Stretching to Reach Their Fitness Goals

Staff at the HHSA El Cajon Family Resource Center do yoga once a week during their lunch hour. The class is taught by co-worker Genevieve Lovland who donates her time to lead the class. The employees can also participate in a strength training or dancing activity once a week.

Warrior One. Downward Dog. Mountain Pose.

Once a week during their lunch hour, several HHSA El Cajon Family Resource Center employees gather in a conference room in the back of the building for a half-hour yoga session 

As part of the FRC Live Well San Diego committee’s offerings, the yoga classes are part of a series of healthy activities that help employees de-stress during the workday and build healthier lives.

Employees can also take part in upper and lower body strength sessions and various dancing activities, according to FRC manager Barbara Rathburn.

Classes are taught by employees who volunteer their time and are designed for beginners so everyone can take part.

“They really want to empower their colleagues,” said Rathburn. “A lot of time employees need a break and this is a way they can do something good that makes them feel good for the rest of the day.”

As a smaller facility, the employees don’t have access to all the Employee Wellness offerings from the County, so they decided to do some of their own to complement the County-wide offerings that they do participate in.

Rathburn said they had six teams from the FRC in the recent Amazing Race competition and for a second year they will have about 30 participants in the upcoming Live Well 5K.

Many of the employees are also in walking groups that head out during their morning and afternoon breaks to hit the sidewalks in the neighborhood.

“They all have their tennies under their desk,” Rathburn said.

And good news for the yoga crew: Rathburn said they will soon have access to a larger multi-media room so they’ll have more room to breathe – pun intended.

Do you get up and moving with your coworkers on your lunch break or after hours? Send us photos of your group working out!