Upcoming Health & Fitness Expo

On Sunday, Oct. 6, from 12-3 p.m. at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA

On Sunday, Oct. 6, the annual Health & Fitness Expo will take place from 12-3 p.m. at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. (Photo by Andrews University College of Health & Human Services)

On Sunday, Oct. 6, the annual Health & Fitness Expo will take place from 12–3 p.m. at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA. This expo is the result of collaborative efforts between the Andrews University College of Health & Human Services, Be Healthy Berrien, the YMCA of Southwest Michigan and the City of Niles.

The Health & Fitness Expo was created by the Andrews University School of Population Health, Nutrition & Wellness in 2012. Prior to the 2018 expo, the event was held on the Andrews University campus. However, since moving to the Niles-Buchanan YMCA the expo now has a broader impact on the local community and the number of community vendors with booths has increased.

“The expo aligns with everything that our University stands for,” says Gretchen Krivak, assistant professor in the School of Population Health, Nutrition & Wellness and Health & Fitness Expo coordinator. “It gives a large group of students the opportunity to go out and serve in the community and interact with people.” 

The goal of the expo is to provide health and fitness information to Southwest Michigan area residents and their families in fun and engaging ways. Expo attendees will have the opportunity to visit a variety of interactive booths to learn more about nutrition and local health services as well as participate in mini workouts, watch cooking demonstrations, enjoy vegetarian food samples, play games, and go through several health screenings including hearing, blood pressure, and posture and gait analysis. There will also be a kid’s zone with games and activities such as face painting, a bounce house and more.

“The expo gives participants a chance to see what can impact their wellbeing and provides ideas for them to learn how to improve on different aspects of their health,” says Krivak. “Overall if we can touch a few people’s lives in a positive way and they in turn share that with others, we can truly make an impact in the Niles community.”

Admission to this event is free, and all attendees who complete a sheet of participation will be able to enter into a drawing for prizes donated by the sponsors and vendors.