On-site fitness center keeps people fit longer

By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Gerry Murrow has always worked out regularly, but since she moved to Sedgebrook, the fit 75-year-old hits the gym even more frequently.

Murrow uses the treadmill and the elliptical machines at the fitness center, and she also wears a pedometer to makes sure she walks at least 10,000 steps each day.

“It takes time, but I l enjoy it and I’m health conscious,” Murrow says of her fitness routine.

Murrow says she belonged to a health club when she and her husband lived in their Buffalo Grove house, but says the commute to the club eventually became a burden. Here at Sedgebrook, the fitness center is only a short indoor walk from Murrow’s front door, making it easier for her to stay in shape.

Convenient access makes a big difference
“It’s very, very convenient, and very nice because you don’t have to drive there,” she says. “And you don’t have to worry about putting on a lot of clothes in the winter just to go to the health club.”

In recent weeks, Murrow has increased her already ambitious workout schedule to about five visits per week because she’s participating in the Sedgebrook fitness center’s “11 Hundred Cardio Club.”

Healthy competition can be motivating
On-site wellness director Guy Petty started the club to motivate residents to do more cardiovascular routines. He tracks the minutes of cardio each participant logs between 11 a.m. and noon each day, and gives prizes to people who reach certain targets. In the first month of the contest, Murrow accumulated 1,700 minutes of cardio.

Community inspires others
“Having that time set for it is a motivation,” Murrow says. “Before this contest, I was getting down there three to four times a week, so this has definitely made me increase it a little bit.”