'Real Forrest Gump' to speak at clinic

Shepherd’s Hand is sponsoring a workshop to get Whitefish moving.

The Motivation to Move event is Monday, Oct. 1 at the Shepherd’s Hand Free Clinic at Christ Lutheran Church. The free event begins with a community meal from 5 - 6 p.m., followed by a two-part workshop from 6 - 8:30 p.m.

The public is welcome to participate in activities.

Cathy Relf, with Shepherd’s Hand, said the clinic wants to increase awareness of healthy lifestyle choices.

“What’s available to everyone is healthy eating and exercise,” Relf said. “Those are the two most important things that we can do to help people with their health.”

The workshop is being led by Robert Sweetgall, who has walked across the U.S. seven times. An author who has written books on walking, wellness and active living, Sweetgall now teaches wellness workshops and seminars worldwide. Often called the “Real Forrest Gump,” he has conducted numerous TV and radio interviews to promote a healthy lifestyle.

The event’s workshops will be broken into two topics. All sessions involve very easy light activities, play, humor and interactive games.

The first, Motivation to Move, looks at five activities for reducing weight, stress, low-back pain, diabetes and heart disease risks. Sweetgall will focus on safe, simple motivational strategies to get folks moving more.

The second topic, Nordic Walking 101, will teach the art of the walking style which is performed with specially designed walking poles similar to ski poles. The style of fitness walking is said to burn 40 percent more calories than regular walking while taking pressure off feet, knees, hips and back.

The clinic plans to purchase walking poles and create a walking club based off the workshop.

In addition to the public event on Oct. 1, a Train the Trainer workshop will be held the same day from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The trainer event is open to Shepherd’s Hand professional health promotion specialists and lay volunteers. The workshop will focus on strategies for getting patients moving.

The Motivation to Move event is a kickoff for the Shepherd’s Hand Healthy Communities Project that involves a number of programs and classes.

“Shepherd’s Hand is trying to focus on prevention and health promotion,” Relf said.

The clinic expects to hold a cardiovascular disease and diabetes prevention class this fall and begin weekly diet and physical activity coaching. A class titled “Treating Your Own Back and Neck utilizing the McKenzie Method” is set for Oct. 22 at 7 p.m.