ACC Leisure Services Get Fit Guide

the acc leisure services department

GET FIT GUIDE

ready. set. get fit.

Getting started...

Starting exercising can usually be done simply and easily, but there are a few things you’ll want to consider first, to make sure that your activity is enjoyable and safe. The following are a few things to consider when you’re starting a new exercise program:

If you have any major medical conditions (i.e., disease, hypertension, pregnancy, history of injury) consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Assess yourself before you begin exercise. How long does it take you to walk a mile? What’s your resting blood pressure? How many sit ups can you do? What’s your waist circumference or body mass index (BMI)?

Taking these assessments beforehand will give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress.

Set goals for what you want to accomplish. Make sure to set mini-goals along the way, if your final goal seems too far away.

Develop a balanced fitness program. Incorporate cardio, strength and flexibility training to get a total body workout. Also, make sure to introduce new exercises gradually.

Don’t overdo it! Be sure to include a warm up and stretching each time you exercise. Gradually increase the amount of time you exercise as your stamina increases. Be sure to give yourself scheduled days off.

Don’t be afraid to take lessons. An instructor or trainer can help ensure you’re using the proper form, which can prevent overuse injuries such as tendinitis or stress fractures.

Listen to your body! If you feel pain, nausea, shortness of breath or dizziness, take a break.

Be sure to monitor your progress and celebrate the little successes along your fitness journey.

2 The ACC Leisure Services Department Get Fit Guide

Obesity Fact: Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period. In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

(Information courtesy of Centers for Disease Control & Prevention- http://www.cdc.gov/ healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm)

The family that exercises together...

Be a positive role model for your children or grandchildren! Research has shown that children who participate in exercise with their parents or other family members are more likely to develop good exercise habits and continue exercising as adults. MD Anderson Hospital in Texas offers the following tips for getting your children to be more active:

Be a role model: If your kids see you being physically active and having fun, they are more likely to be active and stay active throughout their lives.

Use exercise as transportation: Walk or bike with your kids to school, to visit friends or to the park.

Invite everyone to go hiking, biking, roller skating, or to play basketball or soccer.

Focus on fun: Pack in lots of walking during trips to the zoo, park or miniature-golf course.

Use competition as a motivator: Kids love to compete. So, make it a contest between you and the kids to see who can run faster, do more push-ups, sit-ups or jumping jacks and give the winner non-food-related prizes. And remember, winning often motivates kids, so don’t be afraid to “lose” once in a while.

Include kids in household activities: Many household

Limit TV and computer time: Offer them active options,

like joining a local recreation center or after-school program, or taking lessons in a sport they enjoy. When your family does watch TV together, get everyone moving during commercial breaks by doing jumping jacks, hula-hooping or jumping rope.

In Athens, there are plenty of opportunities to be active as a family. Stroll through any of our parks.

Participate in the family softball league offered during the spring at Bishop Park. Ride bikes along the Greenway. Sign up for a family paddle program or play a round of disc golf together at Sandy Creek Park. Lots of formal and informal opportunities for family fitness and togetherness are out there, and the ACC Leisure Services Department would love to have your family in our parks and programs!

chores are also great opportunities to sneak in a little physical activity. Encourage physical activity by having your kids help out with washing the dog or the car, or mowing the lawn.

Give gifts that promote physical activity: Rollerblades,

bicycles, ice skates, soccer balls and even the Wii Fit make great gifts for birthdays and holidays. Even better, they encourage your kids to get moving.

(Taken from: http://www.mdanderson.org/patient-and-cancer-information/cancer-information/ cancer-topics/prevention-and-screening/exercise/index.html)

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the acc leisure services department

exercise facilities FITNESS ROOMS

East Athens Community Center and Lay Park provide fitness rooms to employees and retirees free of charge. Come and work out on your lunch hour or after work!

East Athens Community Center Elliptical machines Multi-purpose cross trainers StairMasters Stationary bikes Treadmills

Lay Park Elliptical machines Press machine Stationary bikes StairMasters Treadmills

benefits of strength training and cardiovascular exercise Cardiovascular Exercise

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• Increased oxygen capacity

• Improved heart & lung function

• Decreased body fat

• Decreased blood pressure & triglycerides

Strength Training

• Increased strength of muscles, tendons,

and ligaments

• Decreased Blood Pressure

• Positive changes in cholesterol

• Increased HDL (the good cholesterol)

• Decreased body fat and increased lean

• Improved glucose tolerance & reduced

• Improved flexibility

• Improved strength, balance, and

insulin resistance

The ACC Leisure Services Department Get Fit Guide

muscle mass

functional ability in older adults

choose your activity aquatics When the weather heats up, hitting the water can be a great way to exercise. Swimming is the fourth most popular sport in the United States and offers lots of health benefits, including decreased risk of chronic illness, improved mood, maintained bone health and increased muscle tone. Swimming is a great option for people with chronic health conditions, such as arthritis. Swimming or water aerobics allows greater use of affected joints without worsening your symptoms.

If you’d like to give swimming or water aerobics a try this summer, visit on the of the Leisure Service Department’s five outdoor pools. For complete pool information, including summer pass details, please visit www.athensclarkecounty.com/aquatics or call 706-613-3801.

POOL LOCATIONS BISHOP PARK EAST ATHENS COMMUNITY CENTER LAY PARK MEMORIAL LAY PARKPARK ROCKSPRINGS PARK

POOL HOURS • Tuesday-Friday: 1:00 - 5:30 p.m.

• Saturday: Noon-5:30 p.m.

• Sunday: 1:00 - 5:30 p.m.

All pools are closed on Mondays for maintenance.

The Bishop Park Pool is open to the public Saturdays and Sundays only.

Admission is $1 per person

All pools will open for the season on May 25, 2013.

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DANCE

and avoiding pain and injury. By training to develop

Dancing is great way to have fun and improve your fit-

coordination, athletic skill and posture. This in turn will

ness at the same time. Dancing can increase your mus-

result in fewer injuries and greater stability as you age,

cle mass and strength, improve your flexibility, increase

which can help prevent falls and keep you both strong

your physical endurance and reduces stress. Also, an

and independent longer.

greater balance, you will recognize improvements in

hour of dancing can burn 300-650 calories (depending on type of dance and your build). So, get out there and

Leisure Services offers lots of opportunities for you to

shake your groove thing!

work on your flexibility and/or balance. A variety of gymnastics programs for all ability levels are offered

Leisure Services offers a lot of options for dancing. East

for children through adults in the spring and fall at

Athens Educational Dance Center offers dance classes

Bishop Park. Enroll in the t’ai chi program offered year

for youth and adults year-round. You can try your hand

round at Rocksprings Community Center. Send your

at a variety of dance types including ballet, jazz, tap, hip

children or grandchildren to the Yoga Sprouts program

hop and praise. For more information, please visit www.

at Memorial Park during the school year.

athensclarkecounty.com/dance or call 706-613-3624.

You can also visit Memorial Park on the third Saturday

TEAM SPORTS

evening of each month to try out contra dance, a type

There are many reasons for both children and adults to

of folk dancing similar to square dance. It’s a great way

participate in team sports. Children who participate

to meet new people or try out a few new steps! To learn

in team sports develop gross and fine motor skills,

more, visit www.athensfolk.org

increased cardiovascular health and endurance and basic sport skills. Additionally, participation in team sports helps children learn to work with others, to develop graciousness and resilience through both winning and losing, and to develop leadership abilities.

For adults, team sports serve many of the same purposes that they do for youth. Adults who play team sports also increase their cardiovascular health and endurance. They must continue to practice working with others, appreciating different abilities and communicating with others on a team. It’s also a good way to meet new people or change up your exercise routine.

FLEXIBILITY & BALANCE

ACC Leisure Services offers a variety of team sports op-

Flexibility and balance are vitally important, but often

in the winter and youth soccer runs in both the fall

overlooked, aspects of physical health. Why are flexibility and balance so important? Flexibility isn’t just about touching one’s toes or doing splits. In actuality, flexibility is simply the amount of movement available at each joint. Flexibility is important to staying healthy 6 The ACC Leisure Services Department Get Fit Guide

tions for youth and adults. Youth basketball is offered and spring. There’s even a short indoor soccer season in the winter months. (For children who might be too young for actual team sports, there’s also a SportsTime skill development program.)

Many youth football, tee-ball and baseball leagues, as

TENNIS

well as a swim team, operate independently but use Lei-

Tennis has been called the “sport for a lifetime.” If you’re

sure Services facilities to provide their team sports.

looking for a sport to provide health benefits, it’s certainly one to try. People who play tennis for 3 or more hours per

For adults, Leisure Services offers fall and spring softball

week have been shown to reduce their risk of death from

leagues. Once the new tennis center begins operation in

any cause by 50%. Additionally, people who play tennis

summer 2013, league play will also be offered

have higher levels of optimism and self-esteem than both

at that facility. Visit www.athensclarkecounty.com/

non-athletes and other athletes. Tennis also improves gross

sports for more information.

& fine motor skills, enhances coordination, boosts your immune system and burns a ton of calories!

If you’re interested in trying tennis, now is a great time. ACC Leisure Services has a brand new tennis center scheduled to open this July. The new facility will offer programs and court space available for children through senior adults.

Additionally, tennis courts are also available at Bishop Park, Lay Park, and Satterfield Park.

calorie counter guide activity / calories 10 minutes

100-130 LB

based on ten minutes of activity

131-160 LB

161-190 LB

191-250 LB

221- 250 LB

251-280 LB

281-300 LB

Bicycling

60-70

70-90

90-110

110-130

130-150

150-160

160-180

Dancing

30-40

40-50

50-60

60-70

70-80

80-90

90-100

Hiking

30

40-60

60-70

70-80

80-90

90-100

100-110

Resistance Training

60-70

70-90

90-110

110-130

130-150

150-160

160-180

Rollerblading

60-70

70-90

90-110

110-130

130-150

150-160

160-180

Running (8.5 min/mile)

80-110

110-130

130-160

160-190

190-210

210-240

240-250

Swimming

60-70

70-90

90-110

110-130

130-150

150-160

160-180

Tennis

60-70

70-90

90-110

110-130

130-150

150-160

160-180

Walking (3.5 mph)

30

30-40

40-50

50-60

60-70

70-80

80-90

Walking (4.5 mph)

30-40

40-50

50-60

60-70

70-80

80-90

90-100

20

20-30

30-40

40

40-50

50-60

60

Weightlifting

©Conversions copyright Oakstone Publishing, LLC. dba Personal Best®. Adapted from Shape up America!

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walk. hike. run.

Step into fitness..

Walking or running is a wonderful way to help maintain a healthy heart. Walking and running have actually shown similar health benefits including lowered risk of hypertension, lower blood pressure and lower occurrence of diabetes. The other great thing about walking or running is that it’s a low-cost exercise option that can be done almost anywhere!

walking & running tips: Find a partner - there’s safety in numbers. If you must run or walk alone, go where there are other people.

Run or walk during daylight hours whenever possible. If you must exercise in the dark, wear light-reflecting or light-colored clothing. Avoid running in the streets or in deserted areas.

Be thoroughly familiar with your route. Know the location of phones, police or fire stations, and 24-hour businesses.

Listen to your instincts and be willing to vary your route if you sense you’re in danger.

Run or walk against traffic whenever possible.

Leave jewelry at home.

Ignore verbal harassment.

Always carry some form of personal identification in case of emergency.

(Taken from e-How.com: http://www.ehow.com/how_11019_practice-safety-tips.html)

8 The ACC Leisure Services Department Get Fit Guide

ACC TRAIL INFORMATION ACC Leisure Services has multiple trails, both paved and more natural terrain, for you to enjoy for walking, hiking, or running. Visit athensclarkecounty.com/trails.com for more information about trail locations and distances.

WALKING TRAILS & NATURE TRAILS Keep moving! Maintain a healthy heart while you go for a walk. ACC Leisure Services offers several locations for walking or jogging.

Birchmore Trail at Memorial Park

1.3 miles

Walking Path at Bishop Park

0.7 miles

North Oconee River Greenway

4 miles

Paved Walking Track at SE Clarke Park

0.6 miles

Sandy Creek Greenway/Cook’s Trails

4 miles

Lakeside Trail at Sandy Creek Park

7.5 miles

one w

additional trails at sandy creek ADA Interpretive Trail

nature0.2center miles

Brick Factory Loop & Log House Loop

0.1 miles

Claypit Pond Trail

0.5 miles

Crossridge Trail

0.1 miles

Hooded Warbler Trail

0.2 miles

Kestrel Trail

0.7 miles

Kingfisher Pond Hooded Warbler Trail

0.3 miles

Levee Trail

0.2 miles

Oconee Trail

0.2 miles

Pine Ridge Trail

0.4 miles

Screech Owl Trail

0.4 miles 9

ay

The ACC Leisure Services Department Get Fit Guide

1 Administrative/Internal Services Offices The Allen House 205 Old Commerce Rd. 2 Bear Hollow Zoo 293 Gran Ellen Drive 3 Bishop Park 705 Sunset Drive 4 Ben Burton Park 616 Mitchell Bridge Rd 5 Dudley Park 100 Dudley Park Drive

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ACC Leisure Services Facilities & Parks

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6 East Athens Community Center 400 McKinley Drive 7 East Athens Community Park 200 Trail Creek Street 8 East Athens Educational Dance Center 390 McKinley Drive 9 Holland Youth Sports Complex 250 Vincent Drive 10 Lay Park 297 Hoyt Street 11 Lyndon House Arts Center 293 Hoyt Street

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12 Memorial Park 293 Gran Ellen Drive 13 Morton Theatre/ Athens Creative Theatre 195 West Washington Street 14 North Oconee River Greenway 205 Old Commerce Road 15 North Oconee River Park MLK Parkway 16 Parkview Community Center Parkview Homes 17 Reese and Pope Park 395 Pope Street 18 Rocksprings Park 291 Henderson Ext. 19 Sandy Creek Nature Center 205 Old Commerce Road 20 Sandy Creek Park 400 Bob Holman Road 21 Satterfield Park 3028 Cherokee Road 22 Southeast Clarke Park 4440 Lexington Road