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Health & Wellness

Take charge of your health with help from the Library! Find online and in-person exercise, mindfulness or cooking classes, and more.

We can also help you find reliable, trusted resources to manage good health and get access to medical research tools too. See our blog posts about health & wellness that cover both research assistance and reading recommendations. You can also browse our health and wellness staff created book lists.

Public Health Partnerships

The Library is also proud to partner with local organizations to team up for community health including hosting flu and COVID-19 vaccine clinics, distributing free gun locks, and more. Learn more about how you can easily visit our locations to take advantage of these free services.

In-Person Programs

Adults on a walk in a park.

ABCs of Diabetes
Schedule & Register
Adults are invited to a four-part diabetes education series by the Marion County Public Health Department. Topics include eating healthier, increasing activity, taking medications, and preventing complications. Attendees should plan to attend all four sessions.

Chair Aerobics with Through the Ages Fitness
Schedule & Register
Join us for the popular, low-impact Chair Aerobics summer series on Thursday afternoons! These sessions will engage both your body and mind from a seated position.

A Variety of Yoga Classes
Schedule & Register
Join us for beginner-friendly, feel-good movement, breathing, and meditation practice or low-impact, theme-based seated exercise and brain fitness classes.

Children Ages 6-12: Vet Adventures Animal First Aid
Schedule & Register
Take a crash course in animal first aid. Learn the basics of pet safety, compassionate care, and take home your own animal first aid kit. This program is for kids ages 6-12.

Children Ages 6-12: Pet Dash Challenge
Schedule & Register
Increase mobility and flexibility through a series of maneuvers in our pet training obstacle course. Inspire movement, problem-solving, and strengthen fine motor skills with each challenge. This program is for ages 6-12.

East 38th Street Family Spice Club Grab & Go
Schedule & Register
Try a new spice with the East 38th Street Library Family Spice Club. Pick up a sample of a spice at the end of each month and cook something new with your family. *One bag per household, while supplies last.*

Garfield Park Adult Walking Club the "Garfield Gaiters"
Schedule
Adults ages 55+ are invited to a planned walk from the Garfield Park Branch using trails throughout the park and nearby neighborhoods. These twice monthly walks will last approximately 45 minutes. A signed Liability Waiver will be required.

Haughville Nutrition Education Classes
Schedule & Register
Packed with nutrients, versatile and affordable, these foods should play a prominent role in your meal planning.

Spades Park Fire Safety with Kasey the Fire Dog
Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. Register
As part of the Summer Reading Program focus on pets, come meet Kasey the Fire Dog. The Kasey Program© teaches children by using Kasey, a black labrador retriever, to teach life and fire safety skills, ie stop, drop & roll, checking the door to see if it's hot, knowing two ways out, etc.

West Indianapolis Chair Yoga & Mindfulness - with Carol Tharp-Perrin
Schedule & Register
Join Carol for chair-based yoga to practice your breathing techniques, and improve your heart rate, mental focus, and relaxation.

View on Demand

Simple & Affordable Plant Based Cooking
Watch as local vegan chefs share their favorite and nutritious vegan recipes in these easy step-by-step video tutorials.

Online NinjaZone Camp for Kids
Get your kids moving! Join Coach Mike for a series of classes to do at your own pace from home. NinjaZone combines the coordination, strength, and agility training into a creative form of freestyle movement: Lesson One, Lesson Two, and Lesson Three. Also see our booklist for little Ninjas in training!

Book List: Diabetes Recommendations from the Marion County Public Health Department

From the folks who teach ABCs of Diabetes, here is a list of books and resources you can find at IndyPL for learning and coping with Diabetes. Check out their list of cookbook recommendations too!

See all our book lists about health for adults.

Mayo Clinic

The Essential Diabetes Book

Updated and still awesome, this is a go-to resource.

Take Control of your Diabetes

Walker, Rosemary A.

A great book for a visual learner and thinker, this book explores and explains in helpful ways!

Prediabetes

A Complete Guide : your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses

Weisenberger, Jill

With a focus toward those diagnosed with Prediabetes, this book pulls together great info!