Cedar Falls Iowa. The home to the Western Home Communities.
However, it is also the home of one of the Blue Zone Projects pick
cities. The Blue Zones Project is a community well-being improvement
initiative designed to make healthy choices easier through
permanent changes to environment, policy and social networks.
Over the last year the Western Home has worked tirelessly with its
wellness coordinator and a few other staff members to gain worksite
certification. This fall they achieved that goal and was one of the
first 10 businesses in the area to complete this
task. This simply meant that the Western Home as a business was
working towards better health and well-being for its employees and
residents. To enhance this on the south campus there has been a new
blue structure put into the concrete just south of Windhaven
Assisted Living. The Mayor of Cedar Falls as well as the Western Home
Communities have placed this structure next to a public bike trail as
well to offer more incentive for walkers, runners, and cyclist to take a
breather and enjoy a different form of exercise.
From first glance you can see from the picture that it could be
rather daunting, but not for Wellness Coordinator Amanda Lynch. She was
determined to figure out how to use this apparatus and be able to
provide information for residents and employees who
would choose to go use this on their breaks or before/after work hours.
She was able to find 24 exercises that coincided with this structure
and laminated the sheet to leave at the site for individuals to use! She
hopes to have a reception in the spring of
2014 to introduce more individuals to the structure and get them
excited about outdoor exercise and the opportunities an outdoor
structure like this can have on them in many different ways!