PLANO, Texas, Sept. 19, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In its sixth consecutive year, this year the nationwide WALK! with Aegis Therapies senior wellness event is open to anyone who would like to participate in Active Aging Week. The WALK! will feature nationally-recognized fitness and wellness expert, Chris Freytag, who will lead a series of activities among our nation's senior population in the greater Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala. areas.
New to the WALK! program this year, anyone can participate in Active Aging Week through an online, at-home guide by registering at www.walkwithaegis.com. A welcome e-mail will outline the steps to log on and join the WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2014 program.
WALK! is a five-day event, that runs Monday, Sept. 22 through Friday, Sept. 26, and features wellness activities at more than 700 locations where Aegis Therapies provides rehabilitation services. The WALK! is jointly presented by the EnerG™ by Aegis wellness program and the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA) in support of ICAA's annual Active Aging Week®.
In addition to Chris Freytag's participation, Golden Living, a nationwide leader in post-acute healthcare services, lends its Executive Chef and Director of Dining and Hospitality, Darin Leonardson, to the WALK! program providing antioxidant smoothies and healthy recipes after a series of activities throughout the week. Chef Darin will be participating in events at senior communities in Nebraska, Iowa, North Carolina and Virginia.
"The WALK! with Aegis Therapies 2014 event grows in size and scope every year. With the inclusion of the broader local community WALK! programs have the opportunity to connect with our nation's aging population who may still live at home but would like to engage with us through our online registration," said Martha Schram, President of Aegis Therapies. "Aegis Therapies, along with the participation of Chris and Darin, are committed to caring and engaging our senior population so that we can collectively reinforce the importance of being active and healthy at any age."
Each of the 700 WALK! location organizes a series of 15- to 30-minute daily walking sessions and an event that supports a different dimension of wellness: physical, intellectual, occupational, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental. This award-winning program attracts seniors or all ages and mobility, families, facility staff, and community members with a week of scheduled events to celebrate health and wellness.
"There are many ways to define a community, whether the community of people in a club or all the people living in a city. On a small scale or a large one, older adults bring years of experience and knowledge to their communities, along with an attitude of caring and friendship," explains Colin Milner, CEO of International Council on Active Aging. "The active-aging philosophy celebrates older adults as full participants in the cultural, civic and personal areas of life. Active Aging Week is the time to appreciate their accomplishments on a national scale, while providing many opportunities to learn more about healthy, active living."
Schedule of Events:
Monday, Sept. 22, will feature Chris Freytag kicking off the WALK! with Aegis Therapies events at Woodbury Health Care Center in Woodbury, Minn. and Golden LivingCenter – Bloomington in Bloomington, Minn. Darin Leonardson will perform a cooking demonstration in events at Gateway Senior Living in Lincoln, Neb.
Tuesday, Sept. 23, will feature Darin presenting healthy dishes and a cooking demonstration at the WALK! with Aegis Therapies at Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City, Iowa.
Wednesday, Sept. 24, will feature Chris Freytag leading WALK! with Aegis Therapies events at Golden LivingCenter – Heritage Square in the greater Milwaukee area. Darin will present healthy dishes and smoothies in Greenville, N.C. and Tarboro, N.C. at Golden LivingCenter – Greenville and Golden LivingCenter – Tarboro.
Thursday, Sept. 25, will feature Chris Freytag leading WALK! with Aegis Therapies events at Magnolia Trace in Huntsville, Ala. and Golden LivingCenter – Oneonta in Oneonta, Ala.
Friday, Sept. 26, will feature Darin Leonardson making tasty recipes and presenting a tasting panel of new dishes at Golden LivingCenter – Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Va.
About the Talent
Chris Freytag holds the titles of certified group fitness instructor, personal trainer, weight management coach, published author, and speaker. Her high energy and dynamic personality led to national media appearances in "Success" magazine, on "The Today Show," and as a regular healthy lifestyle guest on QVC.
Darin Leonardson brings 20 years of culinary and hospitality experience to the table. He joined Golden Living from One Eighty, the parent company of Leisure Care Retirement Communities, where he was the corporate food and beverage manager for 38 Leisure Care properties globally. Previously, Leonardson worked for Google as a general manager and executive chef overseeing the dining rooms of five Google offices, where he began composting corporate wide and started on-site vegetable and herb gardens.
About Aegis Therapies (www.aegistherapies.com)
Aegis Therapies is one of the nation's leading providers of contract physical, occupational, and speech therapy services. Offering contract rehabilitation and wellness services, Aegis Therapies operates in 40 states with over 900 partnerships and employs more than 8,700 employees providing short-term and long-term therapy, At Home with Aegis, and EnerG® by Aegis wellness programs to help people increase their independence and maximize their functionality. Working together to provide better patient care at a lower cost, Aegis therapists receive state-of-the-art, evidenced-based practice training to measure and quantify therapy impact as well as continuing education to help them respond to the ongoing regulatory requirements. Aegis Therapies is part of the Golden Living family of companies celebrating 50 Years of Service. The company and its predecessor companies have cared for more than four million patients since 1964, and today is a national leader in providing post-acute care.
About the International Council on Active Aging® (ICAA) (www.icaa.cc)
ICAA, a professional association that leads, connects, and defines the active-aging industry. ICAA supports professionals who develop wellness facilities, programs, and services for adults over 50. The association is focused on active aging — an approach to aging that helps older adults live life as fully as possible within all dimensions of wellness — and provides its members with education, information, resources, and tools.
About Golden Living (www.goldenliving.com)
Golden Living is a family of companies that specialize in recovery care. Celebrating 50 Years of Service, the company and its predecessor companies have cared for more than four million patients since 1964, and today is a national leader in providing skilled nursing and post-acute care. Our mission is to share our passion for improving quality of life through innovative healthcare, one person, one family, and one community at a time. We help people recover their health and improve their quality of life through a network of healthcare services including rehab, assisted living, skilled nursing care, hospice, and palliative care. The Golden Living family of companies includes Golden LivingCenters, Aegis Therapies, AseraCare, Fianna Partners and 360 Healthcare Staffing. There are 294 Golden LivingCenters in 21 states. Golden Living also offers assisted living services at more than 30 of its locations. In addition, the Golden Living companies provide services to more than 1,000 nursing homes, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations in 40 states and the District of Columbia. Collectively, the Golden Living family of companies has more than 40,000 employees who provide quality healthcare to more than 60,000 patients every day.