Fitness in the Forest is a group that meets to walk the Wrightwood Trail. Folks unable to walk can meet in the Community Center for modified chair exercises. The idea came from Lions Club Member Pam Wright to encourage the community to get healthier by exercising while addressing and supporting people with diabetes in the community. For people with diabetes, getting active makes their body more sensitive to insulin, which helps manage diabetes. Activity helps control blood sugar levels, lowers the risk of heart disease, and lowers the risk of nerve damage as well.
Every Monday, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., on the porch area of the Community Center in Wrightwood, the group meets to sign in with the Lions Club President Jill Carlton Payne. Those who wish to have their blood pressure checked or blood sugar tested can have a confidential reading.
Next, those that signed in gather to walk the Wrightwood Trail with walking leader Carol Pettegrew. Some walk the whole trail, and some go further; in weeks passed, as many as 19 participants have gathered to walk the trail.
At 10 a.m., those who need a modified exercise class can meet inside the Community Center with Donna Alverez, a retired Physical Education Teacher, and do chair exercises. The Lions Club focuses on four main issues in a community: diabetes, hunger, vision, and childhood cancer. Local and county resource information is always available on these topics at check-in.
