Walker Ice & Fitness Center
Quarterly e-Newsletter
The start of a new year is always a great time for people to make changes. Help keep your health and fitness New Year’s Resolutions intact with WIFC’s fun and motivating Weight Loss Challenge. Participants will weigh in 3 times during the challenge and there will be 2 winners, one male and one female, based on total percentage of weight lost.
We need your input!
Take our short survey to let us know what activities and programs you would like to see offered by Walker Parks and Recreation!
Beating the Winter Blues

As fall turns to winter and the days get shorter, many people report feelings of fatigue, lack of concentration and social withdrawal – it’s estimated that around 50% of the adult population is impacted by changing seasons. For a small number of people, this is a serious depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) - about 20% of those impacted by the seasonal shift will develop SAD. If you suspect this, then visit your doctor. If you feel that you have the general winter blues, there’s a lot you can do to help beat them. 

Diet and exercise are, of course, great ways to combat the winter blues. According to Harvard studies, regular physical activity is one of the most powerful non-medication methods for dealing with depression and boosting your mood.

The food you eat can also have a profound impact on your mood and well-being. Experts recommend avoiding processed food as much as possible. Eating a diet of fresh, whole foods will support your mental health. Refined sugar and processed fructose are known to have a very detrimental impact on your brain function and mental health in general. 

Enjoying lean proteins, food with high concentrations of omega 3 fatty acids and/or folic acid, berries and dark chocolate can all have a positive impact on your mood. But, one of the best methods for helping to deal with the winter blues is to maintain your vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is often referred to as the “sunshine vitamin” because your body can make it by using cholesterol and absorbing natural sunshine. Your mood can improve with as little as 10 minutes of sun exposure. As we all know, this can be difficult during Michigan winters. The good news is your body can also absorb vitamin D via food.

Excellent sources of vitamin D include salmon, shrimp, sardines, egg yolk and fortified products such as milk, cereal, yogurt and orange juice.

As well as providing mood-enhancing benefits, vitamin D is known to fight disease, reduce depression, and boost weight loss. It helps maintain bones and teeth, it improves lung and cardiovascular health and it can help reduce the risk of getting the flu.
Strength Training at WIFC

For 20 years, the Walker Ice and Fitness Center has been committed to serving the West Michigan Community’s health and fitness needs. No matter where you are on your health and wellness journey, our state of the art gym has the equipment and classes for you. 
One of the things that makes our fitness center stand out is our comprehensive selection of strength training equipment. We have a wide selection of weight machines, free weights that run from 3lb to 120lbs, bar bells, ez-bars and a wide selection of plates, benches and Olympic bars. We also have bands and chains to help push your workout to the next level. So, whether you're just getting started with strength training or are power lifting, we are the best facility for all your workout needs. 
If you’re unsure about where to start with strength training, the Walker Ice and Fitness Center can help!

A new and popular class offering this season is Strength Training with Scott. This class teaches the fundamentals of lifting weights with one of our certified fitness staff members. Scott will show you how to use proper form and a variety of weights and moves to get the most out of your workout. The class meets Wednesday and Friday mornings at 8am.
Many of our other classes incorporate strength training as part of their programs. Skill of Strength, MetCon, muscle definition, Total Body Workout, and CSI (Cycle, Strength Intervals) are all great options for people who want to incorporate strength training in a class environment.

If you’re looking to develop your own workout structure, our staff can help with that too! All new gym members are entitled to two free orientation sessions to help maximize your gym experience. You can also set up sessions with one of our certified personal trainers.  
Christmas Open Skating Schedule
Celebrate this holiday season with one of our Christmas open skates.

The cost is $4 for adults and $3 for students (18 and under) and seniors (55 and over). Skating admission is always free for gym members. Skate rental is just $3 per person. If the whole family is skating, our skating family package is the perfect choice – and it makes a great gift too!

We offer a huge range of ice skates for rental. Our figure skates start at a child’s size 7 and hockey skates start at size 8. Our skates run to adult size 13 in both hockey and figure skates.

For your child’s safety, we recommend wearing a helmet. Bring a bike helmet from home – they work great on ice too! We don’t offer helmets for rent – but we do have a wide selection available for sale in the Pro-Shop.
Give the Gift of Fitness!

If you’re looking for the perfect gift this holiday season, consider one of the great options available at the Walker Ice and Fitness Center. We are currently running specials on personal training, tanning, memberships, and, of course, our gift cards (good for use anywhere in the facility).
Tanning Packages
Beat the cold and the snow with our personal tanning package. For just $20, you’ll get 5 tanning sessions, tanning lotion and a pair of goggles. Our facility uses hex tanning booths, you don’t have to be a member to use our booths and no appointments are necessary. You must be 18 or older to use our tanning facilities and please tan responsibly.

Personal Training Packages
One of our most popular sales is running right now! Buy five personal training sessions and get a sixth FREE! That’s a $25 saving. Personal training is a fantastic way to help achieve your fitness goals. Our certified personal trainers work with you to devise a training program that’s realistic, yet challenging. Personal training will: improve your overall fitness level; help you address personal health and fitness concerns; teach you the proper techniques and form to reduce the risk of injury; and teach you how to maximize your time in the gym. This package is also available as a gift certificate.

Gym Membership Gift Certificate
It’s the perfect time of the year to give the gift of health with our gym membership gift certificates. Stop by the Front Desk to purchase.
Learn to Skate is available to boys and girls of all ages. It provides a fun way to learn the fundamentals of ice skating. Skaters are divided among our instructors based on experience, so the program is great for beginners and more advanced skaters. 

Learn to Play Hockey is a great way for boys and girls to start and develop their hockey playing skills – you do need basic skating skills for Learn to Play Hockey as well as full equipment.

For all of your child’s equipment needs, check out our new, fully restocked inventory in our WIFC Pro Shop. We have a great selection of high-end equipment as well as skates, sticks and equipment particularly geared towards a younger, beginner skater.
Walker Recreation Annual Senior Citizen's Bowling Tournament

WHERE: LINCOLN LANES (3485 LAKE MICHIGAN DR. NW, WALKER, MICHIGAN 49534)
DATES: THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 AND FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2019
SQUADS: THURSDAY AT 1:00 PM OR FRIDAY AT 1:00 PM

Entry fee: $17.00 - bowl 3 games

55 to 64 yrs.   65 to 69 yrs.   70 to 74 yrs.   75 to 79 yrs.   80 to 84 yrs.   85 yrs. & over

Make your reservations now! Get a group together and have a fun day of bowling!
Men's and women's trophies will be awarded for actual and handicap scores in each age division.
Bowlers may win in only one category.
Pre-registration is required, deadline for registration is Monday, January 7, 2019.
Thank you for helping our Veterans!

A big thank you to everyone that participated in our Veterans collection. The Recreation Department along with your help delivered a full truck load of donations to The Grand Rapids Home for Veterans. Thank you for helping us give back! 
WIFC's Ice Director Coaching for Canadian National Para Hockey

This hockey season sees some exciting developments in Ice Director Mike Fountain’s coaching schedule. He was recently appointed as the goalie coach for the Canadian National Para Hockey Team, a role that has allowed him to hone new coaching skills and come up with new methods and ideas for HAWK, cross ice and other WIFC programs.

The game basically follows the same rules as stand-up hockey, the only differences are those made necessary by the sled and the athlete. This means, from a coaching standpoint, skills and expertise easily adapt between the sled and standup variants. Team Canada’s head coach Ken Babey highlights the fact that there are “a lot of transferrable mentalities that [the coaches] bring from…NHL, AHL and junior backgrounds.” It is exactly this broad experience that Coach Mike is bringing to his goal tending work with the para team. Fountain says “We are coaching the para team with the same structure [and] expectations used for the Canadian…stand up teams.”

Mike, of course, is bringing not just the same level of enthusiasm and dedication to his national coaching that is already well-known from his coaching work with HAWK but also his extensive professional playing experience. Fountain played hockey for an impressive 17 years at the pro level in the NHL and AHL. In total, he played in five countries including several celebrated seasons in the KHL and, locally, with the Grand Rapid Griffins. As part of a team of coaches working with the para team, Mike is taking the opportunity to learn from other coaches, and the team, as well as providing his own unique insights. Head Coach Babey says “…it’s just like being at a coaching seminar…you kick around ideas [and coaches ask] ‘Why did you do this? Would you do this?’ and the give-and-take is just so awesome. [Everyone] benefits from it.”

Coach Fountain is also looking forward to bringing some of his new experiences with Team Canada back to the Walker Ice and Fitness Center. “I am very excited to be part of such an amazing staff, athletes and team. Hockey Canada does such a fantastic job preparing these athletes for tournaments, the World Championships and the Olympics…By being part of Hockey Canada and this team in particular, I have been able to bring back ideas both on and off the ice to our HAWK coaches and the WIFC Cross Ice and Learn to Play Hockey programs.”

Next up for Coach Fountain and the Para Hockey Team is the Canadian Tire Para Hockey Cup taking place this December. 
The Ice Arena

It takes a lot to keep our Ice Arena in working order. There are so many things going on behind the scenes to keep the ice rink going during the hockey season. We have an amazing staff that does a great job, they: maintain the ice, the compressors (which keep the slab cold) and rooftop units to keep the humidity and temperature at an optimum level in the arena. Our Zamboni makes an ice cut in around 8 minutes. There is a blade at the end that scrapes the ice and the Zamboni lays hot water to seal the ice to a smooth surface. We typically resurface 6-8 times a day. 
Check out the Pro Shop for Holiday Gift Ideas

The WIFC Pro Shop stocks a large range of hockey gear from top companies such as CCM, Bauer, Warrior and Howie’s. We also have a great range of items that make perfect Christmas gifts.
Walker Ice and Fitness Center
4151 Remembrance Rd. NW
Walker, MI 49534
Phone: (616) 735-6286