42 MNM+E | SUMMER 2015

Move It!

From mellow sessions of yoga and wine, to adrenaline-filled

zip-line tours along the Minnesota River, there are many creative ways to have fun and stay fit during a meeting or event.

By Julie Kendrick

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Sitting still and staying indoors all day? Thats so last century, says these up-and-at-em Minnesota entrepreneurs, each with a unique way to power up a group. Beyond the countless benefits for physical activity in ones lifestyle, the perks of working exercise into a meeting or event cant be ignored. Participants feel more energized, focused and ultimately more productivewhether its taking the afternoon off for an outdoor adventure, or five minutes away from the computer to stretch. And whats more, they might even get to know a colleague better. So lace up your sneakers, get warmed

up and read onthere are plenty of exciting escapades in store.

PE RFEC T OFFICE WORKOUTSitting is the new smoking, says Derek Gorney, a two-time Ironman triathlete, for-mer professional soccer player and founder/CEO of Perfect Office Workout. Hes devel-oped a series of guided deskside workouts to offer energy boosts throughout the day. The human body isnt designed to sit still for a long time, Gorney says. If you get up and moving, the blood starts flowing, the body is re-engaged, and thinking is much clearer. He urges meeting and event planners to consider incorporating movement into their schedules. If you want people to get something out

of the content youre presenting, its more likely to happen if they have a chance to be active, he says. At one recent meeting, Gorneys speech included periodic breaks to lead attendees through some strength and flexibility exercises using fitness bands hed brought. Working out like this can help you maintain a higher baseline level of fitness, he says.

AM US EThere are almost as many different styles of yoga as there are varieties of wine. For Leslee D. Miller, certified sommelier and owner of wine consulting and event planning firm Amuse, those two facts are the foundation for deliciously themed group events. Miller, a practicing yogi, pairs her wine expertise

Clockwise from top: Jessica Rosenberg leads a group in a yoga session; Amuse brings yoga and wine together in harmony; Bike helmets with built-in speakers add color commentary to Minneapolis by Bike tours.

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44 MNM+E | SUMMER 2015

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with local yoga teachers including Omaur Bliss, Baron Carr and Jennifer Fahler. The yoga classes can be in any style the client prefers, with post-class wine tasting themed to the yoga experience. A recent event for a group of female lawyers included poses focused on women and energy, with after-session wines from female winemak-ers. Its a more active and casual way to get to know people, instead of just taking them out to dinner, Miller says.

J ESSICA ROSE NB E RG FOR MOVE ME NT AND MINDFU LNESS Whether you want to start a conference off with an inspirational session of movement and breath, or learn some chair yoga techniques to help you get through another day at the cube farm, Jessica Rosenberg is the person to call. Even taking five minutes at your desk for mindfulness and move-ment can create receptivity to help improve your thinking, she says. The work I do with people at conventions, meetings and workplaces is like giving them an oxygen cocktail to reboot and re-center. Rosenberg recently conducted early-morning yoga sessions before the start of the 2014 Meeting Professionals International World Education Congress in Minneapolis. I led the group in movement and breathing, then ended with a visualization to set them on the path for their day.

KE RFOOT CANOPY TOU RDescribing his zip-line tour course as light adven-ture, Lee Kerfoot, who has installed more than a mile of zip-line cable about 45 minutes from the Twin Cities airport, says he started the business to share his passion for outdoor recreation. The three-hour experience takes participants on lines as high as 175 feet, with runs as long as 1,200 feet. The fastest part of the course is a descent into the Minnesota River Valley. The location is well-suited for group events, with an open field space to accommodate registration, award ceremonies, catering and tents. Its a great team-bonding experience for corporate groups, Kerfoot says. Minnesotans seem to agree: Kerfoot Canopy Tour was voted Best Zip Line Tour in Minnesota in 2014 by WCCO-TV viewers.

CIT Y RU NNING TOU RSTheres nothing more enjoyable than having a chance to sweat and sightsee at the same time, says Jenna Duesterhoeft of City Running Tours, which operates out of 16 cities nation-ally. She points with pride to Minneapolis many miles of running trails that take groups around lakes, along the Mississippi River, through great neighborhoods and into the heart of downtown. We offer guided runs that can be customizable by pickup/drop-off points, route, distance and pace, Duesterhoeft says. Every run includes stops to enjoy scenic views and allow time for

Perfect Combination: Charitable Giving and

FitnessFor Ellie Madson, senior meeting and recognition planner at RBC Wealth

Management, a recent rec-ognition trip for the organiza-

tions top financial advisors was a perfect opportunity

to combine charitable giving and fitness. We researched in advance to find a locally

based charity to support, and then we created a 5K run/

walk/stroll activity to accom-pany our donation, she says. At the beginning of the trip, each participant received a custom fitting for a pair of running shoes from a local athletic supply store. The

event, held at the end of the trip, included a ceremony in which the companys execu-tives presented a check to

the charity. It required some prework and planning, right

down to finding locally based RBC employees to man the water stations, but the peo-ple who participated really

enjoyed it, she says.

RBC Wealth Management added a 5K to its charitable donation.

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photographs. Exercise definitely brings out the endorphins, and its fun to see people get excited and have a great time, even if they arent experienced runners.

MINNE APOLIS BY B IKE From spring through fall, Alyssa Kohn, found-er of Minneapolis by Bike, takes small groups through city farmers markets, breweries and other historic spots. She prides herself on a think-of-everything approach, starting with the helmets she provides. They have speakers built into them, so riders can hear commen-tary as we pedal past local highlights, she says. Another attention-to-detail example is the service she provides on the Local Brewery Tour. Ive arranged for us to have samples along the route, she says, but at the last stop, if riders want to stay, they can leave their bikes to be picked up later. Kohn, who has lived abroad and taken many tours herself, says,

You can start some really interesting conver-sations on a bike tour.

THE F IT TOU RIST History and fitness are a great combination, says The Fit Tourists Stephanie Croteau, whose business motto is: Get out, get active and enjoy the outdoors! The retired nurse started her Minneapolis-based biking and walking tour company to offer new ways to experience the charms of the city. When youre traveling by foot or on a bike, you see so much more than you would on a tour bus, she says. And people really appreciate the break from being sedentary. Sitting in meetings all day can turn your mind to mush, she laughs. Croteau, a his-tory buff, includes plenty of I-never-knew-that material in her tours. The mix of learning and moving is increasingly popular, and Croteau says, People often tell me theyre amazed by what they saw in such a sort amount of time.

WAHOO! ADVE NTU RESFun is the name of the game at for Kerri Kolstad, owner of Wahoo! Adventures. Her goal is to encourage everyone to get outside and play, no matter what their fitness level is. We provide a guided, almost pampered experience that allows people to relax and get into the groove of kayaking, biking or walking, she says. Kolstad extols the fresh thinking that comes from being outdoors. Sometimes the person who never says any-thing in office meetings will suddenly have great things to say when the work group is out in the water, she says. Encouraging orga-nizations to consider what she calls mobile meetings, she creates experiences in which participants sit in a presentation, then bike or hike together to a new location for the next indoor activity begins. Everyone thinks more clearly when they have a chance to be active in the outdoors, she says.

AMUSE amuseewine.com612.655.4839

CITY RUNNING TOURScityrunningtours.com/minneapolis320.420.3106

JESSICA ROSENBERG jesrosenberg.com612.889.3061

KERFOOT CANOPY TOURkerfootcanopytour.com952.873.3900

MINNEAPOLIS BY BIKEminneapolisbybike.com612.600.7518

PERFECT OFFICE WORKOUTperfectofficeworkout.com414.803.1877

THE FIT TOURISTthefittourist.com507.533.5348

WAHOO! ADVENTURESmywahooadventures.com651.280.7299

Get Connected

Wahoo! Adventures stimulates groups, such as this Mayo Clinic womens paddle group, with active outdoor activities.

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