Fresh Start: Stepping into the New Year
From running hill repeats to walking during lunch breaks, employees across Cape Cod Healthcare share their exercise routines and emphasize the importance of getting out and moving to boost their physical and mental health.
Hawthorne Hill Group: Better Together
“OK, ready everyone, let’s go!”
For the past 12 years on Wednesday mornings before work or on their day off, a group of Cape Cod Healthcare employees and friends in the community lace up for laughs, support and motivation. As one participant summed it up, there is “real camaraderie and esprit de corps.”
Their weekly workout includes 10 hill repeats up Hawthorne Avenue near the Hyannis Port Golf Course. “It’s a no-judgment zone. Everyone is doing their own thing and moving at their own pace,” says Kristen Siminski, Physical Therapist for the VNA Public Health and Wellness. Siminski sends out a group text the night before to check in with everyone and to see who’s going. “This group is very positive, and I’m so thankful for it.”
They have run in any kind of weather except when it’s icy or the forecast includes hurricane-like winds. On one recent sunny morning in January, clothing attire included hats, gloves and plenty of layers in the 24-degree weather.
The group typically meets at Eugenia Fortes Beach nearby, walks or runs over to Hawthorne Avenue and then steadfastly starts running up the hill. It’s a tenth of a mile and takes about a minute to complete, depending on pace. Believe it or not, it’s easy to lose track, so one person keeps count with chalk marks on the road. The total distance of the workout equals around 2.5 miles.
After reaching the top, everyone walks down together, takes in the beautiful water views of Hyannis Harbor and starts all over again. As part of the tradition, they conclude the workout by snapping a scenic picture together at the golf course.
“I enjoy it because I would never be motivated enough to run hills by myself, so doing it with a group is the only way it would happen,” says Karen Monaghan, MD, Hospitalist Physician, Cape Cod Hospital. “Secondly, running hills in the one of the most beautiful and scenic places on the planet makes me very grateful to live on Cape Cod.”
Pictured: The Hawthorne Hill group includes Katie Flynn, MD; Karen Monaghan, MD; Mary O’Neill, MD; and Kristen Siminski, PT.
North Street: Dynamic Duo on the Move
When time allows, Leslie LeClair and Jill O’Loughlin trade in their dress shoes for sneakers and squeeze in a mile-plus walk from their North Street office down Main Street to Ocean Street and back. As they walk past restaurants and clothing boutiques on Main Street in Hyannis, the pair says the walk gives them a mental break and provides an opportunity to catch up on life outside work.
“With Teams Meetings now, we are not walking around as much as we used to,” says LeClair, Executive Director of Business Intelligence.
On the day we joined them, conversations ranged from yoga classes and virtual races versus in-person races to what our jobs entail and where we grew up. As we walked down Main Street, we noticed some new restaurants and a brewery opening up soon.
LeClair and O’Loughlin, who have been walking together for several years, say there’s no set time of day. It could be 11:30 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. “It’s whenever we can find a half hour,” says LeClair. “We try to sneak in a walk every day. This will be a super-short walk today because we have a meeting at 1 p.m.” LeClair adds they try not to talk too much about work on their daily walk.
“It’s more for our mental health and a break from staring at our screens,” says O’Loughlin, Director of Corporate Treasury. “My watch is often yelling at me to stand up.”
Fontaine Team: Smiles and Strides
Byranna Medeiros, RN, BSN, and her coworkers at Fontaine Primary Care have made it a regular habit to get moving on their lunch break.
Medeiros admits they took a little hiatus around the holidays, but are motivated to get back into the routine as part of their New Year’s resolution. “We have to work off all those Christmas goodies we splurged on!” says Medeiros.
The group aims to walk two to three laps around the building, and also around the parking lots. Medeiros says it ends up being just a little over a quarter mile per lap. “Walking with a friend/coworker is definitely a great way to stay accountable,” says Medeiros. “One of us is always asking the other, ‘Are we walking today?’”
The Fontaine team pictured (clockwise, from left): Marie Hartley, PA; Maribeth O’Hara, practice manager; Heather Wilson, NP; Julie Crisp, LPN; Michaela Dick, RN, the newest addition to the office; and Bryanna Medeiros, RN, BSN (front center). Not pictured: Mita Gupta, MD, and Kim Maas, RN, who are regular walkers with the group.
Falmouth Hospital: Workout Buddies Motivate Each Other
With the start of the new year, Clinical Educator Kristen Tavares, BSN, RN, and Leann Pokraka, MS1 RN, both wanted to focus on their health, but were nervous about starting a new workout class at a local studio alone. So the Falmouth Hospital coworkers decided to team up and try it together. “We’ve become workout buddies and friends ever since,” says Tavares, adding they try to maintain one to three classes per week, depending on their schedules. “It helps to keep each other accountable and motivated!”
Since different workouts are offered every day of the week at the Mashpee studio, it helps keep their routine fresh and engaging. Tavares shares their favorite classes include lower body, full body and “bootcamp” workouts. Each class is 45 minutes and is a combination of strength training, HIIT and cardio. During each circuit workout, Tavares and Leann perform four sets of one exercise with 30 secs of rest in between each set, then move onto to the next station. The owners, who are also two of the coaches, demonstrate each exercise first to help improve form in real time and motivate everyone throughout the entire workout.
“We love the atmosphere, the vibes and always feel good when class is done,” says Tavares.
Coming soon: Stay tuned for exciting Employee Wellness Program updates! A new wellness platform is set to launch in April.
