On Saturday, February 24, LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center will host the 18th annual Irene W. Pennington Wellness Day for Women.  For no cost, the event offers educational sessions on topics such as how to reduce the risk of breast cancer, sexual health for the aging woman, how to navigate Medicare changes in 2018, and more.

“We also have a talk called ‘How to Live in a Hurting World’ that addresses mental and emotional health,” shares Dr. Catherine Champagne, coordinator of the Women’s Nutrition Research Program. “There are so many events that have happened recently. Terrorist attacks, the flu outbreak. Things that can make you feel uneasy. The talk focuses on how though you can’t always avoid terrible things, you don’t need to obsess over them and let them take over your life.”

Along with a large fitness class for everyone to participate in, the event is also offering, for the first time, “Fit for You” screenings. Participants will have the unique opportunity to get a one-on-one fitness assessment and tips for an individualized exercise program from fitness professionals representing local organizations including: Go Physical Therapy, MaxFitness, Spectrum Fitness & Medical Wellness, and YMCA of the Capital Area.

According to Champagne, the biggest draw for this event is access to a plethora of free health screenings. “Some people don’t have access to these screenings because of their insurance plan,” she says. “And some people are just interested in getting screened for something they were never offered before.”

The event will offer screenings for blood glucose, blood cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rhythm, stroke risk, skin cancer, colorectal cancer, varicose vein, body mass index (BMI), body fat, hearing and vision.

The day will end with keynote demonstrators Dr. Darren Breaux from the Baton Rouge Cardiology Center and Chenoa Farrell, holistic health coach and CEO of Feel Good Mama (to learn more about her, check out this inRegister article), who will show attendees how to make a heart-healthy meal.

For the entire Wellness Day for Women agenda and free registration, click here.