FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. -- Snow, slush and cold temperatures didn't keep community members from learning more about how to lead a healthier lifestyle Tuesday.
The General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital sponsored an installation-wide wellness fair at Nutter Field House.
"In 2013, at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., we would like to make our community the healthiest community in the Army," said Col. Marie Dominguez, GLWACH commander.
The hospital offered a number of booths and information designed to help people learn how to take care of themselves, be healthy and lead a longer, happier life.
"This is a wellness fair," said Lt. Col. Ann Loveless, chief of Preventative Medicine. "This is about someone's first step, and perhaps their next step, towards a healthy life."
The fair offered participants the opportunity to learn stress-reduction techniques. Physical therapy and athletic trainers were on-hand to provide a "gait clinic" designed to help runners learn how to run properly and about best kind of shoes to buy. There were also fitness tests, blood pressure and BMI screenings, information on smoking cessation techniques, and local businesses on hand providing information about the health and fitness programs they provide.
"Whatever you feel like you can (do to) be healthier or do better in your life, you can probably find some answers here," Loveless said.
Dominguez said the fair was running in conjunction with the current Eat, Sleep and Move Campaign.
"Eat right, sleep right, move a little every day, and that is the secret to being healthy throughout your life … Such a simple recipe, but it is so hard to do and practice.
"We are out trying to bring attention to things that help people live healthier lives -- live longer lives. The sad fact is that this generation -- the baby boomer generation will probably live shorter lives than their parents did. We weigh more, we sleep less, we move less," Dominguez said.
Amber Munson, Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation aerobics and fitness coordinator, was at the fair representing the fitness program FMWR provides to help people lead a healthier lifestyle. She was excited to provide the community with information that can lead to better fitness.
"We are trying to encourage people to live and incorporate a healthier lifestyle through exercise, aerobic activity and just an overall fitness lifestyle," Munson said.
The fair also provided people with more information about how the body functions so they could be empowered to improve not only their own health, but that of their Families as well.
"I learned a lot," said Sherie Trone, Equal Opportunity Office specialist.
"One of things that stood out to me had to do with the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Program. I like doing Soduku puzzles, and I did not realize that flash cards accesses a different part of the brain. My Mom had Alzheimer's so that was something that was interesting to me," Trone said.
Dominguez said she was hopeful the fair could make an impact in increasing and improving community member's lives.
"It is really sad. (We) probably (live) a three to five year shorter lifespan than our parent's generation and we can turn that around just by applying the simple recipe of eat, sleep and move," Dominguez said.
Social Sharing