Warm Weather Wellness
July is National Park & Recreation Month!

Venturing outdoors to visit a park is great for overall wellness. Below are some wonderful reasons to enjoy the outdoors:

  • Gets us moving and promotes exercise
  •  Boosts mindfulness
  •  Opportunity to get in touch with nature
  • Expands your knowledge
  • Promotes empathy for our wildlife
  • Teaches our children the joys of nature
  •  Provides social connection
  • Helps with our overall mental wellness
  • Lowers our stress level

To enhance the wellness of your employees, find fun ways to promote getting outdoors for summer adventures! Last summer, the VHC Health Employee Wellness team ran a "Summer Fit Club" challenge. We asked employees to submit pictures of themselves at different national or local parks & destinations, as well as at Farmer's Markets. Employees who submitted photos or healthy recipes were put in a weekly drawing. We shared all the photos & recipes with the entire VHC Health staff. It was great for employees to see each other enjoying healthy pursuits outdoors and to learn from one another. Remember, we are lucky to have National parks in our region. If your employees cannot embark on long trips, they can still enjoy some marvelous park time closer to home!

Resources to get your employees on their journey:

Click here to find a national park near you, using the National Park Foundation’s Explore Parks locator

Click here to download the National Park Foundation Travel Guides, including National Park Owner’s Guide, Recharge in the Parks, The Places Nobody Knows, Road Trippin’, Happy Trails, and much more.

Click here for National Park Service guidance on how to "Plan Like a Park Ranger"

Click here for more ways to Learn and Explore the parks, curated by the National Park Service

"In every walk with nature one receives more than he seeks"
John Muir

Please reach out to our team for help on planning your employee wellness programs. Enjoy your summer!

Thanks so much,
The HealthWorks Team 
July
2022
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Get Your Employees Moving During the Summer Months!

Please reach out to the HealthWorks team to learn more about our onsite and virtual movement themed sessions.

Exercise Webinars/Lectures:
  • Designing Your Personal Strength Workout
  • Exercise—Kick it up a Notch!
  • Get Fit While You Sit - At Home or Work
  • Stretching at Your Desk
  • Walk Your Way to Fitness

Exercise Classes:
Half Hour Exercise Classes ($110)
Options include: Energy Boost, Power Core, Soulful Stretching, Walk It Out! Hula Workout for Core.

One Hour Exercise Classes ($200)
Options include: Body Weight Boot Camp, Cardio Strength Circuit, Pilates, Tai Chi, Seated Yoga, Feldenkrais, Strength & Stretch for Seniors, Build Your Balance, Body Sculpt, Core Challenge, Family Yoga
Book 3+ classes in a month and receive $25 off each class

For more information, e-mail:
or visit our website below
Health Risk Assessment
Community Classes

VHC Health offers a variety of fitness classes – both in-person or virtual. There are options for every level, from Seated Fitness or Adaptive/Seated Yoga, to Core Challenge or Zumba. In-person classes are held at VHC, Faith Lutheran Church or McLean Baptist Church. 


View the full schedule: www.vhchealth.org/healthy. New sessions begin the week of 7/11. 

Call to register for a class that is underway at a prorate fee. 
Health Promotion Department (703) 558- 6740

Flip The Script on Aging
Free Healthy Aging Webinar/ Sessions

"Your Best Foot Forward"
Three-part series (30 minutes each).
Held virtually on Zoom


Foot Tune Up – July 12, 12-12:30 PM 
Learn about basic foot mechanics and what steps to take to give your feet the “tune up” they need. Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon Matthew Buchanan, MD, will cover recommended approaches to keeping feet in top shape.
 
Fit Feet – July 19, 12-12:30 PM
More than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments make up the foot and provide support, balance, and mobility with the help of bones and joints. While walking is the best overall foot exercise, other exercises are important for strength, flexibility, and pain relief. Physical Therapist and Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Andrew Shipp, PT, DPT, OCS will describe do-it-yourself foot and ankle exercises to prevent and address common problems.
 
Take the Pressure Off - July 26, 12-12:30 PM
Learn about the concepts and techniques of reflexology and how it connects areas of the feet to organs and systems in the body, providing a road map to promoting overall wellness, energy & balance. Aparna Sain, a mindfulness coach and founder of Prana-Breath, will offer a holistic perspective to soothe well-traveled feet. 
Cyndi Feliciano, MS, NBC-HWC
Employee Wellness Coordinator, Arlington County Government

Cyndi is the Wellness Coordinator for Arlington County and is responsible for planning, organizing, and leading health and wellness programs, delivered to all employee groups at various County facilities.

What attracted you to the wellness field? 
My wellness journey began as a corporate fitness instructor where I provided fitness breaks for corporate and government employees during their workday. It was fun for me to share my passion of group exercise but it was much more for the participants who were able to prioritize their physical and mental health during the workday.

What is your favorite part of about corporate/ employee wellness?
My favorite part about employee wellness is the feedback we get from our engaged employees who tell us how our programs are making a difference in their quality of life. It is important for employees to have a support team that is laser focused on daily well-being and healthy habits in the workplace to share information and provide a variety of experiences that make impact for the employees and allow them to thrive in their life roles.

What is your go to wellness tip for your corporate clients/employees? 
The best wellness tip for our employees is to prioritize self-care and work in small changes throughout the day to create healthy habits. This includes self-directed goals that include identifying at least one HealthSmart event or webinar of interest to their co-workers and to start conversations about events and programs.

What advice would you give a company to enhance their wellness culture? 
If an organization is seeking to enhance their wellness culture it is best to have wellness professionals collaborating with decision makers on a regular basis to establish long and short-term goals, plan annual events, and review feedback from managers and front-line staff on the effectiveness of their efforts.

What self-care activity do you find benefits you the most? 
I benefit the most from having a wellness vision that includes a daily checklist of self-care activities that I know will make me feel accomplished. This includes a morning meditation using the Calm App, skin-care routine to include SPF, filling up my water bottle with 2L of water for the day, practicing mindfulness with my dog outside, daily physical activity, plant-based meals, social interactions, gratitude practice and journaling, and at least 7 hours of sleep per night. I practice kindness when I don’t meet the mark and view each day as a unique challenge.
VHC HealthTM - HEALTHWORKS
703.558.6740