One of the best parts about attending a comic con is that you never know what new piece of information you might learn while you are there. While traditionally comic cons have hosted panels solely focused on television shows, comic books, video games, and films, there has been a clear trend at recent conventions of incorporating panels focusing on other areas of interest for attendees. One such area is wellness.
At this year’s New York Comic Con, I attended a panel titled “Wellness for Geeks who Sit.” Led by Robyn Warren, M.S. Ed., the panel occurred towards the end of the final day of the con, a time when many attendees were tired and sore from all of the sitting and walking a con tends to require. Understandably, many attendees of this panel were unclear as to what would be expected of them and how physically active they would have to be to take advantage of this panel’s lessons. Quickly, Robyn put us all at ease. She explained her background, how she used to be a PE teacher and how she wanted to provide a safe space for those interested in both wellness and all things geeky. She founded her program “Geek Girl Strong” with the intention to create a wellness community for those seeking a non-traditional coaching experience and who often feel intimidated or left out of other wellness movements. Her program uses terms such as “hit points” and “mission,” making fitness and working out feel more like an exciting adventure than a chore.
During the “Wellness for Geeks who Sit” panel, Robyn taught us all how we can improve our health and get some exercise even if we are confined to our chairs for most of the day. She explained that while we tend to think of exercise as some big task that we need a certain amount of time for, this is just not true. She proceeded to lead the audience through a series of stretches and exercises, most of which did not require us to leave our seats and only a few which required us to spread out so that we did not hit our neighbor. It was a wonderful learning experience for me to realize that so many exercises could be completed without me ever setting foot in a gym and left me feeling rejuvenated and a bit healthier.
I am excited to try out the new exercises she showed us and hopeful that future comic cons will have similar panels to this.
Geek Girl Strong’s website is www.geekgirlstrong.com and Robyn can be reached on the website’s contact page.
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