P H O T O : V E E R
health
b e t t e r
T a k e
I t O f f T o g e th e r
Too often, self-
improvement puts too
much emphasis on
“self.” Shed more
weight and keep it off
using team spirit.
by D A V ID F E D E R , R.D.
Follow these strategies for
working out with a partner or
group from Jessica Matthews,
continuing education
coordinator for the American
Council on Exercise.
► Choose activities you all
will enjoy.
► Select tim es and days for
exercise that are convenient
for all group members.
► Set sho rt-, m edium -, and
long-term goals for the team
and members.
► Set goals that can be
evaluated and m easured: for
example, body weight, waist
size, tim ed w alks.
► Choose a reward system
that reflects your group’s
personality. Implement it
each tim e you reach a
milestone.
A F T E R T H E L A S T O F H E R
F O U R D A U G H T E R S W A S
B O R N , T H E R E S A T U R O K
E X P E R I E N C E D a decade o f
frustration in her attempts to get fit. The
42-year-old nurse in Buffalo Grove,
Illinois, worked out inconsistently, then
noticed that her daughters were getting
overweight, too. A few years ago,
Theresa decided to turn their basement
into an obstacle course. “I had the girls
join me downstairs for ‘boot camp’ and
we had so much fun, we worked out
harder than we ever had before,” she
says. Since Theresa and her daughters,
now ages 9 through 16, started their
fitness journey together, they’ve lost
more than 70 pounds as a group and
have added vigorous outdoor runs and
bike rides to the family routine. “The
most important accomplishment was
not the weight loss but the empower-
ment,” says Theresa. “The time I’ve
spent with my girls helping them to love
their bodies and value themselves has
been the greatest achievement.”
Theresa’s experience mirrors what
fitness science has started to confirm. A
recent study at the Western Psychiatric
Institute and Clinic of the University of
Pittsburgh School of Medicine divided
166 subjects into individuals and groups
of four friends or family members.
About three out of four solo-goers
completed the test program, but few
were able to maintain weight loss after a
10-month follow-up. Nearly all of the
teams completed the
program and
two-thirds main-
tained their weight
loss in full.
continued on page
255
LOSE WEIGHT, GAIN HEALTH
NEXT MONTH: ADD T O SUBTRACT. One of the best
ways to take off weight is to add more to your life,
not take more away. Learn how to use this
surprising truth in November’s issue.
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS OCTOBER 2009 * 5 1
