The Concord Hospital Center for Health Promotion was once cute enough that you'd just want to squeeze its little cheek, a humble venture initially designed to educate expecting parents on childbirth.
Oh, how they grow up so quickly.
The CHP has since expanded to include programs and education for the entire family, and Aug. 15 it moved into brand-new digs in the Smile Building at 49 S. Main St.
The list of options is staggering, from senior wellness to smoking cessation to all sorts of fitness and health-centric offerings – along, of course, with the parental education – and the Insider simply had to see what all the buzz was about.
The new space is three times the size of the previous location on Pleasant Street, allowing the center to offer 35 percent more classes this year, according to director Johane Telgener. And the programs have targeted every age level, from toddler exercise classes to adult fitness, nutrition and health courses and senior wellness, all of which is open to the public.
“I think it's great for Concord that the hospital supports a facility like this,” Telgener said. “It really lends itself to the Concord community managing lifestyle and health.”
The center had its quiet beginnings on Loudon Road before moving to Pleasant Street for the past six years, Telgener said. That spot was close to the hospital, from which many doctors refer patients in need of focused attention, though the building itself didn't provide the space for the center to offer all that it wanted to.
The new location has already paid pidends. Telgener said many people who work on Main Street have taken advantage of mid-day classes during lunch breaks and that the center is always interested in hearing what people in the downtown area want.
“We had completely outgrown our other space,” she said. “We had the opportunity to offer more, to have larger classes and offer more classes.”
That expanded roster of offerings now features as many as 35 contracted staff members and instructors over the course of a year. Participants can receive personal training sessions, take part in fitness boot camp, Zumba or yoga and receive focused advice on diet and nutrition, including a home herbalist series.
Each focus features a variety of classes or courses, as well. For instance, there are nine different yoga offerings, including prenatal yoga and yoga for fitness.
There are also numerous general wellness options, such as courses on back care, meditation and making healthy choices.
It's not just health education, it's really about the whole person,” Telgener said. “We try to meet people where they are, not where we think they should be.”
For more information and complete class offerings, visit concordhospital.org/services/chp.php.
