UPMC Sports Medicine Urges Sedentary, Over-40 Adults to Enroll in ‘Start’ Fitness Program
PITTSBURGH, July 1, 2009 – Start, a lifestyle-changing fitness program at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine, currently is enrolling adults over age 40 for its summer session. Beginning July 18, sports medicine professionals will guide participants through fitness and education sessions twice weekly for three months, preparing them to run or walk the 5K portion of the Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race on Sept. 27.
The cost for this three-month fitness program has been temporarily reduced to $200 for newcomers. Returning participants can enroll for $150.
The Start program's comprehensive exercise routines, which focus on improving flexibility, aerobics, strength training and balance, were designed by Ron DeAngelo, M.Ed., A.T.C., C.S.C.S., director of UPMC Sports Performance. The Start program is part of UPMC Sports Medicine’s Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes (PRIMA), directed by UPMC orthopaedic surgeon Vonda Wright, M.D. The initiative also offers sports performance services to highly active adults and elite athletes over age 40.
Orientation for Start is at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, July 18, at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex, 3200 S. Water St., South Side. Most regular sessions will take place at the indoor training facility at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex for three months thereafter from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Saturdays.
“The goal of Start is to help people over age 40 incorporate realistic and comprehensive fitness routines into their daily lives, so that they can get moving and remain active after the program is over,” said Dr. Wright, who also is an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
The Start program, using UPMC Sports Medicine resources, directs participants through age-appropriate fitness training, wellness education, medical evaluations and mental coaching. Participants progress through the program with a group of their peers, ultimately acquiring the skills needed to continue working toward lifelong physical fitness.
For more information or to register, contact Karen Quinn at (412) 432-3651 or quinnkk@upmc.edu.
UPMC Sports Medicine’s Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes (PRIMA) provides comprehensive clinical care, training and counseling to maximize the physical performance of adults over age 40 with two tiers of service: Athlete and Start. PRIMA’s Athlete program provides specialized sports medicine services to mature, serious and recreational athletes, helping them to remain fit, functional and performing their best. For those who do not consider themselves athletes, PRIMA’s Start program provides the same expertise to a wider segment of the population, including all physically independent adults over age 40 who would like to get in shape. Founded and directed by UPMC Sports Medicine orthopaedic surgeon Vonda Wright, M.D., assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, all PRIMA services are uniquely designed to help aging adults maintain or increase physical performance while minimizing risk of injury. For more information, visit PRIMA's web site.