Are any of your New Year’s resolutions related to health or fitness? Then you might want to check out the Health & Wellness Fair, sponsored by the Board of Health, on Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Jacobi Community Center.
Twenty-nine wellness-related businesses, all in Marblehead, will be there running programs and talking about health and fitness. Every resident who attends will be entered to win dozens of raffle prizes ranging from Bruins tickets, to free classes and memberships, to a Transfer Station sticker.
BOH member Tom McMahon is the force behind the event.
“Physical and mental health trends are heading in the wrong direction, and the consequences are massive,” McMahon told the Current. “I think a lot of people don’t realize just how many options there are in our Marblehead community to get help, or for residents to help themselves.”
McMahon continued, “The variety of options is also very robust, which is important since there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Therefore, the goal of this event is simple to connect residents with local vendors who specialize in the areas of health and wellness to help improve their lives and open doors that they didn’t know existed.”
Asked about the variety of vendors who will attend, McMahon said, “You can find something for everyone, whether it be a local gym like the YMCA with all its programs and equipment for all ages, a top-shelf jujitsu studio or pointing out the programs provided for seniors at the Council on Aging. In addition, we have some vendors that focus directly on mental health, which over the past four years has really shown to be an issue. On top of that, there are other, more niche vendors around the idea of overall wellness.”
‘When bodies move, great things happen’
Lighthouse Fitness owner and Council on Aging fitness instructor Kim Crowley will be there. She has helped McMahon organize the fair.
“Many factors, including prohibitive cost, busy work schedules and excessive social media usage contribute to a lack of movement in all age ranges,” Crowley said. “What we know is that when bodies move, great things happen. We can prevent cardiovascular disease, improve sleep, control stress and greatly change how we feel physically and mentally.”
The Health & Wellness Fair is designed for people of all ages. McMahon hopes it will become an annual event.
