Healthplex Happenings Fall 2023

HEALTHPLEX

HAPPENINGS

Volume 2 Issue 3 FALL 2023

A MEDICAL FITNESS MAGAZINE

HEALTHPLEX ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP

DON DOYLE PRESIDENT

WWW.HEALTHPLEXASSOCIATES.COM

HEALTHPLEX HAPPENINGS

CONTENTS 3 Meet Deborah Bruce

1 Healthplex Announces New Leadership

4 The Wellness

Center of URMC 5 Henry Mayo Fitness & Health 9 Healthworks 12 The Center for Fitness & Health 15 Anderson Health & Fitness Center 18 The EQT REC Center

22 Mission Fitness 24 Singing River Healthplex 28 Indianapolis Healthplex 31 SBH Healthplex

11 Chad Vorderbrueggen is the new General Manager for The Center For Fitness & Health

32 Matagorda Wellness Center

33 Montage Wellness Center

Your leader in Wellness and Fitness

HEALTHPLEX ASSOCIATES

CONTACTS Central Office

(412) 721-9469 827 Eight Street Verona, PA 15147

Website www.healthplexassociates.com

Email ddoyle@healthplexassociates.com

HEALTHPLEX ASSOCIATES INC., a national leader in medical fitness and wellness for more than 25 years is proud to announce a number of changes in leadership. The Company, which has been privately owned by Mark Nadel and Stephen Robbins, Esq., will now be owned by Don Doyle, HPA’s Senior Vice President and an industry veteran for more than thirty years.

Nadel and Robbins have been planning for several years to assure that the transfer of the business is done in a way that creates a smooth transition for clients and employees as well as creating future growth for the company they founded as they retire.

“We have a unique approach to assisting and advising clients that is hands-on while emphasizing partnerships. This will not change with the transition. By focusing on supporting the community of people who work at our facilities, we can continue to have a positive work environment that encourages productivity and teamwork,” said Doyle, who now becomes President and CEO. Both Steve Robbins and Lynn Robbins, HPA’s former President, will stay on as consultants to further aid in the transition.

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Renee Clark-McDonald, former Vice President of Human Resources, will take over the COO role. Renee has been a Healthplex Associates employee since March 2017 leading the Human Resources and Financial Coordinator departments.

Clark-McDonald is a graduate of Saint Leo University with a BA in Human Resources.

Her experience includes policy and procedure development and implementation, employee coaching/counseling, compliance, budgets, as well as, developing and implementing employee training courses including HIPAA, PIP, sexual harassment, discrimination, employee engagement, and many more.

“I am excited for the future of HPA and PWM; we have some of the most talented and experienced employees in the industry part of our team. I look forward to serving our employees, members, and partners as we progress into the future of medically based wellness,” states Clark-McDonald.

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Profile

Meet Deborah Bruce At The Wellness Center of URMC located in Thomaston, GA, ISSA Certified Personal Trainer, Deborah Bruce, walks the walk and doesn’t just talk the talk. In June 2023, Debbie placed 2nd in Grand Masters figure and 1st in the Novice body building competition in Cumming, GA at the PRO/AM Southern USA. As a personal trainer, Debbie helps you set goals, then helps you reach them. She will motivate you, encourage you, and provide accountability when it comes time for that final push at the gym. Congratulations Debbie on all of your hard work!

IT’S A BARBIE PARTY

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Who said exercise has to be boring? Once again, group exercise instructor, Jenny Hicks, made exercise fun and engaging for members. With her Barbie themed Zumba and Spin class, members had a blast while working out and embracing their inner doll. After all, Barbie did not get that figure by sitting on the couch and eating bonbons!

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Warren

I joined The Wellness Center a few years ago at the encouragement of General Manager, Laura Siscel. My goal was to make myself physically stronger so that it was possible to take care of my husband, Warren.

After many reps, classes, and working with Jessica and Debbie, I succeeded in caring for Warren at home until his death this past January. This would not have been possible without the guidance and encouragement of the staff at the Center. I came with a difficult goal to achieve, and The Wellness Center made it possible. Whenever I felt like giving up, there was always a smile, a word of cheer, or a simple acknowledgment that kept me on pace.

At this place, I feel welcomed. CAROL GARMAN

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HENRY MAYO FITNESS AND HEALTH Henry Mayo Fitness and Health just celebrated its 7th Anniversary serving the Santa Clarita Valley in California. they continue to expand their programs for members, such as Cardiac Rehab, Pilates Reformer, and Functional Group Training. henry mayo has also partnered with Keck USC to provide a Supportive Cancer Recovery Program complete with training, mindfulness and nutrition counseling.

henry mayo continues to be the leader in a friendly, clean and nonintimidating facility. they pride themselves on customer service and highly trained and certified personal trainers and staff.

Congratulations Henry Mayo Fitness and Health for continuing to uphold your mission statement in our fast pace fitness industry.

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Carman’s passion is to help make health and fitness changes both simple and realistic. She believes that exercise and good nutrition do not just need to be something you have to do, but something you want to do as well. Carman aims to help you improve your quality of life while keeping it fun, exciting, and motivating.

Carman began a competitive swimming career in her early teens. Her interest in exercise and nutrition grew during this time because of how passionate, thoughtful, and meticulous her swim coach was both in the pool and the gym. She continued her swimming career at The Master’s University where she was able to help create seasonal workout programs, as well as work as an instructor and coach during that time. Carman has also worked with a wide variety of athletes at Mahanke Sports Performance & Fitness helping them gain greater knowledge and independence in exercise, prevent injuries, and excel in their sports careers. She is passionate about the way that exercise and nutrition work together for all populations and wants to continue to pursue exercise nutrition.

Carman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise & Sport Science at The Master’s University. She is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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ELEVATE was a three-week program consisting of nine sessions that ran from July 10 to July 29, 2023. It was designed for at-risk teens with the goal of the program to ELEVATE self-confidence, promote healthy eating, and encourage a physically active lifestyle.

The program combined physical fitness sessions with our lifestyle specialist and nutrition education courses with our community education registered dieticians, and a mindfulness and meditation time with a certified mindfulness coach.

This was the first year since COVID running the program and fourth year overall. Each year Henry Mayo sees the kids go from shy, looking at the ground and not talking to anyone on day 1 to having made friends with each other, being more outgoing and smiling in the last days of the program. This year they had 8 kids go through the entire 3 weeks that were dealing with a wide variety of struggles. Some simply expressed difficulty in making friends at school while others were dealing with the loss of a close relative due to suicide. It is always so rewarding seeing the positive impact Henry Mayo can have on the lives of kids in such a short period of time.

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The Cancer Recovery Program was started just months before COVID by the then clinical integration coordinator, Steven Stella, in partnership with the hospital’s Sheila R. Veloz Breast Cancer Center with the aim of providing support and a way forward for cancer survivors. In August 2023 Henry Mayo restarted this program, lead by Ben Taub, the current Clinical Integration Coordinator, and partnered with Keck Medicine of USC. For this program physicians clear and refer their patients to the program, then meet with Ben and go through a Health Risk Assessment before starting a six week complimentary membership to the facility funded by Keck Medicine of USC and Henry Mayo Hospital. Throughout the 6 weeks they get weekly workouts lead and organized by the Clinical Integration Coordinator, along with weekly meetings with RNs, MDs, Dieticians, and more, to go through educational courses on “Survivorship.”

Survivorship is how to deal with the experience of living with, through, and beyond the diagnosis of cancer.

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Swim and Gym Summer Fun at HealthWorks

HealthWorks Aquatics, Fitness and KidWorks departments teamed up to offer kids camps during June and July in El Dorado, Arkansas. Jessica Barnes and Guadalupe Parades led the week-long fun for over 40 children who attended. HFC Group Fitness Instructor, Alisha Yarbrough, started camp each day with exciting Zumba routines, followed by kids Yoga.

Aqua Stand-Up Paddleboard was an instant favorite when campers hit the pool! Water in Motion, an aquatics exercise class, was a new addition to camp this year with Instructor Beth Lemke. Kids learned that the pool can be a great place for exercise in addition to being a place to have fun. Swim and Gym was so successful that it will return in November and December during holiday breaks. Page 9

Meet Torrie Brown

Pool Manager of HealthWorks Fitness Center Hi, I’m Torrie Brown. I was born and raised in El Dorado. I am WSI (Water Safety Instructor), Lifeguard Instructor, Lifeguard, and AAU certified swim coach. I love the water and swimming because it is beneficial to all ages.

I started my swim journey here at HealthWorks with the swim team, the Hurricanes, when I was 10 until I was 18. I also participated on El Dorado’s swim team throughout high school. When I turned 16, I began working at HealthWorks as a lifeguard and assisting the swim team with workouts. One of my favorite things to do here is teach swim lessons. Swimming is an important skill for everyone to know. It is so rewarding watching everyone grow in his or her ability and confidence.

After high school, I continued my education journey at Southern Arkansas University and graduated May of 2023 with a bachelor’s of Science in Education. Growing up and working here at HealthWorks has been some of the best experiences of my life and I want to provide the same experiences and guidance that was provided for me. With that being said, I am excited to begin this journey as HealthWorks Pool Manager, to learn and grow along with everyone else. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

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Healthworks

Meet Rhonda Sayers HealthWorks Fitness Center is proud to announce Rhonda Sayers as new Fitness Director "I have been in the Health and Fitness Industry for over 25 years as a trainer, coach, instructor, and motivator on both land and in the water; but my most honored title will always be Mom and G-Mom. I have been married to my high school sweetheart, Brian, for 39 years. Although I never played organized sports growing up, I was very active as a cheerleader and in dance. After having two children, I began jogging to lose the baby weight as well as for my mental health (which is very important!). My doctor recommended trying Step Aerobics to combat migraines and post-partum depression. I started attending Group Fitness classes at the YWCA in El Dorado (now HealthWorks Fitness Center) and was asked to teach the class one night when the Instructor was unable to make it; so my journey began.”

“Working in the Fitness Industry has allowed me to meet and work with some of the most amazing people on God’s earth. We are all here for the right reason, whether physical, mental, or spiritual; taking that journey with like-minded people gives you the energy, motivation, and courage to do so.

Standing at the front of a class or side by side with a client may look like I am the motivator, but the truth is, I am equally motivated by the courage, effort, and tenacity of others.”

“I have honestly enjoyed every moment, every day, and each year that I have been allowed to lead Group Fitness at HFC. Taking the next step as Fitness Director brings new challenges and opportunities that I look forward to.”

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C E N T E R F O R F I T N E S S A N D H E A L T H A N N O U N C E S N E W G E N E R A L M A N A G E R

CHAD VORDERBRUEGGEN The Center for Fitness and Health (Pennsylvania) has announced that Chad Vorderbrueggen has accepted the role of General Manager. Chad is a familiar face at CFH serving as the Fitness Director since 2016.

About the appointment, Chad said, "I am very excited to take on the role of General Manager at the Center for Fitness and Health. I started here as an intern in 2006, so I have witnessed the continued growth of the facility. Our facility has become more of a community rather than a gym. I look forward to moving forward and serving our members.”

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CFH Opens Relaxation and Recovery Room

The Center for Fitness and Health recently put the finishing touches on their new Relaxation and Recovery Room. The room will soon be available for use as an upgrade to the current membership.The staff has transformed the consultation room into a mindful and stress free environment. Members can now use a state of the art HydroMassage bed, HyperIce Normatec Leg Compression Sleeves, HyperVolt Muscle Guns, and a heated low back massager.

The HydroMassage bed will target specific areas to help relax sore muscles, while the leg compression sleeves and muscle guns will help reduce inflammation and soreness throughout the body. Members can now block off times to use the room at their convenience.

“Our new Relaxation and Recovery Room provides our members a great spot to recover after a challenging class or workout,” said General Manager Chad Vorderbrueggen

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The Center for Fitness and Health

CPR Saves Member‘s Life The Center for Fitness and Health would like to recognize our staff and members for utilizing life-saving techniques to an unconscious member on September 4, 2023. Fitness Professionals Kristy Fabean, Sean Boyles and Tim Livingstone were instrumental in providing CPR and using the AED. Additionally, CFH members and local nurses, Kerry Livingstone, Kerry McGrogan and Stacey Grasmeyer immediately stepped in to provide chest compressions. After extensive CPR and three deployments of the AED, the member regained consciousness and was transported to the local hospital, and is now resting at home. Without a doubt, our members and staff stepped in to save a member's life that day.

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MEET & GREET

During Member Appreciation Week, we had a “Meet & Greet” with a famous friend of one of our members here at Anderson Health and Fitness Center of Meridian, Mississippi.

Dak, who will be formally known as Bully XXII, is the new live English Bulldog official mascot of Mississippi State University. Named after beloved former MSU and current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Dak comes from the long and historic lineage of past MSU live mascots including “Tonka” (Bully XIX) and “Champ” (Bully XX). Dak was born March 1, 2021, and he is owned by Julie and Bruce Martin, of Meridian. He succeeds Jak (Bully XXI) and began his term as MSU’s live mascot in the Spring of 2023.

It was great to have Dak onsite and our members loved being able to get a photo with him and give him a quick pet.

DAK, WHO WILL BE FORMALLY KNOWN AS BULLY XXII, IS THE NEW LIVE ENGLISH BULLDOG OFFICIAL MASCOT OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Page 15

OLD DUDE DYNASTY The Pensacola Beach Brawl is one of the biggest CrossFit competitions in the Southeastern United States. Established in 2012, each year it boasts around 1,500 athletes coming out to compete in what is considered the world’s fittest beach party. Two days of competition are broken into four divisions of athletes: Rx, Intermediate, Scaled, and Masters 40+. Day one consists of four workouts for those competing as individuals. Day two is four different workouts for team competition.

Anderson Health & Fitness Center is proud to be the home of CrossFit Torment.

Many of our CrossFit athletes have competed at the Beach Brawl, and some have even podiumed, but we want to take a minute to brag on two in particular. For the past three years, Payton Perrett and Davin Mancini’s team, “3 Boxes of Old Dudes,” has placed first in the Team 40+ Male division. Payton also competed in the individual competition for the first time this year and placed second, right behind a CrossFit Games athlete! These are no small feats considering both Payton and Davin have families and full-time jobs that require them to travel frequently.

Davin and his wife, Casey, have been part of CrossFit Torment for 6+ years and they are both Level 2 CrossFit instructors. Payton and his wife, Jan, have been AHFC members for over a decade and joined CrossFit a few years back. We are proud of the time and effort they give to their training and we will continue to cheer them on for as long as these old dudes keep heading to competitions!

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ADAPTIVE FITNESS CLASSES Anderson Health and Fitness Center has partnered with a local non-profit to offer fitness classes for individuals with special needs. This partnership provides access to a fitness center and trainer who can cater to their specific needs.

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The EQT REC Center of Waynesburg, Pennsylvania has adult league football and basketball. The summer league recently ended.

Pictured on the right is the championship team for adult league basketball, Easy Money! Adult league basketball starts up again in the late fall of this year.

Below is the championship football team, Primetime! We start our next football league at the beginning of November.

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EQT REC CENTER

CHEER &

TUMBLING Our EQT REC Center Star Tumblers & Iconics All Star Cheerleaders have been participating in multiple community events. The pictures showcase the team at the Washington County Fair pep rally where they performed a choreographed dance and showcase. We also participated in Rain Day in Waynesburg, PA. We had the cheerleaders and tumblers give “tattoos”, glitter, and hair extensions to the interested future tumblers and cheerleaders. The REC is currently working on enclosing their outside pavilion. This will allow our Star tumbling and Cheer programs to have their own space to practice and even compete! We have 60 cheerleaders and 120 Star Tumblers! We expect to take 23 more new tumblers per week for the rest of the year. We are growing quickly!

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EQT REC CENTER

FITNESS CLASSES The EQT REC Center has introduced evening classes such as Circl and Express with Katlyn. We have had incredible feedback from members on these evening classes.

Members look forward to this class every week and have expressed interest in more like these.

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EQT REC CENTER

SU

P M A C MMER

Summer Camp ended in August, and we had a great summer with all the kids! Each week was a different theme, there were ice cream Wednesdays, and even special character guests that visited! We had all the summer camps’ artwork displayed in our hallways and the members were delighted to see the creativity of the children. Each week we displayed new arts and crafts. The pictures shown are part of the glow party, which was a hit! Waynesburg, PA has a summer eats program so each child who attended was always fed lunch and a snack. The EQT REC Center is looking forward to seeing each and every face return for summer camp in 2024.

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MISSION FITNESS

JENNA HUFFMAN JENNA HUFFMAN JOINS MISSION FITNESS (ODESSA, TEXAS) AS THE NEW CLINICAL INTEGRATION COORDINATOR BRINGING A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO THE POSITION. JENNA IS A NATIVE OF OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON WHERE SHE WAS A CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETE IN HIGH SCHOOL. SHE BROKE HER FOOT DURING HER CAREER AND THAT SPARKED AN INTEREST IN SPORTS MEDICINE. JENNA ATTENDED BYU MAJORING IN ATHLETIC TRAINING AND COMPLETED HER DEGREE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS AFTER GETTING MARRIED AND MOVING TO TEXAS. SHE HOLDS A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN KINESIOLOGY AND BECAME A CERTIFIED ATHLETIC TRAINER IN 2001. SHE HAS WORKED AS A HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC TRAINER AS WELL AS IN AN ORTHOPEDIC CLINIC AND ENJOYS WORKING WITH ATHLETES OF ALL AGES. ALONG WITH HER PASSION FOR ATHLETIC TRAINING, JENNA FOUND TIME TO BECOME A CERTIFIED GROUP EXERCISE INSTRUCTOR AND HAS TAUGHT GROUP CLASSES FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. SHE ENJOYS TEACHING YOGA, PILATES, INDOOR CYCLING, HIIT, STRENGTH TRAINING AND CORE CLASSES. SHE IS CURRENTLY PURSUING HER CERTIFICATIONS IN PERSONAL TRAINING AND AS A CERTIFIED NUTRITION COACH. JENNA AND HER HUSBAND HAVE FOUR WONDERFUL CHILDREN THAT ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN SPORTS. BESIDES HER FAMILY, JENNA’S PASSION IS TO HELP PEOPLE OF ALL AGES REACH AND MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE TO IMPROVE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE. PLEASE JOIN US IN WELCOMING JENNA TO MISSION FITNESS.

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MISSION FITNESS INTRODUCES KORESCALE ANALYSIS

Mission Fitness recently introduced the KoreScale body analysis scale as another tool to help its members track their fitness and wellness goals. KoreScale is not your ordinary weight scale, but a biometric scale. It also measures BMI, % body fat, skeletal muscle, muscle mass, visceral fat, protein, subcutaneous fat, bone mass and basal metabolic rate to name a few.

One of the main benefits of KoreScale is that it utilizes a smartphone app that members can download. Every time a member uses the KoreScale, it automatically updates their data on their smartphone allowing them to share it with their healthcare providers or just monitor their health wherever they are.

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Tumbleweed Triathlon

MISSION FITNESS WAS THE TITLE SPONSOR FOR THE 2023 TUMBLEWEED TRIATHLON THAT TOOK PLACE ON SUNDAY, JULY 30TH. OVER SEVENTY ATHLETES RANGING IN AGE FROM MID-TEENS TO EARLY 70’S COMPETED IN THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS EVENT THAT INCLUDED A 400-METER SWIM, 20K BIKE AND 5K RUN WITH PROCEEDS BENEFITTING THE MEDICAL CENTER HEALTH SYSTEM FOUNDATION. Page 24

SINGING RIVER HEALTHPLEX

Sitting for long hours can lead to various health issues including posture problems, weight gain, and back pain.

Mississippi’s Singing River Healthplex Desk Jockey Program is designed to help counteract these negative effects by lengthening the muscles that tighten when you sit too much.

The program offers a range of exercises and stretches that can be easily incorporated into a daily routine, helping improve posture and alleviate discomfort.

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PASCAGOULA SWIM TEAM MEMBERS OF PASCAGOULA HIGH SCHOOL’S SWIM TEAM ARE BUZZING ABOUT THE UPCOMING SEASON–NOT BECAUSE OF THE COMPETITION, BUT RATHER BECAUSE OF THEIR NEW HOME. THE SWIM TEAM, DUE TO THEIR FORMER FACILITY CLOSING, BEGAN PRACTICING LAST YEAR FIVE TIMES PER WEEK DURING THE WINTER SPORTS SEASON AT THEIR NEW PERMANENT HOME, SINGING RIVER HEALTHPLEX. THE CHANGE IN SCENERY BENEFITED THE TEAM RIGHT AWAY; WINNING THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DURING THEIR FIRST FULL SEASON AT THE HEALTHPLEX!

SINGING RIVER HEALTHPLEX Page 26

The tools of strength training can be intimidating. The new Singing River Healthplex StrongHer program is designed to take the mystery out of barbells and kettlebells so that you can train independently and confidently in any fitness setting. No matter what goal, whether it is to lose weight, get stronger, live longer, improve balance, or simply improve your quality of life, the StrongHer goal is to help members get there! Singing River Healthplex offers small group personal training (up to 4 women per session), nutrition programing and 1-on-1 training. Healthplex trainers adapt routines to fit any age and skill level.

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Celebrating 25 Years The first week of October, the Indianapolis Healthplex of Indiana celebrated 25 years of serving the community. The members were treated to prizes, daily fitness challenges, a luncheon, mixer and so much more! Charter members received a commerative shirt as a thank you for taking part in the community since 1998. It was a fun week for both members and staff.

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On July 29, 2023 the Indianapolis Healthplex had an annual appreciation cookout for members.

Employees fired up the grill while members enjoyed games, a bounce house, face painting, smoothie truck and music. In front of the DJ booth, the Urban Line Dance class performed a dance they had learned in previous classes.

The annual appreciation cookout is always a big hit!

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DEKA’S Indy Hub

As the DEKA program grows, there are challenges for the members to be proud of and people to celebrate! On September 2, 2023, Indianapolis Healthplex had 8 members travel to Fort Wayne for the DEKA Fit Roadshow. Later that month, the new DEKA Leads, Jeremiah and Morgan (pictured bottom left), hosted the exciting DEKA Fire challenge. This was a special event, allowing children, ages 5 and up, to participate. There were some incredible parent/child duos completing their fitness challenge together.

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One of the central aims of Healthplex’s partnership with SBH is to serve the recreational, as well as health needs, of the Bronx community we serve. By partnering with like-minded forward thinking professionals the Healthplex has begun to achieve its goal of bringing greater health equity options to its Bronx neighbors and has become the site where community needs and innovation meet through social fitness programs made possible thanks to a variety of local and state funding. One such program is a Gun Violence Prevention no-contact youth boxing program that even includes a special group of teen girls.

This program was funded and made possible because of a stipend from HANYS (The Healthcare Association of New York State) and was developed by the partnership between the Healthplex @SBH and Lantern Community Services whose mission is to champion the independence and well-being of New Yorkers who are impacted or threatened by homelessness. The boxing and conditioning program connects with young people residing in the Lantern Buildings affected by gun violence and provides a safe place to discover alternative ways to resolve conflict and develop a positive mindset. By utilizing the violence reduction strategy inspired by the Cure Violence approach to public health, the Healthplex is doing its part to help create the individual-level and community-level change needed in communities most affected by gun violence - and have fun doing it.

Last month, we had the pleasure of hosting HANYS in SBH’s Health and Wellness Center. During the visit, the HANYS representatives were able to see our state of the art wellness center and receive a demonstration of our bio impedance SECA-scale that promises to help revolutionize medical fitness programming. What was most inspiring, however, was the engaging conversations we were able to have and the commitment to, together, help bring greater health equity options to our community with future programming that is practical, technologically savvy, and scales easily. The future is bright for our Center and the Healthplex is excited to welcome 2024.

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Bay City, Texas’ MRMC Wellness Center members love the Morning Flex class, formerly known as “Active Aging”. When GM and personal trainer, Marilyn Alvarado, first took over the class it was only happening one day a week. After observing the center’s population she decided to change the name to “Morning Flex” to make it more inclusive and also extended the offering to 3 days a week. Since then the class has been a hit, even gaining a cult following. Some days there is only standing room left to join this chair class.

Classes start with an introduction and an icebreaker, like sharing their names and what they had for breakfast. After everyone knows each other a little better the stretching starts. Members are encouraged to observe sensations and notice any changes in their own bodies. Therabands are the equipment of choice as they begin the upper body portion of the class.

Major muscle groups are addressed in predictable order and form is described in an illustrative way so that participants with low vision can follow along as well. The remainder of the class focuses on lower body with more stretching, lots of emphasis on “sit-to-stand” exercises and ending with standing balance work.

“The reviews have been the most satisfying. Members are not only receiving physical benefits but they are telling me about what it is doing for them emotionally and mentally. I’m watching them bloom right before my eyes,” says Marilyn.

“The Morning Flex class is helping my lung capacity and strength. I feel more able to do activities” - C.M. “Marilyn’s class has been a blessing to me because of the fellowship and exercise.” - V.R. Marilyn isn’t the only reason this has been such a success. The front desk staff, especially Alta Herrera, have inspired members before and after classes.

“Some days, I’m not motivated to go at all but the moment I walk in the gym, Alta makes me motivated and inspired.” -W.L.

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Montage Wellness Center celebrated 12 years of service to the California communities of Marina and Salinas. Free guest week was May 1st–7th and included: try a group class, lift some weights, and enjoy the aquatic area, including a lap pool, warm water therapy pool, spa, and steam rooms. Lectures were offered on certain days on the topics of strength training, as well as flexibility and mobility. A screening table was set up to offer biometric screenings, such as blood pressure, body fat, BMI, and grip strength tests. Members and guests that attended a lecture or participated in the biometric screening were entered to win raffle prizes! The most exciting prize was a one-month free membership.

Left: Esther Lewis teaching Cardio Drumming Above: Monterey Bay Football Club Team Captain Hugh Roberts

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HPA Services YOUR PARTNER IN WELLNESS AND FITNESS

HPA Services: WWW.HEALTHPLEXASSOCIATES.COM

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