Thursday, May 19, 2011

WVU-Parkersburg Students Encouraged to Get Fit 3-29-2011

by Trey Bailey
    While winter seems to be fading fast and spring weather is coming back everyday, many students and faculty are probably thinking about one common goal — getting in better shape for the summer.
    One of the least visited rooms on the WVU Parkersburg campus is also one of the most important for those who have the goal to reach those beach bods.   
    Room 1537, better known as the exercise room, is full of space and equipment to mold bodies into better shape with working specific muscle groups. 
    An area most people probably would like to target for summer are the abdominal muscles.  Exercises that are generally done for this area are sit-ups and crunches.  Aside from manual exercises, individuals on campus can use equipment for ab workouts.  A popular choice for abdominal is the Tower 2500, though some might know it better as the “captain’s” chair.
    This piece of equipment stands out because it is the only one that doesn’t do any movement.  The person on the machine does all the movement. The machine basically looks like a chair that is missing the seat.  Two arm rests and a back rest at a elevated position.
    Persons using this should first stand on the chair and grip hand holds to stabilize themselves.  Next, a user will press against the pad and contract the abs to raise the legs towards the chest.  Remember:  Don’t arch the back and try to keep the back against the pad.  Then, slowly lower legs back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 12-16 reps.  
    This  is considered the second most effective ab workout by the American Council of Exercise. 
    The Tower 2500 is currently missing both arm rests for repair.  When asked, Pamela Santer, director of health and fitness, stated that the repairs to the arm rests would have came sooner but the outrageous costs of replacing the arm rests did not meet budget expectations.  “The arm rests were priced at over $200 for the pair,” Santer said.  “I can repair the rests myself for a grand total of $11.”
    Santer assures that the rests will be repaired and placed back on the tower as soon as possible.
    As a health instructor, she teaches an aerobics class in room 1535, and she is also available for health consulting.  She can help students and faculty with eating plans and specific workouts to help target specific areas of the body. 
            People wishing to start a workout program or eating plan should consult a doctor or physician to find out what is best for their bodies.

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