Dr. Jennifer Hurst was quoted in the article “Skip the gym? You’ll pay the penalty,” which appeared in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel on December 28, 2011. The article discusses a new program called Gym Pact, which charges you money for skipping a workout. It focuses on getting people who do not regularly exercise to do so by giving them an immediate consequence for not going to the gym. Dr. Hurst addresses some of the hurdles that people need to overcome in order to successfully maintain a exercise schedule.
“The No. 1 reason people say they don’t exercise is time,” says Jennifer Hurst, professor of exercise science at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo. “Anybody can change for two weeks, but all of the sudden life comes in and you aren’t as motivated as you thought you would be.”
Hurst would like to see fitness centers play more of a consulting role to help people incorporate exercise into their lives.
“Fitness centers are designed for people who are ready to go,” Hurst says. “It’s going to take personal trainers who also have an understanding about behavior change processes, not just how to lift weights and use machines. People who will help you set goals and work the process of getting healthy into your life.”
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