LIFE: Rx tests fitness, helps create goals

Dr. D,

I heard you comment on the radio a few weeks back that you didn’t think half of all MSU students could pass a simple physical fitness test. Were you kidding, or did you mean that? I am a junior here and my major is kinesiology, so I would like to know why you think this.

— LM

Dear LM,

I think a quote from the movie “Batman” is appropriate here. Jack Nicholson, who played the Joker, uttered this now memorable line: “This campus needs an enema.”

Well, what he actually said was “town,” but, I took some editorial license with it.

Now, of course, I really don’t mean enema in the literal sense. What I am saying is there are a whole lot of students on this campus who need to get off their collective asses and begin to move in such a way that they feel the beat.

OK, maybe that’s a bit harsh, but let’s first look at the numbers and then we will talk about how you can actually find out how fit you truly are.

In the last 2006 National College Health Assessment, students reported that only 42 percent of them exercised vigorously enough (three or more times a week for 20-30 minutes) to improve cardio fitness. Nearly 25 percent of the students reported doing no vigorous exercise at all.

Additionally, nearly 45 percent of students reported suffering significant back pain in the last year. This is the most significant health problem reported, and do not think it is related necessarily to heavy backpacks and poor sleeping arrangements. There is a stronger correlation between back pain and inactivity.

How could this be? Well, let’s look at a fairly typical day in the life of some MSU students.

They get up and either walk, ride a bike, catch a bus or drive to class. There, they sit in class for about five to eight hours, and then come home and sit in front of the computer for another two to seven hours a day being either educated, entertained or informed.

After that they either catch “SportsCenter” or maybe an episode of “Ugly Betty.”

Some MSU students do manage to squeeze in time to go to the IM and/or play a competitive team sport, but the majority of students lead fairly sedentary lives.

So that is why I think half the students on this campus would lose if they were picked to be a contestant on “Are You More Fit than a Fifth Grader?”

I know what you are saying and before you even go there, I do not consider walking or riding your bike to class every other day as qualifying as aerobic exercise.

It is good that you are getting some activity and maybe even being “green” about it, but aerobic it is not.

Gimme a break — the fact is the majority of college students walk slower now than they did 10 years ago, thanks to such things as cell phones. Ever see anyone walk fast or even at a steady pace when using a cell phone? Most people can’t do it and complain about their IAH class at the same time.

If you really want to see what your baseline overall fitness is and have a plan for the future, then I challenge you to come into Olin Health Center and sign up for the LIFE: Rx fitness test.

For a paltry $15 for students, we will run you through a series of tests including aerobic capacity, strength, endurance, flexibility, lung volume and even test your cholesterol, among other things and then you can see how you compare with your cohorts.

The program also is good because it can help you clarify realistic and achievable goals, get one-on-one counseling about the immediate benefits of exercise/fitness to combat such things as back pain, stress, insomnia, etc. and help identify long term health-related issues.

This assessment program is the best-kept secret on campus, since usually the only folks who take advantage of it are the seniors ready for entry into the real world and want to now know where their MSU days have landed them. If you are interested in doing it now, give Olin Health Center a call at (517) 353-4660.

The fact is that you can be fit at any size and you can achieve a level of fitness with any level of ability.

There are adaptive exercise programs to fit anyone — all you really need is to choose to make it a priority. If you want help in doing that, stop in and see us.

The goal really is not for you to pass a physical fitness test, but for you to know what it is your body needs to help you reach your chosen performance level.

Being fit does not mean you have to devote yourself solely to exercise. Finding a balance is the key to everything in life. Remember, even Batman didn’t always run and glide everywhere — sometimes he used the Batmobile.

— Dr. D.

Dennis Martell, Ph.D., is a coordinator of Olin Health Education. E-mail him your questions at dennis.martell@ht.msu.edu.

Published on Monday, November 5, 2007