Congratulations to all the runners, walkers and volunteers who participated in the 2015 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon weekend.   In its 11^th year, Knoxville welcomed over 7000 runners and walkers to the streets of Knoxville this cold Sunday morning. If you’re a runner and/or walker or both this race offers something for you. A marathon, half marathon, 5k, 2 relay options and a kids run.  We also saw a lot of race teams today.  Team t-shirts and groups of teams were sprinkled through out the race, all supporting their business, employers and running groups.  What we loved was the fact that these teams, training behind them now were holding each other accountable and supporting each other every step of the way.  This is the exact reason why Covenant Health uses this race as a motivator to help people improve their overall health and help bring an awareness of the importance of physical activity and quality of life.

Even though the race course can be challenging and has grown to become one of the largest competitive road races in East Tennessee, this race is my favorite of all time!   The finish line is in Neyland Stadium, home of our Tennessee Volunteers, and you get to enjoy your victorious finish on the 50 yard line! It is such a thrill to see yourself on the jumbrotron and see the crowds in the stands cheering you on!

Again, congratulations to all the participants who ran today and a big thank you to all the countless volunteers and medical staff that were present before, during and after the race.  CPR Choice hopes to see you all next year!

Click here for WBIR’s photo album of today’s race.

I Love You With All My Kidney!

Celebrating National Kidney month, this past Saturday I participated in the 4^th annual East Tennessee Kidney Foundation Lucky Kidney Run. The Lucky Kidney Run, benefitting the East Tennessee Kidney Foundation (ETKF), was a fun and family-oriented fundraiser that focused on prevention, detection, and education of kidney disease, dialysis and the need for organ donation. In the 4^th year, this run/walk proceeds will be used to help support low-income households who cannot afford to reach their life-dependent dialysis treatments. This is a local effort, as there are over 1500 dialysis patients in East Tennessee.

Kidneys- What are they & what do they do?

Kidneys are vital organs, just like your heart and lungs. The two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist are located just below the rib cage with one on each side. They keep the composition of your blood stable and without it your body will not function.   Their primary role is to filter waste and extra water out of your blood. The waste and extra fluid exits your body thru your urine, engaging the bladder to use as a holding place and the urethra, which is the tube where the urine flows thru when leaving your body.

On a daily basis, the kidneys filter 120-150 quarts of blood (almost 30 gallons!) and sift out 1-2 quarts of extra water and waste products. The filtering of waste happens in tiny units inside the kidneys called nephrons. Each kidney has about a million nephrons. The nephron includes a filter, called glomerulus, and a tubule. Nephrons work in 2 steps- the first is the glomerulus lets fluid and waste produces pass through it; however it prevents blood cells and large molecules, most proteins from passing. Secondly the filtered fluid then passes through the tubule, which sends needed minerals back to the bloodstream and removes waste.

Besides preventing the back up of wastes and fluids in our body, they also:

• Helps control your blood pressure
• Makes hormones that help keep your bones strong
• Makes red blood cells
• Regulates the level of your electrolytes, including sodium, potassium and phosphates

Obviously, when the kidneys are not functioning properly, removing waste or regulating blood pressure your health will decline. If your kidneys have been permanently damaged, it’s called chronic kidney disease (CKD) or kidney disease. If the damage is severe enough and your kidneys stop working, this is called kidney failure. Kidney failure results in dialysis and/or a kidney transplant.

How do you keep your kidneys healthy?

• Manage your diabetes – high blood sugar slowly damages your kidney
• Eat a heart healthy diet
• Exercise
• Keep a healthy blood pressure

We care about your overall well-being and we encourage you to incorporate these kidney healthy tips into your daily routine.  CPR Choice is also committed to offering you life-saving skills such as First Aid, CPR and AED training.   Having confidence in your ability to perform CPR and to use an AED is the best way to prevent unnecessary deaths. CPR Choice is your source to learn the skills needed to save a life!  Sign your family up today and be equipped with the skills to help save a life, possibly a loved one.

Twice a year the Knoxville Chamber hosts their networking event, Schmooz-A-Palooza! CPR Choice has attended the event several times but this year we will be participating as an exhibitor! Get ready for one of Knoxville’s best business networking events.  Come visit our CPR Choice booth!  We will be demonstrating Hands-Only CPR as well as giving away some free stuff!   

What: Knoxville’s Schmooz-A-Palooza Networking event
When: March 3rd, 4-7PM
Where: Knoxville Expo Center, 5441 Clinton Highway, Knoxville, TN, 37912
Why: Networking!  Learn why CPR Choice is Knoxville’s best choice for CPR training
How: Register on the Knoxville Chamber Website, $5 members or $10 non-members

CPR Choice provides CPR, AED, First Aid, and Safety training to government, corporate and school sectors, industry, private enterprise, and small business as well as individuals. We deliver high-quality classes and provide certifications through the American Heart Association and American Safety & Health Institute.

Our mission is to SAVE LIVES!  Whether you request our training programs on-site, or visit one of our locations, we are available for you, at your convenience.  Come learn about our Knoxville CPR classes!

#SchmoozKnox

The Healthy Living Expo is coming up!  Get ready for Knoxville’s largest Health & Fitness Expo.  AND…Guess What??  CPR Choice will be participating this year!  We will be doing live CPR demonstrations as well as teaching classes and handing out information at our booth.  Come visit us and learn “hands-only” CPR and get some information and goodies!  We will also be teaching a Friends & Family class each day of the expo. The class will be $10 and all proceeds will be donated to The American Heart Association.

Friday, Jan 23, 2015 9am-3pm (Family & Friends CPR @ 2PM, click to sign up)
Saturday, Jan 24, 2015 9am-4pm (Family & Friends CPR @ 2PM, click to sign up)

Knoxville Convention Center, Booth #121

Admission to the expo is $10 at the door or FREE if you get your tickets ahead of time.
Seniors FREE on Friday, Children 12 and under FREE

FUN! FIT! FABULOUS and FREE!

The area’s largest event focused on health, fitness, nutrition and living green returns for it’s eleventh year to the Knoxville Convention Center January 23-24, 2015. Over 130 individual companies fill more than 250 exhibits. The Expo continues to grow each year from its launch in 2005 and expects approximately 10,000 visitors!  The Healthy Living Expo offers interactive, educational exhibits, demonstrations and presentations.  Best of all, it is FREE when you get tickets before the doors open.

Some of the features for the 2014 Expo:

• Natural Awakenings Natural Health Pavilion
• Life Saving Skills taught by CPR Choice
• Chiropractic Care Pavilion
• Various Important Health Checks
• Healthy Food Sampling Booths
• Hundreds of prizes given away both days!

FREE WELLNESS PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYERS
Cigna Healthcare takes the lead promoting employee wellness by sponsoring tickets to the expo for any company that registers on The Healthy Living Expo website. Whether you have a handful of employees or one of the largest employers in our region, registration only takes a few minutes at the website, TheHealthyLivingExpo.com then you can offer:

MANY WAYS TO GET FIT and GET HEALTHY!
From natural health products to fitness companies, you will find a plethora of new ways to get fit and get healthy at The Healthy Living Expo, including life saving techniques from CPR Choice!

CPR CHOICE
What could be more important than knowing how to save someone in a life threatening situation? The Expo is proud to have CPR Choice demonstrate on stage some of the techniques you can learn when you take a CPR class. You can even take a class while you are at the expo, so by the time you leave you can be prepared to properly assist someone with life saving skills!

Natural Health Pavilion
This section of The Healthy Living Expo has companies with products and services that have a natural health aspect. Natural Awakenings Magazine, the foremost leader in our community promoting natural health is the sponsor of this area. Everything from household products, nutritional supplements to local green suppliers are found in the pavilion promoting a healthy mind, body and planet.

Chiropractic Care Pavilion
In keeping with the natural health approach to wellness is the Chiropractic Care pavilion. Three top chiropractic health professionals host this section with information about whole body wellness using natural health solutions.

FUN Outdoors
Getting outdoors, taking walks and hikes, visiting local parks are all part of living healthy so the City of Knoxville sponsors this area to inform our community of these available resources. Look for many associations and businesses offering information and products for outdoor fun for the entire family available right here in East Tennessee.

Get FIT with Health Checks
More than a dozen free health checks are available at the Expo. Screenings for allergies, blood pressure and a list of other simple tests will be listed at TheHealthyLivingExpo.com under the health check tab.

FABULOUS FOODS
Local Chef Walter and other experts using healthy products create FABULOUS foods at the Eat Right stage then share samples with visitors.  And after each segment, prizes are drawn for those attending. In addition to the stage presentations, numerous exhibitors offer samples of healthy products.

Get Active to stay FIT!
Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center takes the lead on this stage with plenty of ideas for getting active. Music fills the area for two days highlighting numerous ways to become more active. Demonstrations are exciting to watch, inviting to participate and created for visitors of all ages.

It is informative and fun!  Come check it out!  This is a prime opportunity to find ideas, products, and services from the many exhibitors! CPR Choice is offering these Family & Friends CPR classes as a public service. All proceeds from this class will be donated directly to the American Heart Association.

We think that is about the easiest question we get asked–EVERYONE!  At CPR Choice we believe that everyone should be trained in the life saving skills of CPR & AED.  You never know when you may need to do CPR or give first aid.  Statistics show that if you do need to perform CPR, chances are it will be on someone that you love! Everyone can benefit by being prepared.

Learning CPR isn’t mandatory for most people.  However, for many it is required of their job and very important that they be proficient in their CPR skills.

Healthcare Providers

Hospitals require their clinical staff to be trained.  Obviously doctors, nurses, EMT’s, paramedics, firefighters and those that work on the front lines of emergency medicine need to be trained.  It is also highly recommended that ANYONE that has a clinical license or touches patients should be certified.  This may include: pharmacists, physical therapists, dental assistants, chiropractors, and other medical personnel.

Lifeguards

Again for obvious reasons lifeguards need to be trained and maintain their certifications.  Whether they are teaching swim lessons at the local YMCA, managing a water park or actually guarding the Atlantic Ocean it is mandatory. Many lifeguards also have to take emergency oxygen courses and first aid.

Personal Trainers/Fitness Instructors

Exercise is good for the heart, right?  Yes it is!  However, it is important that personal trainers and other group fitness instructors learn CPR.  Just in case that cardio workout throws you into cardiac arrest, we want them to be prepared.

Teachers/Bus Drivers/Coaches

You would think that this would be more apparent, yet it is not required for all teachers and school personnel to be trained.  We think it should be! Some kids spend more time with their teachers and coaches than anyone else.  We highly encourage all school staff to be trained.  Are you on the PTO committee??  Bring this up at your next school meeting.  We provide training for public and private schools.

Private Business

We recommend that people that work in the hospitality industry put this at the top of their list.  It is a good idea for hotel staff to be trained in CPR and for hotels to have an AED on site.  Also, where do you think most people choke? Restaurants!  Restaurant staff should also be trained.  However, the list doesn’t stop there!  Banks, retail stores, convention centers, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues should train a portion of their staff.

Daycare Staff

For some reason, while it is not required of school teachers it is required of daycare staff.  Daycare and preschool providers are required by the state to be trained in both CPR & First Aid.  Since they are taking care of such precious cargo it is so important that be familiar with these skills.

Employers with OSHA/Safety Requirements

Many employers are required to train their staff in CPR & First Aid; that is why we offer on-site training at your location.  These professions may include: manufacturing, construction, electrical staff, and those at high risk of injury.

Scout Leaders & Scouts

Since scout groups are often participating in fun adventures and campouts it is a good idea for leaders to be trained in both CPR & First Aid.  If a kid twists his ankle on a hike or cuts himself making his pinewood derby car we want leaders to be prepared.  Scouts also can receive merit badges for both CPR & First Aid.  We would love to train your boy scout or girl scout troop!

Self-employed

Even the self-employed should consider CPR training, especially those that welcome customers into their homes. You need to be prepared, just in case an emergency were to occur.  Whether you are throwing a party for pampered chef, selling insurance or giving massages you should protect yourself from any moral and financial liabilities. Knowing you have the skills required to save a life, if needed, is the best insurance policy of all.

Everyone needs CPR training! Our goal is to deliver high quality training and to create a casual, fun atmosphere. We make sure that all students feel confident in their ability to perform the life saving skills we teach.