Exercise - SBU Wellness Center

Most winters since 1992, I have used the facilities at Southwest Baptist University for exercise.  It is located in Bolivar, Missouri about 30 minutes from my home in Hermitage.  The current website is:

http://www.sbuniv.edu/wellness_center/facilities.html

I first became interested in the Olympic-size indoor pool three weeks after neck surgery in early January 1992 when I was 38 years old.  I wanted some low impact exercise to get back on track with my active lifestyle.  I joined a structured swim program that hopefully would allow me to become a certified lifeguard by May.  My goal was to get stronger and I succeeded. As an added benefit, I could increase outdoor activities in Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Stream Team,Church Activities and wherever I could be of help to allow children to enjoy water activities since a Certified Lifeguard was required for insurance purposes.  This opened up much opportunity for me to be with young people and added much satisfaction to my life.  I kept up the certifications for six years which also included First Aid and CPR.  By the end of the 1990's, I was no longer interested in organized water activities with children since mine grew up and moved away.  It was a wonderful decade centered around water activities and young people!  I kept up my swim skills each January - May 2-3 times per week swimming laps for 30 minutes.  At that time, membership was not required and anyone could come and pay $1 to use the pool and locker facilities.  What a deal!

Sometime in the early 2000's, a major renovation of the facilities occurred over 2-3 years.  A wonderful gym was built and furnished and the pool area renovated.  New locker rooms and showers were built.  The facility had become the Wellness Center and now requires membership with monthly dues.  During this renovation, I missed a couple years of winter swims but joined a YMCA in Jefferson City one year when I lived nearby and also had an elliptical machine at home.  After another neck surgery in 2007, I became a member to supplement my physical therapy.  It took longer this time to get my strength back but I have noticed that in January 2012, I am physically stronger than I have ever been!  I believe it is because my neck issues have been resolved and I have added weight-lifting to my routine.  My activities at the Wellness Center now include 45 minutes on a treadmill, 15 minutes of weight machines, and 30 minutes of swim laps.  I do this 3 days a week.  My membership will continue until the end of May this year.  Soon I will mix it up with one of several different aerobic classes available.  All this is in addition to using my elliptical machine at home during bad weather and my 3-mile Dam Walks on nice days. 

I know that exercise will continue to be a major part of my lifestyle as being inactive for a little as two weeks, makes me sad and has a negative affect on the quality of my life.  When I have had a good week of exercise which is 3-5 days of 30-90 minutes of activity, I am at my best and I sleep better and am in balance.  My intuition is at its best!