"Find an exercise that you enjoy, so you'll stick with it," advises Decatur Athletic Club Director Gail Harbison. "Schedule workouts in your planner just like everything else. Make exercise part of your routine."

Buddy up, adds Ellie Cardinal, manager of the Decatur Indoor Sports Center. "If you find someone else to walk or work out with, there's a little more pressure to follow through. Try a variety of exercises, too."

Before you break a sweat, however, check in with a pro. "You can never get enough advice," says Gold's Gym owner Mike Lambdin. "Burning calories and increasing your metabolism are both geared to cardio workouts, and you need to understand the guidelines. You're paying for the expertise, so ask!"

The local fitness scene heats up this winter, with a new YMCA and the Decatur Indoor Sports Center joining the line-up of established clubs. There's something for everyone, local fitness experts assure, and the benefits of exercise are universal as well.

YMCA Breaks New Ground
Capping more than a century of local service, the YMCA opens a new, $6.8 million, 67,000-square-foot facility late January on the northwest corner of Union and McKinley. Housed under the Y's new roof will be adult fitness and workout areas; therapeutic and instructional indoor pools; two gymnasiums with an elevated running track; multi-purpose rooms for youth meetings and classes; and a fully-licensed, all-day child care facility.

"Our new building was created by the community's generosity, and is designed as a resource for local residents to develop completely in spirit, mind and body," says YMCA Executive Director Daryl Sieplinga. Membership growth-from 3,000 in 1995 to a current total of about 5,600-also prompted the move.

"In order to continue our mission, we had to change," says Sieplinga of the Y's present facility, constructed in 1903 and located at the corner of Prairie and Church. "Our third and fourth floors were originally designed for men's housing, and we had a lot of inefficiently used space. Expansion of family services, in terms of building layout and parking, made continued growth here virtually impossible."

The new Y reflects recent surges in family and senior memberships, Sieplinga says. Joining the YMCA staff will be certified athletic trainers and physical therapists, with aerobics, yoga and water exercise classes added to the roster. "Seniors are among our most dedicated group of users, because they truly feel and know the benefits of exercise," Sieplinga says. "They're our missionaries-they spread the word to each other."

The message? "We're more than a place to swim and sweat," he adds. "The Y is also a place to take rehabilitation from a clinical setting into a lifelong pattern and habit."

Sieplinga predicts the new facility, and its members, will "hit the ground running."

"We're generating a lot of enthusiasm. Folks are hungry to return to family activities, and they're looking for ways to play and participate together.

Doors Open At Decatur Indoor Sports Center
Touted as the only multipurpose public facility of its kind in Central Illinois, the Decatur Indoor Sports Center represents a cooperative venture between Millikin University and the Decatur Park District. The new, 87,000-square-foot facility opened October 2000, and spans the fitness spectrum with two indoor soccer fields; a four-lane, competition grade indoor track; five basketball and volleyball courts; a climbing wall; child care center; two batting cages and pitching machines; a golf center and pro shop; two dance studios; meeting rooms and concession stands. A weight room is the only section reserved for Millikin students when classes are in session.

Particularly enticing to area golfers is the Center's comprehensive indoor golf practice area. Computerized simulators allow golfers to play 18 holes on any PGA championship course in the world, and a practice area challenges chipping and putting skills. Golfers also can hone off-season techniques in a special conditioning area.

The multi-faceted facility complements existing clubs, says Ellie Cardinal, Park District supervisor of athletics and manager of the Sports Center. "There were no centers simply open to the public," she says. "You don't have to be a member of anything to come here-you can come as little as twice a year and pay $6.

"We didn't try to compete with fitness centers when it came to features like weight rooms or cardio machines," Cardinal adds. The new facility also will host indoor track meets, adult basketball leagues, and several aerobics, dance and fitness classes.

The vision extends beyond interior square footage. In addition to providing a place for residents to gather, the Decatur Indoor Sports Center symbolizes future growth.

"Providing recreational opportunities has a direct impact on the economic and social well-being of a community," says Decatur Parks Foundation President Judy Locke. "This sports center and the types of year-round activities that take place here make it particularly exciting for Decatur."