N.C. State Cuts Excuses For Lack Of Fitness

N.C. State employees Letha Young and Carl Richardson walk on the new fitness course on Centennial Campus five days a week from noon until 1 p.m.

"High blood pressure, as well as diabetes, runs on both sides of my family," Young said.

"I need to exercise more and walking every day helps that, and it reduces weight," Richardson said.

"More than 5,000 people who come to Centennial Campus on a daily basis for work and for school can participate in this fitness course and work in a workout," said Leah Burton, a developer for the Centennial Campus partnership.

The first of several workout stations is for stretching.

"I do recommend it before and especially afterwards because your muscles are so tight," Young said. "If not, you'll get very stiff afterwards."

Pedometers help you reach a recommended health goal of 10,000 steps a day or five miles. Along the 2.3-mile course, participants can take breaks for sit-ups, pull-ups and other fitness challenges.

Officials hope that what will keep the sidewalks filled with walkers and runners is the fact that many corporate partners on Centennial Campus believe fitness equals savings.

"Clearly, one of the most uncontrollable elements in business today is health-care costs and the increases," said Jack Goldfrank of the Center for Packaging Innovation.

Officials also hope students, teachers and other campus employees are not the only people who take the course.

"We hope that this will be a place that people from through Raleigh and throughout the community will come and utilize," Burton said.

Most of the workout stations are on N.C. State's Centennial Campus along Centennial Boulevard between the campus and the State Farmers' Market.