Ultra thin doesn't equal fit

     EDITOR'S NOTE: Kim Springer is a Certified Personal Trainer with Springer Training. She has been assisting her husband, Mike, with this column for the last three years. After helping with the column, a decision has been made to switch the name and picture to equally recognize her efforts. The content of the column has not changed. All of the ideas and information will still be presented as a team effort from the same sources at Springer Training.
     
     By Kim Springer
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      Recently it has come to my attention men and women are judged differently not only in the area of fitness but also with age.
      This probably comes as no surprise to most of you, but it is time to take a step back and look at how we judge each other. The fuel for this column actually comes from several comments made by female friends.
      Both of these women were looking at hiring a personal trainer and their first qualification was that the trainer they planned to hire had "no body fat."
      Of course, appearance is important and fitness is a quality you want your trainer to possess but, does being super thin or extremely muscular equal knowledge and professionalism? Certainly not.
      People of all genders and ages are looking for a trainer who can be a role model, a source of knowledge and an inspiration.
      Does the fact that the person has no body fat make for a great teacher? You would not walk into a classroom and judge a professor's teaching ability by the size of their brain and yet we do this with trainers and to a degree ourselves.
      Being fit and healthy does not always correspond with a perfect physical appearance. All of us have to deal with our own genetics, which are unchangeable.
      A study was conducted on overweight individuals who exercised regularly and found that their cholesterol, blood pressure, cardiovascular system and exercise levels were equal to those of the "normal weight" exerciser. This is not to say that being overweight is acceptable but to state that being fit is the embracing of a lifestyle and is not simply the size of your jeans.
      Yes, America definitely needs to address the issue of its growing waistline.
      The truth is most people will never be super thin or extremely muscular. Besides, this is not the standard for health or fitness.
      Fitness encompasses many concepts including: cardiovascular endurance and strength, muscular endurance and strength and body composition. Body composition is the new "scale" of the '90s and yet most people don't need to know they are 40 percent fat and obese.
      This is not the greatest source of motivation. Working on improving all the components of fitness should be every American's goal.
      So, despite age or gender, it is time to examine your own concept of fitness.
      Society currently is torn between chastising the very thin or the very fat while most individuals, including fitness trainers, fit comfortably in the middle of these two extremes.
     Kim Springer and her husband, Mike, are certified by ACE, NASM and ACSM as personal trainers. They can be reached at 233-9442, by fax at 233-9446 or by e-mail at springtrain@ netscape.net.