Rx for Good Health: Exercise

“It's no secret: the country is in the middle of an obesity epidemic that affects young and old, men and women. While it seems that much attention has been paid to eating healthier, diet alone isn't the answer; exercise has to be part of the equation. But, getting the message out that we can't be a nation of couch potatoes has proven to be a more difficult proposition. ‘While most people — eight out of 10 — will agree that exercise is important for health and wellness, only two [out of 10] say they are exercising regularly,’ said Cedric Bryant, Ph.D., chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise, speaking in a phone interview from San Diego. That boils down to only 20 percent of us willing to make exercise part of our lifestyle, according to the experts. Women are doing a little bit better at that than men if we take a look at gym club memberships, for example. In 2006, women represented about 53 percent of the memberships, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. They are the overwhelming majority in aerobics, yoga, Pilates and cardio-kickboxing classes, and using ab machines, elliptical trainers, treadmills and stretching at the gym, according to IHRSA research.”