John Wockenfuss bent his knees into his belly and attempted to grab the outsides of his feet as he laid on a maroon yoga mat in a dimly lit, third-floor common area at J&L Enterprises.
"Like I said, I'm not very flexible," groaned the 46-year-old president and co-owner of the staffing and recruiting agency. Vice president Kelly Conolly, Wockenfuss' wife and three other employees joined him in the "Happy Baby" pose as ceiling fans spun overhead and new age music played on an iPad.
"Curl up into a tight little ball. Maybe even touching your knees to your forehead," Erin Kuehl, owner of Evolve Yoga and Wellness, suggested.
Joints cracked. The group laughed.
For the past month, Kuehl has led yin yoga classes during the Wednesday lunch hour at the Sioux City business, 219 W. Seventh St., which is pursuing a Blue Zones Worksite designation.
Sioux City is one of 19 Blue Zones demonstration sites in Iowa. The project, sponsored by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, seeks to improve the health of Iowans. Employers that complete the worksite designation process show their commitment to creating a healthier work environment by supporting the well-being of their staff.
Employees at J&L Enterprises work out in the second-floor gym, take the stairs and participate in walking groups called mois. The parking lot also has Blue Zones signage encouraging staff and patrons to walk farther. Some employees who smoke are thinking about quitting, according to marketing director Susan Fey.
"Even the people who aren't totally participating, they understand what's going on and they'll talk about it," she said. "They say, 'That doesn't sound very Blue Zones,' as just kind of a joke, but it's actually hitting home."
Since a staffing and recruiting agency can be a stressful place to work, Fey, who also serves on the Sioux City Blue Zones Engagement Committee, said she wanted to find an activity that would help employees relax. She immediately thought of yoga, an exercise she has been doing for years.
Wockenfuss and Conolly, who Fey said like to "think outside of the box," were game. She contacted Kuehl, who brought her foam yoga blocks, bolsters and mats to the office.
Kuehl's first class was a hit with staff. Fey said they liked yin yoga so much that they wanted to keep doing it. New participants, she said, show up every week.
Vinyasa or flow yoga, one of the more popular styles, is fast-paced and dynamic. Yin yoga involves holding postures and asanas (body positions) for long periods of time -- four minutes. Kuehl said yin yoga is an excellent way to relieve stress.
"You're putting your body in positions you probably haven't been in since you were a child," she said. "The first thing you're going to feel is like you've had a full-body massage. The next day your lower back doesn't hurt as much, and you're not achy."
Sitting at a desk all day, Kuehl explained, causes tightness in the hips and hamstrings and tension in the shoulders.
She encouraged participants at J&L Enterprises to focus their breathing where they felt tension in their bodies while holding various positions.
At one point during the class, Kuehl told them to think of all of the things they brought with them to the class as they lay on their mats. Then, she asked them to let one of those things go.
At the end of the session, participants remarked, "That's wonderful" and "It can't be over."
Wockenfuss said he didn't really know what yoga was before he met Kuehl. It certainly wasn't something he ever thought he would try.
After that first class, Wockenfuss said he immediately noticed a difference in his body. His aches and pains were gone and he felt more flexible.
Kuehl said there is a misconception that you need to be flexible in order to do yoga.
"That's why you come to yoga," she said. "To find that space in your body."
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