Women's Health Night offers wide variety of demonstrations

Mar 10, 2010 — The Pantagraph

Joe Deacon

Mar. 10, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- BLOOMINGTON -- From samples of nutritional drinks to massages and free screenings, Tuesday's 12th annual Women's Health Night at the Interstate Center had a lot to offer.

But for Chris Macdonnell of Normal, the lighter side of fitness provided the main attraction.

"It was a lot of fun," Macdonnell said after participating in a Wii Active demonstration in which a videogame character coached her through a workout exercise. "The Zumba and the Wii, those demonstrations were very informative. Those were the reasons we came out."

A presentation of Zumba, a fitness program that fuses Latin rhythms with workout steps, and the Wii displays were among five fitness demonstrations added to the program this year. Along with vendor booths and health discussions, the demonstrations helped draw a crowd that impressed event organizer Kathi Franklin, executive director of the Illinois Heart and Lung Foundation.

"I'm very pleased with the turnout; it's huge. Usually I try to be pretty conservative, but I think this is one of the best turnouts that we've had," said Franklin. "Everything's been well attended."

Discussions at the event included a question-and-answer session on vaccines with Dr. Gregory Poland of the Mayo Clinic and an examination of the economics of health care and insurance by Jeff Flessner, president of Benefit Planning Associates.

"The big issue here is the cost of health care has inflated at double inflation for about 40 years or so," said Flessner. "That's a big part of the problem."

Franklin hopes attendees came away with a heightened interest in wellness.

"If people go home and just start asking the questions, 'What should I be doing?'" Franklin said. "People need to be responsible and be their own advocates. Caught early, a lot of things can be managed."

For women like Macdonnell, the health night provides access to a wealth of knowledge.

"I think it's very beneficial because they have a lot of good information for women," said Macdonnell. "From what we've seen, there's so much information available and it's great that it's free."

In a special presentation, Barb Nathan, the executive director of the Community Cancer Center, was named the recipient of the 2010 Gale Keeran Spirit of Success Award. Last fall, Nathan was named Healthcare Executive of the Year by the American Academy of Medical Administrators.

The award honors the memory of Keeran, who died in 2001. She was a community leader known for her work with OSF St. Joseph Medical Center and The Eureka Co. and as chairwoman of the Bloomington Cultural District.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0166-42738588