Adam Parks Wants His Community to Be Healthier
Adam remembers the day when he realized his high school classmates looked healthier than he did.
It wasn’t just about weight: Adam prided himself in being a big, strong young man. But it seemed like other kids looked fitter and they had better complexions. “I knew right away it was because we ate differently.” While he ate mostly fast food, his classmates were bringing in packed lunches filled with healthier foods.
It wasn’t a straight line from that epiphany to being a health consultant, but these days he is known as someone who can help people make important changes to old, unhelpful habits. Adam is a personal trainer and a health consultant who is focused on making his community of Appalachia a better, healthier place to live.
He has been working with companies like Utility Trailer Manufacturing Co. and People Inc. to help their employees find a healthier work/life balance, and he has been teaching them about making healthier choices in their diet. Adam says the improvement is visible. “Now when I go to Utility, I can feel a difference among the employees. It’s obvious they feel better.”
It doesn’t end at food choices. Adam also has a program called Unplug SWVA where he reminds people of the health benefits of simply being outdoors. “Even if you just eat your lunch outside, you’re going to feel better!” He also leads monthly outings to cool places in SWVA that will get folks excited about being outside and will make them proud of their home.
You can enjoy a conversation with Adam on the Duck Pond Wall podcast that will not only tell you about his journey, but will also offer some great advice for feeling better.
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Emory & Henry Class of 2006
Emory & Henry Class of 2006
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- <div class="lw_news_image"><span class="lw_item_thumb"><a href="/live/news/1852-april-asbury-publishes-chapbook-of-poetry"><picture class="lw_image"><source type="image/webp" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,739,1168/9865_Head_Outdoors_Tree.rev.1621792272.webp 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><source type="image/jpeg" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,739,1168/9865_Head_Outdoors_Tree.rev.1621792272.jpg 2x" data-origin="responsive"/><img src="/live/image/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,739,1168/9865_Head_Outdoors_Tree.rev.1621792272.jpg" alt="April J. Asbury, Emory & Henry Class of 1996" width="345" height="225" srcset="/live/image/scale/2x/gid/68/width/345/height/225/crop/1/src_region/0,0,739,1168/9865_Head_Outdoors_Tree.rev.1621792272.jpg 2x" data-max-w="739" data-max-h="1168" loading="lazy" data-optimized="true"/></picture></a></span></div><div class="lw_widget_text"><h4 class="lw_news_headline"><a href="/live/news/1852-april-asbury-publishes-chapbook-of-poetry">April Asbury Publishes Chapbook of Poetry</a></h4><div class="lw_news_summary"><em>Woman with Crows</em> is a newly published chapbook of poetry by April J. Asbury, E&H Class of 1996. <a href="/live/news/1852-april-asbury-publishes-chapbook-of-poetry" class="link-with-arrow gold">Keep reading</a></div></div>