Family Fitness and Wellness Guide

Staying healthy is a family endeavor. Whether it’s taking a walk in the park or visiting a local athletic club, there are plenty of things you can do as a family to stay fit. With this guide, Ann Arbor Family Press brings you local professionals and organizations that are dedicated to helping you and your family stay happy and healthy.

The construction of the new C.S. Mott Children’s and Women’s Hospital captures the essence of “bridging philosophy and facility,” as Associate Director Pat Warner so aptly puts it. The new building, which will open in 2012, will occupy 1.1 million square feet and is the second biggest project under construction in the state of Michigan. With the exception of a portion of the ICU
unit, every woman and child housed in the new hospital will have their own private room with a patient area, clinician area and importantly, a family area. One of the striving goals of the new hospital is to house not just its patients but also their families — summed up in the MOTT-o, i.e. Mott motto, of Family Centered Care. According to their website, family centered care is a “cooperative effort between families and health care teams, and it’s a philosophy that recognizes, respects and promotes the diversity, strength and culture of family relationships.”

Caring for the Leonards

The Leonard Family (with twins Mikaila and Emma) is grateful for Mott's personal, family care.Upon talking to patients at Mott, one quickly finds that family centered care is not just a mission on the website, but the lifeblood that pumps through the veins of the hospital. The Leonard family puts a face to the philosophy of family centered care. Five years ago, Lisa Leonard gave birth to twins at the high-risk pregnancy unit there. When asked why they chose Mott, Lisa answered, “Mott chose us.” Her twins, Mikaila and Emma, were born at 33 weeks. Mikaila was in the NICU a month only to feed and grow. Emma’s main diagnosis before birth was TEF (tracheo esophogeal fistula), which means her trachea and esophagus formed a pouch, and did not connect to her stomach. She received corrective surgery the day after birth to connect the esophagus and trachea but stayed in the hospital for a large portion of her first year, in and out of surgery. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with tracheobronchomalacia and chronic respiratory failure requiring a tracheotomy and Five years later, the Leonards’ daughter Emma has a medical team of 6 specialty doctors and they spend weekends, birthdays and often holidays at Mott. On a recent trip to Mott, they ran into the doctor who had delivered the twins in 2004 and Lisa was amazed at how she “took a couple of minutes and acted like nothing mattered in the world but the twins.” Both girls, Emma and Mikaila refer to their “health care teams” as “aunties and uncles from Mott hospital.” Lisa often refers to the relationship they have with healthcare employees as a “partnership” and uses words like “empowerment.”

Ready For Change

The new Mott is already in the works, in that a lot of the changes planned for the new building are being implemented in the current hospital. The plan and design of the building was made with the active input of at least 450 staff, faculty and patients. “The new facility will be the facility that our patients deserve as well as our faculty and staff,” says Werner, who outlined the methods and some of the most important shifts in the planning process. Along with intensive meetings and focus groups between architects and patients, the administration did national benchmarking and a literature review to learn from other children and women’s hospitals — to fi nd what works and what is safest. The single rooms were seen as a way to not only “maximize ability of a family to stay with their patients but also to decrease the spread of infection,” says Werner. Other improvements include Hepa air filtering, “meds by the beds” — or patients’ individual medication in
their room opposed to a central location, programmatic collocation of services, and centralized equipment management. Lisa and her husband Craig were some of the patients involved in the planning process. “Change needs to be made and they are not afraid to do it,” says Lisa.

For more information, visit www.med.umich.edu/mott The Leonard family (with twins Mikaila and Emma) is grateful for Mott’s personal, family care.

local health spots

Liberty Athletic Club
2975 W. Liberty St.
734-665-3738 ext. 12

www.libertyathletic.net
 

Family-fun fitness
Liberty Athletic Club welcomed its first members more than 30 years ago, and we’ve been going strong ever since. Our club—which now spans 110,000 square-feet on 12 acres and houses four state-of-the-art cardio and strength training areas, six indoor and six outdoor tennis courts, two indoor and two outdoor swimming pools, childcare and a full-service spa—is Ann Arbor’s largest.
 

We opened Ann Arbor’s only indoor waterpark, Liberty Lagoon, in March of 2008. The waterpark is complete with a 140’ indoor/outdoor slide, lazy river, twirl pool and water play area. In addition, the building houses a multi purpose room with a 26’ high climbing wall, 1/2 court basketball and other activities for youth. Membership at Liberty includes two sessions of personal training, a half-hour tennis evaluation, over 65 weekly group fi tness classes (including cycling, yoga and Pilates), a New Member Spa Service (choose from a manicure, facial, or massage), towel service, parking , complimentary childcare with family membership, early registration for clinics, wireless internet access, guest privileges at more than 3,600 clubs worldwide and discounted member rates for clinics, lessons, camps and spa services.

Liberty Athletic Club’s founding mission is to provide a welcoming, family-oriented place for people of all ages to gather and play. We hope you’ll take the time to visit us in person, because it’s only
when you step inside our home that you truly get a sense for all that we have to offer. Call today to schedule a tour 734-665-3738 ext 12. www.libertyathletic.net

Kenville Studios
323 E. Hoover St.
Ann Arbor, MI
734-302-3502

 

Get moving!

Kenville Studios has partnered with UMove Fitness to provide you with a healthy start to your day. Classes are open to anyone age 18 and older or who is a UM student. 

PIYO is the seamless blend of Pilates and Yoga. Strengthen your core, improve your balance and increase your flexibility and endurance. Challenges your current fi tness level, relaxes your mind and leaves you energized and refreshed. Each workout is approximately 60 minutes and includes warm-up, workout, and cool down sections. Mondays, 6:45-7:45 a.m. Session runs Jan. 6 – Apr. 21, 2010. Cost: $72

Pilates is a unique system of stretching and strengthening exercises developed in the early 1900s by Joseph Pilates. Pilates strengthens and tones muscles, improves posture, provides fl exibility and balance, unites body and mind and creates a more aligned and streamlined shape. The class will primarily be centered around and focused on the matwork principles of Pilates working
from a neutral spine. Yoga Mat needed. Thursdays, 11:00 – 11:45 a.m. Session runs Jan. 6 – Apr. 21, 2010.Cost: $59

Arts in Motion
2841 Boardwalk Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-222-6246

A great time getting fit!

Why does getting fit have to happen at an expensive gym or at home on equipment that is taking up space in your home? It doesn’t! At Arts in Motion you can have a great time getting fit! Our Pilates class is a great way to improve strength, fl exibility, endurance, control, and coordination. Pilates can help strengthen your muscles to prevent injury or promote recovery from injury. Our Dance Exercise class gets you up and moving to good music, increasing your aerobic capacity and stamina. And not only can you get fi t but your child can participate in conveniently scheduled dance classes while you do. Our dance classes for children include Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Modern. Dance is such a natural form of exercise that your children won’t even realize that they are exercising. And our adult classes are conveniently scheduled at the same time as classes for kids.

 “Movement is medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental state.” ~Carol Welch
 

Pure Barre
220 Felch St. ?4
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-761-3070

 

Raise the barre on fitness

Looking to raise the bar for your workouts in 2010? The Pure Barre Technique may just be the magic potion you’ve been looking for… Known for its total body workout that uses a ballet barre to perform small but super effective movements, Pure Barre is known to lift your seat and tone your abs, legs and arms in record-breaking time. Plus, the technique is smart – it uses calculated movements to protect your joints (no jumping or bouncing) and involves stretching after each exercise to create long, lean muscle – not bulk. What’s more, the super focused workout truly strengthens from the inside out, building endurance, stamina, balance and fl exibility, both mentally and physically, helping in all other areas of your life. Created in a suburb of Detroit, MI, Pure Barre has now grown to a whopping 17 locations, each separately owned by (mostly) women supporting health and wellness in their respective communities.

Xtreme Bounce Zone82 Aprill Dr., Suite C
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-761-3242

www.xtremebouncezone.com

Bounce on in! 

Xtreme Bounce Zone is fi lled with six huge infl atables. You come to us and bounce and play in a safe and friendly environment. The floors are padded, the music is playing, and for the parents the complimentary coffee is brewing. XBZ is the perfect place to host parties. You’re welcome to bring in your own food, beverages, cake, and ice cream! You manage your own party (with our assistance), which means you can bounce for as long as you want. Rent the entire Bounce Zone for your next party, or come enjoy an open session. Features include a Monkey House, 18-foot giant slide, 52-food obstacle course, Adreneline Zone, Castle Bouncer, Air Hockey, Toddler Bounce Zone, and 7 slides total. Stop by or make your reservation today.

Healthcare Heroes

A referral to a good healthcare professional is priceless. That’s why, this year, we’ve added “healthcare heroes” highlighting local pros in the industry — people who genuinely care about their clients and making a difference in the community. They’re the people you trust with your family’s health; and the ones you happily recommend. Here’s to our healthcare heroes!

Gaia Kile FNP
Ann Arbor Thermography
210 Little Lake Dr. ?10
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-332-9936

Gaia Kile FNP has over 20 years of experience with holistic approaches to health care, offering primary care and consulting form an integrative perspective. As a nurse practitioner, he diagnoses and treats most health issues using natural and nutritional approaches, and also orders prescription medications when needed. 

His areas of expertise and clinical experience include:
•Depression, anxiety, attention defi cit issues and other mental health concerns
•Fatigue and its many potential causes
•Natural and bio-identical hormone therapy for adrenal, thyroid, libido and menopausal issues
•Food and inhaled allergies, chemical sensitivities, and detoxification
•Intestinal and digestive problems including chronic infections
•Prevention and management of chronic diseases including lifestyle and adjunct therapies
•Personalized health assessment and care for maximum wellness and longevity.

Dr. Kile says, “I am interested in health partnerships with my patients. I want patients to participate in the health decisions that effect them. This means taking the time that is needed to share information, and listening to my patients.”

Christin Draybuck
NCTMB
Balance Massage Therapy
5155 Plymouth Rd.
734-660-5919

www.lifeisactive.com

Christin Draybuck, NCTMB, owns and is the lead therapist at Balance Massage Therapy in Ann Arbor. She and her team of skilled therapists focus on the therapeutic value of massage therapy. Draybuck states, “Massage is a critical component to maintaining good health, it leads your body into repair mode helping stress levels to lower and breathing to become deeper. In doing so we allow our bodies to relax, which can lead to better functioning, resulting in pain reduction and tension release. Our team believes in the importance of assessing each clients’ needs and developing a massage strategy to best fit their wellness goals. Whether looking for relief from an injury or to relax, our goal is to help you find Balance”

Balance Massage aims to be “affordable, accessible and adaptable”, offering therapeutic deep-tissue work and relaxing treats (like hot stone massage).

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