Residents are invited to celebrate April Fools' Day with the healthy wise 30-day exercise challenge.
Downtown physioptherapy clinic Reach Physio Solutions launches its third annual 30-day exercise challenge April 1, inviting participants to perform 30 minutes of exercise for 30 consecutive days.Whether it be cardio classes at the local fitness centre or walking the family dog, the program's main goal is to instill healthy habits for people from all walks of life.
And to keep participants motivated, locals can join a virtual support group and log their 30 minutes of exercise in a daily online journal, chat with other participants about their progress and ask questions or seek support from experts such as Reach Physio's resident physiotherapist Sue Shalanski, one of the founders and main co-ordinators of the event.
Participation costs $30, $2 of which goes to Habitat for Humanity.For Shalanski, the goal is to help people implement a sustainable, habit-forming exercise regimen that they can do everyday for the rest of their lives. "When we first started, a lot of people appreciated the support that was given by either myself or one of the other trainers involved, however by adding the global network of the Internet and the blogs, chat rooms and the online daily journal, it gave people a wider support group by encouraging people to participate with their friends, family members and partners. I even had one person who participated in the 30-day challenge with her daughter in Australia."
The event will also play host to a number of fitness experts to guide participants' progress throughout the 30 days. For example, participants have the option to do 30 days of yoga provided by Bodyvine Yoga Studio, one of this year's sponsors, who will be providing a month-long introductory yoga classes at discounted rates.Physiotherapists will also be offering 75-minute head to toe assessments to address participants' flexibility, muscle balance, core muscle function, and to address specific past injuries and areas of weakness.Lara Williams from "Get On With It Coaching" will be speaking to participants on goal setting and will be offering free phone consultation with participants to discuss their progress at the halfway mark.Finally, Jeff Thompson will also be leading practical workshops from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Onatah Coffee every Thursday during the event on topics such as guided relaxation, sustainable change and dealing with obstacles."With such a large support group and a group of wonderful and inspirational professionals every participant should have a transformational experience in their health and lifestyles," Shalanski said. "Also we have some great prizes to give away at the end of the event, including a grand prize of a cool cruiser bike."
