Second-year student Matthew Horning reads the blood pressure result from Catherine McConnell at Women's Health and Fitness Day.
The Cornell Obstetrics and Gynecology Society (COGS) at Weill Cornell Medical College presented the first Women's Health and Fitness Day on September 28, part of a nationwide observation issued by the National Women's Health Information Center. In the Greenberg Pavilion of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, attendees from the community enjoyed free blood pressure screenings, granola bars and soy nuts, and demonstrations of simple exercises from personal trainers.
The displays on view embodied the event's three-pronged approach to women's health: preventative screenings, nutritious diet and fitness routines, said Erika Moseson '08, the public-relations representative for COGS.
Representatives from New York Sports Club demonstrate fun exercise routines using equipment like a medicine ball.
COGS invited local health-focused businesses such as Vitality Health Foods and New York Sports Club to the fair, to remind community members they can mobilize and turn to local resources in their quest for living well. The New York City Parks Department donated more than 400 pedometers that attendees could claim once they had passed through the "three steps to health," gathering information from the screening, nutrition and fitness stations. Handouts advised on how to talk to one's doctor. Literature from Weill Cornell resources like the Iris Cantor Women's Health Center was also available.
"We're hoping to get the word out regarding ideas to get more healthy, and to show they can be easy, not complicated, especially when you connect with local resources," said Jennifer Swails, a second-year student and vice president of COGS.
Community members and faculty and staff from the Hospital and Medical College peruse through the informational kiosks.
The nutrition table's clearest message was to think soy: EdenSoy milk, edamame (Japanese soy beans) and soy nuts were all popular. Kashi cereal bars and Morningstar veggie patties also made the cut. Visual aids offered guidelines on how to order healthy meals in restaurants, a nod to New Yorkers' frequent dining out. Similarly, trainers from New York Sports Club showed ways to work out at home after a long, chaotic day, with hand weights and medicine ball routines that can be done in front of the TV.
"These are easy, incremental ways for New Yorkers to fit fitness into their daily routine," Moseson said.
Blake Selby, a nurse at the Hospital, has her blood pressure taken by second-year student Yael Leal.
Raffles enticed participants with the chance to win a gym membership or deluxe massage.
Adam Weitzman, a fourth-year medical student, launched COGS in June in an effort to bring together faculty and students to promote women's health in the community. The Society includes a lecture series committee, domestic-violence support group, and other activities to involve medical students in women's health issues.
Alison Bloch, research coordinator in the Department of Medicine, found helpful information at the fair about the recent changes to the food pyramid, fitness regimens and the need for blood pressure and cholesterol screenings in one's 20s. Her co-worker, Allison Burmeister, picked up a bumper crop of good nutrition tips, like the importance of calcium and fiber, and found resonance in the fair's emphasis on early prevention.
Organizing the National Women's Health and Fitness Day at Weill Cornell is one step of the Cornell Obstetrics and Gynecology Society's mission to educate the community about women's health.
Photos by Amelia Panico.