They're getting lighter, tighter and younger every day.

After nearly four months, our fitness challenge folks have taken years off their "wellness ages" by shedding pounds, working their hearts and stretching their muscles.

"This is huge," says Deb Reiman, wellness director at the Denver Athletic Club. "I'm really, really impressed. These folks have basically done this on their own."

Everyone showed improvement, but the most dramatic results came from sister and brother Jeri Steen and Joel Boyd.

Jeri dropped six pounds and reduced her body fat by 10 percent, but the most amazing change was in her cardiovascular fitness. By increasing her oxygen uptake by nearly 30 percent, she moved from the bottom of the very poor range to the high end of the good range.

Joel has peeled off 17 pounds and dramatically improved his overall fitness, particularly his aerobic capacity and flexibility. The best news: his blood pressure has plummeted.

They're supporting their older sister, Aleta Boyd, who has decided to continue her efforts out of the public eye.

Mary and Kory Broere have lost a combined total of 20 pounds, even though both say they haven't devoted as much time to their efforts as they'd like. A wildly active 1-year-old keeps them busy at home.

"My priority is Zane, so I'm not going to beat myself up about it," Mary says. "I do what I can do in the time I've got."

Most of Kory's improvement has come through diet changes; both have been watching their white bread and sugar intake and have been increasing protein.

All nine volunteers received a free physical therapy tune-up from Denver Physical Therapy, which has one of its five offices inside the Denver Athletic Club.

Physical therapist Erika Jacob had some bad news for Sara Webb, at 26 the youngest of the bunch.

"As she put it, 'You are too young to have bones that look this old,' " Sara says. "Basically, I'm not stretching enough, and it's damaging my body."

And the two fittest of our group — Mike Roluti and Nancy Eldridge — loved the results of their tune-up. Eldridge has beaten her back problems, and the flexibility-challenged Roluti is an inch away from a personal goal.

"This week," he says, "I'm hoping to touch my toes."

Challenge Part III

Our challenge began in late January with nine people of varying ages and fitness levels chosen from more than 100 volunteers. This is the third installment of the series, which ends in late July.

Mary Broere

• Age: 43

• Job: Art school admissions director

• Goal: Get in shape to keep up with baby Zane.

• Weight:

Then — 176

Now — 166

• Body comp:

Then — bottom of the obese range

Now — bottom of overweight range

Note: Mary has increased her lean body mass by 4 percentage points.

• Blood pressure:

Then — 130/85

Now — 122/80

• Cardio fitness:

Then — good

Now — good

• Flexibility:

Then — good

Now — good

• Wellness age:

Then — 46

Now — 43

• How she's feeling: "I still have moments when I feel the need for chocolate, but knowing that people are following along has made a difference. Although the weight loss is slow, it IS working. Clothes I wasn't able to wear last year now fit. Trouble spots are slowly firming up, and the energy levels are definitely increasing."

• Revised goal: She's walking most days with Zane in the jogging stroller, averaging 2 to 4 miles, four or five days a week. "Having struggled with weight over the last several years, I know that taking it off slowly is more likely to work in the long run."

Kory Broere

• Age: 36

• Job: Internet graphics designer

• Goal: To lose weight and begin swimming again

• Weight:

Then — 265

Now — 255

• Body comp:

Then — obese

Now — top of overweight range

• Blood pressure:

Then — 128/90

Now — 120/80

• Cardio:

Then — very poor

Now — poor

• Flexibility:

Then — poor;

Now — fair

• Wellness age:

Then — 47;

Now — 44

• How he's feeling: "I feel pretty good with the results so far. I had a decent improvement just changing my eating habits. I feel that adding exercise to the equation should really make a difference."

• Revised goal: "I realize I can't visit a gym three times a week. But I can walk to lunch, take the dog on a longer walk and take the stairs at work. Little things like that do make a difference, and then if I can add a visit to the gym on top of that, I will be ahead of the game. I think my original goal of losing 20 pounds and improving my endurance is still reachable."

Mike Roluti

• Age: 52

• Job: Engineer

• Goal: Gain flexibility

• Weight:

Then — 169

Now — 169

• Body comp:

Then — excellent

Now — excellent

• Blood pressure:

Then — 138/76

Now — 120/80

• Cardio:

Then — excellent

Now — excellent

• Flexibility:

Then — poor

Now — nearly in the good range

• Wellness age:

Then — 47

Now — 44

• How he's feeling: Mike says he's pleased by his improvements in flexibility and strength and discovered at his annual physical that his cholesterol has dropped by nearly 100 points. He's especially gratified by the new interest of his 19-year-old son, who has joined him as a workout partner.

• Revised goal: "For the next two months, I'll change my weight-training program as suggested by the staff at the Denver Athletic Club. With the weather changing, I look forward to moving from Spinning to mountain biking."

Buffie McFadyen

• Age: 35

• Job: State legislator

• Goal: Regain the fitness level she enjoyed as a college track star

• Weight:

Then — 158

Now — 157

• Body comp:

Then — moderate

Now — moderate

• Blood pressure:

Then — 120/82

Now — 120/80

• Cardio:

Then — good

Now — good

• Flexibility:

Then — fair

Now — average

• Wellness age:

Then — 34

Now — 33

• How she's feeling: As a legislator, Buffie has had to eat out almost every meal five days a week for about four months, so she's grateful not to have gained any weight. She's also happy about having lost inches around her waist. "It feels like I've gone shopping when I fit again into older clothes in my closet."

• Revised goals: getting more in shape to campaign this summer and to look great in the final "after" photo in July.

Jeri Steen

• Age: 37

• Job: Real estate agent

• Goal: To train for July's Danskin Women's Triathlon

• Weight:

Then — 144

Now — 138

• Body comp:

Then — just into the overweight range

Now — moderate

• Blood pressure:

Then — 124/82

Now — 122/82

• Cardio:

Then — very poor

Now — good

• Flexibility:

Then — poor

Now — still poor, but improved

• Wellness age:

Then — 45

Now — 37

• How she's feeling: Jeri's especially happy with the cardiovascular results, and she's pleased that her efforts are paying off. "I've tried to be consistent in my workouts and monitor my total calories."

• Revised goals: "My primary goal is to maintain a fitness lifestyle. My other goals are to get into the 'excellent' cardiovascular category and the 'good' body composition category by the next assessment in July. I'd like to spend more time helping my sister achieve her goals one small step at a time. It's not easy."

Joel Boyd

• Age: 33

• Job: Public relations

• Goal: Being "all that" and fit enough to hit the basketball court

• Weight:

Then — 229

Now — 212

• Body comp: Joel declined four months ago but agreed to it this time. We'll report on his progress in the final assessment.

• Blood pressure:

Then — 160/84

Now — 130/80

• Cardio:

Then — very poor

Now — Although Joel's capacity still fell in the very poor range, it had improved by 30 percent

• Flexibility:

Then — poor

Now — fair

• Wellness age: N/A

• How he's feeling: "I feel good about my results so far. Of course, it's always harder to see the results for yourself." He's thinking about ramping up his workouts to speed things along. "This past month, I've had to work out at night, and my night workouts don't have the same punch as my morning sessions."

Revised goals: Joel intends to lose more body fat and get more sculpted. "My ultimate goal is to be under 200 lbs and more 'aerodynamic.'"

Sara Webb

• Age: 26

• Job: Senior recruiting specialist

• Goal: To tone her upper body, improve eating habits and get in shape for her October wedding

• Weight:

Before — 178

Now — 170

• Blood pressure:

Then — 120/70

Now — 95/70

• Body comp:

Before — overweight

Now — top of the moderate range

• Cardio:

Then — poor

Now — fair, nearly in the good range

• Flexibility:

Then — good

Now — nearly in the excellent range

• Wellness age:

Then — 30

Now — 28

• How she's feeling: "My friends, family and fiance have been the key to my success. It was great to walk into DAC and have them not recognize me because my face is much thinner."

• Revised goal: "I am hoping at the third and final assessment I will weigh in under 167 and have my cardio score in the good range."

Nancy Eldridge

• Age: 72

• Job: Fitness instructor

• Goal: Eliminate nagging back pain and begin a weight-training program to improve strength

• Weight:

Then — 135

Now — 130

• Body comp:

Then — excellent

Now — excellent

Note: Nancy has increased her lean body mass by 4 percentage points.

• Blood pressure:

Then — 118/80

Now — 120/72

• Cardio:

Then — good

Now — good

• Flexibility:

Then — excellent

Now — excellent

• Wellness age:

Then — 65

Now — 63

• How she's feeling: Nancy is pleased with her results, which have been an inspiration to her 52-year-old son. "He has taken up running and lost 20 pounds since I've been in this program. He is now regularly logging 50 miles per month."

• Revised goals: "For the next three months, I want to work on my cardiovascular VO2 numbers. I also plan to participate in the Run the Rockies 10K on June 12. I'll really have to start cranking up my mileage for this one."

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