Wellbeing

Top Fitness Trends for 2015

Here are some low-cost and mobile routines.

The beginning of a new year is often a time when many resolve to begin a fitness plan or to ramp up their current routine. Officials at the American College of Sports Medicine rang in the New Year by releasing the organization’s annual survey of the top fitness trends for 2015.

Franconia Nonprofit Koinonia Engages More with Business Community

Mary Tinsley of Alexandria pushed the loaded shopping cart right out the door and into the parking lot where Marcia Reid of Woodbridge was pulling her car around. Mid-morning sun pierced through trees overlooking the parking lot behind Franconia United Methodist Church. Reid was picking up groceries for a Springfield-based client of Koinonia, a local nonprofit outreach organization.

Burke Church Volunteers Assemble Birth Kits for Haiti

Meg Hanrahan of Burke and Melinda Engelbrektsson of Fairfax Station have each faced life-threatening complications with childbirth. Thanks to the medical resources available to them and “the grace of God,” said Engelbrektsson, they and their children survived. Many women in third world countries including Haiti don’t have the same opportunity.

Roundups for Centreville and Chantilly

Important safety and community information for Chantilly and Centreville

Arlington: “Flourishing After 55”

“Flourishing After 55” from Arlington Office of Senior Adult Programs for Dec. 14-20.

Health Fair on Dec. 13

Antioch Christian Church and Everest College Nursing Students will host a fun filled carol sing-a-long and informative Health Fair on Dec. 13. This health fair will be a four-hour Open House event held on Saturday at Antioch Christian Church located at 1860 Beulah Road in Vienna.

Facets New Executive Director Brings Perspective and Experience

Margi Preston started as Executive Director of Facets of Fairfax officially on Nov. 17. But she attended its fall fundraising event, A Taste of Fall, on Nov. 15 and witnessed the dedication of Facets staff and supporters in helping individuals and families experiencing poverty in Fairfax County.

Battling Holiday Bulge

Nutritionists offer tips for avoiding weight gain.

With the merriment of the holidays comes food, friends and fun. But from office parties to family dinners, opportunities for overeating and weight gain abound. In fact, the National Institutes of Health reports that the average American gains an extra pound every year that he never loses. Those pounds add up over a lifetime of holidays, but a few local nutritionists offer the skinny on weight-gain culprits and strategies to keep them at bay.

GMU Chosen To Join Healthy Campus Initiative

George Mason was recognized for its commitment to health and wellness.

George Mason University’s well-being and wellness programs recently received national recognition when the Fairfax-based university was chosen as the first higher education institution in Virginia to join the Healthy Campus Initiative, an effort to encourage colleges and universities to make their campuses healthier by adopting guidelines around food and nutrition, physical activity and programming.

Handling Family Dynamics During the Holidays

Local experts offer suggestions on how to diffuse family tensions.

Last month, Linda and Tom Bullen traveled from Boston to Arlington, to celebrate Thanksgiving with their son Matt, daughter Rachel and her partner Grace Knight.

Tell Teens ‘Things Will Get Better’

Fairfax High hosts meeting about youth suicide.

In light of recent suicides by students from Fairfax, Woodson and Langley high schools, Fairfax High hosted a meeting Nov. 19 to discuss the problem and search for solutions. The idea was to begin an ongoing exchange between parents, students, staff, community members and mental-health professionals.

McLean to Host Holiday Crafts Show

The McLean Community Center’s 32nd Annual McLean Holiday Crafts Show features an exciting mix of handmade items that express a fresh, new take on the traditional. Expect to see bonsai and bamboo trees, sculpted exotic eggshells, hand-dyed batik and all-natural salad dressings, along with the wreaths, ornaments and stained glass windows.

Arlington: Health Initiative Focuses on Veterans

Teaching health-care providers to ask about patients’ military backgrounds.

Chamberlain College of Nursing in Arlington co-sponsored a veteran’s health awareness campaign last month, shedding light on health issues that more prominently affect veterans than the average civilian.

Patient First Facility Heading to Fairfax

Will also provide inter-parcel access to shopping center.

Patient First is opening a walk-in medical facility in the City of Fairfax. It got the go-ahead last Tuesday, Nov. 18, from the Fairfax City Council, following a public hearing.

Lorton Outreach Group Sets Thanksgiving Service Record

Kathy Noone stood alone, surrounded by Thanksgiving baskets ready to feed over 400 families. The Lorton resident is Director of Volunteers for the Lorton Community Action Center (LCAC), and though she looked capable, she didn’t fill the bags all by herself. Earlier on Nov. 23, a team of volunteers worked “better than a well-oiled machine” to sort donated food into nearly identical combinations at the Moose Family Center in Lorton for delivery and pickup.

The Connection