New Food and Nutrition Services Gym Encourages Wellness
By Sandra Carr
A concrete portable on the Food and Nutrition Services’ campus at 8101 Benrus St. in Orlando, has been transformed into a calm oasis, providing employees with a chance to relax away from emails, deadlines and meetings.
As soon as you step inside the building, you can see staff getting in shape throughout the day with balance balls, yoga mats, weights and other workout equipment.
FNS’ Multi Unit Manager Natasha Perinchief ended her Planet Fitness membership because she works out twice a week in the workplace gym. She is already seeing results.
“I enjoy using the elliptical machine because it provides me with both an upper-and-lower-body workout,” said Perinchief. “My clothes used to be tight, but are looser now, so I know that I have lost weight.”
According to
data collected in 2020 by the National Health Interview Survey and published by the National Center for Health Statistics, only 24.2% of adults 18 and older met the recommended two-and-a-half to five hours a week of moderate aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.
FNS emphasizes the importance of living a healthy lifestyle to its employees, and took its fitness philosophy further by converting one of its portables into a gym last fall, so staff members could exercise while working on the premises.
“Food and Nutrition Services embodies healthy living, eating right and working out,” said the department’s Senior Director Mark Watson. “The staff can take a break and work out in our on-site gym for free instead of walking around campus in the hot or cold weather.”
OCPS’ Surplus Operations department provided FNS with the exercise equipment from district gyms after they received approval from the School Board of Orange County.
The fitness flooring was donated as well as the furniture, which was used during the 2020 NBA playoffs at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. FNS bought towels and black-and-white workout pictures that were framed and are hanging on the walls. FNS also ensures the staff has bottled water while they are in the health club.
“The fitness room offers a fully-equipped, convenient location for employees to get healthy and bond with their peers,” said FNS’ Marketing Manager Marisabel Wolfinger. “By using creative thinking, in-house resources and hands-on teamwork, we have been able to design a high-energy workout space with minimal expense, and hope that our efforts motivate other OCPS departments to follow our lead and do the same for its staff.”
Former FNS Director Lora Gilbert was the inspiration for the fitness facility because wellness is a big part of her life.
Her exercise regimen at the office included taking a stroll around the department’s headquarters on her lunch break and working out at the YMCA during her off time.
Before Gilbert retired last June after working 19 years for the district, she would encourage her staff to walk outside on a sunny day or in the hallways when it was raining.
During a dedication and naming ceremony at FNS Dec. 15, the employee gym officially became the Lora Gilbert Wellness Center.
“I’m honored to have the Food and Nutrition Services gym named after me and an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy of health and wellness,” said Gilbert, who earned the district national accolades for improving food service staff training, increasing school meal participation and incorporating student input into menu development. She also led a push to include more fresh and locally-sourced ingredients in meals. She is the current president of the Florida School Nutrition Association’s board of directors. “The wellness center is the perfect opportunity for the staff to reduce stress by closing their eyes, taking a deep breath and exercising.”
The wellness center is open to FNS staff throughout the district and the maximum occupancy is 30. Reservations are not required. All employees must sign a waiver before they can work out in the gym. Their employee number is programmed in the keyless-entry system and provides them with access to the building, which is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In January, the FNS district office will be hosting a wellness day for its staff that focuses on kicking off the year healthier and stronger.