Health=Fitness+ Fun, Naturally

    Teena Christopherson of Vernal cannot recall a point in her life when she wasn't active. "I think it's natural to be up and moving," she said. "Watch your kids and grandkids: they don't have to try to be active; they just play. A couple of weeks ago, I spent two hours at the playground with my grandson. We ran, climbed, chased each other, and exercised our entire bodies for two solid hours. I'm certainly not a sedentary person, but I was completely exhausted when we left; my grandson, on the other hand, was still up for more playing! The experience reminded me that we all need to play more. Too many of us adults forget that."

    Teena has never allowed a challenging life experience to displace her exercise routine. She explained, "There's no reason to stop exercising because you're busy planning a wedding or you had a baby or experienced any other change because exercise is just as natural as those changes that occur in many of our lives. In addition, exercise will ultimately make most difficult transitions easier."

    However, Teena--a wife, mother, grandmother, and Sales Manager for local radio stations The Fox 98.5, B92, and KNEU AM 1250—acknowledges that, like most of us, she has some crazy, exhausting days when she has no desire to "play" after fulfilling her grown-up responsibilities. On those days, she goes to the gym for the sake of her health. "I'm not the world's skinniest woman," she stated. "It would be a big mistake to aim for being a supermodel because, realistically, most of us cannot achieve that anyway. I just want to be healthy, and I think that should be everyone's motivation for staying fit."

    As for her method for staying fit, Teena's "first love" is mountain biking. Her husband, Kevin, is also a naturally active person, and he introduced Teena to the sport shortly after they married: "I used to go watch him race and got tired of sitting in the parking lot, so I decided to try it myself," Teena stated. In the past, Teena participated in mountain bike festivals, raced, and put on races, but now she primarily rides for fun. "I also enter a triathlon now and then because it gives me something to train for and look forward to during the long winter months when my only choice is to exercise indoors," Teena said. She gets together with friends for spin class or to swim laps at the rec center when the weather doesn't permit them to bike outdoors.

    This year, Teena is registered for a triathlon in St. George on May 15 and for the Little Red Riding Hood, a road-bike race (she'll do the 80-miler) and cancer fundraiser for women, on June 5.

    Teena was among those who founded a group called NUMB (Northeastern Utah Mountain Bikers), and she and a friend, Nanette Lupcho, started Mellow Mondays, a group that rides 1-2 times weekly during the outdoor riding season and accepts everyone, including those going on their very first trail ride. "It's a joy for me to watch members get involved and grow to love mountain biking as much as I do," Teena stated. "And I don't mind stopping to help someone go over a log for the first time." In fact, Teena encourages anyone who thinks he/she might be interested in mountain biking to join NUMB on Facebook; there one can view pictures of past rides, obtain information (the where and when) about upcoming rides, and find support for getting started in the sport.

     Teena also prefers foods that will keep her body healthy and young. She stated simply, "We all need to stop eating crap. We know what it is. We just need to stop eating it." Teena recently read a book entitled "Younger Next Year." The authors, Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D., essentially state that there's no changing the fact that we're all getting older, but that doesn't mean that we have to "rot"! Teena, who is 54 years old, is encouraged by that message, and it helps her to make healthful food choices and to "do something" six days a week to avoid "rotting". She said of the book, "I think people should read it even if they're young now. It has some great information in it."

    Teena's healthful attitudes are contagious. Her three children, now grown and starting their own families, still enjoy mountain biking with their parents. In addition, Teena's daughter is a personal trainer, her sons enjoy running and other outdoor activities, and Teena is "wowed" by how well her 7-year-old grandson keeps up with the mountain bikers at such a young age.

    Teena's encouragement has also helped a lot of Basinites discover that they can improve their health and happiness by getting fit while having fun. "Teena is an inspiration," our own Jennifer Rook stated when she suggested that we feature Teena in the Healthy Edge. "She is active, has a great time doing what she does, and her positive, upbeat attitude rubs off on others and helps to motivate them to stay active as well. Plus, she's one of the youngest 54 year olds I know, and working out has never been a chore to her. She just enjoys life, and exercise is part of it. She has fun no matter what she's doing, and I admire that a great deal." It just goes to prove that you can be healthy, fit, and active at any age and have a great time doing it. So get out there, as soon as you finish this issue of The Edge, and get healthy!