"Find Your Thing," Enjoy a Day of Fitness Fun at Kaiser Permanente's Get Fit Festival at Angel Stadium

ANAHEIM, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kaiser Permanente Southern California is celebrating its first annual Get Fit Festival at Angel Stadium in Anaheim today from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The fitness festival, themed “Find Your Thing,” will provide thousands of attendees with an opportunity to experience a range of activities, products and services, all aimed at promoting a healthier lifestyle. Over two dozen vendors and sponsors will be offering everything from yoga and Zumba® to aerial fitness and barre workouts.

“Above all, dancing is fun and you get a great, high intensity workout without realizing that you’re working out”

“Kaiser Permanente is committed to improving the health and well-being of our members and the communities we serve,” said Benjamin K. Chu, M.D., M.PH., MACP, group president for Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Kaiser Permanente Hawaii. “The Get Fit Festival gives us the opportunity to do just that,” he added.

“The festival was born out of the idea that people want to try things like yoga, Pilates, or cycling, but may not know how to take the first step or are uncomfortable trying something new,” said Edward M. Ellison, M.D., executive director for the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. “Unlike events that are designed only for athletes, The Get Fit Festival is designed for everyone. No matter your age or fitness level, you can 'Find Your Thing' in a fun and friendly environment.”

The festival will be hosted by acclaimed celebrity trainers Jennifer Cohen and Joe Rivera and includes special appearances from renowned fitness expert Gunnar Peterson, Adam Ernster, Lifescript Fitness Expert, and Chivas USA forward, Cesar Romero. Dancing with the Stars All-star couple Sabrina Ryan and Louis Van Amstel are also scheduled for a special performance on the main stage. Louis and Sabrina will be opening an hour-long dance session, led by Downey Dance Rx creator and ballroom dancer, Jason Cheng, D.O. Dr. Cheng, an anesthesiologist at Kaiser Permanente Downey Medical Center, has been dancing over three years and is an example of the health benefits of dance.

“When I started dancing a couple years ago, I lost a lot of weight, noticed toning, better muscle strength, increased endurance and flexibility, and I thought to myself, I have to share this with people," said Cheng, who choreographs all the dances, most based on Latin dance moves. "Above all, dancing is fun and you get a great, high intensity workout without realizing that you’re working out," he added.

200 people have registered to join Dr. Chu in a 30-mile Bike Tour that begins at 7 a.m. at the iconic Angel Stadium and will travel along the Santa Ana River to Huntington Beach and back to the stadium, ending under the Big “A.”

Dr. Ellison will kick-off the 5K Run/Walk presented by Shoebacca at 7:30 a.m. He, along with Sean Hashmi, M.D., a former personal trainer and an Internal Medicine and Nephrology Specialist at the Kaiser Permanente Woodland Hills Medical Center will be joined by about 1,700 pre-registered participants. Dr. Hashmi leads a weekly “Walk with your Doc” to boost employee and member health.

Over 80 teams of six are participating in the Kaiser Permanente Get Fit Festival 50-Mile Relay. The relay-style race starts at 6 a.m. at the Irvine Medical Center, and continues through Tustin, Orange, Anaheim Hills and Anaheim, finishing at Angel Stadium.

For an additional list of Festival participants, please visit: www.getfitfestival.org

About Kaiser Permanente Southern California

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 3.5 million members in Southern California. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: www.kp.org/newscenter.