Health And Fitness Today

by Rhonda Freedman

文章難易度：Intermediate 3

Health and fitness are very much in the news. More people these days are concentrating on eating sensibly and staying in shape.

"We try to prevent problems," says Jane Roberts, manager of the Eat Right and Stay Fit Health Club. "We encourage our members to eat nutritious meals and to exercise daily. 'Do it now,' we tell our clients. So many of the people who come to us say that they should have joined sooner."

In recent years, health clubs like Eat Right and Stay Fit have been opening all over the country. Most of these clubs offer flexible hours and a wide variety of activities. People who wish to exercise before going to work can do so early in the morning, and many health clubs do not close until late at night.

Most health clubs offer a large and well-equipped gymnastics facility with weight-lifting equipment, where club members can work on developing their muscles and getting into shape.
Another popular activity is tennis, and members who are willing to give up eating lunch on their noon break can be seen carrying rackets to the office.

Is too much exercise harmful? Recent studies have shown that people can get hurt from doing exercise that's wrong for them. Heart specialist Marvin Kane, who is in charge of the Health and Fitness Research Program at Cedars General Hospital, advises checking with a doctor before beginning any fitness program.

"People should choose programs that have been designed to match their physical abilities and needs, and follow them at their own pace," says Kane. "If we had known in the past what we know now, many injuries caused by over-exercising could have been avoided."