Start Now It’s never too late to start moving By Mallory Arnold
T
he Exercise Is Medicine (EIM) program is coupled with the tagline, “You don’t have to be 100 percent healthy to start – but you do have to start to become healthier.” EIM, implemented at The Ohio State Health and Fitness Center New Albany, exists to reduce barriers to exercising. EIM Wellness Program Manager Allan Sommer points out that these barriers aren’t always physical, but mental. “If someone has never exercised before or it has been many years since
Allen Sommer
they last exercised regularly, there is commonly a notion that it’s too late,” Sommer says, “and that starting an exercise routine is too hard or would complicate their particular health condition.” EIM fitness specialists are trained to respond to and remedy this mentality. The program encourages fitness at any level and accommodates a wide variety of medical conditions. “Small amounts of success go a long way in building self-confidence and self-efficacy,” Sommer says, “leading to lasting behavior changes in regard to exercise and wellness.”
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