Weight Management: Staying Active & Healthy

Approximately 93.3 million U.S. adults are affected by obesity—or about 39.8 percent of the population. In Maryland, it’s about 31.3 percent of adults. By 2030, recent reports project that half of all adults in the U.S. will be obese. Treating obesity can be difficult, and a combination of factors, including behavior and genetics, can cause obesity. Behaviors can include dietary patterns, physical activity or inactivity, medications, and more. Food and physical environment, education, socioeconomic status, and more also play a role.

Obesity is a serious health concern because it can lead to many conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer. People who have obesity are also at risk for sleep apnea and breathing problems, high blood pressure, body pain, mental illness such as clinical depression and anxiety, and lower quality of life.

The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t short-term diet changes—it’s committing to a long-term lifestyle that includes healthy eating choices and regular physical activity. For children and adolescents ages 6-17, that should consist of at least 60 minutes (1 hour) or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, including aerobics, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening.

For adults, that should be at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity activity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical exercise.

Are you struggling to reach your weight management goals, specifically fitness and exercise? You’re not alone. Nationally, more than 80 percent of adults do not meet these guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercise, and 80 percent of adolescents fail to meet the aerobic physical activity requirements, too.

Consider joining ProMotion Fitness.

ProMotion Fitness serves Frederick County and surrounding communities by supporting the global Exercise is Medicine initiative and providing early intervention in preventing and/or managing chronic disease. As exercise and physical activity are clinically proven to be essential to health and help manage weight, our team works with you and your healthcare provider to develop an exercise plan tailored to your needs and perfect for your lifestyle.

We can help you meet your exercise goals and maintain healthy body weight by:

• Starting a new exercise program in a safe, effective environment with expert staff supervision and guidance
• Being your partner and champion to encourage you to reach your weight goals
• Helping you to prevent and treat chronic diseases associated with weight gain and obesity
• Educating you on the role that exercise and physical activity play on your health, and how your behaviors and genetics might impact your exercise goals
• Collaborating with your healthcare providers to develop the plan that works best for you and your unique needs
• Leveraging the expertise of our certified staff highly qualified to help you reach your goals
• Assessing your entry fitness, at 6 months, and annually after that to analyze and celebrate progress over time
• Monitoring your blood pressure, heart rate, glucose, etc.
• Utilizing Technogym aerobic and strength equipment to develop a personalized electronic exercise prescription that you carry with you on a wellness key and insert into the exercise equipment to ensure an appropriate and safe experience. This will help you to track your individual progress toward reaching your goals and allow us to provide feedback to your physician according to your individual needs.

Ready to get started on your weight management journey? Call 240-215-1470 to learn more about the program, join today, or schedule a tour.