Latest / Sweat Community / Ep.5 Healing Through Movement How HRCA's Hannah Yeager is Redefining Community Fitness Mental Health

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Ep.5 Healing Through Movement How HRCA's Hannah Yeager is Redefining Community Fitness Mental Health · Sweat Community

• Sheena: Exactly. Thank you so much. It has been a lot of fun. What does it ⁓ What does actually take to build a fitness community that works for everyone? From the person walking into their very first group fitness class to someone in their 90s who just wants to keep moving. Welcome back to Community, the podcast that keeps you in the know of all things health, wellness, and the people behind it here in the Denver metro area. I'm your host, Sheena. guest today is Hannah and I've had the opportunity to know and work with her for almost two years. Hannah said something that really stuck with me. Her fitness philosophy in one word, healing. And I think that is exactly what HRCA makes possible. Whether you're or 85. Brand new or seasoned regular, movement can be healing for your body, your mind, and your community. if the mental health today hit close to home, ⁓ please hear this. You are alone you do not have to wait you're in crisis to ask for help. Hannah is living proof of that. If you to connect with Hannah or learn more about everything HRCA has to offer, ⁓ her contact information is in the show notes. She is the fitness manager at Highlands Ranch Community Association, or HRCA. overseeing over a hundred group fitness classes every week ⁓ to creating community events and programming for all ages and fitness levels. beyond fitness, we're gonna talk about something that doesn't get about enough: mental health, anxiety, and what it looks like to be high-functioning leader. And as always, head to sweatcommunity.com to subscribe and stay in the know. Now tell me what made you sweat this week. I'll talk to you soon. Can't wait to connect. Bye. While navigating your own personal struggles, Let's get into it. Welcome, Hannah. Hannah: Sheena. Your intro was so nice. I was like tearing up a little bit. ⁓ thanks so much for having me. I'm super excited to be here. Sheena: ⁓ ⁓ my gosh. Thank you so much for being here. I'm so excited that you're on the podcast. Hannah: Yeah, it's great. this has been a really big project for you and it's been super fun to watch you take it all over and go in strides. So I am honored to be on. Sheena: ⁓ all right. for people who may not know you yet, can you tell us a bit about your background, what led you into the fitness industry, and how that evolved into your role? Hannah: Yeah, I've always had a love and passion for movement. I was a competitive dancer for about 10 years, from middle school through high school, did all the dance teams. And movement is something that I've always been super passionate about. I started, going into undergrad and I realized, I didn't have dance team And I was like, What do I do with myself? I had this free time, I knew the power of movement and the love of it for my body. I to dig deep into group fitness. I threw myself in there before I knew it. I was becoming a group fitness instructor. I moved into some management roles ⁓ I was very fortunate to get a graduate assistantship at the Indiana State University, where I served their graduate assistant for fitness. ⁓ And from From there, I moved right on into a coordinator role at the University of South Florida, where I continued to grow in this passion of helping students, And then in 2020, ⁓ in the middle of the here I am in Colorado, ⁓ came and took this job sight scene, quite honestly. All my interviews were through Zoom and Always had passion of wanting to get out to Colorado. Sheena: It's yeah. Hannah: Colorado because it is truly the fitness capital of the world. And so now I'm here running the Highlands Ranch Community Association going on year six of my role here. Sheena: Wow, it was so fast to get you from you were to where you are now. That is truly ⁓ Hannah: Thank you. Yeah, I'm a pretty driven person. when I have my mind set on something, ⁓ I will figure a way to accomplish it. ⁓ Sheena: Yes, we'll go for it. I love it. people hear group fitness and they don't always realize how much planning and community building goes into it. you offer over hundred classes a week. What kinds of classes are in that? Hannah: Yeah, So we have 11 different categories that we put our classes into. those range from yoga, Zumba, strength training, cardio classes, cycling, aqua fitness, senior bar Pilates, high intensity interval training, and more. we truly do have something for everybody. Sheena: Wow, you really do have something for everybody. ⁓ What the most popular classes andor trends that you're seeing right now? Hannah: Yeah. I've definitely seen of a shift towards strength training ⁓ the past couple years, which personally I love. I feel like we're finally, as a population, starting to understand the importance of strength training. ⁓ so many years, especially for females, the focus is always on cardio. ⁓ So I seeing everyone, hitting weights, but especially women. I've also seen a shift of people doing more recovery-based workouts. We've added in some deep stretch classes, some yoga classes, and what I like to refer to as core training and accessory work with Matt Pilates. People are understanding the importance of the yin to the yang. So, yes, you can do all of the cardio, your strength training, but ⁓ if you're not taking those moments to to restore your body, work on mobility, on core strength. It really can limit how far you can go. So I really love seeing people lean into that aspect as well. Sheena: Yes, I see that too. it is so important to have ⁓ both. ⁓ You can all strength training, which is fantastic that people are getting more into that, ⁓ but you also need balance and restore So offering all those classes ⁓ so well with full body, health. ⁓ Hannah: Yes. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. That's something we really try to offer here at HRCA there is every type of movement and class that you want here, all under one or I guess four different that you can choose from. Sheena: Definitely. with that many options for somebody brand new, how would you recommend that they approach fitness or the center without feeling overwhelmed? Hannah: Yeah, that's a great question. And I just wanna take a minute to just let people know if that's you and you are looking at our schedule or just Sheena: Yeah. Hannah: all the fitness options in the Denver metro area and feeling overwhelmed, you are not alone. very easy to feel that way. the thing that I would recommend for somebody is to narrow it down to find one or two classes that immediately pique your interest. You see it on the schedule, you're reading the description and you're like, yeah, this is something I really want to try. And then, try them out. that's the biggest part, right? Show up. ⁓ it can be uncomfortable, it can be scary. putting yourself out there and trying new things is where growth happens. ⁓ the worst thing is you might go to a and you might hate it. But you know what? You tried something new and you can use that as feedback into what you're going to be doing moving forward. Sheena: that is so good. Yes, just showing up, trying it, that's the hardest is getting there. And then once you're there, you can explore more and see what is the best fit for you. Hannah: And Maybe I'm a little bit biased, but I do think that our community here at HRCA is one of the most welcoming, inclusive, and empowering that you can have when you're starting something new in fitness. Sheena: I couldn't agree more. The community is my favorite part about group fitness and HRCA. we have so much fun. People show up every week and it goes beyond fitness. So on that, have you seen friendships or real transformations come out of these programs? Hannah: Yes. Absolutely. a lot of our members have been coming to classes for some time now. And they're able to celebrate all of the different milestones that they have going on in their lives ⁓ from graduations, marriages, to births of new family members or even grandbabies. the things. go beyond just the fitness classes. Sheena: Yes, which think is really unique. Hannah: Yeah, that was the one thing when I came into this role almost six years ago now that was just so astonishing and that I loved is none of the community aspect of here is forced. It is so organic and it's so true. ⁓ had nothing to with anything that I did, ⁓ And it's just really cool. I've been invited to 100th birthday parties that we've celebrated people. Sheena: it's not just the members that show up. They invite the instructors. everybody is getting together. ⁓ And ⁓ it's just so neat to see and to be part of. Hannah: Yes, yes. It is, yes, absolutely. Sheena: Hmm. So ⁓ fitness here not just inside the four walls of these rec centers. ⁓ what inspired like yoga in the park and the community fitness pop-ups ⁓ what's the goal hosting these fitness events outside of the regular programming? Hannah: It definitely for me stemmed from hearing so many people in our community, which for those people that don't know, we are a very unique entity being an HOA. we do serve over 100,000 members that live in the Highlands Ranch area. the amount of people that I would hear in passing being like, I didn't even know offered that. We have yoga classes, we have this. And I was just Florida, because I grew up in the Midwest, and while it was great, we didn't have these types of opportunities and beautiful recreation centers and programs. everyone that lives this community is truly so lucky ⁓ to have four beautiful rec centers, an outdoor rec center with the backcountry, ⁓ and easy and accessible access, these programs. that's where a lot of it stemmed from for me. ⁓ I think a lot of our instructors. because we're here, we see the power and importance of what we do, ⁓ we're just wanting to spread that word. So, yoga in the park series that we run partnership with Metro District, that's a great way to just, hey, did you know we offer yoga classes? ⁓ Come try them out, in the summer. ⁓ And we'd love to you in the studio then, Sheena: something powerful about being outside with the community. I still think so fondly from last summer when I was able to yoga in the park. And there's over 200 people that show up and that energy it's unlike anything Hannah: It really is. it's just a great testament to see the wonderful active community that we have living right here in our backyards. Sheena: Absolutely. Yes. you walk us through what goes into planning and carrying these type of events out? Hannah: Yes, ⁓ a lot of organization. So Sheena: Yeah. Hannah: I, if you ever well, you've been in my office, but for people that don't know, I've got to-do lists, calendars, all the things everywhere to help me stay organized. I start figuring out the big picture. thinking about who to get involved. So ⁓ from my instructors or personal trainers, if we have any local wellness health vendors that I think would really, amplify the event, contacting them. them brainstorming some ideas I also really like to get my team involved. Sheena, you are a wonderful example. ⁓ love when our instructors or come with these ideas And especially with our past Friday that we did with our Pilates ⁓ pop and sculpt event, ⁓ this was all Sheena's idea. She said, you know, this what I'm picturing. We have local health and wellness vendors that can really amp it up just to show that we offer Pilates. And it It transformed and it was really cool. So I love having our team really involved ⁓ in the gritty of it as well. Sheena: thank you, Hannah. Yeah, you make it so easy to reach out and talk to you. you're so open to all these ideas and bringing it out to the community. ⁓ I feel like there people don't normally go to the classes that showed up, they just see what HRCA has to offer. Because I think there might be a stigma to the center they don't realize how great these are or the instructors are and there's so much more that goes to it. Hannah: Yes, absolutely. And thank you for your kind words. You know, that really is my goal as a leader, especially in our fitness team, is I really want everyone to feel comfortable to share and express their ideas. And I'm pretty much game for trying everything one time. sometimes it works, ⁓ sometimes it but we always learn from it. and yeah, I would agree with you. There is a stigma around, rec centers or community fitness. for that, I would say come take a couple classes, and then Let me know what you think I'm biased, but we have top of the art facilities, and then on top of that, we just have such a stellar and amazing team of instructors and personal trainers. They are so talented. so creative. ⁓ And most importantly, part of this community. and they care. Sheena: that was one thing that I was actually surprised about when I started working with HRCA is ⁓ the caliber these instructors, they have year, I mean decades of experience and they come because they the community It's just at another level. Hannah: we've got such a great staff. I walked into such a talented team. ⁓ and it's been fun to continue to grow that team over the years. Sheena: Yeah, very cool. About how many instructors and members are you managing? Hannah: Currently, I oversee 61 part-time fitness instructors and personal trainers, along with one full-time fitness coordinator, Cody Vacall, who is just amazing. Sheena: Hmm. Okay, that's a lot. of instructors and members. ⁓ yes, that's lot. ⁓ What do look for when you're hiring quality instructors? Hannah: Yes, yes it is. I really look for passion and energy. Those are two things you really can't teach. I can teach someone how to cue, how to format, but when it comes to the true passion and Love for movement and wanting to share that positivity with people. I truly believe it's something you have or you don't have. I want them to also able to grow and evolve as an instructor and personal trainer. The one constant in fitness is. It's always evolving. It's always growing. There's always new research, new data, new trends. And I'm looking for people that are willing to adapt and grow within those scopes as well. Sheena: how would you describe your leadership style? Hannah: collaborative, supportive, and very much lead by example. There isn't anything that ⁓ I ⁓ would ask my team do I'm not willing to do myself. I have taught classes, I step in and I sub for classes, I help support anywhere that I can. I think that that goes a long way with staff and allowing them to see that. That they're in it with you. I'm not asking you to do something that I myself am not willing to do. then I'm also a really big believer that people are most successful when they feel informed, supported, and they're set up for success from beginning. Sheena: ⁓ I feel so supported by you and love being part of your team. Hannah: Well, I appreciate that. I love having you on our team. it really comes to finding people that really want to be here and share what it's all about, right? Empowering people to feel good and move their bodies. ⁓ Sheena: Yes, absolutely. All right. What has been one of the biggest challenges of managing such a large operation? ⁓ Hannah: Yes. That's a great question. ⁓ one of the most challenging parts for me is I'm kind of always on, if you will. there's constantly emails, staffing situations, schedule changes, participant comments, concerns, needs, ⁓ a lot of moving pieces that are going on all at once. ⁓ So when you're a large-scale program in a big team, there's always something that needs your attention. it can be hard. if I'm being completely honest here, it can be draining. I am one to take on everybody's emotions, problems, feelings. I want to solve them all. and really Realizing that I really I can't. I can't make every single person happy. I can't meet every single person's need. So just learning how to balance that and to set boundaries, which I am still very much working on. Sheena: are hard. ⁓ takes a while to really establish those. especially if they haven't ⁓ been in before, but you're like, you know what? I need to burnout. ⁓ And I think that's so important. so proud of you. ⁓ Hannah: Yes, thank you. I'm still very much working on this. always feel this need to respond to immediately and just carrying the weight of every problem personally. but really I'm learning that's just not something that is sustainable for anybody. I'm learning how to lead effectively, avoid burnout, ⁓ and prioritize what truly needs my attention and then recognize that I can care super deeply about all of my team and our members, but I'm not gonna make everybody happy all the time and I don't have to be available twenty-four-seven. Sheena: Mm. I think that is such a good lesson that a lot of people should hear. Because yeah, you can't please everybody all the time. And Like yes, I agree. ⁓ ⁓ Hannah: Yes. No. Yes. Yes. It's a hard one. I think for anybody in leadership roles and especially when you're dealing with ⁓ large programs or large staff, it's very challenging. something I'm working on every day. Sheena: leadership, wellness, and mental health really all connected. you spend so much time helping others feel healthier but mental health has been part of your personal journey. you've open about expressing anxiety Can you share a little bit about that journey? Hannah: Yeah, so I've always been really open about my journey with mental health. ⁓ especially recently in the past couple years, where it resurfaced for me I have struggled with anxiety from a very, very young age. I was diagnosed with it at about seven years old. and I remember, as a young kid just worrying about things constantly that didn't seem to be things that my friends and other people in my classroom were worrying about. I was really lucky at the time when I was young that I had parents that recognized it and they were able to get me the help that I needed and the support I needed right away from counseling, psychiatry. and I learned, from a young age the power of movement, which is what led me into this career. I remember how impactful ⁓ movement is for mental health. Sheena: That's incredible. was a moment where you realized your mental health was impacting your daily life? Hannah: You know, there wasn't exactly like one dramatic or specific moment where I realized that it was, really impacting me. I think it was a gradual buildup over time. And a lot ⁓ of was people around me noticing it. anxiety can be tricky like that, because when you've lived with it for so long, it really just becomes part of your everyday norm and these certain thought patterns and behaviors, they feel pretty normal. Sheena: Mm-hmm. So you were saying movement played a really big role. How that? did you find any coping tools or habits with movement that generally help you now? Hannah: Yeah, I was like eight or nine years old and this is at a time where we were really starting to discover my anxiety and kind of panic. disorder and attacks that were happening. And I vividly remember my mom, I'd be at the house starting to kind of get upset, get anxious. And I remember my mom telling me, Hina, I want you to get on your bike and I want you to ride around the block five times and then come back and tell me how you feel. And I was no, I'm not doing this. what do you mean? I'm like in distress. What do you mean ride my bike? And it was a struggle, I think, her to get me out there, but I did it. And I remember her telling me, she goes, on that third and fourth lap that I saw you you were a changed person. and so that kind of stuck with me from a young age. And that is one of my coping skills now. It's really uncomfortable and hard in the moment when I start to have that intense anxiety or even maybe a panic attack. My body feels frozen. last thing I want to do is move. but if I can get myself to get up, walk up a flight of stairs, do some jumping jacks, squats, take a walk, that. mind to body connection and the release of those endorphins helps get me out of that fight or flight. Sheena: Yes, mind body, that connection is incredibly powerful. Hannah: Yeah, it really is. And it can be, more powerful, in some cases, than medications and other things that are out there. I think that we forget our bodies, we're designed to move. We're not designed to be this sedentary sit on a desk, sit at a couch all day. that's not what we were meant to do. Sheena: So as a leader, ⁓ what's one you wish employers or managers understood better about mental health? Hannah: Yes, I'm really glad that you asked this question. This is something I'm super passionate about. I think number one, you have to be your own advocate. You can't expect that your employer or your manager ⁓ everyone around you is gonna know what you need or what's gonna best support you. figure out what you need, and then communicate it effectively. Something else that I really wanna stress on and hopefully others can relate to, is I really wish that employers and leaders understood that workplace culture and What is expected? starts from the top. So leaders set the tone, whether they realize it or not. if managers and higher leaderships are constantly working, they're constantly answering emails at all hours ⁓ and never really truly on PTO or always appearing on, that the unspoken expectation for everybody else, too. So even when a company might say they support work-life balance and they want people to take time off. We're gonna look at the higher leadership behavior to determine what's actually acceptable. despite what your policy might be or the words you say, it comes down to actions. ⁓ And that really can empower people to the importance of boundaries, of work-life balance, of taking that time off. Cause then they feel comfortable. They realize, ⁓ that's accepted here. there's a lot of companies out there that love to preach, we have work-life balance. But if your higher up leaders aren't effectively using that as an example, staff is never really gonna feel comfortable to do that as well. Sheena: ⁓ how can we broadcast this to all the leaders out there? Like that is ⁓ my gosh. I wish more were as passionate as you because I feel like that would change the game if more leaders and employers really got that. Hannah: Yeah. Yeah. It's something I'm super passionate about. Yeah, it's important. you can say it all you want, but when your leaders and actions, aren't displayed that way, then that's not really the culture that you're creating. I'm a really big believer in the actions ⁓ speak five thousand times louder and in more volume than your words your company mission or policy. Like, are you actually demonstrating those things actively? Sheena: One million percent, yes. someone listening right now is struggling silently feeling overwhelmed, what would you want them to hear? Hannah: I would tell you that you're not alone, number one. and that there's nothing wrong with you. I think those are the biggest things that went through my head and and do go through my head. And I would tell you that mental health struggles are a lot more common than you would think. They're just not always advertised or people don't talk about them. But one in five US adults experience some form of mental illness each year. one in five is a lot. If you're in a room with people, I mean, count it out. One, two, three, four, five. One, two, three, four, five. It's a lot. So whether people ⁓ you or not, everyone is struggling somewhat with it in a different way. I would tell you that you don't need to feel ashamed, you don't need to feel embarrassed, and you don't need to just think that you can handle it right on your own. they don't make you weak, you're not broken, you're not dramatic, and you are not incapable. It's part of being human. if your mental health is not in a good place, it really affects everything else. Your relationships, your work, your physical health. ⁓ If it's not good, none of the other things are gonna be healing isn't linear and it doesn't have to look perfect. I want to encourage you to get help. I think there's a big stigma around this that you're weak, you're less than, and that is so far from the truth. therapy is game changing. ⁓ I am a firm believer that every single person in this should have therapy. and most importantly, find the therapist that works with you and matches your vibe, your goals, and what you're wanting to do. ⁓ it took me a rounds of therapists to find the one that really works for me and shout out to my therapist because she's the best. ⁓ But find that one that works you and don't be ashamed. Get the help. Make that a regular important meeting with yourself every single week. You've gotta prioritize it. Sheena: Yes. really appreciate you sharing that. I think so many people will to that. So thank you for saying all of that. Yeah. Hannah: Yeah. And you know, one other thing too is you don't have to wait until you're completely at your worst or fully depleted or broken, if you will, to deserve right? Pay attention to those early signs. Our bodies are incredibly smart. They find ways to tell us, whether it's through physical things, emotional things, but a lot of us shove it down, myself included, and we choose not listen to it. Even when you find these little patterns that you're noticing in yourself, don't be afraid. Get that help now. You don't have to wait until you're in complete crisis mode. I'm telling you, the preventative stuff is so helpful and so worth it. Sheena: It really is. There's so many tools out there right now for us to use, but I don't people are taking as much advantage of them ⁓ or realize the ⁓ of these tools out for us. Hannah: Yes. Yeah, absolutely. there's a lot. I would encourage everybody to look at their employer and what benefits they offer. I know something that it's a really cool initiative that HRCA has done in the past couple years is We offer virtual mental health counseling to all of our employees. So we have over 500 employees and we all access to free virtual mental health visits with a therapist look at what your company's offering. I think that there's a lot of cool initiatives and mental health is starting to be more talked about, I think people get scared about the cost of it But there's a lot of affordable ways out there to get the help that you need. Sheena: see, I didn't even know that. I thought being part-time that I don't get those benefits. So I didn't even realize that we get those three virtual visits. That that is so cool. ⁓ Hannah: Yeah. Mm-hmm. It is. It's really cool. You know, HRCA really does a good job of prioritizing both their full-time and part-time staff. if see any of my staff that is struggling or going through a hard time, I like to remind them about that. this a benefit of being an employee Please take advantage of it. Sheena: Yes, yes. And like you said, you should look up what your employer offers because you might have a benefit that you don't realize is available to you. Yeah. Very cool. ⁓ So switching gears a little here, ⁓ are you most excited about right with fitness programming or anything? Hannah: Exactly. Yeah. Yeah, right now I'm most excited about the continued growth of fitness and just watching this community embrace wellness and health in so many different ways. to see that involvement and participation and just grow and soar in the upcoming years. Sheena: love that. ⁓ also seen people of all ages coming. ⁓ Have you seen growth with senior fitness? Hannah: Yeah. senior fitness, which we recently renamed to active adult fitness because we want it to be more inclusive. people here just seem to have a really understanding of the continuation of moving your body as you age. Sheena: Yes, so as we age to continue fitness. So why has senior fitness become such an important focus for you in HRCA? Hannah: Yeah, something that is really cool and I personally have been leaning more into is this idea of longevity, right? So senior fitness or active fitness, ⁓ it's important because it impacts independence, overall quality of life. And we all know that as we movement becomes less about aesthetics and more about maintaining your ability to live your life fully. So things like getting up off the floor. ⁓ Carrying in your groceries, climbing stairs, traveling, maybe playing with the grandkids, to be able to live independently. the research around this really fascinating and something that I've really been diving deep into. according to the CDC, more than one in four adults over the age of 65 fall each year. And we know that falls are one of the leading causes of injury, loss of independence in older adults. But it's scientifically been shown that regular exercise, especially strength training, balance and mobility, it can really help reduce those risks. Sheena: Yes. able to ⁓ move easily from seated to standing quality of life. Fitness plays such a role in that. Hannah: Yes. Yeah, it really does. physical activity is also linked to better brain health. ⁓ You a great reduced risk of depression, improved mobility, and a lower risk of chronic disease and premature death. There's a lot of really cool research and data that is being centered around this now. To have a scientific study and statistics behind it, makes it even more prevalent to prove the importance of it. Sheena: Yes. So what are some misconceptions that people have about fitness for older adults? Hannah: I think there's a lot of misconceptions with older adults that they should avoid, challenging movement, ⁓ or fitness has to be really limited the older that they get. But really, adults benefit tremendously often even more so than our younger populations, I think there's a lot of people too that might think, ⁓ it's too late to start, I'm too far. Gone, and that's so far from the truth. I've personally seen people in our program that they were beginning fitness and starting to come to these senior fitness classes, and they have made such incredible growth in their strength, their confidence, their mobility, their energy levels, ⁓ which is cool because it keeps them coming back you all still have the power to move your bodies and to challenge yourselves in these ways. You're not treated differently ⁓ just because. you might be older, The goal is all the same. We're all looking to live our lives as we age gracefully, to have the mobility, the independence, ⁓ the strength that we need do those things as we age. ⁓ Sheena: Yes. what I also is that I people coming in for the first time age 70 and and keep coming back Everyday activities such as even walking or sleeping, their bodies just feel better. think it's wonderful. It's great to see that improvement, that growth every Hannah: Absolutely. And we have such great active adult instructors who taken the time to really understand, human body, especially as they're aging, I would tell people too, our active adult classes are Crazy popular. We get up to 45 people in a class. it's a great, really strong, impactful community. ⁓ I think the reason a lot of them come back. They have really good friendships and relationships that they have built from coming to these classes. So it's so much more than just the movement. Sheena: Yes, I feel like the community aspect is just as important as the movement. Hannah: Yes. Sheena: Awesome. Okay, we are going to move into our rapid fire round. Are you ready? I'm ready. ⁓ a fun little ⁓ way to wrap up the episode. ⁓ what is your go-to right now? Hannah: I'm ready. Great. Running. Sheena: Ooh, I love that. there's so many trails here in HRCA that actually, do you run indoor outdoor? Hannah: Both, but I prefer outdoors. it's been really fun I used to run a lot in undergrad and and now I'm rediscovering the joy for it. backcountry is one of my favorite places to go for a trail run. I love it, it's very mentally stimulating. we're Sheena: Mm. Hannah: We're so lucky to have that preserved space for the wildlife, the miles and miles of trails that we have. it's one of my favorite places to go for a run. Sheena: It is the best. I love going even for a walk. I'll go take the dog and the kids and ⁓ always on like look out for different animals and flowers and plants and bird, all the things. is gorgeous. And we're so lucky to that right here. Hannah: Well yes. Yes. We are, we really are. at HRCA we like to refer to that as our fifth rec center, quite honestly. It's our outdoor rec center. we have four physical locations, but I would argue really have five locations when you look at the backcountry. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that country is so unique. it's fantastic. All right, strength or Hannah: That's a really hard one for me, for the immediate endorphin release, I'm gonna say cardio. ⁓ yes, I I love strength training too, though. Don't get me wrong. I really do. I value both, but if I'm in a rut or I'm in a bad mood, there's just nothing like that cardio endorphin release it just transforms me. Sheena: Okay, okay. I was actually surprised by that. And there's a time and place for both. So yes. ⁓ All right. favorite piece of Hannah: Absolutely. I'm gonna have to go with dumbbells or free weights. I have a lot of them at my house and and I love them because they're functional. You can obviously come to the gym and use them, but you're using a lot more core strength and stability and balance, using the free weights. I just think they're the most versatile thing. You can do just about every exercise with them. So that's gonna be my go-to. Sheena: ⁓ my gosh, I didn't even think of dumbbells. What a brilliant answer. Yes, and dumbbells, I love incorporating those into as well. like you said, it adds that added core strength and mobility practice and with the dumbbells. And they can go anywhere. And yeah, what a great answer. ⁓ Something about your job that surprise people. Hannah: Ha Yeah. Yes. a lot of people probably think that my job is all fitness, and ⁓ it's really not. It's a lot more leadership, organization, planning, therapist, bike tech. ⁓ there's a lot of different recruiter. I have so many different hats that I wear in this role, and and quite honestly, Sheena: Yeah. Hannah: not a lot of it is fitness specific. for sure I will teach a class or sub and I'm helping with the programming of things, but ⁓ it's so much more ⁓ just fitness. Sheena: yeah, good point. There's much more to your job than fitness. ⁓ All last rapid fire. ⁓ One to describe your fitness philosophy. Hannah: Yes. Healing. ⁓ I think that's something I've really discovered in the past year for myself personally, but also that I witness with all of our members is Sheena: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hannah: The power of movement, and I I truly am a believer of movement is medicine. it can be so healing. And I always like to tell people when they ask, what's the best form of movement? ⁓ The best form of movement is whatever you to do and that you're gonna keep doing. It could be walking, hiking, running, weights, aqua, whatever that is, that's the best for you. And you'll know it's the best for you because it is healing. It helps. Mentally, physically, it can heal a lot of stuff. Sheena: we need so much more healing. Cause I feel like that goes along lines of consistency but it's healing really, because whatever heals your body, heals your mind that you will keep doing, is important. ⁓ Love it. someone local hasn't tried HRCA classes or events yet, what would you tell them? Hannah: Yes, absolutely. ⁓ first I'd say, what are you doing? No, I'm just kidding. would say you get a lot of marketing coming your way. So there is activity guides that come to your house three times a year. We've got monthly newsletters, emails. ⁓ get it, there's a lot, but take a moment to actually open up that activity guide or look at that newsletter and follow the code that will link you on there to the exact, event or class or program ⁓ and check it out. There's so many different things. Inquire about it. Also, feel free to stop by the rec centers. You can call our rec centers. We've got so many people here willing to help to just get you involved. Sheena: Yes. those guides, first you can look at it and be overwhelmed because there's so many things offered. ⁓ But I just browsed through it and I like, ⁓ my gosh, ⁓ for my kids, they take piano through HRCA. do sports. ⁓ there is just so much that is offered that hope people know and advantage of. Hannah: Yeah. Yeah, It's something that I was very shocked about too when I came into this role is ⁓ we really are a stop shop for everything that you need. Even things you wouldn't think of. we've got a pottery studio at Southbridge, which I didn't even know about till a couple of years ago. You can do pottery classes. Sheena: Exactly. There's so many fun things. ⁓ I remember when we moved here, he was so thrilled that there's a golf simulator. You know, there's literally everything. ⁓ ⁓ ⁓ my gosh. final What made you, Hannah, sweat this week? Hannah: ⁓ yeah. Those are popular, yup A run outside in this hot weather. Now it's not hot today because it's raining, which we need, but earlier in the week when it was like 80, I was out running in the backcountry and it was hot. So that isn't what made me sweat. ⁓ Sheena: Yes. Well, good for you. Well, thank you so much, Hannah, for being here and for being so open about everything, about your journey. I always forward to with you. ⁓ Hannah: Yeah. Thanks so much for having me. I so appreciate it. And you know, I'll throw out there too to anybody in the Highlands Ranch community, ⁓ if you are support for mental health, I'm here. I'm a listening ear. When I tell you I get it, I get it. ⁓ I've been through it. ⁓ if you're just needing somebody to help guide you to, getting help that you need, use me as a resource. and then also use me as a resource for anything Highlands Ranch related. You know, if you've got questions or ⁓ wanting to get involved. for yourself, for your kiddos, for your family. happy to be a resource for you. ⁓ Please reach out to me. Love to help you involved and connected any way that I can. Sheena: Hannah, thank you so much. Where can they find you they do want to reach out to you? Hannah: Yeah, email's probably gonna be the best. So it's just Hannah dot yeager, which Jaeger is spelled Y-E-A-G-E-R at hrcaonline.org. Sheena: Perfect. And I will have that out in the show notes so you can easily find how to get a hold of Hannah. Hannah, so much. ⁓ such a pleasure. Thank you. Hannah: Yay, great. Think Sheena. Sheena: What's one underrated benefit of community-based group fitness that people don't talk about enough? Hannah: financial affordability. Boutique studios are great. There's definitely a place for them, don't get me wrong. But the reality is that a lot of people cannot simply afford $25 to $45 a class multiple times a week or the expensive memberships. Community-based fitness helps make movement, available to such wide range of people in an affordable manner, ⁓ which keeps them it for longer. ⁓ it's something I'm super passionate about I think fitness shouldn't feel exclusive or only accessible to certain income levels. everybody deserves an opportunity to move their body, without breaking their bank account. recreation centers and community programs, they're really high quality. I'll also add on we've got so many different formats under one roof. lot of times boutique places like to focus in on a specific format, whether it's psycho, whether it's yoga, but the reality is. There's an important part of variety that we all need to be incorporating into our fitness, wellness, workout routines. And so we offer that You don't have to have all these separate passes and memberships to do different forms of movement. Sheena: Yes. And I feel like that stigma because it's so affordable that people think it's not as good just because of that price point. But the price point is what makes it that you try all the classes and keep doing the classes. Hannah: Yeah, absolutely. I get all the resources that I need. I'm expected to run high-quality programs, but I'm never expected to do it without getting the support that I need. Sheena, I'm sure you can attest to this, but ⁓ we are constantly pouring into different upgrades, replacing things. we just did this huge Westridge renovation where we have plunges, we have an infrared sauna, we've got a stretching area, we're constantly Getting the ⁓ things that we to keep things updated and fresh. Sheena: Exactly, can't tell you how much my husband appreciates the cold plunge and infrared sauna. I have been too intimidated to try the cold plunge, but I know the benefits of it, especially having RA. ⁓ So I'm get the nerve to go in there because we have it. ⁓ Hannah: Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Yeah, I'm with I'm with you. I have not done the cold plunge. I have done the infrared sauna a few times and love it. But yeah, I haven't quite built up the nerve for it, but I know there's so many benefits and people use it. it's great. they swear by it. They're like, come on, you gotta do it. so it is cool. HRCA in particular, I will brag here is we are always able to have top of the end equipment facilities, and I would argue staff. We really do. So get rid of that stigma, that ego and step inside because it's all about finding something that you can do long term. Sheena: Yes. And Westridge, I haven't used it yet. But there's a gorgeous cycle studio, the indoor turf, ⁓ really is so much offered that people I don't think really realize. ⁓ Hannah: No, no. And you know, the other thing that's cool too, especially if you're newer to Highlands Ranch, or even if you've lived in Highlands Ranch, if you've never been into the rec centers, you can come at any time and ask for a facility tour. paying your quarterly dues. And so that gets you access into all four of facilities. So use that. Sheena: Yes,