Fitness test is the first step to better health

DO YOU want to train for the upcoming West Vancouver
Half Marathon? Or perhaps you hate exercise, but have
reluctantly come to ine conclusion that it’s time to pay some

attention to your physical wellbeing.

Whatever your

motivation, fitness testing is becoming an increasingly pop-
ular first step on the road to better health.

Individualized fitness tests range
in price and complexity, but Wen-
dy Lacusta, physica! fitness coor-
dinator for West Vancouver, says
a good basic package will measure
one’s aerobic and strength en-
durance, percentage of body fat,
and flexibility.

“It’s really effective so that
people can make goals and reach
them,’’ notes the North Shore
YMCA fitness director Marise
Maclean. Also critical, agree both
Lacusta and Maclean, is the rap-
port developed between the tester
and client.

“We think it’s an excellent
chance to open communicaticn
channels,’” emphasized Maclean.
“It goes a long way beyond the in-
itial consultation.”’

As the co-owner and director of
Personal Best, an individualized
fituess consulting firm, former
West Vancouver resident Carinen
Tenge is seeing a growing number
of clients coming in for an overall
fitness assessment.

“It’s a real mixed bag,’”’ she says
of her clients, who range in age
from 12 to over 60. Many, she
notes, are ‘‘executive types,’’ and
some are quite overweight men and
women who may find public

W. Van

WALKERS, UNITE! A walkers
group meets in West Vancouver on
Monday and Wednesday evenings
to give participants a challenging
but enjoyable workout.

After meeting at 7 p.m., the
walkers warm up, then start on
their route led by Ollie and Ray
MacLeod. People are encouraged

fitness centres too intimidating.
Tenge’s $90 fitness test, which

takes an hour aad a half to com-

plete, measures body composition,

CARMEN TENGE ... says a
whole range of clients come to her
company for individualized fitness
tests.

muscular strength and endurance,
flexibility and cardiovascular abili-
ty.

Clients are also asked to com-

plete a booklet in advance cf the
test, in which they write down
everything they eat for three days,
and outline their medical history,
sleep patterns, diet and exercise
habits, and stress load.

The contents of the booklet and
the results of the fitness test are
tabulated, studied, and presented
back to the client in the form of a
70-page report which analyses the
findings and recommends any nec-
essary lifestyle changes.

Most people who come in for a
Personal Best fitness test continue
on with Tenge in an individualized
fitness program that is structured
for their particular needs and
schedules.

A tailor-made exercise program
is beneficial, says Tenge, because
most people ‘‘don’t know how to
take this mass of ‘shoulds’ and
structure it into a program that’s
non-threatening.””

it also helps one’s motivation to
have a trainer exercise with you,
anywhere, anytime. Tenge some-
times starts her day with a 5:30
a.m. jog with a client, and says she
will meet them in the middle of the
night if that’s what their schedule
calls for.

Self-analytical fitness testing is
beneficial even for fitness en-
thusiasts who are knowledgable
about proper dict and exercise pat-
terns. ‘It’s like having to look at
yourself in the mirror,’ she says.

Wendy Lacusta agrees that the
tests are not only for those plan-
ning a fitness program, as they can

walkers work out

to walk at their own pace, so
walkers can get a graduated
workout depending on their goals.
Routes covered vary, but will
include the Capilano River,
Stanley Park, the British Proper-
ties and West Vancouver trails.
The group generally meets at the
West Vancouver Recreation Centre

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Walkers can register for the
program, or pay for each walk in-
dividually. Call the West Van-
couver Recreation Centre (926-
3266) for more information.

also point to conditions such as a
too-high stress level. ‘‘It will prob-
ably teil your doctor more than he
knows avout you,’’ she said.

Lacust2 says that the West Van-
couver Recreation Centre hires
private companies to do fitness
testing in the municipality three
times a year, at an average cost of
between $50 and $60, although
cheaper and more expensive
packages are available.

The West Vancouver YMCA of-
fers four tests, at $25 each. These
are the life test, which analyses
caridvascular endurance, muscular

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strength and fat distribution, a
body composition test, a stress in-
ventory and nutrition analysis.

The YMCA tests are offered at
flexible hours, and Maclean notes
that one test is free with a YMCA
annual membership.

For more information on fitness
testing, call the. West Vancouver
Recreation Centre, 926-3266, Eagle
Harbour Community Centre,
921-7425 or the North Shore Fami-
ly YMCA, 926-5541. Personal Best
is located at 1820 Fir Street, 736-
BEST.

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5

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