This fall, Presbyterian Village North (PVN) is hosting “Fit for the Fall,” a month-long employee fitness challenge. The challenge has started and teams are excitedly competing for Fitbits, glory and personal wellness goals. The program will run from October 5th through October 30th. Daily challenges and extra activities are offered for bonus points. While there is a personal component to the program, the team-oriented aspect helps team members encourage each other to stay committed, push themselves a little harder and keep up the good work. Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper of Dallas’ Cooper Clinic says that briskly walking or exercising just five days a week for 30 minutes can increase your life expectancy up to nine years. Connie Scott, executive assistant at PVN, is an avid 5K participant, and she is putting in the extra effort to try to score a Fitbit.
“I would love to win a Fitbit, so I’m doing all the bonus activities I can, and I’m pushing my team members to do so as well,” said Scott. “I’m excited that they gave us a schedule that is easy to follow and can be individualized. Here at PVN we’re fortunate because they give us access to the gym, employee fitness classes, nutritious food items and wellness trainers. I’m thoroughly impressed by our wellness department and have been using its amenities for quite some time. On Tuesdays we have personal time with trainers and get to partake in exercises such as Zumba, country western Zumba and strength training. The country western version was quite a spin! Once the expansion project is complete, our new wellness center will be quite a treat. The best is yet to come.”
Scott enjoys the toning classes in addition to the energetic Zumba ones. When she’s not at the gym or at work, she is walking a two-mile trail near her home or dancing at dance venues that cater to rock and roll and country or any place with a good live band. She was a cheerleader in high school and claims that the active lifestyle she learned then has kept her fueled her entire life. In addition to dance, Scott runs/walks at least one 5K a month. Coming up, she will participate in the Heroes Run with her two granddaughters, and they will dress up as Wonder Woman, Batgirl and Supergirl. She says that these 5Ks add an entertaining form of fitness to her life. Her favorite fun run is the Watermelon 5K in McKinney.
Scott is happy that the activities she enjoys earn her points for PVN’s fitness challenge. For each thirty minutes of exercise completed, team members receive five points. Employees are allowed to earn points for up to five days of exercise each week. If a participant exercises five times a week, he or she will earn 25 points for that week. If they exercise for 30 minutes on days six and seven, they will not earn extra points. However, for each bonus exercise written on the calendar, team members will receive one point. These include extra squats, lunges and pushups, all which go up in number as the challenge carries on. Each week, employees are eligible to earn a maximum of 30 points. Daily challenges include Muscle Monday, Try Something New Tuesday, Wellness Class Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday and Full Body Friday. There are different fitness activities teams can participate in together or on their own. Participants can also do their own form of cardio on their own as long as it is thirty minutes, and they are allowed to break it up throughout their day. Each team is allowed to have up to four members.
“My weekly workout routine is composed of three days of strength training, sometimes four, and then two days of walking a two-mile trail near my home,” said Scott. “It is so convenient getting to work out at PVN’s wellness center. I find that if I go home and try to do it there, I get distracted or start unwinding. If I can knock it out on my way home, it’s more likely to get done. Plus some of the residents and employees see me in there, and they encourage me and are inspired to spend more time working out themselves. When I get home I’m actually pretty energized from my workout and am able to get a lot more done around the house. I encourage my family to work out with me when they are able. My granddaughters enjoy doing the 5Ks with me, and sometimes my daughter will join me on the nature trail. As a family, we are pretty active. We plan camping trips every other weekend during the summer and enjoy canoeing or hiking while we are there.”
At the start of the program, each employee was given a wellness book with an area to write down short-term and long-term goals and a calendar to log or checkmark activities completed. The challenge will conclude on October 30th. Everyone who exercises five times a week for the full program will receive a Be Well PC&S shirt. Teams that complete all 30 points a week will be entered in a drawing for a Fitbit. PVN will be giving out 16 Fitbits.
“My goals are to stay at a healthy weight and to maintain my strength,” said Scott. “I want to be able to have fun the rest of my life and be physically fit to do so. We have some residents here in their 80s and 90s who have very fit physiques. I ask them how they are still so active, and they say it is because they never stopped working out. For people who haven’t really gotten into a workout routine, just take the first step and go with a friend. Sometimes you may fall out of it, but then you just have to get back in, tell yourself all the benefits and make it fun if you can!”
“We care about our team members and are happy to provide access to the wellness center and amenities on campus,” said Ron Kelly, executive director at Presbyterian Village North. “Once the expansion project is complete, our new lifestyle fitness center will be open and will include an additional swimming pool, Jacuzzi spa, locker rooms and an expanded group exercise area. This building will include a spa suitable for massages and other spa-type activities, a clinic for physicians and other clinicians and a café that will boast a light and healthy menu. The goal of this new building is to integrate the different aspects of wellness by creating a space that connects physical and social experiences with relaxation. We are really happy to provide these wellness amenities to our team members and residents. We can all inspire each other and work together toward common wellness goals.”