Here are the events scheduled at with the Pen Bay Medical Center and the Waldo County General for March.

Winter Session of Free Journey to Health Fitness Classes Now Open
Starting March 1 and running through April 1, drop-ins welcome.

Waldo County General Hospital has partnered with local fitness professionals to offer five free exercise programs to the community this winter. The classes are tailored for beginner exercisers and are open to all.
Classes include:

Beginner Zumba: Tuesdays, March 1 — 29, 4:15 — 5:15 p.m., Belfast Dance Studio (109 High Street, Belfast). Drop-ins welcome, no registration required.

Gentle Yoga: Wednesdays, March 2 — 30, 4:30 — 5:45 p.m., Belfast Dance Studio (109 High Street, Belfast). Drop-ins welcome, no registration required.

Move it to Lose it: Thursdays, March 3 — 31, 5:15 — 6:30 p.m., East Belfast Elementary School Gym (14 Swan Lake Avenue, Belfast). To register or more information, please contact Hester Kohl at 930-2514.

Stretch Around: Mondays and Fridays, March 4 — April 1, 1 — 2 p.m., St. Margaret's Episcopal Church (95 Court Street, Belfast). Drop-ins welcome, no registration required.

F.I.T. (Fun Interval Training): Monday, March 7 — 28, 5:15 — 6:15 p.m., East Belfast Elementary School Gym (14 Swan Lake Avenue, Belfast). Drop-ins welcome, no registration required.

For more information about any of the Journey to Health classes, please contact Hester Kohl at 930-2514.

Warm up this Winter with Scrumptious Soups
On Tuesday, March 8 and 15, fro 6-7:30 p.m. at the Teen Center, 10 Knowlton St. Camden. There is a $15 fee for this course and you can register at http://bit.ly/1Quar5Z or call 921-3950 for more information.

It's cold outside and we need something to warm us up but not make us round! Join this series of two hands-on cooking classes and learn some new recipes for low-fat, low-salt soups that will keep you and your family warm and happy all winter long. Recipes include Mediterranean White Bean Soup, Black Bean Soup, Butternut Squash Soup and Basil Spinach Soup.

Learn how to get a peaceful night's sleep
Wednesday, March 9 from 5:30-6:45 p.m. at the Pen Bay Physician's Building
Conference Rooms C & D at 4 Glen Cove Drive, Rockport. This event is free and open to the public, registration is required http://bit.ly/1PYU7hp Please call 921-3950 with questions.

Sleep is important for overall health. Join Cindy Roth, lead sleep technician at the Pen Bay Medical Center Sleep Lab, to learn how much sleep you should be getting and why it's important. Find out what happens when you don't get enough sleep and learn practices that can help you sleep better.

Medications: Tips for Safe Storage and Disposal
Thursday, March 10 from noon -1 p.m. at the Picker Family Resource Center at 756 Commercial St in Rockport. This event is free and open to the public, registration is required — Please call 921-3950.

Safely storing and disposing of your medications may be more important to you, your family and your friends than you realize. Kelsey Arsenault, CHES, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist for Knox County Community Health Coalition, will explain why as she discusses the different types of medications, their proper storage and disposal, and how to keep medications out of hands that could abuse or misuse them — whether accidentally or intentionally.

Physician to Speak on History of Medicine in Maine
Wednesday, March 16 from 1 — 2:30 p.m. at the Camden Public Library. Free and open to adults age 50-plus. Registration required; 921-6116

Richard Kahn, M.D., will offer a lighthearted look at health care as it was
practiced in bygone days in the Pine Tree State when Quarry Hill and Camden Public Library present "A Scandalously Short History of Medicine in Maine in the 19th and 20th Centuries." The program is part of Quarry Hill's educational Adventures in Living Well series for adults age 50-plus.

Dr. Kahn's illustrated talk will focus on some of Maine's early hospitals, including the Rockland Surgical Emergency Hospital, strategically located in the only building downtown that had an elevator. Another highlight
will center on the 1836 sinking of the passenger steamship the Royal Tar off Vinalhaven, in which 13 adults, 10 children, and numerous circus animals drowned.

Dr. Richard Kahn serves as senior services physician specialist at Quarry Hill and the Knox Center for Long Term Care in Rockland. He has written for medical journals and historical publications and speaks frequently at
meetings of historical societies, museums, medical societies, and civic groups.

Admission to all Adventures in Living Well programs is free, but registration is required. To sign up for the March program please contact Quarry Hill at 921-6116.

Quarry Hill Program to Explain Hospice and Palliative Care
Monday, March 21 from 3-4 p.m. at the Anderson Inn at Quarry Hill. Free and open to adults age 50-plus. Registration required; 921-6116

Adults age 50-plus are welcome to join Quarry Hill residents for "Demystifying Palliative Care and Hospice: A Physician's Perspective," an
informational presentation. Part of the extended-care community's Going Strong series revolving around health topics of particular interest to older adults, the program will be offered free of charge.

Program facilitator Lauren Michalakes, M.D., director of Hospice and Palliative Care at Pen Bay Medical Center, will define hospice and palliative care and explain how the two approaches to end-of-life care may benefit both patients and families.

Spring into Spring Rolls Classes Offered
Tuesday, March 22 at Penobscot Bay YMCA, 116 Union Street in Rockport from 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Thursday, March 31 at Waldo County General Hospital, 118 Northport Ave, Belfast from 5-7 p.m.

Looking for a fun and healthy cooking class that doesn't require actual cooking? In this family-friendly hands-on class, you will learn how to make fresh, cool, crunchy and healthy (of course!) spring rolls with seasonally
available vegetables and dipping sauces. Classes hosted by Pen Bay Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital.

Please register in advance. Call 921-3950 for the Pen Bay class and 930-2514 for Waldo County.

Self-Care with Massage for Caregivers
Thursday, March 24 from 11 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. at the Pen Bay Physician's Building Conference Rooms C & D, 4 Glen Cove Drive, Rockport. This event is free but you must register at http://bit.ly/1RJudzp or call 921-3950 with questions.

Self-care is learning how to recognize when your life may become out of balance — emotionally, physically, intellectually or spiritually — and implementing what might be the right path for you to get back on course. Emily Waltz-Lash, BS, LMT, director of admission at Downeast School of
Massage, will lead this workshop to help caregivers identify challenges of maintaining self-care while supporting partners or loved ones with an illness. Discussion will also revolve around identifying ways to improve and create healthy lifestyles, practicing stretching to reduce tension, improving posture and breathing, and practicing massage techniques with a partner to reduce tension, reduce pain and increase circulation.

Long Term Care Planning: What You Need to Know
Wednesday, March 30 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Picker Family Resource Center at 756 Commercial St, Rockport. This event is free but requires registration at http://bit.ly/1SjPtNa or call 921-3950 with questions.

Are you facing the possibility that your parent, friend or spouse needs more care than can be given at home? Join ClaimAid Patient Resource Advocate Lisa Mele for the first in a series of workshops to learn how to be more prepared for your loved ones and yourself. Lisa will answer questions to help make the long-term care planning less stressful.