Meet Ginny Zimmerman, the Culture of Health Ambassador for Fishers’ Health Department and Director of the Geist Half Marathon race series. With the cold weather still hanging around, we asked Ginny her best tips and tricks to stay active and what to look forward to #AroundFisherswhen the sun finally comes out!
What is your role within the City of Fishers?
I work under the Health Department and partner with the Parks Department to come up with new and creative ways to get the City of Fishers’ residents to adopt more of an active lifestyle and healthier choices for a more physically fit lifestyle.
What does Culture of Health mean to you and your role?
I am looking for ways that we can be proactive about chronic disease prevention. A lot of that comes from a place of movement, and movement matters! If you’re walking, kayaking, rowing, fishing; getting out and having a connection to nature, being outside with your physical fitness. Part of that for my role is being the Race Director for Geist Half Marathon. I also created the Fishers Health Department’s Wellness Wander so that you can wander around a couple of our parks’ facilities and connect with nature.
What are some ways to be physically active in Fishers?
Fishers Parks has great park facilities, so on those unusually warm days throughout February and March, our Parks facilities are available to engage with. We’ve got walking tracks around Brooks School Park, trails at Flat Fork Creek and Ritchey Woods, and that’s just to name a few. There are lots of different ways you can get out in nature and be able to explore your city. Even in the downtown area, we have the Nickel Plate Trail that our Department of Public Works team does a tremendous job of taking care of throughout these winter months. So, use it! There are not a lot of cities that have this amenity to engage with.
What are some tips to stay active during the winter?
As much as you can, try to soak up Vitamin D if there’s an opportunity for a sunny day. You don’t have to go outside. You could set up a garage gym or a little corner nook that’s just wide enough for a yoga mat to do some light stretching. If you’re somebody who likes to stay indoors and doesn’t want to go out when it’s cold, there are micromovements that you could do within your home. Set a 15-minute timer, see how many jumping jacks you can do. Challenge your kids to a push up competition! There’s lots of creative ways you can find to move with your family or by yourself to really keep yourself motivated so that when spring comes, you’re ready!
What should Fishers’ residents know about Geist Half Marathon?
The great thing about the Geist Half Marathon is that it’s a super local race, which means it’s just around the corner. It’s not too far to get to. Movement matters, so the 5K is a great entry point for anybody who’s not familiar with road racing. You could walk the entire thing; you can even push a stroller if that is something that you want to do. The 10K is also a nice way to challenge yourself. There’s a lot of local running clubs within the Indianapolis region to connect with if you’re looking for a little bit of encouragement and somebody to walk alongside you in your training. You have plenty of time to make a plan; there’s lots of training plans online to be able to start that journey yourself. You don’t have to be fast; we’re not looking for Olympians. We are just looking for people for are encouraged to move and if walking and running is your jam, then Geist Half Marathon is a great opportunity for you to go after it and get to the finish line.
Stay active to keep your body and mind engaged this winter. Looking to set a goal? Sign up for Geist Half Marathon! Registration is open for all three race distances at geisthalf.com.
