FITWEEK New Haven, co-sponsored by WorkLife

As part of the Yale WorkLife Program's recognition of National Work and Family Month (October 2012), WorkLife is co-sponsoring FITWEEK New Haven. It is an annual weeklong event that rallies the Greater New Haven community around being active! This year it takes place October 1-7.  The event encourages active lifestyles and includes a special prize drawing for the Yale community.

Oct. 2 & 3 Workshops: "Healthy Bang for Your Buck"
Do you ever choose the unhealthy route because the healthy way just costs too much? Are you swayed into buying expensive food you're unsure of because of health promises on the package or label? In the WorkLife workshop "Healthy Bang for Your Buck," certified Holistic Health Counselor Sarah Greenwell will reveal 8 easy ways to save money while making informed, healthy choices around the food you're buying. Register for one of the two presentations.
 
Two "Healthy Happy Hours" -- Oct. 2 & 3
Do you want a healthy social calendar? During FITWEEK, mix it up and attend a "Healthy Happy Hour" featuring tasty but guilt-free finger foods from Elm City Market and fresh juices and non-alcoholic beverages from Green Well Organic Tea & Coffee.
Register for one of two sessions.

FITWEEK prize pack
FITWEEK will hold a special drawing for the Yale community, giving away a prize that will include a Fitbit Activity Tracker and FITWEEK merchandise. Yale employees and students enter the raffle automatically when they sign up for FITWEEK with their yale.edu email address.

More about FITWEEK New Haven....

Sign up through the FITWEEK Pass online  and access FREE classes, gyms and activities -- like Pilates, Yoga, Jiu Jitsu, Samba, Zumba Fitness, Boot Camp, Personal Training, Spinning, and much more, during FITWEEK October 1-7! There are over 50 different fitness locations participating and offering nearly 500 classes and activities for people to participate in for free! Plus, there are FITWEEK walks and events, including a 10K Step Challenge presented by Fitbit.

There are also several Yale staff who are interested enough in fitness that they teach classes:

Rosalind D’Eugenio, School of Public Health, and Steve Varley, School of Nursing, are teaching fitness classes this fall at the West Campus.

Shana Schneider, Office of international Affairs, is a Zumba instructor at New Haven Fitness and The Fitness Haven.

Reva Pollack, East Asian Languages & Literatures Department, teaches cardio kick-boxing at the Payne Whitney Gym on Mondays and Wednesdays and at New Haven Fitness on Tuesdays. Here's what Pollack has to say about what she teaches and how to get back into exercising if you have taken a long time off:

"Currently I teach cardio kickboxing, which uses martial arts-based moves in combinations to create an energetic, highly aerobic workout . I incorporate high-intensity cardio intervals in my classes as well, which I think is one of the most effective things you can do in your workout to burn fat and condition your body. My goal is to have every person leave class feeling tired and sweaty, and like they’ve really accomplished something by being there."

"If you are looking to get back into exercising after not doing it for a while, my best piece of advice is to set reasonable goals, but then don’t let yourself cheat. Going from no exercise to exercise six days a week is a huge change, so instead, pick two or three days a week, and give yourself a set time where you have to do your workout, no exceptions. Make it an appointment that you can’t miss any more than you’d miss a meeting for work. That’s one of the reasons I love group fitness classes so much – it is a built-in set appointment. If you can get yourself to the gym at that time, then you can let the instructor do the rest in terms of creating a high-energy, intense workout."