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| 3/20/2009 10:10:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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| Riceville’s Lynn Howe is teaching “CardioPlus” fitness classes at the Riceville Public Library’s Multi-Purpose Room, starting on Monday, March 30. |
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Physical fitness important to Howe
By Jim Cross, Contributing Writer
As we continually strive to improve our health and well-being, it is sometimes difficult to achieve that goal, living in a small town. However, everyone will have that opportunity very soon.
Beginning on Monday, March 30, 2009 and continuing for five more weeks, students in Lynn Howe's "CardioPlus" class will have the opportunity to work on improving their health and fitness.
She will be holding her classes in the Riceville Public Library's Multi-Purpose Room.
The classes will be 45 minutes long and will contain a beginning section that focuses on cardio exercises and getting the heart rate going. It then switches to a standing abdominal routine that focuses on adding muscle to the core of the body. The third section uses elastic bands with exercises that focus on toning the arms and legs. The ending section is a lay-down abdominal section.
"This class utilizes interval training methodology with increasing the heart rate, then letting it subside a bit and then ramping it up to a maximum level again. This is a great way to burn calories!" stated Howe. "I also display modified movements for individuals who need to start at a slower pace or need to accommodate any weak strength areas due to past injuries."
Howe, mother of Tyler, 13 and Olivia, 8, attended school in Osage and moved to Riceville in 2000. She is currently working at the Olmsted County Government Center in Rochester, Minn. as an Information Technology Business Analyst.
Her job entails project analysis, management and coordination of the technology needs for specific departments within the County. These departments include Property Records and Licensing, Planning, Administration, Information Technology Solutions, Facilities and Public Works. She has a BA degree in Information Technology Management and a Masters degree in Business Administration and is currently studying for her Personal Trainer certificate.
When asked about her involvement with health and fitness, she stated, "I have intense passion for fitness and health for a variety of reasons. It has been a great avenue to work off stress while enjoying the sunshine and outdoors and I LOVE the way I feel when I'm done.
"It is truly a high that you can't get anywhere else and is a great sense of accomplishment for any individual."
She added, "As I continue to age, fitness takes an even more important role in my life for me to ensure that my body maintains its shape and I can keep up with my two kids."
Along with fitness classes, she's also an avid runner and biker. She runs year- round and completed a few races last summer, including her first half-marathon.
She is currently teaching two aerobics classes in Osage on Thursday nights and two on Tuesday mornings. Also, Howe is one of the Riceville Summer Recreation directors for the community and coaches 2nd-4th grade softball.
Howe believes good health is very important for several reasons. "Health is extremely important! It is extraordinary how fitness can create a domino effect with the way you feel in the morning or how much motivation you have simply doing day-to-day tasks.
"Many people associate health and fitness with a way to alter the shape of their bodies. This is true but should not be the main focus.
"Being healthy is essential and it comes in many shapes and sizes. Many times we find ourselves comparing our bodies to others when all we should do is assess how we feel, how much attention we are giving ourselves by being healthy and how great it feels to like ourselves for who we are instead of what other people think we should be."
She went on to add, "I talk to a lot of people who say that they want to exercise but are too busy. I know the feeling! I'm a full-time, single mother of two along with working a full-time job, working as an aerobics instructor part time and studying for the Personal Trainer certification.
"If I can fit time in to exercise, anyone can! I make it a priority and many times it means running at 5:00 in the morning or doing a 45-min. workout at 10:00 at night. There are times where I can't get it in and I have to get over it and just focus on making sure I get a workout in the next day.
"Again, it's about making exercise a priority. Everyone should feel that they are a priority and should take at least 30-60 min. a day at focusing on his/her health so they can be there for their friends and families."
Who should be exercising? "Everyone! From kids to senior citizens - health and fitness is important at any age.
"As kids grow, exercise is an important part of aiding in their growth and development. This includes teaching kids to make fitness and health a priority in their lives so that when they become adults it is a learned, healthy habit.
"As middle-age adults, exercise not only keeps us healthy, it also enables us to focus on our core muscles and being a stellar role model for our children. As we become senior citizens, making sure we maintain flexibility and strength is important to staying healthy long term and being able to lead active lives."
Howe offered a few of her thoughts on guidelines for adults on exercise and strength training.
Exercise guidelines include strength training 2-3 days a week and at least 3-5 days of cardiovascular training in time periods of 30-60 min.
"Many people err with not incorporating the strength training into their workout regimen," she commented. "This is a huge mistake as the more muscle your body has, the more calories your body burns at a resting heart rate.
"This is extremely important as people can't work out all the time so making sure your body still burn calories when you're doing nothing is very important. Also, ensuring you have a strong muscular structure reduces the potential for injuries."
Besides exercising, Howe believes there is more we should be doing. "Exercise must be accompanied with healthful and mindful eating.
"Following the Food Guide pyramid is extremely important and reading food labels aids in the ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
"Starvation is never an option; you should always make sure you are providing your body with proper nutrition. Especially when doing an exercise routine, you must make sure you're getting enough protein or you won't have enough energy to perform the task at hand."
She added, "If it gets too difficult for you to accomplish a workout, you'll more than likely quit all together. Getting enough sleep is also beneficial to weight loss and gaining energy.
"Unfortunately healthy eating isn't always the easiest or cheapest for individuals. But if you figure in the potential amount of money you will spend in health care long-term with medical problems, you can't afford not to stay healthy."
She concluded with the following words of encouragement, "Bottom line is you need to take care of yourself and take an active role in your health and fitness!
"There are numerous reading materials out there to aid in your success but beware of quick fixes or a solution you can take in a pill form. If it was that easy the obesity (defined as 30 pounds over the healthy weight) rate in Iowa wouldn't be at a staggering 24-29 percent and rising!"
For more information about obesity in Iowa, check out the following website -http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/.
If you are interested in being a part of Howe's CardioPlus Class, information is available at the Riceville Public Library.
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