-START A PHYSICAL FITNESS CLUb-
Vidant Chowan is getting people moving free-of-charge with the Get Fit! wellness program. More people have access to quality fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, and community walking groups than ever.
Chowan Perquimans Get Fit! Chowan and Perquimans Counties
What’s better than a free fitness class? Try seven months of free fitness classes, health screenings, cooking classes, and a walking club. The Vidant Chowan Hospital makes it easy for people who live or work in Chowan and Perquimans Counties to get active and live well with a free wellness program called Get Fit! This seven-month wellness program runs from September to March and is completely free for participants; it’s held at the Chowan Hospital, recreation centers in both Chowan and Perquimans Counties, and Cooperative Extension buildings. The fitness classes include kickboxing, line dancing, Zumba, Pilates, and an open gym. There’s even a walking club to get people moving.
Get Fit! is advertised through Facebook, flyers, and word-of-mouth to get people to sign up and remind them about upcoming classes. On average, about 150 people sign up each year to participate. Get Fit! has a lot of returning members as well as new participants each year.
When the program kicks off in September, participants are invited to a free health screening and healthy living class hosted by the hospital. Over the course of the next couple of months, participants can enjoy free fitness classes at different locations in the two counties and a month of free cooking classes. The cooking classes are held in both Chowan and Perquimans Counties and are made possible through the curriculum Cook Smart Eat Smart. Get Fit! ends with another health screening so participants can compare their body composition from when they started. At the end of the program, participants complete an evaluation to help determine fitness classes for the following year.
Get Fit! has a lot of support from Vidant Chowan Hospital, Cooperative Extension, and communities in both counties. A free fitness class series doesn’t have to be seven months long like Get Fit! Tailor your plan to your community. Your church, workplace, school, or community center could host a short fitness series or offer fitness and exercise classes a couple times a month.
Consider your local Cooperative Extension office to see what resources exist for curriculum-based classes like Eat Smart Move More or Cooking Matters. Your local health department, health clinic, or hospital might be a good partnership for space, equipment, or facilitators for your fitness classes. Even something simple like hosting a walking club, dancing lessons, or self-defense classes in your community can turn into a fitness club.
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People dancing in class.
Quanassee Path sign along a natural walk-way
Woman's feet in motion.