Participants of all ages, fitness and health levels, and exhibitors were at Arrowhead Mall on Saturday to be a part of the Be Active Health Show.

“The main inspirations behind this event are the walkers who walk around the mall every morning,” said Hope Margarit,mall marketing director.

“All kinds of people from teens, to mothers who walk with strollers to senior adults, come in at 7 a.m. and walk before work. We do a lot of healthy things at the mall, and this is just another aspect of it,” Margarit said.

 The event consisted of 11 businesses from Muskogee and surrounding cities. Free fitness classes were provided by Champion Fitness, and speakers offered information about healthy living. The 11 businesses represented at the health show were Muskogee Regional Medical Center, Tahlequah City Hospital, Muskogee Swim and Fitness, Humana, Pregnancy Resource Center, Professional Home Hospice, Gaddy Drug, Cardiology Clinic of Muskogee, America Red Cross and Dillard’s hosted an American Heart Association Wear Red Fashion display.

“This is a regional mall, so we’re taking a regional approach and inviting businesses from around here,” Margarit said.

“We don’t have very many things like this around here, so it’s great that people can get out there and see what’s available to them without having to go to all the way to Tulsa,” said Susan Winters, a partaker who attended the health show.

Both Champion Fitness and the Muskogee Swim and Fitness Center were represented and were dedicated to helping area residents learn about setting and reaching fitness goals.

Champion Fitness offered free fitness classes and routine demonstrations for cardio kickboxing and step aerobics routines.

“We have fitness classes for any fitness level, and our classes are great for cardiology health, weight loss, toning, and they are great for relieving stress,” said Group Fitness Director Shannon George.

 We’re here to show people how we can help them. We have a variety of different levels and instructors who are certified to help any person of any fitness level. We also have swimming lessons, water aerobics for people who may need exercise with less pressure on their joints, but still want a great cardio workout, said a representative of Muskogee Swim and Fitness.

Each business had something unique to offer, but they all had something in common. They were all there to give their support and information on all they have to offer to help serve the community.

“For us, it’s a chance to meet patients and potential patients. We get to educate the community about being healthy. We’re a regional provider, so we love to get out and meet the community that we serve. Civic involvement is a large part of what we do,” said Christina Deidesheimer, MRMC’s director of Marketing and Communications.

Becky Elliott, the infection prevention specialist at MRMC said many of the people they are seeing, they have seen at similar free events.

“They don’t have insurance and they wouldn’t have been able to get these screenings if wasn’t for this health show,” Elliott said.

Excerpt from:
Official: Mall walkers inspiration for health and fitness show