National Women's Health & Fitness Day was celebrated Wednesday with some marking the occasion at Contours Express in Okemos with special events.

People at the small gym listened to guest speakers that provided services such as blood pressure readings, presentations on how to find the right workout shoes and medical massage therapy, Contours manager Margee Hutchinson said. Everyone who attended received a two-week membership for free, she said.

The health awareness day, in its fourth year, is an event that is celebrated by different groups and companies across the country. It's sponsored by national organizations such as the National Wellness Institute.

According to the National Women's Health and Fitness Day Web site, the day is the "nation's largest annual health promotion event for women of all ages," and has activities all over the country that focus on the "importance of regular physical activity and health awareness."

Contours Express is an all-women gym that offers a 30-minute training session that alternates between step aerobics, weight machines, jogging boards and includes a warm up and cool down, Hutchinson said.

The workout is quick and fits women's schedules, she said.

"Just women in general have so many tasks, so many roles to fill," she said. "I feel that women need the shorter circuit training, they need it on a daily basis and it meets your requirements."

Women should focus on working out all parts of the body and working on nutrition, Olin Health Center nutritionist Ronda Bokram said.

"Looking at the whole person rather than focusing on weight loss," she said. "That is important."

People must enjoy their workout and feel comfortable and confident in the gym, said Jonathan Kermiet, Olin Health Center health educator and manager of The Life: Rx program.

Working out with other women makes women feel more comfortable and more confident, he said.

"The environment is a lot what women like," he said. "They don't like competitive environments as much and don't like exercising with men as much."

A workout that only requires 30 minutes a day is much more feasible for the average person, Bokram said.

"It's an exercise program that is not impossible to achieve," she said.

Contours Express is open to woman ages 13 and over. Hutchinson said she hopes the national health day makes women more aware of their health.

"We are promoting good health habits here," Hutchinson said. "The more women that learn about it, the better."