Back by popular demand, Wellness Coach Mary Baudo is partnering with the Boothbay Region Health Center to offer personally tailored exercise and wellness coaching for an eight-month program, beginning in October 2017. Registration is now open for the October 2017 to May 2018 season. Most of the 25 people who participated last year are planning to do it again this year. That leaves 20 new spots open for this year. This program is designed for adults of any age who want to increase their balance, flexibility, strength, and overall fitness. For more information and to register, contact Mary Baudo, Wellness Coach at (207) 357-3563 or marybaudo@msn.com.  Space is limited so don't delay.

In describing his experience with last year's program, Bob Crink said, "I found the Fit, Flexible & Strong class to be a motivating factor for me to improve my fitness and balance. In addition, within three weeks my knee problem I had from doing an exercise that I read about was eliminated. I plan to continue with Mary’s exercise plan at home because of my improvement. This is a very worthwhile class for the Boothbay Region Health Center to offer."

To register, you'll need your doctor to fill in a 1-page Medical Clearance Form that we'll send you. Then, we'll schedule you for your first of three assessments. In October, each person gets a fitness, medical, and cognitive evaluation, under the oversight of Dr. Alan (Chip) Teel. Mary Baudo does the fitness evaluations; and an RN performs the physical and cognitive evaluations.

Once the assessment has been done, Wellness Coach, Mary Baudo, meets with you to develop your personalized plan. This may include the classes she teaches at the Community Center, exercising you do at the YMCA, other fitness classes, or physical activity you do regularly. You'll keep a log of your exercises and nutrition. You'll be re-assessed in February, and in May — each time, you'll receive valuable feedback about how your exercise program is affecting your blood pressure, blood sugar, oxygen intake, and your weight. You'll see and feel the improvements in your mobility, strength, and flexiblity.

Mary's classes take place on Monday and Wednesday mornings at the Community Center Annex in the Meadow Mall. But you don't have to take Mary's classes to participate in the program. One couple did the program entirely on their own last year and reported that the benefits and results they received from having a personalized program and personal wellness coaching made it very worthwhile.

What's the cost of this medically-based personalized wellness exercise & fitness program? Last year, participants paid $97 and received refunds of $67 after completing the program. Most of them chose to donate their refunds back to keep this program alive. The consensus was that it's definitely worth at least $100 for the eight months of personal coaching, medical monitoring, and 50 classes. This year, we're asking participants to donate what they can towards defraying the costs of the program. If you're afraid that exercise might hurt you or if you think you're not physically capable of exercising, don't rule this opportunity out, call Mary Baudo (207-357-3563) to discuss your situation.