The LifeFit Center @ The Beach opened on October 1, 2012 as California State University, Long Beach’s (CSULB) newest fitness facility. Fitness provides lifelong health and wellness opportunities in a variety of ways. The LifeFit Center aims to be the premier health and fitness facility in the Long Beach area for the age 50+ community. The LifeFit Center aims to provide fresh and complete health, fitness, social, and wellness programming to all of its members; as well as provide education, research, and career development opportunities for CSULB students, faculty, and staff.
Member Benefits:
The LifeFit Center is in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) on campus at CSULB. Together, OLLI and the LifeFit Center share the same passion for lifelong education, health, and wellness. OLLI is sponsored by the College of Health and Human Services. OLLI is a source of widely varied courses of interest to persons 50 years of age or older. For more information about OLLI, please click here.
ANGELICA MAGALLANES
Angelica Magallanes is our employee of the month for June. Angelica is an outstanding representative of the LifeFit Center, always looking to enhance and participate in the growth of our center. She has been with the LFC since day 1 and we hope that she continues with us as she finishes her degree at CSULB. When you see Angelica give her a big thank you for all of her hard work!
During the week of June 10th through June 14th the LifeFit Center @ The Beachis inviting 2,400 College of Health and Human Services Alumni as guests for one week. Come join the fun with these extra activities at the LFC! Members will get 20 Bonus LifeFit Club Points!
Monday June 10th
- "Beach Bod Workout" with Heather Mazzei 5:30-6:30pm
- Alumni Social - 6:30 - 7pm
Thursday June 13th
- "Everyone is an Exerciser Workshop " with Director Ayla Donlin 6-6:30pm
- Alumni Social - 6:30 - 7pm
Friday June 14th
- Brown Bag Lunch @ 12pm with College of Health and Human Services Dean, Dr. Kenneth Millar
The LifeFit Center now has t-shirts for sale for only $10. You can purchase your LifeFit Center t-shirt at the service desk. We have white and black LFC T-Shirts for sale.
The LifeFit Center is now proud to say that it is officially an Exercise is Medicine on Campus facility.
We at the LifeFit Center are making a commitment to uphold and promote these guiding principles of the Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIMC) Program.
• Exercise and physical activity are important to health and the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases.
• More should be done in university and college settings to encourage students to establish lifelong exercise and physical activity habits that have the power to significantly improve the quality of students’ lives.
• Support the American College of Sports Medicine’s (ACSM’s) efforts to bring a greater focus on exercise and physical activity in university and college settings.
Greetings LifeFit Center @ The Beach!!!
June is Arthritis Awareness Month! According to the Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org), more than 50 million Americans are affected by arthritis. Arthritis is commonly mistaken as a disease associated with getting older; however, two-thirds of the people with arthritis are under the age of 65. Arthritis is a disease the can affect folks of all ages, races, and genders. The three most common forms of arthritis are: Osteoarthritis (OA), Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), and Juvenile Arthritis (JA). For more information on the various types of arthritis, please visit the Arthritis Foundation website.
Another common misconception about arthritis is that individuals with arthritis should avoid exercise. In fact, the opposite is true! There is a growing body of evidence that both resistance training and cardiorespiratory exercise are good methods for preventing arthritis and assisting in the management of arthritis.
So, how should individuals with arthritis begin an exercise regimen?
A good first step is to consult with your physician and obtain clearance for exercise. Once cleared, ACE Fitness (www.acefitness.org) recommends starting your exercise program with the goal of improving your flexibility and the range of motion of your joints. As with any flexibility program, one should always engage in a light 10-15 minute warm up prior to participating in any stretching exercises. A brisk walk, using the elliptical, or riding a recumbent bike would all be appropriate methods of warming up
Next, one can progress to resistance training exercises. We suggest that you work with a personal trainer to determine what exercises would be best for your condition on an individual basis. You can perform isometric exercises (holding a contraction like a wall squat or plank hold) and/or isotonic exercises (using machine weights, free weights, or your body weight). The key will be to perform these exercises in a full range of motion to the best of your ability. We suggest that you gradually and conservatively build up the amount of weight you are lifting and the number of exercises you are performing.
Finally, you can add in cardiorespiratory exercise of light to moderate intensity. Walking, swimming, biking, and using the Krankcycle are all effective methods of cardiorespiratory fitness. In total, three to five days of cardio for 20-30 minutes, two to three days of resistance training, and three to five days of flexibility would be an excellent end point goal. Take things at your own pace and listen to your body! A very important piece of your fitness routine will be a nice long warm up and a nice long cool down (10-15 minutes of light to moderate intensity movement). This provides an opportunity for your muscles to warm up and cool down and for your joints to become lubricated with synovial fluid for effective movement.
Move More, Live Longer!
In Health,
Ayla Donlin
Director – LifeFit Center @ The Beach
