Our First Ever FitForce Course was a BALANCING Act

FitForce is growing and so is our community of women. One of the most incredible things about who comes together in this space, is the diversity. We've found a place that creates a bridge and allows us to connect and build friendships because our differences are beautiful!

As we look to the future, we want to continue to provide a safe place to exercise, as well as an inclusive environment of support and love for each other. From this perspective, the idea of providing self care courses, with exercise as the foundation, became part of our plan....and we just finished the first one!

And...It Looked Like This

Moving our bodies was the secret sauce of our time together, but each week during our course had a different topic of learning and discussion.

Week #1

We kicked things off with a presentation/discussion from Marybeth Wilson, NP who specializes in women's health and menopause. Marybeth is very knowledgeable and we learned so much about the science behind what our bodies go through in various stages of life. It felt good to talk about things that we usually don't hear discussed, and to know there are options available for managing each transition. Understanding gives us access to the resources and tools needed.

Week #2

Midlife mental health woes are a real thing! Self care and learning how to more effectively cope well with stress were on this week's agenda. We met up for a very soothing sound bath with Soul Deep Yoga Studio. Kimmy and Brittney did a great job of leading us through guided meditation and relaxation. We followed this up, later in the week, with a presentation and discussion with Danelle Chugg, who is not only one of our beloved participants, but just graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Family and Human Services, and has also worked in the mental health field for the past 10 years. She gave us some cognitive behavioral tools to help us learn to separate thoughts from emotions and change the direction of those thoughts.

Week #3

The way we eat can impact our hormones immensely. There are things we can avoid and other things we can incorporate into our diet to help ease menopause symptoms and help us feel better. Nicki Benoit, a nutritionist for FCMC joined us this week and gave us tips about what we should and shouldn't be putting into our bodies. It was very enlightening and she even brought muffins that were healthy and delicious!

Week #4

Everyone feels differently about healthcare and that's okay. What's important is that we're informed and do what we feel is best for us. Some follow the traditional medical/scientific path and others favor the more natural and holistic remedies. Week four, we gathered with Lauren Alder to discuss how helpful essential oils can be with sleep, anxiety, hot flashes, and other annoying symptoms associated with peri menopause and menopause. She spoiled us with samples and plenty of information to reference that will help us make informed decisions regarding natural options available.

Week #5

There is so much research out there to back the importance of exercise, and specifically, adding weights to our weekly workout routine. Osteoporosis is very common in women and this is because as our bodies stop creating estrogen, our muscle mass and bone density decrease. This leaves women more prone to injury and broken bones, but it can be counteracted. Jeni Graves from Styrkuh Strength did our final presentation and discussion. She shared her passion for weight lifting with us and made us all want to be stronger and healthier.

Week #6

We followed everything up with a GNO! We ate, talked, and evaluated. We all agreed that it was a success and the only thing that could have been done differently was to allow more time at each presentation for more discussion, sharing, and bonding. These six weeks also taught us that friendships made and support from other women is important and valuable to our health, too.

Watch for more courses because magic happens when women gather!