Fort HealthCare Movin' & Losin' for Families Class Begins January 16 & 17

 Fort HealthCare is bringing back Movin’ & Losin’ for Families for families with children ages 5-16 who are interested in eating healthier and starting a fitness routine. The class is 8-10 weeks long with new topics being taught each week related to diet and goal setting, followed by exercise. The course is designed to guide families in making healthier choices while having fun. To register, call (920) 568-5475 or fill out the online registration form.

There are two upcoming sessions available:

• Fort Atkinson Session 1: Mondays, January 16-March 20, 2017, 6:30-7:30 p.m. @ Fort HealthCare Therapy & Sport, 1504 Madison Avenue, Fort Atkinson
• Fort Atkinson Session 2: Tuesdays, January 17-March 21, 6:30-7:30 p.m. @ Fort HealthCare Therapy & Sport, 1504 Madison Avenue, Fort Atkinson

Monday classes are led by Lauren Mayer, APNP with Fort HealthCare Pediatrics and Erin Romagna, DPT with Fort HealthCare Therapy & Sport. Tuesday classes are instructed by Heidi Jennrich, APNP with Fort HealthCare Pediatrics and Tanya Geiger, PT with Fort HealthCare Therapy & Sport. The cost is $50 per family. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.

Jennrich states, “I have been working in pediatrics for over 15 years now. In this time, I have seen a great need to improve the health of families both in nutrition and exercise. We are feeding our children, but is it the best nutrition for their bodies? As a parent, do you find it hard to dedicate time to specific nutrition and exercise needs you and your family may have? One of the greatest changes I have seen in my years of practice is the lack of time families have to prepare home cooked meals. But what qualifies as a home cooked meal?”

Jennrich continues, “Everyone is leading a very busy life and when parents are working it may be difficult to make a ‘home cooked’ meal after work. Believe me, I know- I work full time and have three children. The minute we get home my children are ‘starving.’ If they have a snack, they don’t want dinner but then think they need a bedtime snack. My choices for snacks are not their choices for snacks. I have learned that the more I prepare for the week, which includes meal planning and prepping food ahead, the healthier my family eats each day.”

She adds, “Family dynamics can have a huge influence on weight, both good and bad. Families can also be a wonderful solution for losing weight. If you’re looking to improve your family’s health, I’d encourage you to consider enrolling in one of our upcoming ‘Movin’ & ‘Losin’ for Families sessions.”

Jennrich describes the class as, “The class is designed to create weekly goals. We work on helping families balance their energy (food) in with their energy (exercise) out. We teach them how to create a nutritious home. In the class, parents learn portions sizes for different ages, how to balance a meal, and how to deal with picky eaters. I try to enforce that as parents we are in charge of what our kids eat, where our kids eat, and when our kids eat. The only part your child should be in charge of is whether they eat and how much. This helps reduce food battles with your children.”

She continues, “As a mom, I tell my children to eat their fruits and vegetables, but if their teacher tells them this they sometimes listen better. We also have the exercise component to the class so that families can have fun together while everyone gets a workout. We adjust the exercises for all skill levels and abilities. Families have taken this class several times and continue to give positive feedback. The families love that class teaches both kids and parents how to create a healthy lifestyle.  I have taught this class for 4 years and have seen firsthand what kind of positive impact it can make for families.”

Fort HealthCare is committed to improving the health and well-being of our communities, with a vision to be the healthiest community in Wisconsin. As the leading healthcare provider in the region, it is our goal to reach as many members of the community as possible with health and wellness messages, providing tools and resources to help individuals improve their health and quality of life, while collaborating with several partners to positively improve the population’s health overall on a long term basis. For more information, visit FortHealthCare.com.