Physical Fitness Progams

Physical fitness programs are available tailor-made from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. And the tailor tells why they fit.

Exercise programs are recommended to individuals and groups by the Physical Fitness Institute on the basis of tests.

Thomas K. Gureton, whose retirement from full-time teaching at the U. of I. in August gave him more time to direct the institute, said the recommendations are based on measurements of such attributes as balance, flexibility, agility, strength, power and endurance.

"The important thing is to show the people how the program works," Gureton said. "They are more apt to continue with the program if they understand it.

"There is a great deal of difference between those taught and those who received no teaching or leadership," he said.

Most of the institute's work is with the public—insurance groups, ministers, dentists, business executives and other adults. The institute works both with individuals and organizations.

Cureton said the institute must know how a person lives before it can recommend an exercise program.

"We need to know what kind of a person the individual is, which includes appraising his health habits and the way he reacts to life situations," he said.

During the past 43 years, Cureton has accumulated voluminous materials, books, reports, files and historical data in connection with his physical fitness work. For 25 years, he has been with the College of Physical Education and the Physical Fitness Laboratory at the U. of I.

He has sponsored about 100 Ph.D. theses and 600 Master's Degree theses. He has traded material with about 100 other laboratories, and he reads about 100 papers a month.

A special office was created to route materials to consumers—"to people who would like to understand physical fitness better," he said.

The institute holds lectures for the public on scientific research work and basic facts of fitness; tests them, and holds workshops and round table discussions with them to explain the test results and tell them what to do to improve their test scores.

The people are shown a demonstration of proper fitness exercises; attend a seminar with a question and answer period; are interviewed individually, and only then begin their exercises.

Illinois Parks 62 March/ April 1970