Wellness Awareness Day features new programs
By Joan Janzen
Kindersley Pathway to Wellness, in partnership with the Town of Kindersley and the District Health Authority, invited the public to Wellness Awareness Day on Wednesday, September 14th, at the WCEC. From 4 pm to 8 pm, visitors were given the opportunity to chat with Jocelyn Perlinger - exercise therapist, Ann McCormick - dietitian, Carly Burton - physiotherapist, and the rest of the Pathway to Wellness team.
PHOTOS BY ANNIE DUNCAN, click for larger images and captions
It’s been almost a decade since Joanne Kosolofski and Bev Callsen first formed Pathway to Wellness, and it has been growing ever since. Today their community programs encompass all ages, abilities, and levels of strength and mobility. AquaFit and pickleball are two activities that help bring a sense of community to a healthier lifestyle. Wellness Awareness Day was an opportunity for the team to showcase all their programs and the wellness room.
This year there’s been some new additions to their list of programs. “Anybody who has a pair of skates can come and skate Monday at noon hour for a fee of $40 for three months,” Joanne Kosolofski explained. “We also purchased 16 pairs of snow shoes that both members and non-members can sign out.”
A few new faces came to check out the wellness room, which opened in 2016. “We have to keep getting our name out there,” Joanne said. “Lots of times people think they only need to come to us if they have a chronic condition, but it’s about learning to move our bodies as we age.”
She stressed the importance of stretch classes. “We don’t realize what we’ve lost until it’s gone; we get busy and don’t take time to care for our health,” she said. As an example, she described an inability to perform simple, everyday motions, such as seniors losing the ability to shoulder check while driving.
“Those are things we take for granted,” Joanne said. “We want to get the word out and help people maintain their mobility and strength.”