The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

The CanacIan Champion, Tuesdlay; September 8;,1998 -17 S~oRrs A----.n----- I aimwu. nmia.wI AniOMOnvuSmhVICE s geoiathi 637 MAIN SWE*ET EAST MILTON 'oNTAfilO PH(US) 878-2070 Off th e couch and on the treadmili, potato boy By STEVE LBLANC The Champion There are those who're relatively inactive, those who're completely inactive and those who're downright lazy. Then there's me. Yes, your humble sports reporter is so much of a couch potato that he should be mashed up and cov- ered with gravy. These days just the thought of walking to the corner store - 5Ï where mouthwatening junk food cries out like an irresistible siren - is enough to tire me out. Not that there's no motivation ail around me to start exereising again. Just about every one of my old schoolmates seems to have maintained a high level of fitness while the few who didn't enjoy particularly good health back then have pushed themselves into better condition. And if there's one thing that's truly pathetic in a small town, it's a guy who writes about athietes who's the furthest thing from one. 'm not sure I'd be mistaken for even a bowler these days much Iess one of the hockey, basebaîl and football players regularly profiled in my sports section. A public vow T'hese two factors would surely be enough to inspire eventh least ambitious, but for Steve "Slug Man" LeBlanc a stronger cure is required. And what may that be, you ask? How about pronouncing to Milton as a whole - or at least those who read The Champion - that as of this moment my couch nesting, junk food-gorging days of being barely mobile are over. And what better way to ensure ail of you know if 've followed through on this resolution than joiming newly opened GoodLife Fitness - a popular spot among just about evèryone I corne mto contact with in local sports circles, many of whom would be only too happy to ridicule me for going back on my word. 1 know a couple of my brother's friends who certainly would. While starting an exercîse prograrn stili seens like a weighty task (no pun intended), an initial visit to the local health club bas helped curb some of my gravest reservations. First and foremost on the ist was concem over not obtaiming an effective workout - something that's plagued me during past tose attempts at getting into shape. .te l ons Fortunately, Goodi Fitness trainers are only too happy to atpo*orse I map out specific programs for beginners or novices. In fact, they SseLB ýo(b n heavily encourage it as a way to maximize their customer reten- rgt a eu »es tion rate. n etGoLfFiou Results can be quick underthewtI uleeo Bridget, who handled my fitness assessment, explained how by T I K oepbi combining six specific pieces of strength training equipment and wih h rovSteve just 12 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three times a week I'd ~ ~ ~ u1I lose haîf an inch off my midsection (a particularly unflattering knw h ete ouhI area these days) and significantly increase my energy level within ouuneshewns ob two months. rs-xriaontm This also helped kilI my preconception that it would take ages teJIh neves and ages for any type of workout to produce results. The façt that Bnidget made no move to caîl the paramedics when she took my heart rate and blood pressure filled me with Phtsb optinusm as well. GR flMP1NE * a,- THE CANADIAN CIl 1AMPION VUESDAY SIIIIIT-NIBER 8, 1998 i