Shape Up Vashon is coming!

Would you like to improve your health?

Be stronger?

Stop smoking?

Lose weight?

Walk farther?

Sleep better?

Overcome mental blocks to exercising?

Decrease the risk or impact of serious chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease?

Shape up Vashon, or SUV for short, is a new Vashon initiative for people of all ages designed to create a fun and supportive community to improve health and well-being. 

When you join SUV, you set your own goals and then we help you achieve them with incentives, prizes, health tips, classes and connections to Vashon's many ongoing fitness and health activities.

For $10/ year, or a scholarship if you can’t afford the fee, we will support each other to build a healthier community. SUV keeps track of your progress and combines your success with others to measure Vashon’s improvement. How many pounds can Vashon lose in a year? How many calories can we burn? How many Presidential Awards can we win for increasing cardiovascular fitness?

Do you have a Silver Sneakers Card?

If you're one of the 700 people on Vashon who have Medicare Advantage with Group Health, Humana or another insurance company, you may qualify for two free fitness classes each week at the Vashon Athletic Club. You get a free orientation to the exercise equipment and use of equipment at the Athletic Club without having to pay for a membership. Your insurance pays for you. Shape Up Vashon will work with the Athletic Club to help you measure your progress.

Like to walk?

The leaders of the Island's biggest walking group will help you form your own walking group with your friends and co-workers. It’s an easy way for you to let the rest of your group know when you're going to be walking and have others join you. You choose when and where and for how long you want to walk, any time, any place and invite walking buddies.

Can you pledge to do a physical activity for half an hour a day, five days a week, for six out of eight weeks? Then you can earn a Presidential Award! This free program is sponsored by the President’s Council for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition started by President Eisenhower in 1956, expanded by President Kennedy, and supported by our presidents ever since.  Help Vashon be the community with the most awards!

If you already exercise five days a week or more, you can take the next step to win a Presidential Champion award.

SUV will get you started and help you keep up the good work with incentives and chances to win prizes. We offer free monthly classes including healthy affordable recipes and exercises you can do without equipment for strengthening, balance, and cardiovascular fitness. If your goal is to lose weight, we have monthly confidential weigh ins for you and prizes for the biggest losers!

You receive monthly E-newsletters with tips for keeping active and feeling good even when it becomes dark and rainy. You will be able to help decide which topics you would like to learn more about.

When you join SUV, you will help create a community around health on Vashon. Restaurants and bakeries will have SUV specials and grocery stores will feature specials on healthy foods. We are supported by Welcome Vashon, Learn 2 Earn, The Hardware Store, the Vashon schools, Vashon College and many other local businesses and organizations.

We are also collaborating with other Island health and wellness initiatives including the Health Council that is researching issues of healthcare access and medical insurance coverage, as well as the Vashon part of the Seattle Happiness Project defining potential Island needs for better quality of life.

Started by a group of Vashon residents interested in developing a community that supports health and well being,  SUV is an initiative sponsored by Foundation for Care Management, a Vashon 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to medical education and health.

Join in person at our Kick Off celebration, September 17 at the Saturday Farm Market, at the Oct 6 Community Dinner at McMurray Middle School or on line after September 17th.

Together we can do it!