Central Albertans competed to see who can last the longest while in handstand and plank during the Healthy Living Expo.
The 14th annual edition of the event, that promotes health and wellness, was held at Westerner Park’s Harvest Centre on Saturday.
Just before noon, a number of competitors took to the main stage to see who could plank the longest.
“It’s a super fun way to show off some actual healthy living that people are practising in their living rooms at home, a gym or wherever,” said Rayna Heinzlmeir, the event’s directing manager.
“It’s a really fun way to engage with the crowd and the community. The plank challenge’s winner was determined when all but one competitor dropped – it took 10 minutes and that’s super awesome. That’s not easy.
“Those kinds of competitions are on our stage all day long, as well as fitness demonstrations. It lets our community know what’s available. If you don’t know what happens inside a gym … you can come check it out here and decide where you want to go from there.”
This year’s event featured more vendors than ever before, noted Heinzlmeir.
“This is a very local show, so it’s really neat to see the amount of local businesses that are in here for our community to support,” she said.
“It’s also a chance for businesses to support each other too. It’s a networking opportunity for business owners and gives them a chance to interact. It’s a one-day show, it’s busy and it’s fun.”
Heinzlmeir said she was happy with how many attendees had come to the Healthy Living Expo.
“We definitely have lots of people here who are asking questions and shopping, and figuring out what they want for healthy living in their own life,” she said.
“At the end of January, some people who were maybe thinking of healthy living at the start of the year are thinking, ‘What happened? I should start right now.’ This is a good way to (inspire) those people.”
The expo also featured an indoor farmers market. Heinzlmeir said the event has grown significantly since its inception.
“The very first (Healthy Living Expo) was in a conference room in a hotel. All it had was a table and chairs. People didn’t have a booth space. It’s become a really neat opportunity for people to welcome you into their space – it’s like you get a little look into their business and what they represent in our community.”
For more information, visit theexpo.ca.
sean.mcintosh@reddeeradvocate.com
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