The tradition of making resolutions for a new year may date all the way back to the ancient Babylonians, but today, New Year’s resolutions are less often about honoring the pagan gods in exchange for a favorable harvest and more often about personal achievements and health. Losing weight, working out, getting fit or just being more health-conscious are always some of the most popular resolutions every year, almost to the point of cliché.
The other cliché about New Year’s resolutions is that they very often fail. They can be hard to keep up with, or even remember, and January’s goals have a way of becoming February’s inconveniences. And, of course, there’s something to the idea that being happy with one’s body should be a more important goal than trying to conform it to someone else’s preferences. But health is always a fine resolution, and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department has a number of options for keeping up with fitness goals throughout 2018.
On January 7, Recreation and Parks will host a free Fitness Resolution Solution event at Driving Park Community Center in an effort to familiarize residents with the classes and activities they can find at CRPD’s Get Active locations.
“Attendees may sample classes such as boot camp, martial arts, street hockey, indoor cycling and yoga,” said Lorrie Poindexter, Recreation Leader at Blackburn Community Center, in an email. “In addition, we have the ‘Healthy You’ area which will include some of our partners such as Girls on the Run, Walk With a Doc and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We will also show off the newly renovated fitness facility at Driving Park Community Center. Participants are entered into a raffle for prizes once they visit a certain number of activities.”
While CRPD offers hundreds of fitness classes across 29 community centers, the department’s Get Active Fitness Centers are “designed with the latest industry fitness standards in mind and include new strength and cardio equipment,” according to Colvin.
CRPD operates 18 Get Active centers in Columbus. To get unlimited access to all of these centers, residents can purchase an annual fitness membership with Columbus Recreation and Parks. Columbusites purchased 2,182 fitness memberships in 2016, and 2,289 became members in 2017.
“Two primary goals of the fitness membership are health, wellness and social equity,” said Poindexter. “CRPD facilities help provide opportunities to keep central Ohio residents active and fit throughout the year by offering the most affordable fitness room rates and 18 centers that ensure a short walk or drive for convenience. We serve everyone from those seeking to maintain general health to competitive athletes.”
Of course, access to exercise opportunities alone cannot help people keep up with fitness resolutions. Human connections are vital. Sherry Hill, a 46-year-old mother of three, has dedicated herself to keeping fit and healthy as she confronts problems with diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol. Hill credits Lorrie, her trainer at Blackburn Community Center, with much of her success.
“When your trainer is as determined to teach, as I am determined to work out, you don’t want to let yourself or her down. She made me a person that can just do it, and I am determined to work out and lose weight,” said Hill in an email. “With Lorrie it’s hard! But we have fun, and I am a lot healthier than I was the year before.”
Hill’s children come with her to Blackburn, with the youngest doing her own activities during Hill’s workout period and her oldest daughter participating in classes with her mother.
“Blackburn makes everything easy to do. It’s set up to be affordable, and with all the programs you have very little room for excuses,” said Hill. “Besides all of this stuff, if I don’t show up, she will call me, and ask me all these questions, and no matter the answer it wasn’t good enough to miss class.”
Naturally Impactful is brought to you by the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, which works to enrich and change the lives of our citizens. The column is an effort to share the story of how the pillars of Health and Wellness, Conservation and Social Equity drive the work we do. Each month the column will focus on different sections of the department using these pillars to create a positive impact on our residents’ and visitors’ quality of life along with providing basic knowledge of the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, #CRPD. To find more about upcoming happenings at your Columbus Recreation and Parks, visit their Facebook page, Twitter page, or columbus.gov/recreationandparks.