The Virginian-Pilot 
                            THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT  
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, October 25, 1996              TAG: 9610250542
SECTION: BUSINESS                PAGE: D1   EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY PAT DOOLEY, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   57 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: ***************************************************************** The newly expanded Lifestyle Health and Fitness Center of Chesapeake General Hospital will have an open house today from 9 a.m. to noon and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Due to an editing error, the Saturday hours were incorrect in a BusinessNews story Friday. The center is at 800 N. Battlefield Blvd., next to Chesapeake General Hospital. Correction published Saturday, October 26, 1996 on page A2 of THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT. ***************************************************************** EXPANDED FITNESS CENTER OPENS DOORS CHESAPEAKE GENERAL CENTER GETS MORE ROOM, NEW EQUIPMENT

Chesapeake General Hospital will tout is newly expanded Lifestyle Health and Fitness Center with an open house this weekend, featuring demonstrations of cardiovascular equipment, exercise classes and healthful cooking, as well as mini-sessions with a massage therapist.

The 22,000-square-foot center, which opened next door to the hospital about nine years ago, offers first-aid classes, mammography screenings, smoking-cessation counseling, a cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation program for victims of heart disease and stroke, and other wellness programs.

The fitness portion of the center previously consisted of one large room for exercise classes and cardiovascular machines, such as cycles and stair steppers, said Beth Reitz, director of community health services for the hospital.

The 4,000-square-foot addition doubles the center's fitness area, and cost $700,000. It features two mirror-lined exercise rooms with suspended wooden floors and a beefed up roster of classes, including line dancing, yoga, step aerobics and abdominals.

Ten cardiovascular machines, 11 circuit weight-training stations and free weights have been added to an enlarged workout room.

Although the center is hospital-affiliated, membership is open to anyone over 13, said Mindy L. Hughes, a hospital spokeswoman.

``We believe in a healthy community,'' Hughes said. ``Prevention is the key to a healthy lifestyle.''

All members are required to complete a medical history and are taught how to use the equipment, Hughes said.

The center also tries to meet members' individual needs, she said. It offers supervised exercise for people at risk for disease or injury, child care for people working out and a personal-training package that includes a consultation with a registered dietitian, 12 exercise sessions and a wellness prescription to help participants meet their goals.

A full-time registered dietitian and an exercise physiologist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine have been added to the center's staff, Hughes said, and will be available to answer questions at the weekend event. by CNB