Healthy Santas Symposium: Improving Santa's Health and Happiness

Healthy Santas Symposium: Santa Happening #1

Healthy Walk with Santa

Session 1 – 8:00 – 8:45 AM

Please join Santas, Santa’s Helpers, Mrs. Clauses, Elves, Reindeer, family members, friends, and people from the community are welcome to join us for a 5K, 2 K, and 1K walk. Since the media will be invited, we should be dressed in Casual Claus or its equivalent. Everyone is welcome to walk as little or as much as desired or able. Maps of the courses will be provided, as well as juice, water, oatmeal, breads, cereals, and other refreshments before and after. To make it look really official, we will be issuing numbers to attach! Of course, everyone will be a winner, since it is for good health. The Walk begins at 8:00 AM; however, stagger starts with later arrivals is fine. All walkers should be off the course by 8:45, which should be manageable with clover-like path options from a central stem.

Living Healthy and Having Fun

Session 2 – 9:00 to 9:45 AM

The first sit-down session will be lead by Mary Johnson, RN, a noted expert on geriatric care, and she will briefly discuss good health practices. Get enough sleep! Wake up every day determined to enjoy life, smile, and have fun. Be active, engaged, and connected to others. Then she will demonstrate balance testing, blood pressure checks, pulse rates, exercise for older citizens, and practices to adopt for a long and healthy life. Website resources will be shared. The handout will be packed with practical suggestions for a variety of ages and physical conditions. There is ample opportunity for Q and A at the end.

Movement, Motion, and Motivation

Session 3 – 10:00 to 10:45 AM

The next session will be up-and-about with demonstrations and practices of geriatric isometric exercises, aerobics to music, and yoga practices for improved health. And to change a lifetime of habit, exercises have to be fun or they simply won’t be done. The brochure summarizes the key parts of the presentation, and shares resources for additional information. Ways to exercise while having fun and enjoying life is the main focus. Everything will be low-impact, strain-free, and low stress. Water aerobics will be discussed as well. Exercises to do while sitting down are also planned.

Nutrition, Menus, Food Preparation

Session 4 – 11:00 to 11:45 AM

Eating a balanced diet is essential to aging well; antioxidants to retard aging appear naturally in many foods. While calorie needs decrease as we age, it is important to have the right vitamins and minerals in the diet. The food pyramid helps everyone, even seniors, understand how to make good food choices. Maintaining a healthy weight, cooking choices at home, and eating well while dining out are all important subtopics.

Heart Healthy Lunch

Final Session – 12:00 to 1:15 PM

Please join us for a heart-healthy lunch, great visiting and socializing, and with general fun being had by all.