YMCA Functional Health Workshop Series
This Functional Health series runs on Thursdays from Feb 4 - Mar 11 at 11:15 am.
February 25: Brain Health: Protect Your Most Important Organ
Your brain is not destined to decline. And protecting it is more within your control than you've been told.
This session is evidence-based, empowering, and reassuring — not fear-based. Because the research on brain health and lifestyle is genuinely good news.
In this session, you'll learn:
- What actually protects the brain as we age
- How sleep, movement, nutrition, stress, and social connection all affect cognitive function
- Early signs that your brain may need more support — and what to do
- Daily habits that have been shown to preserve memory, focus, and clarity
Come as you are. No health knowledge required. Expect real talk, some laughter, and tools you can use the same day.
FREE. Space is limited.
To register: Call the Albany Area YMCA at 229-436-0531
Virtual Health Talk
February 19 11:30am | GUT HEALTH at 60+: Why Digestion Affects Everything From Your Mood to Your Memory
The Microbiome, Nutrient Absorption, and Why a Healthy Gut Is Your Best Anti-Aging Tool
Gut health shifts significantly with age; stomach acid decreases, microbiome diversity drops, and absorption suffers. Explore the gut-brain, gut-immune, and gut-mood connections in plain language. Includes a Gut Health Symptom Map, a simple daily gut-support habit to start that day and Q&A.
YMCA Functional Health Workshop Series
This Functional Health series runs on Thursdays from Feb 4 - Mar 11 at 11:15 am.
February 18: Inflammation: The Hidden Driver Behind How You Feel
Achy joints. Brain fog. Low energy. Trouble sleeping. These aren't just "getting older." In most cases, they share a common root: chronic low-grade inflammation.
This is one of the most important sessions in the entire series — because understanding inflammation changes the way you see almost every health challenge.
In this session, you'll learn:
- What chronic inflammation actually is (and isn't)
- The lifestyle drivers of inflammation that you control
- Anti-inflammatory strategies that are simple and sustainable
Come as you are. No health knowledge required. Expect real talk, some laughter, and tools you can use the same day.
FREE. Space is limited.
To register: Call the Albany Area YMCA at 229-436-0531
YMCA Functional Health Workshop Series
This Functional Health series runs on Thursdays from Feb 4 - Mar 11 at 11:15 am.
February 11: Gut Health: The Root of Almost Everything
Your gut is talking to your brain, regulating your immune system, influencing your mood, and affecting your memory. And most of us have never been introduced.
This topic is one of the most surprising — and most actionable. Because once you understand what your gut is doing, everything else starts to make more sense.
In this session, you'll learn:
- What the microbiome is and why it's your best anti-aging tool
- The gut-brain axis: how your digestive system affects how you think and feel
- Common signs that your gut health needs support
- Simple, practical steps to start rebuilding gut health at any age
Come as you are. No health knowledge required. Expect real talk, some laughter, and tools you can use the same day.
FREE. Space is limited.
To register: Call the Albany Area YMCA at 229-436-0531
YMCA Functional Health Workshop Series
This Functional Health series runs on Thursdays from Feb 4 - Mar 11 at 11:15 am.
February 4: Hormones & Metabolism: Why Everything Changed
Take a deep dive into the hormonal changes that happen as you age and what they mean for your energy, weight, mood, sleep, and overall vitality.
This is the "why does everything feel harder now?" session — with real, evidence-based answers.
In this session, you'll learn:
- How cortisol, estrogen, thyroid, and insulin all shift with age
- Why these changes affect everything from belly fat to brain fog
- What lifestyle factors influence your hormones (more than you'd expect)
- A self-assessment for hormonal health patterns
Come as you are. No health knowledge required. Expect real talk, some laughter, and tools you can use the same day.
FREE. Space is limited.
To register: Call the Albany Area YMCA at 229-436-0531
Coach’s Check-In
VIRTUAL - Fri Jan 29 at 11:30 AM
Inflammation — Are You Cooling the Burn?
An informal session held the Friday after each Health Talk. Come share what's working, ask the questions you've been sitting with, or just listen in. No pressure, no formality.
Virtual Health Talk
January 22 11:30am | INFLAMMATION: The Slow Burn Behind Most of What Ails You After 60
The Hidden Driver Behind Achy Joints, Brain Fog, Low Energy, and Chronic Disease - and How to Cool It Down
Chronic low-grade inflammation (sometimes called “inflammaging") is one of the biggest accelerators of age-related decline. Learn what triggers it, how it shows up in your daily symptoms, and how to address it functionally. Includes an Inflammation Trigger Tracker, an anti-inflammatory morning routine, and Q&A.
Coach’s Check-In
VIRTUAL - Fri Dec 11 at 11:30 AM
Stress & the Nervous System — Holiday Edition
An informal session held the Friday after each Health Talk. Come share what's working, ask the questions you've been sitting with, or just listen in. No pressure, no formality.
Virtual Health Talk
December 4 11:30am | MINDSET It's Not "Just Stress”. It's Your Nervous System Asking for Help
How Chronic Stress Accelerates Aging - and Simple Practices That Actually Calm Your Biology
Stress isn't just emotional, it's physiological, and in adults over 60 it has a measurable impact on heart health, memory, immunity, and inflammation. Explores the cortisol-aging connection and practical nervous system tools. Includes a Stress Signature Self-Assessment, a 60-second reset technique and Q&A.
Coach’s Check-In
VIRTUAL - Fri Nov 13 at 11:30 AM
Environment — Swaps That Stuck
An informal session held the Friday after each Health Talk. Come share what's working, ask the questions you've been sitting with, or just listen in. No pressure, no formality.
Virtual Health Talk
November 6 11:30am | ENVIRONMENT Is Your Home Making You Tired? What's Hiding in Your Everyday Environment
How Common Household Products, Air Quality, and Digital Overload Affect Energy and Hormones After 60
After decades of exposure, toxin load matters more than ever, and small swaps make a real difference. Explores indoor air, cleaning products, cookware, EMFs, and the overstimulating digital environment. Includes a Toxic Load Checklist, one immediate low-tox swap and Q&A.
Coach’s Check-In
VIRTUAL - Fri Oct 23 at 11:30 AM
Movement — What You Tried
An informal session held the Friday after each Health Talk. Come share what's working, ask the questions you've been sitting with, or just listen in. No pressure, no formality.
Virtual Health Talk
October 16 11:30am | MOVEMENT Strong, Steady, and Independent: Movement That Protects Your Future
How the Right Exercise Preserves Muscle, Bone, Balance, and Brain Health as You Age
This isn't about running marathons, it's about maintaining the strength, stability, and mobility that keep you living independently and on your own terms. Covers muscle preservation, fall prevention, joint-friendly movement, and the surprising cognitive benefits of exercise. Includes a Movement Style Quiz, a 5-minute daily starter routine and Q&A.
YMCA Functional Health Workshop Series
This Functional Health series runs on Thursdays from Sept 3 - Oct 8 at 11:15 am.
October 8: Mindset: Rewire the Story, Reclaim Your Health
Mindset isn't just positive thinking. It's the nervous system, your stress response, your deeply held beliefs about what's possible for your health — and it shapes your life.
The good news: the brain is more adaptable than you think.
In this session, you'll learn:
- How chronic stress literally changes your biology — and what to do about it
- Simple nervous system practices that actually calm your body
- The science of habit formation and why healthy habits finally stick when the other pillars are in place
- How to write your own Well Life Vision and make it real
Come as you are. No health knowledge required. Expect real talk, some laughter, and tools you can use the same day.
FREE. Space is limited.
To register: Call the Albany Area YMCA at 229-436-0531
YMCA Functional Health Workshop Series
This Functional Health series runs on Thursdays from Sept 3 - Oct 8 at 11:15 am.
October 1: Environment: Is Your Home Making You Tired?
Most people never think about their environment as a health issue. But the air in your home, the products you use every day, the relationships around you, and even your stress levels are constantly communicating with your biology — for better or worse.
This session is an eye-opener — and a relief. Because most of what you'll learn requires small, simple changes, not a total lifestyle overhaul.
In this session, you'll learn:
- What's hiding in everyday products that may be affecting your energy and hormones
- How to reduce your toxic load without going extreme
- The role your emotional environment plays in physical health
- Easy, affordable swaps you can make right away
You'll leave seeing your home — and your daily routine — with completely new eyes.
Come as you are. No health knowledge required. Expect real talk, some laughter, and tools you can use the same day.
FREE. Space is limited.
To register: Call the Albany Area YMCA at 229-436-0531
Coach’s Check-In
VIRTUAL - Fri Sep 25 at 11:30 AM
Nutrition — Wins and Stalls
An informal session held the Friday after each Health Talk. Come share what's working, ask the questions you've been sitting with, or just listen in. No pressure, no formality.