HONESDALE, PA — If you want to live longer, you need to exercise. That was the message as the Wayne County Commissioners proclaimed last week as Cardiac Rehabilitation Week.

“Even for people in good general health, people who sit a lot are still in danger,” said Nadine Greco, who is director of the cardiac rehabilitation program at Wayne Memorial Hospital (WMH) and the recently named president of Tri-States Rehabilitation Association.

If you have no muscular-skeletal problems, walking outdoors on various terrains is the best exercise, she said.

She also recommended investing in a good treadmill, “and using it.”

A treadmill “limits [bad weather] excuses,” she said.

Greco also warned against going overboard. “Too much [exercise] is just as dangerous as too little,” she said, including those who continue to exercise when ill. “You got to rest. Use your head and common sense,” she said.

For those with past cardiac issues, the need for creating an exercise regimen is even more important, as past bad habits often contributed to their cardiac issues.

Six participants at the WMH Cardiac Rehabilitation Program accompanied Greco and told stories. Some had active lifestyles, some sedentary.

Nick Barna tired during a long hunt for a wounded deer. He went to work the following day and spoke to his doctor. The doctor talked to his father, who recalled Barna’s father’s heart problem. Testing then found a blockage, which was corrected. “That was nine years ago. I’ve been with Nadine ever since and I hope she doesn’t retire.”

Greco said people in the program have become her friends. She is able to tell them when they need to concentrate more on their program, she said.

Greco said given current lifestyles, she is getting younger and younger patients. “They’re inactive, have hypertension and diabetes. I’m seeing people in their 30s. The risk factors come earlier.”

Commissioners Chair Brian Smith summed things up. “A body in motion, stays in motion. A body at rest is worthless.”

In other business, the commissioners approved a $2,209 expenditure for Wayne’s continuation in the Statewide Automated Victim Information and Notification program, which notifies victims, witnesses and others when convicted felons have left or been released from prison. Some 437 people in Wayne currently are enrolled in the program.

They also authorized execution of a $129, 903 Emergency Solutions grant, which provides funding for the county human services, Catholic Social Services and other local programs.