Free Massage!

Did that get your attention? Who wouldn't want a free massage?

As most members know, the wellness center has an incentive program called "It Pays to Attend" in which members receive a free massage or neon cafe gift certificate for attending 60 times in 6 months. Many of you have received multiple massages and look forward to them. Some questions have come up that I (Lexie) wanted to address to minimize any confusion about the program:

Q: "If I attend more than 60 times in 6 months can I get more than 1 massage?"

A: Sadly, no. One massage or gift certificate is given in a 6 month time period. But we still encourage you to attend more than 60 times for your own personal benefit.

Q: "When does my 6 months start?"

A: We started the program in September of 2009 so if you were already a member at that time that's when your six months started. If you joined after this month it started the month you joined.

Q: "Will you let me know when I have 60 visits?"

A: Due to the fact that this is a voluntary incentive program and not all members are participating we ask that you contact the wellness staff to inquire about your number of visits. We have punch cards available for those who would like one to help them keep track of their visits and to remind them to get their massage.

Q: "If I should have received a massage in the last 6 month period but forgot to ask do I still get it?"

A: We only give massage and gift certificates during your current 6 month period even if you earned one previously.

Q: "What if I go on vacation-am I given more time to get my 60 visits in?"

A: 60 visits in 6 months is about 2 1/2 days per week of exercise-hopefully even with a vacation time-off you can make up for the time you have lost and still get in 60 visits in the time allotted.

Q: "If I go to Fly High for a class and then go the fitness center does that count as 2?"

A: We only count visit per day-even if you take all the classes Fly High offers that day (ouch-you will probably feel that the next day)-it only counts as 1 visit.

Please feel free to post any comments or questios or ask the wellness staff any questions you have about this program. So far it has been very successful and really motivates members to get in to the fitness center.

Kickboxing

Evening kickboxing classes are back in July! It will be held Thursday evenings from 5:15-6:15. Step will move to Thursday mornings 8:15-9:00. Heather and I (Jen) will be alternating weeks. I've never taught a kickboxing class before and I'm very excited for the challenge. I have taken classes in the past and thought they were a blast. Apparently so did many of our members because it has been heavily requested for quite some time. We're trying to meet your needs by switching things up a bit. Be prepared, it's going to be an adventure, and it's going to be awesome. Come try it out next Thursday. We are going to have a sweaty, great time.

Candyland

Today a few staff members and I (Jen) tried out the new Candyland ice cream shop. It may seem inappropriate for a wellness blog to talk about ice cream, but come on, dessert is part of everyone's reality. Never fear, we all got smalls and walked back to the hospital. (Can you believe not one construction worker whistled at us? Surely they didn't notice my bright pink shoes.) There was a sign on the wall warning us that what we were ingesting contained fat and calories. What does it mean for the wellness staff when we go out for ice cream? Are we doomed, have we slipped off the wagon, are we giving up the fight? Nah. Read on...

Life is all about choices and that includes what we put into our bodies. Some people find they work best with no deviation what-so-ever. There are times that one chip or one cookie turns into the whole bag and so they just don't risk it. Some, however, argue that we need those small treats to help us from completely backsliding into oblivion. They would claim that if we totally deny ourselves, we're destined to have a huge breakdown somewhere down the road. I say find what formula works for you and embrace it. Of course, we have to be honest about if our system of food choices is really working for us. That may be the hardest part. I could have thought to myself, "Well, I'm teaching powerpump tonight, so I can get a large and it's fine." But is that really true? What else did I have to eat today? If I get that large and promise myself a salad for dinner, will I really eat salad, or will I grill a bacon cheeseburger. Eater, know thyself.

Even an ice cream parlor can bring inspiration to wellness-minded individuals. There is a jukebox in the store that had some terrific songs that we all thought could be incorporated into our classes. Dori took it one step further and came up with the idea of a candyland themed spinning class set to songs such as "Sugar, Sugar," or "Candyman". She envisioned calculating a class that burns off the calories that are in a candyland sundae. I thought that was a really creative idea and sounded like a really fun ride. Stay tuned, you may be hearing some of these songs in the near future.

Our time together was actually more important than the act of eating of ice cream. We had a great time being in each other's company and bouncing around ideas. You could say we were working on our emotional wellness, which is just as important. For you emotional eaters out there, you know what I mean. Staying happy tends to help people stay on track. And if staying happy means incorporating small amounts of ice cream with friends; so be it.

Staying accountable to your health needs is a crucial part of the total wellness picture. One trip to the ice cream parlor will never mean a total failure. As long as the minority (ie: dessert) stays in the minority, we'll be in good shape. But finding what works for us and sticking with it, making those healthy choices around our occasional treats will always be an integral part of keeping ourselves healthy.

As a side note: it turns out I'm in a picture on the wall. If you ever happen to be in (getting a small, I'm sure) see if you can find me!

Something the whole family loves (is that possible?)

The Ness family does not usually agree about what should go on our dinner table. Suffice it to say that there is rarely a night when I (Jen) have managed to satisfy everyone's taste buds. A few weeks ago I got one. Eureka! We were grilling chicken and I offhandedly skewered some quartered apples and threw them onto a cooler section of the grill. They were just starting to brown at the edges when I took them off. Delicious! Think of warm apple pie filling without the guilt. The warmth brought out the juiciness and sweet apple flavor and there was still a little crunch in the texture. I have served it a couple of times since to equal success (consistently liking a dish is also a rarity at our house) so I think I can safely declare this one to be a hit. There was no special sauce, no major prep, no big expense, and hardly any cooking time involved. It's one that has quickly become a summertime favorite for my entire family, something I would have previously told you was not possible.

blood screen

Last week our department hosted a blood screen for a local company's employees. Not everyone may realize this is another service we provide for our area residents. People don't always love to go to a blood draw. They have to fast 12 hours, which can be mentally challenging. We typically hold these pretty early in the morning so people are bleary eyed. Of course, there is also the whole needle factor, which can make some people fairly uncomfortable. We do our best to counteract this with friendly smiles, soothing music, and breakfast available right on site, but they are still there lurking in the background.

Despite the discomfort factor, we had a large turnout. It great because these blood screens provide extremely valuable information. We do a CBC (immune function), a lipid panel (diet and exercise info), we can provide TSH (thyroid), and PSA (prostate) as well. It's so important to know if something is going on with your blood work. We do these blood screens for several of the area's employers and we also offer a community screening. We often see our members there being proactive with their health.

At this particular screening we also offered BMI, blood pressure, and waist to hip ratios. Our job was to let people know where they currently stand in the health spectrum. We don't have control over hormones and genetics. We do have control over activity level. We also have control over what and how much is going onto our plates. We were there to remind participants of this.

It never hurts to have that reminder to stay on top of your health. If you aren't currently aware of what your blood work looks like, consider taking advantage of our next blood screen. They can give you and your doctor some very important incite into our health.

Bright pink shoes

I(Jen) am trying out some new shoes. You can't miss them- they're bright pink. For a while there I was whining about foot pain, and during one of my sessions in physical therapy it was recommended that I try a shoe with a flexible sole. As you might imagine, I put a fair amount of pounding into whatever shoes I wear, so a shoe purchase is an important decision for me. I have noticed that I need to alternate the brand and style of shoe I wear in order to keep my feet happy and I get a little set in my ways about which kinds I use. I'm a little leery about going out of my comfort zone but our PT department has done amazing things for me in the past and I have no reason not to trust them. This is just the end of day one but I did wear them during a class and so far so good.


I've seen people in class with toe shoes, I've seen people running around town completely bare foot, and I've seen people with the "toning" shoes. Post a comment here about your experiences with different types of athletic footwear. Just this morning a member and I discussed transitioning from different types of shoe styles so I know there are people that are interested. I know I'm curious and would love to hear your input.

Victorious in Victor

Yesterday I (Jen) volunteered at the 5K/Half marathon here in Grinnell. I saw several members doing a tremendous job pounding the pavement. You guys have all been working so hard and you looked great. Someone else that looked great was our very own Amber, who ran the half marathon. I'm betting she'll be embarassed by this post, but she's not here to stop me and I was so proud of her and everyone else too. Amber ran over 13 miles and baby, she ran it fast! I was cheering at a corner 3 blocks from the finish line and she very casually grinned and said, "Oh, hi Jen. Thanks, I'm dying though. Ha ha." But she sure didn't sound or look like she was dying. She was still on her feet and truckin' and she had enough energy to wave at her family as well. I have seen Amber in here at the PWA flying on the treadmill and hammering on the spinner at Fly High and that endurance has really built up for her. A member I've seen putting in the time at PWA ran the 5K. She said she had thought about walking at the water breaks, but she didn't; she kept on running and she looked great from where I was standing. Amazing! I've seen you all working hard every lunch break or coming in before or after work. Every one's time and effort paid off! I'm not sure exactly where Amber was in the overall numbers, but like I said, she was fast. In fact, she was the first woman in her age bracket. When she crossed the finish line the M.C. called, "Amber McLeod, Victorious in Victor!" We've posted before on our blog about having goals and celebrating those small and large accomplishments. This weekend was exactly that for some of you. It was amazing to see so many people so determined to push themselves. I, for one, enjoyed watching the show. Good job Amber and good job everyone else on your hard work!

The Passport to Fitness

You may have noticed the fitness passports that are sitting on our front desks. These passoports have nine squares with a different activity in each section. Participants may complete one square each day (a wellness specialist will sign off) and have until August to complete as many passports as possible. Each completed passport is entered for a chance to win a pretty great prize.
It's not necessarily easy, there are probably some squares that you haven't tried before. Challenging ourselves in new and different ways can be intimidating. But our bodies need to have that variety to get the best workouts possible. We get comfortable with those activities that come easily and are familiar to us. Unfortunately, so do our muscles and we just don't get as much benefit out of the experience when we do the same thing the same way, day in and day out. The good news is that we don't require everyone walking through our doors to be an expert at all things they attempt. We expect that people who have never tried a certain class or piece of equipment won't be perfect. That's why we're here, to help you out. We want new people walking in our doors and on our equipment. We love to see familiar faces trying something different. That is part of the motivation behind our "Passport to Fitness" program. Hopefully it will help encourage you to try some fun things. So grab your passports and come try something new. You may find your favorite thing you never knew you loved.

Old shoes? We'll take them!

Recently while cleaning out closets at home I (Jen) threw out several pairs of shoes and thought something to the effect of "there are barefoot children in ... [name your impoverished location here]". After a very quick online search I found a program that allows for the recycling of used shoes. What better location for the collection of old shoes than a fitness facility? We are able to take anything but steel-toed shoes/boots. Bring us your old sandals, sneakers, flip-flops or dress shoes and we can take care of recycling them for you. There is a collection bin at both Fly High and the PWA so either location is ready for your old shoes.