At the Duke Health & Fitness Center, we know that wellness encompasses more than just the physical body. Our classes and programs help participants manage stress, gain mind-body insight, and achieve mindfulness as they go about our daily lives.

The Health & Fitness Center’s skilled and experienced specialists offer the following mind-body classes:

• Flexible Strength -- This 30-minute class promotes strength, flexibility, and balance by emphasizing a challenging flow of positions held for various durations. Not for people with osteoporosis.
• Pilates Fundamentals -- This 60-minute class utilizes breath control, abdominal strength, and core stability to develop a more balanced body.
• Practicing the Relaxation Response -- This 60-minute class teaches ways to access the body's natural relaxation system through deep breathing, visual imagery, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation.
• T’ai Chi -- This 60-minute class promotes strength, flexibility, and relaxation through a Chinese system of gentle flowing physical exercises and meditation, designed to develop self- discipline and well-being.
• QiGong -- This 60-minute class promotes strength, flexibility, and relaxation through an ancient set of energy cultivation and internal balancing exercises. The movements of the crane, bear, monkey, deer, and tiger represent the elements of fire, water, earth, wood, and metal – and are historically the basis and inspiration of many Taiji moves.
• Yoga -- This 60-minute class teaches gentle stretching and breathing exercises that both relax and invigorate the body and mind. Anyone can participate.
• Yoga Stretch -- This 45-minute class teaches gentle stretching and breathing exercises that serve to both relax and invigorate the body and mind. These exercises are taught in a way so that everyone can participate.

Stress Management

Health psychology data continue to confirm the adverse impact of stress on overall health and well-being.

Most people can use some help as they go through a difficult transition or try to change behaviors. The Duke Health & Fitness Center offers classes and programs designed to help participants increase self-awareness, manage daily stress, and learn to relax. Our health psychology staff has developed the following programs and services, each of which is led by licensed health psychology professionals:

• Understanding Your Stress: The First Step -- This class teaches participants about the body’s stress response and how to recognize excessive stress levels and personal stress signals, as well as strategies for managing both short-term and chronic stress.
• Practicing the Relaxation Response -- This class guides participants through relaxation exercises, breath work, and meditation practice. Participants will learn skills to access the body’s natural relaxation response in order to counteract the impact of daily stressors. Both beginners and returnees are welcome.

Individual counseling and stress management consultations are also available. Call 919-660-6742 for more information about our stress management services, or to schedule an appointment.

Massage Therapy

Massage can improve overall health, enhance fitness training, reduce pain, aid in rehabilitation, and promote relaxation. For this reason, many physicians now prescribe massage therapy for their patients -- and some health insurers now cover it. The benefits of massage include:

• Enhanced healing of overworked or injured muscles
• Relief of muscle spasms, chronic pain, and tension
• Increased flexibility or joint mobility
• General relaxation
• Reduction of physical or mental fatigue
• Increased circulation of blood and lymph fluids
• Increased athletic performance
• Enhanced flow of vital life energy (chi)

Just about anyone can benefit from massage therapy, particularly people in jobs that require repetitive motion and fixed, awkward positions. Those recovering from an injury or illness involving the musculoskeletal system may also gain relief from massage. For many people, massage is a form of stress management or a way to become more connected to their bodies. If you have a medical condition, such as fever, infection, cancer or severe respiratory disease, please check with our massage coordinator before scheduling a session.

The Duke Health & Fitness Center offers a wide range of therapeutic massage services in a quiet, private setting. Because our massage therapists strive to meet participants’ individual needs and goals, each session begins with a discussion with the participant.

Each of our massage therapists has completed more than 600 hours of training, is nationally certified, and holds a North Carolina license to practice massage. They combine their knowledge and experience of massage with information provided by the participant to create a unique session every time. Various types of massage typically are blended together in a single session. These can include Swedish, deep muscle, myofascial release, trigger point, acupressure, Bowen technique, sports massage, and chair massage.

First-time massage therapy participants should arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment time to complete a brief health history form, which is available at the fitness desk. They also should:

• Dress comfortably
• Communicate clearly with their therapist about goals, the amount of pressure they wish to be used, and areas of their bodies that they are comfortable with receiving massage
• Breathe deeply
• Relax and enjoy their therapeutic massage experience

Massage is available Monday through Saturday. Payment is collected at the fitness desk prior to the massage.

To find out more about the mind-body services we provide, inquire about membership, or schedule an appointment, call 919-660-6660 or e-mail hfcinfo@dukefitness.org. For questions about insurance coverage, call 919-660-6603.

Locations

This service is available at:

• PepsiCo Fitness Center
  3475 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27705