This week, we caught up with Lisa Camp, who you’ll most certainly recognize from the Glens Falls Family YMCA! She shares what inspired her to get into wellness, some great ways for us to stay active during this time, and a few silver linings she’s found amidst all of the recent uncertainty.
Tell us about yourself!
Hi! I’m Lisa Camp, the Wellness Director at the Family YMCA of the Glens Falls Area. You might recognize me from teaching Yoga, Zumba, Barre or one of many other classes, the Wellness Center or perhaps from CWI’s fundraising event Dancing with the Adirondack Stars (this will be my third year returning to volunteer as a professional dancer!).
I was born and raised in the Glens Falls Area and graduated from Queensbury High School where I met my husband Andy when I was just a freshman. We recently celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary and are the proud parents of our almost 25-year-old son Garrett, 18-year-old daughter Delaney and our black lab puppy Jett.
How did you get into Wellness?
I am a graduate of SUNY Adirondack and hold a B.A. in Human Behavior from Skidmore College. In my ‘past life’ I was a District Human Resources Manager for a large retail chain but was finding myself frustrated and unfulfilled. After many consultations with a life coach I resigned in early 2008 and have never looked back. Within weeks I found myself at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Mass earning my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Certification, the first of many teaching and coaching credentials geared to serve others in working toward their health and wellness goals.
What brought you to the Y?
I actually began working here the summer of 1990 at the tender age of 18 as a swimming instructor, well before my life altering decision to walk away from human resources and dedicate my new career to helping people move, breathe and live healthier lives.
I absolutely love everything about the Y. The core values of the Y of honesty, caring, responsibility and respect have always resonated with me, so I’ve always been at home here.
I have a really hard time calling this a “job” because I subscribe to the notion that if you do what you love, you will never have to work a day in our life. This holds true in trying to identify with what I love most, but I can say that what we do as an organization builds and strengthens community through connection, and THAT is what makes my heart sing.
What have been your biggest challenges and silver linings during this pandemic?
Social distancing has been very challenging for me. My existence and purpose are centered around human connection. I often joke that I hug people for a living, not always in the literal sense but every day I am always somewhere on an infinite continuum of connection.
This extreme paradigm shift to maintaining social distance has certainly proven to be trying at times but in so many ways it has driven me to be more mindful of the importance of emotional connection. It has forced me to take a step back, to slow down, to appreciate things and perhaps dedicate more time and thought than I might otherwise have. I’ve responded with intention more than I have clicked ‘like’ and moved on. I have reached out more often, calling instead of sending a quick text. I have followed through and checked on people, instead of simply thinking of them. We all crave and need connection on some level, now we just need to find other ways to remain present and sustain it as we are swimming together in this ocean of uncertainty.
We’d love to hear a few quick tips on some fun exercises folks can do alone or with family at home (while safely maintaining social distancing).
Movement? Now we’re talking!!!
Easiest things first: GET OUTSIDE! Go for a walk, play with your kids or pets, enjoy the fresh air and sunshine! Self-care is so important, now more than ever.
If you’re looking for more, we have many free options for our community as a whole right now, for all ages and fitness levels. Check our website for our Y at Home options - virtual workouts, resources for family activities, and more!
Our Wellness Leadership Team is posting live videos or uploads on Facebook with options for strength, cardio, flexibility and mind-body! Check out the many other ideas posted there too: such as our word of the day for Working Out with the ABC’s, the deck of cards workout and more.
Everything is done with the mindset that we are not in the gym or studios and we don’t have access to any of the great machines or equipment we have at the Y… take a look at the innovative ways we’ve come up with to work around those obstacles such as filling gallon jugs with water or using canned goods as weights.
What are some other ways that the Glens Falls Family YMCA is lending a hand to keep our community active?
We are constantly working on ways to lend a hand to keep our community active, it is truly an ever evolving and changing process unlike anything we’ve ever encountered before. Our entire team at the Y is dedicated to touching everyone: from reading children’s stories, providing activities for our swimmers, gymnasts and young athletes, daily guided meditations to support mental health, making phone calls to check in on both staff and members, even building a fort… we’re working on it all, so stay tuned!
What is the best way members and our community can support the Y during these difficult times?
The best way members and our community can support the Y is to consider continuing their membership or program fees during these uncertain times. We know that our classes are meaningful and provide so much more than a workout, that we are deeper than our pool, and that we are considered family to many. Our mission is centered around the community we create and the relationships we build. We do not turn anyone away based on their ability to pay and stand by our promise to serve all. In order to secure the future of our YMCA and all the amazing services we provide including our scholarship program, we ask everyone to support us in service of our community. We are all in this together and together we are truly stronger.
Thanks Lisa!
P.S. Check out more from our Checkin’ In and My Glens Falls series here.