Working in a workout

Gym, yoga part of routine

By Stephanie Nelson (Contact) | Andalusia Star-News

Published Friday, November 27, 2009

Photo by Stephanie Nelson

Carrie Patterson is responsible for making sure that Covington County school children have healthy meals. She added physical activity to her routine to combat osteoporosis.

Let’s just face it – most of us can’t find enough time in the day to accomplish all that we need to do, especially when it comes to making time for ourselves. These two women have managed to arrange their lives to include workouts, despite busy work and home schedules.

Carrie Patterson is the child nutritionist for the Covington County School System. Healthy eating is job, so it’s easy to understand how a healthy diet would be the easy part of her healthy lifestyle.

However, this busy woman manages to work out three days a week at the Mizell Wellness Center in Opp and attend a weekly yoga class.

“About five years ago, I was told by my physician I was in the beginning stages of osteoporosis,” Patterson said. “After adopting a good workout plan, my bone density tests have improved greatly.

“(Yoga instructor and Star-News columnist) Nancy Blackmon does a great job with the yoga class,” she said. “I have a high energy level, so it is nice to participate in exercise that is calming but also stretches and strengthens areas that I might not use in regular workouts. I usually go around 5 p.m. right after I get off of work (for the regular workout).

“A lot of days, I have to push myself to go, but I know that working out will boost my energy level,” she said. “I always begin with cardio exercise on the treadmill and then move to upper or lower body strengthening with the weights. I end with cardio on the resistance bike, stepper, or elliptical machine.

“Afterwards, I feel great,” she said.