home or while you are folding laundry, do those bodyweight exercises described earlier.
“If you don’t have a problem sleeping after exercise, you can always do it after the kids go to bed. If you like going to the health club many are open late. Make exercise a family affair and before or after dinner, take everybody out for a walk or a run” McCormick suggests.
“Exercise doesn’t have to mean spending 2 hours at the gym; you can do a few exercises several times a day and still benefit. You should be doing cardio 20-30 minutes most days of the week and strength training 2-3 days a week,” McCormick added. “It may sound like a lot of time, but if you break it up it really isn’t that time consuming or overwhelming.”
“Its up to you to prioritize the people and things that are most important in your life, invest in yourself and that small amount of time spent exercising will allow you an improved quality of life, give you more energy and make the other hours in the day more enjoyable,” McCormick states. “If you feel you can’t do it on your own, hire a professional. Personal trainers can customize a workout that fits your timeframe, goals and needs.”