Free Fairs

Free Fairs

Free or low-cost health fairs are an annual fixture in manycommunities. These events often take place on weekends, frequently at local or regional shopping malls. They offer a smorgasbord of health and fitness information and services. For instance, you often can get simple health evaluations, advice about maintaining a healthy lifestyle,recipes and nutrition tips, natural-food samples, and information about fitness equipment and programs. You might have an opportunity to test exercise machines designed for home use or even to take a sample class with an instructor from a local gym. Some local businesses pass out coupons at health fairs or offer good values to attendees who make a purchase at the event. Such health fairs might be of general interest or targeted to the particular needs of women, seniors, or families. Some retail businesses also get into wellness counseling as a customer service. Wild Oats, a Colorado-based chain of natural-foods supermarkets, for example, has installed “wellness centers” adjacent to some of its stores. They are staffed by acupuncturists,chiropractors, massage therapists, lifestyle counselors, and nutritionists, all of whom
offer reasonably priced services. The centers also have lending libraries where customers can check out books, videos, and audio tapes about health and wellness. “We encourage healthy choices that reflect the needs of the whole individual: body, heart, mind, and spirit.” This is the Wild Oats’ stated motive for creating such centers.