Get Back in Shape—Library Style!

Exercise
One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to get back in shape by exercising. Why not make the library your workout partner? The Mercer County Library’s exercise programs, fitness DVDs, high-powered music, books, magazines and databases about sports, medicine, and overall health are the resources you need to develop your own personalized fitness plan.

Step 1—Check with your doctor! To ensure your safety with your new personalized fitness plan, it is important to understand your body and any limitations you may have. If you need help locating a doctor, the library subscribes to a database called FolioMed New Jersey Medical Directory [in-library access only], which provides patrons with proprietary databases of physicians and healthcare facilities in the Northeastern United States.

Step 2—Try a few programs to see what interests you. Some of the classes the Mercer County Library System offers include yoga, chair yoga, Bollywood workout, posture exercises, wii bowling, active aging fitness, guided meditation and gentle stretching, and qi gong. Each month, different branches of the Mercer County Library System also offer informational programs on health related topics. Information about all of the library’s programs is available on EventKeeper, which can be accessed via the Programs tab on the Mercer County Library System’s website.
Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson and 2-Week Total Body Turnaround by Chris Freytag
Step 3—Read up on your favorite topics. In addition to our extensive book collection covering everything from marathon training to ballet exercise to healthy eating, the Mercer County Library System has a large collection of books available via our Virtual Branch. hoopla and eLibraryNJ both offer electronic books and audiobooks on health-related topics, such as Sleep Smarter by Shawn Stevenson and 2-Week Total Body Turnaround by Chris Freytag. Our virtual branch also offers magazines via Flipster. Some of the health- and fitness-related magazines on Flipster include Health, Prevention and Food Network Magazine.

Jillian Michaels: Killer Body
Step 4—Watch some exercise videos. The Mercer County Library System has DVDs and Blu-Rays on topics including yoga, Pilates, tai chi, core exercise, cardio, Zumba fitness, dance, swimming, running and much more. Some videos have exercises specifically tailored for older adults, pregnant women and children. In addition to the DVDs and Blu-Rays, fitness videos are available to stream through the Mercer County Library System’s subscription to hoopla. Some titles include Jillian Michaels: Killer Body and The Firm: Flat Abs Solution.

Step 5—Go out and exercise! To enhance your fitness experience and exercise your mind, check out some music and audiobooks. The Mercer County Library System has a large CD collection consisting of 13,421 music CDs and 8,298 books-on-CD. Freegal Music is a downloadable and streaming music service featuring 8 million songs in a wide variety of genres, ranging from classical to today’s top hits. hoopla offers streaming and downloadable audiobook and music services. eLibraryNJ also provides downloadable audiobooks. If you do not have a portable media player, borrow one of our Playaways, a portable device with a pre-loaded audiobook. All you need is a set of headphones and an AAA battery. If that sounds like too many choices and you are not sure what to choose, stop by the Reference Desk to receive assistance selecting books or music that interest you. We will do our best to help!

—Julia Cuddahy 

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