Articles Profiling Andy :: An Exercise In Communication
Wellness Expert , Speaker Shares Health Tips
By Marla Hinkle
The Morning News/NWAonline.net • MHINKLE@NWAONLINE.NET
A person has to be a fitness witness to convert to a healthier lifestyle, said Andy
Core, an exercise physiologist and professional speaker. Core practices what he preaches.
The 35-year-old immerses himself in triathlons, swimming, biking and running. He is based
at the Fayetteville Athletic Club where he has been the head health and wellness expert
for more than 10 years. The rest of his week is devoted to speaking engagements.
Core looks like a walking advertisement for health with his trim build, perfect posture,
square-jawed countenance and white teeth, broad smile, blue eyes and blond hair.
He's wearing a tie in the gym today to appeal to the corporate crowd, a group he frequently
addresses on how to schedule exercise into their sit-down lifestyles.
The focus on fitness was passed down to Core from his grandfather, who was into health before it was cool, Core said. His grandfather was a heavyweight boxing champion in the U.S. Army.
A Fayetteville resident for 12 years, Core moved here from his native Fort Smith. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Arkansas Tech University in Russellville and a Master of Science degree in exercise science from the University of Arkansas.
Most people don't know that Core is a computer nerd, he said. His brothers, Matt and Jesse, are computer programmers, and Core has his own Web site, http://www.fittraveler.com/.
His foray into speaking began when he was on vacation in St. Lucia, a Caribbean island. A woman was opening a fitness center, and when Core told her about his personal exercise philosophy, she asked him to give a presentation to a group.
"I help make the complex simple, give people power to be successful and fit health into their lifestyles."
Fitness Forward
Core recently was honored for his speaking skills on stress management and fitness and was accepted as a professional member in The National Speakers Association.
He also was elected to the board of the Oklahoma chapter of the National Speakers Association. His affiliation as a professional speaker makes him one of only nine in Arkansas.
For five years, Core has put clients on a waiting list -- that's how popular he is.
Johnelle Hunt has worked with him for about five years.
"Andy is well-qualified and up to date with the latest and best advice," Hunt said. "He keeps up with an individual's needs and makes physical activity a lot of fun. He also has a kind and gentle spirit about him. I enjoyed getting to know him and appreciate his genuine concern."
Her husband, J.B. Hunt, the founder of J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., also trains with Core.
"I'd like to spend more time one-on-one but have little time to do so now that I'm professionally speaking, writing for magazines and just got married four months ago," Core said. He met his wife, Naomi, when she was exercising at the Fayetteville Athletic Club.
"I told her I wouldn't have dated her if she had been a client ... lucky for me, she wasn't."
But working with people gives him ideas for his freelance articles. Core has published feature articles in Triathlete and is a regular columnist for Exhibit City News, Get Out! and Performance magazines.
He's also the host of the "Fitness Fridays with Andy Core" segment on KFSM-TV and the "Pro Golf Performance with Andy Core" segment on "Golfing Arkansas."
When Core appears at one of his wellness seminars, the main goal is to have a good time and make people laugh, he said. He was quick to realize that pie charts and dry facts can't replace audience interaction.
Core shares a funny story about a woman who lost 105 pounds after having five children in 15 years. He tells the audience she was so eager to lose more weight that she wanted a definite date of when the pounds would come off.
"She kept saying 'When, Andy?' I told her June 31. She paused and then laughed when she realized there is no June 31. I said that to give her perspective that losing weight needs to be a gradual and consistent goal."
Core grabs a twisted yellow chunk of latex he uses in his seminars. The fake lard is displayed to give people an idea of what 5 pounds of fat looks like. His second-floor office just off rows of treadmills in the Fayetteville Athletic Club is filled with other fitness items like his Montague bike.
The whirl of the machines and television programs can be heard from his office. Several health magazines sit on his tables, and Reebok steps are stacked in front of his desk.
He ponders the main roadblocks to weight loss as his leans back in his chair.
"People don't eat frequently enough ... they skip meals," Core said. "When they do eat, it's too much. Also, people don't get enough water. A lot of people eat thinking they are hungry when they are really dehydrated."
The acceleration in the decline of health can be likened to a boxing match with people versus their lifestyles in the ring.
"We live in such a fast-paced world, it's like getting a right (stress), left (limited exercise) and upper-cut (poor diet)."
Fed Up With Fads
Some of the more outrageous exercise fads make Core laugh, but he's really fed up with all the misrepresentation in the media regarding fitness. A couple of the most ridiculous items include a Web site touting tight slippers to make one lose weight and various abdominal zappers that utilize electricity to make muscles tighter, he said.
"There is so much wrong information out there. For example, all these ab machines. It's physically impossible to burn fat off one area of the body," Core said.
In fact, some of those machines can build stronger stomach muscles and push them out to create a protruding belly, he said. Although Core remains tough on commercialized fitness, he strives to encourage people just starting a program.
If a tri athlete said, "Oh, I just completed a 70-mile bike ride and so can you," that's discouraging, Core said.
"People need to see someone else's triumphs," Core said. He's proud of his mother's personal journey to get back in shape. Jacquie Core was a smoker for 30 years and gained 35 pounds when she quit.
Core's mother saw a woman run past her in a park and thought she could do that. He developed a walk/run program for her and thought it would be too much for her when she told him she planned to run in a 5K race.
She exceeded his expectations by participating in 13 marathons and appearing in a feature article in Triathlete.
"My mom was the picture of a non exerciser, so I believe it's possible for anyone to give up unhealthy habits."
Life Balance
Outstanding is how Dr. Jim Counts, a client of Core's for 18 months, describes his trainer. Counts is a cardiothorasis surgeon for Northwest Health Systems in Springdale, Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville and St. Mary's Hospital in Rogers.
"Andy is knowledgeable and most important, knows how to keep people motivated. He knows how to encourage you when you need it," Counts said.
Core said he loves living in the Fayetteville area and runs about three times a week at Lake Fayetteville. Between his career as a personal trainer and professional speaker, he wishes he had more time to write.
"A Life Balance Myth" is the book Core is working on with co-author Mike Thompson.
"I ask this question: Can you tell me one person who has family, soul and self completely balanced? The answer is no," Core said.
The book explores how to pursue passion in life. Core also discusses his belief in periodization training. He believes people in the United States exercise at too high a level to stay with a given program. In this form of training, more breaks are taken.
He compares people to computers, pointing out that humans should eat well and get enough sleep.
"If we don't reboot our systems, we don't perform as well."
One of the problems with exercise programs is that people set their expectations too high and set themselves up for failure, Core said.
"I want to show people that they can train themselves harder and easier. The most important thing in an exercise program is staying with it."
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