Taking a break
Students trying to shape up for Spring Break
by Mary Neubauer Kansan staff writer
It happens every year.
Spring Break approaches and students start to worry about what shape they're in, if they'll fit into that swimming suit or if they'll survive a week on the slopes.
"If a person is just starting to exercise, it takes about three weeks before they'll notice a difference in their physical appearance," she said. "But the mental change is almost immediate. Your energy level will increase and your self-esteem will improve. The mental part is very important also, not just the physical part."
Candye Waitley, registered nurse at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said there were realistic expectations students should be aware of when dieting and exercising.
Lawrence offers many health and diet alternatives to people wanting to improve physical condition. But health officials warn too much exercise may be dangers in eating and too much exercise.
Students just starting out should exercise three times a week for 20 minutes. Wattley said, Vigorous walking is a good way to increase heart rate and it does not have a dangerous impact on the skeletal system.
Watkins offers pamphlets to students that explain exercises for specific muscles and warm-up exercises, Wattley said. Before doing any type of exercising people should warm up, she said, because it makes the
muscles more limber, thus reducing the chance of injury. Warming up also increases the heart rate so it is ready for exercise but won't snap from a low rate to a high rate quickly.
"If the body is sore, that is its way of saying you've been pushing it too far," she said.
One of the danger signs to look for when exercising is pain. Waltley said.
Jannah Laing, owner of Ultimate Exercise, 1410 Kasid, an exercise studio featuring toning tables, isokinetic exercise circuits and tanning beds, said she saw at least a 40 percent increase in tanning and exercise in Lawrence before Spring Break.
She said many people start to exercise in the spring because they don't have weight, though they've put on weight
and they need to "They want to get into their swimsuits, they want to get that color in their skin for vacation." Laing said.
Laing said that one day a nurse was in her studio to use the exercise machines. She saw girls using Laing's tanning beds and asked, "Why do you realize what they're doing to their skin?"
Laing said that her studio has membership cards that tanners had to sign before they tanned. The cards state that tanners are aware of the dangers tanning poses, and that tanners are responsible for anything that happens to them because of tanning, she said. Laing
doesn't allow her customers to tan more than 30 minutes in 24 hours.
Seven types of exercise tables are included in Laing's tooning and slenderizing program for muscles in all parts of the body. Laing said her tables helped customers lose inches and weight, and helped to increase circulation and flexibility.
"I ask customers if they have leg problems or back problems we should know about before they are put on the machines," Laing said. "And I'm there with them and they're very comfortable to use, make sure they're comfortable. We try to leave no way for customers to injure themselves."
"I'm not in the business to put any exercise down," Laing said. "You need exercise in general. My machines don't give the stress that other types of exercise do."
Laiing said if customers used her machines and cut back their intake of food, they could lose an average of six to 12 inches on their bodies in 12 sessions. She said she didn't recommend any specific type of diet plan, just cutting back on caloric intake.
Waitley said people who began to die before Spring Break should plan to lose no more than two pounds per week.
"Losing a lot of weight rapidly means your body is not getting enough calories and you're not meeting the nutrient requirements your body needs," she said. "Crash dieting doesn't change basic eating habits and that's what you need to do if you want to."
lose weight and keep it off."
Wattley said it was difficult for people to change their eating habits. She suggested receiving help from a dietician who would tailor a diet plan for the individual's life.
"Students eat a lot of fast food," Waitley said. "A dietician could help them learn how fast food could fit into a balanced diet."
Ruth Gillgannon, owner of the Diet Center, 1935 Iowa St., said her staff helped people stay on their diets until they reached their target weight. The center maintains the target weight they reached.
She said the center had never had a doctor turn down its diet plan. The plan doesn't count calories, Gillgannon said, but counts nutrients instead.
By giving dieters food supplements with their diet plan, their blood sugar level is kept high enough that they don't experience cravings and hunger, she said. The supplements contain vitamins and minerals that are different for men and women.
"People on our plan can expect to lose 10 pounds in the first two weeks and then 17 to 25 pounds in the next six weeks." Gillgannon said.
She said men and women and children age nine and older had used her center.
"We have a wide audience," Gillgannon said. "People who want to lose five pounds to people who want to lose 300 pounds use our program."
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4 KANSAN Taking a break/March 1, 1989