Personal style is key to fitness success

Starting a personal fitness and wellness regimen may appear to be a daunting task, but designing a program based on your available time and what you enjoy doing will contribute greatly to your success, according to Dr. Megan Amaya, wellness coordinator for the City.

With Dublin’s hundreds of miles of bike trails, more than 40 parks, community swimming pools and the Dublin Community Recreation Center with its wide variety of programs, developing a program that meets individual needs and exercise preferences is less challenging.

“Wellness is much more than simply physical health, exercise or nutrition. It includes social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, occupational, intellectual and physical aspects. The ‘Healthy Dublin’ program is based on these seven dimensions of wellness, and tailoring individual fitness programs to address each dimension is important to creating programs that contribute to individual quality of life,”

Dr. Megan Amaya, wellness coordinator

“We are fortunate that our community is designed in a way that incorporates and embraces exercise and fitness opportunities,” Amaya said.

For individuals starting a fitness program for the first time, reengaging in fitness after a break, or having health concerns, she encourages consulting a physician and developing a program that meets medical guidelines.

Important considerations for a fitness program include:

• Setting short- and long-term goals for everything health-related;

• Designing the program for enjoyment;

• Enlisting social support from friends and family – even the family dog can be a partner in the fitness program; and

• Identifying and overcoming barriers, such as time constraints, competing priorities (work, family, social commitments) and motivation and developing strategies for overcoming those barriers.

Programs and events focus on health, wellness

“Healthy Dublin” features special programs and presentations by experts to help participants achieve and maintain health goals. Here are a few upcoming events. For a complete schedule of future programs, locations and times visit www.healthydublin.org

Group classes and personal trainers are good ways to begin a fitness program because they offer an education element of proper technique to perform specific exercises. In addition, group classes and trainers provide social support, have a regular schedule to help with time commitments, and focus on benefits for the entire body, she added.

“Exercise doesn’t have to involve a significant expense or be vigorous to be effective. Gardening, house work, yard work, playing with children, taking a walk and even climbing stairs are all easy, accessible forms of exercise. The important thing is to get out regularly and do something you can enjoy,” she said.

For more information about community fitness and wellness opportunities and the “Healthy Dublin” program, visit www.healthydublin.org

Healthy Dublin Speaker Series

• The Autism Spectrum, Dr. Jacquie Wynn, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. at the Dublin Branch Library

• The Plant-Based Diet, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, author and physician at the Cleveland Clinic, Oct. 30, 2 to 4 p.m. at the DCRC

• Adolescent Eating Disorders, Dr. Terrill Bravender, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Nov. 7, 7 p.m. at the Dublin Branch Library

Free movie screening

• “Forks Over Knives” presents evidence that a whole food plant-based diet can prevent, and in many cases, reverse degenerative diseases, Oct. 23, 2 to 4 p.m. at the DCRC. Visit www.forksoverknives.com.

Holiday Maintain Don’t Gain program, Nov. – Dec.