Friday, October 10^th at Parkview Field

Operation F4 will be holding their first “No Sweat” event at Parkview field in Downtown Fort Wayne from 11:30am to 1pm this Friday. This event will feature several fitness professionals and enthusiasts from the area, who will be speaking and demonstrating easy ways that everyday people can increase their health and well-being. Rising healthcare costs and an increase in chronic illnesses related to sedentary lifestyles are a growing concern among many businesses. By utilizing some of the ideas presented at the No Sweat event, individuals and companies can combat many of these health and wellness issues.

Topics to be covered include:

• Exercise and Stretches for Around the Office
• Breakfast and Lunch Nutrition
• Snack and Drink Nutrition
• Workplace Fitness Hacks
• Health Tips for Home
• Family Fitness

I will be presenting wellness hacks that people can use in their everyday work routine to make a big impact on their health! Additionally, I will also share information on group fitness ideas that can be used by departments or whole companies to create wellness groups or friendly fitness competitions. This is going to be a great topic for anyone to hear, regardless of their age, fitness levels, or job function. It will highlight ideas that you can put into action immediately upon returning from the event!

 Workplace Fitness Hacks for Individuals:

• Take movement breaks! Keep an eye on the clock or set an alarm to remind yourself to get up and move every 20-30 minutes while working at your desk. Just a few minutes of standing up and moving around will increase blood flow and lengthen tight muscles, helping to prevent chronic pain associated with sitting all day.
• Park near the back of the parking lot to get a few more steps and burn more calories.
• “Red Light Drill” – This works well for people who sit or drive for long periods: every time you come to a red light or stop sign, sit up tall and straight against your seat back to help stretch and strengthen the muscles that assist with correct posture.
• You can also do the Red Light Drill at your desk or during long meetings. Set a silent notification to remind yourself to sit up tall every 15-20 minutes. Again, this is a great way to work on stretching and strengthening the muscles that assist with correct posture, which can affect neck and back pain, as well as your breathing.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator to increase your heart rate and burn more calories.
• Don’t eat at your desk! Whether you’re eating a small snack or lunch, go enjoy it with someone in another office or on another floor. This will allow you to get a little extra exercise and help to prevent eating too many easy to access snacks at your desk.

Workplace Fitness Hacks for Groups:

• Find a walking partner and schedule regular times to meet up for a walking. You can even map out distances inside your building to keep walking during the winter.
  • (A 185 pound person burns approximately 60 extra calories in just 10 minutes of leisurely walking)
• Keep fresh fruit at your desk instead of sugary snacks.
• Better yet, work with your company to offer fruit and other healthy snacks in their vending machines
  • Then use the proceeds from the sales of the fruit to help fund other wellness related programs such as awards for competitions!
• Have your business support a “Free Fruit Day” once a week, and encourage employees to bring in fresh, raw fruit.
• Set up office, department, or company challenges each week or month, with health & wellness related prizes for the top places. Competitions can focus exclusively on one idea or utilize a point system for achievements. Ideas include:
  • Number of stairs climbed
  • Distance walked or jogged (or walking 1 mile per day)
  • Sleeping for at least 7 hours per night
  • Drinking at least half of your weight in ounces of water per day
  • Eating a healthy breakfast
  • Eating healthy fruits and vegetables for snacks

These are just a few of the many useful ideas that will be presented this Friday at the OPF4 No Sweat event. If you work in Downtown Fort Wayne, make plans to attend!

Health and wellness are choices, choose to make your life better!

For more information and to sign up to be a part of the Operation F4 movement, go to www.opf4.com