Karen McOuat
Northern News Services

NNSL (Jan 25/99) - The good news is that the NWT isn't doing too shabby when it comes to physical activity.

According to the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyles Research Institute, we're in 6th place nationally for getting the most exercise. The most inactive province is Saskatchewan, and the busiest beavers are in BC.

But forget the rest of the country, there's still room to improve. These days the only thing that gets people moving is the "40-below dash" from one shelter to another. Keeping active indoors requires some creativity.

Well-rounded regimen

Physical activity covers three areas: endurance, flexibility, and strength. Each is important to maintain the others.

Endurance boosts energy, and improves the heart, lungs and circulatory system. Building up endurance can be done by dancing, skiing, snowshoeing, skating, swimming, cycling, or simply walking.

Flexibility keeps you relaxed and makes moving easier. According to Health Canada, the best way to maintain flexibility is through stretching or yoga, but even mopping the floor and vacuuming do the job.

Strength exercises help muscles and bones stay strong, and improve posture. Weight training is not the only way. Everyday things like taking the stairs, carrying groceries and lifting small kids work the muscles.

Use LSD for weight control

Don't even think of it as "weight". Muscle weighs more than fat, so ignore the scale and just see how well your clothes fit.

Weight loss is the most common goal of the New Year's "get fit" resolution. The solution is nothing new: it's a combination of healthy eating and physical activity.

"One cannot lose weight without exercise," says Brenda McIntyre, regional nutritionist in Iqaluit. She says people get the image of running and sweating for hours, but not to worry -- a half-hour walk is enough.

Think of LSD: long slow distances. Activities longer than half an hour use fat stores as fuel. Many people falsely assume that the harder they run, the better. Jog or cycle at an intensity low enough to keep at it for 30 to 40 minutes.

One group that knows a thing or two about raising the old heart rate is the Yellowknife Multisport club. Injuries can and do occur out there, but we can stop them from getting worse. Says Multisport Club president Corey Borolien: "It depends on the injury, but as a rule of thumb, you'd apply ice right away to contain the swelling. Until it's not warm to the touch anymore."

There is some confusion about ice vs heat for the area. Ice is not only more effective, but safer. Heat actually increases swelling and slows the healing process.

Pump you up!

The NWT Bodybuilding Association knows what to do about weight: lift it. The club formed in Yellowknife last month, and plans to expand to the rest of the North.

President John Clark promotes it as natural, inexpensive, and it will give kids 14-and-up something to do. "We're going to show how not to hurt yourself," says Clark, who is recovering from a shoulder injury.

In their eagerness to get buff, many beginners go about it the wrong way, he says.

"Don't put on as much weight (on the barbell) as humanly possible," warns Clark. "Go low and slow. Even Arnold Schwartzeneger

started with low weights. Bodybuilding is not a quick fix by any means. You have to work at it a long time before you see results."

Most importantly, says Clark, weight lifting is an activity to be taken seriously.

"If you don't concentrate every second of the lift, you can really screw yourself up. When you go through the doors of the gym, leave your ego outside!" he says. "You're not impressing anybody."

Need motivation? If too many excuses keep you away from the gym, find a workout buddy.

"One -- you will improve, and two -- you won't drop the barbell on yourself." says Clark. "That's one thing I gotta give these guys credit for. They're showing off to each other, so at least they get a spotter out of it."

One giant misconception concerns battling the big belly or wide backside. Isolating those problem areas won't help without all-over conditioning.

"There's no such thing as spot-reducing," says Clark. "If you have a fat gut, do aerobics. If you have love handles, do aerobics."

Most people drop out of their exercise programs after four to six weeks, but you won't start to see results until the two-month mark. So if you're still plugging away by the time the territories divide, congratulations.

And beach season is just around the corner.