Successful staging of Polestar Experience
Published:Wednesday | November 29, 2017 | 12:00 AMKeisha Hill
Body Forte, one of the island's leading physiotherapy and pilates centres, is now an official Polestar partner following the successful inaugural staging of 'The Polestar Experience' at the University of Technology (UTech). Polestar is a wellness therapy.
According to Summer Lopez, owner and operator of Body Forte, the objective of bringing the community together to learn how to live the best quality of life for each individual was met. "Each individual measures the quality of their life very differently, depending on the things they desire to do," Lopez said.
"We explored the importance of this in today's fast-paced world, taking a moment to breathe and ground one's self back to essentials. Each participant received a Polestar Life Handbook," she said.
The schedule of activities included presentations on promoting health, discovering a new, individualised, clear path to happiness, health, and peace. "We discussed the fact that it is our responsibility as humans to take charge of our health. We cannot wait or rely on our employers or our insurance company, and we should not wait until we are sick to decide to make changes and lead a balanced life," Lopez said.
Dr Brent Anderson, a licensed physical therapist and orthopaedic certified specialist, conducted the two-day conference. Anderson received his degree in physical therapy at University of California, San Francisco, in 1989, and his PhD in Physical Therapy at the University of Miami in 2005.
His doctoral thesis explored the impact of pilates rehabilitation on chronic lower-back pain, using psycho-emotional wellness and quality of life measures.
"We had wonderful feedback from the Friday night lecture. Some of our clients shared changes they have implemented in their daily lives. This was very fulfilling as we want everyone to live the best life they can," Lopez said.
"The idea that one can make positive changes in their health is powerful. There was also a lot of sharing and encouraging among the audience, and it was great to see people connecting with each other," she reported.
Lopez said that the staging of the event next year, they are encouraging the island's local universities to get involved and encourage their athletes to participate.
The title sponsor for the event was Benjamin Manufacturing Company Limited and it was endorsed by the Ministry of Health's Jamaica Moves campaign.