Healthy choice

The Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness expo gives everyone a good started on how to live healthier lives, says a Confederation College wellness teacher.

Thousands of participants headed into the Valhalla Inn for the sixth annual Chamber of Commerce Health and Wellness expo. The weeklong expo, which started on Saturday, featured more than 40 exhibitors that went along with the event’s theme of living well.

Ruth Skillen, who teaches a wellness course at Confederation College, she went to the expo with her boyfriend, Kalev Kase, so she could keep updated on new wellness ideas. She said the expo was a good start for people who didn’t know a lot about how to stay healthy.

"This is just the starting block," Skillen said. "We need the knowledge, we know what to do with it and how we can integrate it into our lives. I think this is an introduction. The people are very good at giving you a place to come back to get more information."

But keeping physically fit is just one part of being healthy. Staying spiritually and mentally healthy is important too, she added.

Katherine Swerhun went to the expo to learn more on how she could stay healthy. With her busy schedule, it is often difficult for her to ensure she eats a well balance meal all the time.

"It’s important to eat healthy," Swerhun said. "There’s so much junk food it’s important to know what’s good for you to eat."

Nancy Milani, show manager of the Health and Wellness Expo, said the show brings in audiences because it gives out that information on how to be healthy and well through interactive displays. Participants could have a massage, learn how to cook or have their spin adjusted.

It’s all to ensure people remain healthy, she said.

"There’s a lot of diseases and a lot of things out there so if we can be a little bit proactive and do preventative health it is going to help us in the long run," Milani said. "These opportunities give people a chance to come out and get a real education but in a real fun atmosphere."