Healthy living focus of U- 234 wellness fair

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Exercise and healthy eating were just two of the topics that USD 234 employees learned about during a district wellness fair Friday at Fort Scott Middle School.

Pam Brown, USD 234 school nurse, said the primary purpose of the event is to help educate district employees about the importance of living healthy lifestyles.

"We've done this for several years," she said. "We've expanded on it over the years. It's a time we want to improve the health and wellness of our employees ... we do something different every year."

Brown said the district has been conducting similar health and wellness inservices for the last 15 years.

During the event, employees were able to choose from many different health-related breakout sessions focusing on nutrition information, exercise and other forms of physical activity. The sessions were led by various presenters.

Beth Kirkpatrick, a motivational speaker and physical education teacher known as an innovator in student health and fitness, was the keynote speaker for the event.

"She had a lot of good things for teachers to hear," Brown said.

Kirkpatrick is the director of education for Polar, a company that produces physical fitness technology and equipment such as heart rate monitors. She was also available to complete body age testing for interested participants.

The event is not only designed to teach district employees about the value of proper nutrition and exercise, but to also urge them to be "role models" by encouraging and promoting healthy lifestyles among students in the district as well, Brown said.

Topics of the breakout sessions that were available included technology in fitness testing, line dancing and swing dancing, self-defense techniques, pilates, and healthy snacks on-the-go.

Other sessions related to health and wellness included How I Lost 90 Pounds On My Own, a personal success story about how a young man changed his life; Weight Watchers: Developing and Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle; and Understanding your Health Insurance and Money Saving Tips.

The annual wellness fair is open to all district employees. About 200 employees attended the event on Friday, Brown said.

Attendees were also able to have health screenings and lab work completed that helped them learn about cholesterol, blood pressure, and various other health-related issues. Three nurses at Mercy Health Center were on hand during the event to help participants interpret their results.