For more information on participating in any of the following services call the front desk (503-418-6272), or check out the Events Calendar.

There are many sources of stress in our world today.  Some level of stress is probably natural and may serve to keep us going, but when stress levels escalate to the point of "distress" there can be direct negative consequences to our mental and physical health.  At march wellness & fitness center, our stress management approaches include physical activity (exercise, meditation, relaxation strategies), self-help coaching (individual techniques to manage stress) and group activities (discussion groups on managing time, simplifying your life and focusing on the things that are important to you).

At march wellness & fitness center, we believe that reading your weight on a scale or analyzing your body mass index greatly oversimplifies the complexities of eating habits, physical activity and health.  We also know that the vast majority of diets and weight loss schemes and products are not effective in the long run.  We recognize that there is much natural variation in body shape and size and support the "health at every size" paradigm. We believe that weight management should not be focused on looks, but on health, vitality and feeling good. Our weight management approaches reflect this philosophy and are designed to help you meet those goals.

Smoking cessation

The U.S. Surgeon General has said that quitting is the single most important step that smokers can take to enhance the length and quality of their lives. We want to help members in making this transition. While we acknowledge that stopping smoking is not easy, it can be done. To have the best chance of quitting successfully, you need to know what you're up against, what your options are and where to go for help. There is no single approach that works for everyone, but our instructors and coaches can help enroll you in the smoking cessation program that works best for you.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teaches participants to develop specific skills for concentration and deep relaxation. This course is based on the national model developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, at the UMass Medical Center.  Two decades of published research indicates that the majority of people who complete the course report: Reductions in pain levels and an enhanced ability to cope with pain that may not go away, an increased ability to relax, greater energy and enthusiasm for life, improved self-esteem, an increased ability to cope effectively with stressful situations and a lasting decreases in physical and psychological symptoms.