Spotlight on Caring
Getting the most out of your at-home workout
By Robert McCoppin | Daily Herald Staff | February 15, 2008
Listings for home exercise equipment on eBay often contain the same sales pitch:
"Never used."
The phrase is proof of our widespread tendency to delude ourselves. If we could only work out at home, the thinking goes, we'd transform ourselves into swimsuit models.
Dave Raczak knows better. Over the years, he's bought all kinds of exercise equipment for his home in Schaumburg, only to find it collecting dust.
He tried an elliptical machine, but it aggravated his back. He bought an Ab-Doer (as seen on TV), but never did it. He shelled out $1,000 for a Bowflex, but now he's selling it untouched -- the only workout he got was putting it together.
His sister has a basement full of his unused stuff. "I've learned now it's not in me. I wanted to believe it was, but it isn't."
Exercising at home is the most convenient way to do it. But in many ways, it's also the hardest. TV, family and the fridge tempt with constant diversions.
The first step in deciding if home exercise is right for you, experts say, is to figure out your motivation -- exactly why do you work out?
Setting goals
Let's say you want six-pack abs. Kevin Gianni, author of "The Busy Person's Fitness Solution," asks why. If you're just going to hide your abs under a T-shirt, you'll probably never crunch them.
If it's to look good on the beach on your upcoming vacation, then you have a concrete goal to work for.
But it can take weeks or months to see obvious results. And many people simply want to get in overall better shape.
So Gianni urges clients to set a series of gradual goals. Achieving them provides motivation to keep going.
The first noticeable results of working out are often little things, like being able to walk up stairs without getting out of breath, or having more energy.
Run a charity 5K in the spring. Improve your cardiovascular health. Look good for your spouse. Or feel like you did 10 years ago.
Setting goals and getting help to achieve them helped Annette Schlenker turn her life around working out exclusively at home.
124 pounds later
Two years ago, Schlenker was depressed, unmotivated, and weighed 265 pounds.
She didn't want to fall victim to her family history of heart disease and diabetes. But she hated working out at health clubs, where she felt like people were watching her "huff, puff and die."
Today the 21-year-old Lombard woman works for her parents' company, which makes custom measuring devices, is studying illustration in college, and gladly works out six days a week at home.
The transformation started when she hired a personal trainer, Jeanne Penton, to come up with a home workout plan that included core and strength training and kickboxing, which Schlenker enjoyed. Together, they worked out three times a week.
After Schlenker made progress and started feeling more energy, she was motivated to do more. She started keeping a food log, counting her calories, and running on a treadmill six days a week in addition to her training.
After losing almost half her body weight, Schlenker feels terrific, is getting tons of compliments, and wants to lose a little more.
She converted a room into a mini-gym, complete with boxing speed-bag, and says finding a trainer was the key to getting her motivated.
"My trainer put me in boot camp mode all the time," she said. "I got past my goal weight way faster than I ever thought I could."
Equipment
The most popular pieces of workout equipment -- the treadmill, elliptical trainers and resistance machines --all work fine, trainers say.
But the trend in exercise, Penton points out, is whole-body training, to gain strength for everyday activities, rather than isolated movements as with weight machines.
A mom will rarely use a motion like a leg extension, but may often simultaneously lift and twist to carry a child or put away groceries.
So for cheap and space-saving equipment, Penton suggests using resistance bands, exercise stability balls and Bosu half-balls.
Resistance bands can be attached to any door frame to do a variety of exercises that build muscle and burn fat.
Stability balls work multiple core muscles, like abdominals, the back and butt. All three pieces of equipment can be purchased for less than $200 total and stored in a closet.
As a former trainer at large clubs, Penton knows about two-thirds of people who sign up at the clubs rarely or never go back after the first month.
If someone wants to work out at home but can't afford ongoing training, Penton recommends at least hiring a trainer for a one-time consultation.
The trainer should come up with a list of goals, create a program to meet them, and run the client through them at least once to make sure it's done properly. Penton offers such a consultation for $150 through Destination Fitness, an in-home exercise training firm in Johnsburg.
Once you get started, Penton said, it takes six to eight weeks to develop a good workout habit, so give it time to see results.
Working out at home also eliminates the ultimate excuse -- that you couldn't get to the health club.
Trainers rarely have cancellations with at-home clients, Penton said.
"We know where they live."
Home gym checklist
Heavy-duty equipment:
Treadmill, elliptical or weight machines: Quality machines run $1,000 and up. Cheap in this case means cheap -- the more you'll use it, the more you should spend. (Consumer Reports recommends the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer treadmill for $3,000. Bowflex machines offer resistance training with a free range of motion to adjust to users' different sizes, and it's easier to move than weights.)
Inexpensive equipment that stores and travels easily:
Rubber resistance bands: They work like weights to increase strength, but travel better, and don't hurt if you drop them. You can stand on one end, attach them to a dooryway or wrap them around a pole for a wide variety of exercises. $10 at www.Spriproducts.com.
Stability balls: Do sit-ups, back and side bends on large exercise balls, $15 to $35. As with all exercise, proper technique determines safety and benefits.
Bosu half-balls: Used for balance training during aerobics, calisthenics, etc. $100 at www.bosu3d.com.
Yoga mats and foam rolls: Mats cushion and prevent slipping. $10 to $22 at Target. Foam tubes used for stretching, balance, massage. $10 to $20 at www.performbetter.com.
Sources: Trainers Jeanne Penton and Kevin Gianni, Daily Herald research.
Touched by an Angel
By Kathy Gresey - kgresey@nwnewsgroup.com
Niggemann, who suffered a debilitating brain injury nine years ago, meets with Hayashi for four hours a week to build muscle tone and increase flexibility. Hayashi is a personal trainer with a penchant for helping disabled people become more physically fit.
Instead of focusing on the typical athlete trying to gain an edge or the person on a self-improvement quest, she specializes in helping people with Down syndrome, attention-deficit disorder and other challenging conditions.
The Cary resident has been working with the disabled for more than two years.
“I find different ways for people to do what I want them to do,” Hayashi said. “The more physically fit you are, the more nerve pathways you open up. I love helping people go beyond their existence. I want them to live, not just exist.”
Niggemann, 30, of Wauconda hired Hayashi two years ago. His left hand, once closed tightly, now can be opened with little force. His body is stronger, enabling him to shower on his own and walk with assistance.
“Stephanie is an angel that was sent to me,” Niggemann said. “I tell her that every day.”
Hayashi instructs Northern Illinois Special Recreation Association karate classes at Focus Martial Arts and Fitness in Lake in the Hills. She also has personal clients, some through her new business, The Fitness Connection.
“I go to people’s homes ... and whatever special need they have, I work on it,” Hayashi said. “We come up with a plan.”
Tresa Opletal of McHenry enrolled her learning disabled sons – Joshua, 7, and 10-year-old Nathan – in karate classes at Focus Martial Arts about a year ago.
Opletal said Hayashi had helped her children develop skills through multisensory instruction.
“She’ll physically touch them, and show them the moves,” she said. “If something doesn’t work, she tries something else. She’s very hands-on.”
Helping people become stronger and more independent is fulfilling, said Hayashi, who is working on a book that will include training exercises for individuals with special needs.
“I’d like to get [training] to people who aren’t in big towns and who don’t have access to a trainer,” she said. “There aren’t any books out there.”
Finding a trainer can be daunting for individuals with disabilities, but worth it, she added.
“Keep working to find someone you trust,” she said. “Talk to your physician. Don’t give up.”
Getting to know ... Stephanie Hayashi
Age: 49
Village of residence: Cary
Family: Three children
Education: Personal trainer certification through the American College of Sports Medicine
Occupation: Personal trainer
Hobbies: Karate, sewing
To learn more: Visit www.specialneedsfitness.com