Be Active Your Way Blog - JKauffman

Gymnasiums, Early Hours, and Empty Nesters

JKauffman — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 16:03:00 -0400

Empty nesters are a unique group. We all know who these people are: folks who spent the last 20+ years of their lives raising their children, who are now experiencing life without the responsibilities of their kids living under their roof. Like many parents, Empty Nesters put their growing children first, and found themselves getting less and less physical activity, while supporting their children's activities and interests. But now with the children gone, Empty Nesters, while still working full-time, have the opportunity to re-engage in the activities and sports they enjoyed years ago. They also make a great group to bring into a gymnasium at 6 a.m.

The Y took a unique approach to re-engage Nesters in physical activity and help them meet the PA guidelines. We looked at many theories of change, and created a program framework specifically for Empty Nesters to encourage their renewed interest in their own health and their pursuit of fitness. This framework and unique approach includes: establishing the feelings of support in a group setting, being active with people similar to each other, and recognizing the competence and skill each person gains while being more active.

The program framework that the Y created to help Nesters meet the PA guidelines looks like this:

Program focuses on activities or sports that Nesters participated in when they were younger (a "re-Beginner" instead of "new" Beginner).
Participants were recruited by age, re-beginner status and physical condition.
Two staff led the program - one as the "coach" and the other asthe "facilitator."
The facilitator's responsibility is to build group unity, create a sense of belonging, help in individual goal setting, and recognize group and individual achievement.
The coach's responsibility is to lead the physical activity (be it dance, basketball, cycling, etc.) at a level that is safe and appropriate to the group's skill and physical activity, while keeping the class fun and inspirational. Both the coach and the facilitator mirror the participant's age, life experiences, etc. as much as possible.
The program plan is to transition the group to be self-supporting.

This framework has resulted in some pretty interesting groups, including a dozen "slightly" obese, 50-55 year old ex-high school basketball stars, doing 60 minutes of basic ball handling drills, conditioning exercises, and half court games at 6 a.m., to a like-group of female ex-dancers, re-learning ballet routines, while also hitting the weight room. This works too for just about any activity many of us may have played as kids or in high school.

This framework is bringing attention to the PA guidelines, giving coaches, facilitators, and Nesters the ability to be creative in designing activities that meet the PA guidelines, and are fun to them.

Would this framework work in other settings, or with other groups?

Could you be a coach or facilitator yourself, and bring the PA guidelines to life in yet another group of re-Beginners?

What might you add?

Supporting families in creating healthy home environments

JKauffman — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:49:00 -0400

With one in three children in the nation obese or overweight and diabetes rates expected to rise dramatically over the next several decades, the imperative to help and support families sustain healthy lifestyles is as great as ever. Finding time for regular physical activity, eating healthy food, and finding supportive environments and relationships all have an impact on the health and well-being of children, adults, families and the communities where they live.

I can tell you that every day, in Ys across the country, we see and hear about the challenges families face. We know that busy families may feel many barriers to engaging in healthy lifestyles – anything ranging from long work hours, to overscheduled kids, and neighborhoods that are just unsafe for walking and playing. Taking small steps and making incremental changes toward incorporating healthy activities into family routines so they don’t seem cumbersome or overwhelming can be a solution to overcome some barriers.

Healthy Family Home^TM, a YMCA initiative, helps families adopt and maintain healthy behaviors like being more physically active by providing them with fun, simple and engaging activities that they can build into their daily schedules. Healthy Family Home is based on five pillars that support a healthy family home: Eat Healthy; Play Every Day; Get Together; Go Outside; and, Sleep Well. The physical activity component – Play Every Day – focuses on things families can do together. And it doesn’t matter what the activity is, it’s just about getting moving and being together.

The Y understands that healthy living begins at home. It’s important that families create environments that support healthy behaviors but we know that this is sometimes easier said than done. At the Y, we’ve made an intentional effort to support all individuals who struggle to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. So in addition to the many programs aimed at getting kids and families active inside the walls of the Y – Healthy Family Home helps to ensure that families are equipped to take what they’ve learned at the Y home with them. But you don’t have to be a Y member to reap the benefits. Families who have never even stepped foot in a YMCA can learn how to engage their families in healthy lifestyles by visiting www.ymca.net.

What we’ve learned is that parents want to create healthy environments, but they often don’t know how to make it happen in their home. And a one-size-fits all strategy isn’t going to work for all families. As professionals, we can help guide, support families and provide them with the tools and resources to apply what they’ve learned when they are at home and we aren’t around.

What do you think of Healthy Family Home? For more information about Healthy Family Home, visit: www.ymca.net

How might you help families that you work with adopt and maintain healthy habits?

Using the P.A. Guidelines with Cancer Survivors: LIVESTRONG at the Y

JKauffman — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:22:00 -0400

What do you think of when you hear the word “cancer”? Like me, you probably don’t think of “working out”, or “increased levels of physical activity”. You might think of hair loss, painful treatments, feeling sick, and having no energy, among other things. But for some folks, exercise and physical activity is just what their doctor orders, even if they haven’t been active in the past. In most cases, the physical activity guidelines can be followed by (or modified for) cancer survivors, especially while under the care of an oncologist or other physician. Physical activity not only helps improve their physical health, but can also be instrumental in improving their overall well-being.

The Y started actively working with cancer survivors in organized programs more than three years ago, and has been instrumental in helping cancer survivors understand the role of physical activity in their life, and increasing their levels of physical activity during all phases of their life as a cancer survivor. (For most, the definition of a cancer survivor is anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer, from the minute of their diagnosis).

How did the Y become more effective in increasing activity levels with cancer survivors? Select Ys participated in the LIVESTRONG at the YMCA collaborative, in partnership with the Lance Armstrong Foundation. First, they oriented and trained their staff. Second, they engaged multiple cancer experts and organizations, locally and nationally. Third, they did everything they could to ease cancer survivors into evidence based programs, lead by caring, empathic staff, in safe comfortable surroundings, with other cancer survivors. And fourth, they shared what they learned along with the way.

Staff throughout these Ys were oriented and trained on how to respond appropriately when someone identifies themselves as a cancer survivor. We also learned basic, factual information about cancer, treatments, and ways to successfully engage cancer survivors in safe levels of physical activity. We involved local and national cancer experts during meetings, webinars, and conference calls, to glean more information about safe physical activities for cancer survivors, like weight training, aerobic activity, and flexibility exercises. This was critical to the creditability of the LiveStrong at the Y program, as was the empathic staff who led group physical activities or one-on-one training with cancer survivors.

One of the more creative and helpful aspects of the LiveStrong at the Y program was helping cancer survivors feel in control of their lives, through physical activity. Instead of feeling like their cancer diagnosis was a signal to do nothing (which can lead to a feeling like cancer is controlling your life), participants were encouraged to and participated in physical activities that showed they could indeed increase their physical conditioning, become stronger, more flexible, which overall showed them their cancer was something they could deal with. Working out with other cancer survivors, and even participating in activities that benefited others (park clean ups, food drives, etc.), only enhanced this feeling of being back and being in control of one’s life.

The physical activity guidelines are important for all people, abilities, and mindsets.

How are you using the guidelines in new programs or in programs with new populations?

Understand, Then Program for Older Adults

JKauffman — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:00:00 -0400

Successful marketing or programming for older adults begins with understanding “where they are coming from” so that we can best engage them in on-going physical activity. For most in this age group, healthy living, maintaining their independence, playing with grandchildren, and having a basic level of functional fitness is their overall goal (while only a small percentage regularly compete in sports or running races).

Older adults are not all the same, but there are common roles that many of them take on in their everyday lives: caregiver, empty nester, grandparent, breadwinner, retiree, widow/widower, etc. How does your P.A. programming take into account all of these possible roles? Empty nesters may be re-engaging in P.A. after years of doing “not much,” and are looking to join others who look and move “just like them”. Widow/widowers may be looking for clubs and events that not only meet their physical activity goals, but help them build a network or community of peers. Grandparents may be attracted to activities and programs that they can actively do with their grandkids.

Older adults don’t want to buy more “stuff,” but they will spend money on “experiences”. The “bucket list” even if it isn’t written down, isn’t about stuff, it’s about trying new things, visiting more places, meeting interesting people. Does your your marketing or programming emphasis “stuff” like treadmills or balance balls, or “experiences” like working out with new friends and spending quality time with family? Creating significant physical and emotional experiences via physical activity can solidify a commitment to lifelong healthy lifestyles. Older Adult Camps, fossil hunting trips, foreign travel, ethnic cooking classes, financial well-being and living workshops, “Meet the Author” book sessions, can all create these significant experiences.

The way older adults keep score of their physical activity changes over time. An exercise session might not be judged on how many reps, how much weight, or how long the session lasted. A jog in the park might be more about seeing birds, flowers, and having a casual conversation with your jogging buddy, instead of how far or how fast they ran. Have you created any new ways to help Older Adults keep score of their physical activity?

Many have already had a significant health issue (cancer, heart attack, pre-diabetes, etc.) in their life. Some are committed to prevention; some need extra motivation, education, variety and support to get regular physical activity. Some readily admit these health issues directly; others may be embarrassed to let others know. How have you (or your staff) prepared to respond appropriately when a potential member or client reveals they are a cancer survivor, have had a hip replaced, or have limited vision?

The older adult population needs physical activity as much as any group, and the more we can respond to their unique needs, interests, and motivators, the more likely we’ll engage them in meeting the P.A. guidelines. What have you learned about working with older adults that you would like to share?

Overcoming Barriers to Physical Activity

JKauffman — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:26:00 -0400

Do you think it’s easy for adults to meet the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans? Even though we’re in a profession dedicated to promoting health and well-being, do you often struggle to personally meet the Guidelines? I know I do. As professionals dedicated to helping others increase their physical activity, I think it’s important for us to acknowledge the challenges we might face ourselves and share those things that have worked for us in hopes of inspiring others to meet the Guidelines.

Here are some of the things that have worked for me: There are hand weights and elastic bands next to my desk at work. There’s a pair of walking shoes ready to go by the door. I have a few exercise posters just inside my top desk drawer. These few changes to my environment have helped me come closer to meeting the Guidelines. I often pick up the weights or bands and do a series of exercises while on conference calls, in between checking emails, or before starting an administrative task. The walking shoes often come on when I see that I have 10 to 15 minutes before my next appointment. A quick walk or a few flights of stairs gets my heart pumping, and also allows me to focus on the next meeting. I do all these things in my street clothes, no need for changing or showering.

My office does some interesting health promotions, all with the intent of getting staff more active. By taking part, I’ve done a lot of things I wouldn’t have normally tried such as: taking a yoga class, assisting in a volunteer project helping an elderly neighbor (shoveling snow off a roof), participating in a corporate triathlon relay, and recording my monthly steps. This variety of activities really helps me meet the Guidelines. The variety is actually kind of fun. My company’s not trying to get all of us into yoga, or running, or counting our steps…they’re just trying to get us active in something, this week and next week, and the week after.

Supportive friends and relationships also help me meet the Guidelines. Instead of getting grief or mockery from co-workers who may see me doing arm curls, or see some perspiration (sometime even sweat) on my face, I get compliments about doing something healthy. When I ask for others to join me on the quick walk around the block, I actually get a few who say “yes.” When I ask for help in meeting one of the company’s health activities, my co-workers understand the importance, and lend support.

I believe changes to your environment, choosing a variety of activities, and getting support from friends and colleagues is integral in helping most of us and our clients meet the Guidelines. So even though I sometimes struggle meeting the Guidelines, I’m finding ways to help me be active.

What environmental changes have you recommended to others to help them reach greater levels of physical activity?

What variety of activities have you incorporated to promote more activity?

How have you created or cultivated supportive friends and relationships for your clients?

Holiday Healthy Family Traditions

JKauffman — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:54:00 -0400

A long time ago, I made a conscious decision to be more active and eat healthier over the holidays. I understand that this is something that many people have trouble doing, but by making increased physical activity part of a holiday tradition, it can actually become something that the whole family looks forward to.

As Professionals in physical activity, we should look at a variety of ways to assist people in becoming more active, and the holidays actually offer all kinds of creative and fun outlets to family physical activity. My wife and I ski every Thanksgiving Day, no matter what. And after the Thanksgiving meal, we ALWAYS take a two mile walk (regardless of the time, weather, or what is on TV). We also used to participate in some neat Y programs too (Huff and Puff while you Stuff was one of our favorites), and we gently persuaded any visiting family to join in these additional activities. If shopping is part of the upcoming holiday season, try what we do; park the car “a short hike” from the mall entrance to get some extra minutes of activity towards the recommended guidelines of 150 minutes per week of moderate activity. It’s almost become a game we play to see how many different things we can do (at a moderate intensity level) that last at least 10 minutes that count towards the 150 minute guideline.

Family traditions play a crucial role in the healthy or unhealthy choices a family makes about eating and physical activity, and with the holidays just around the corner, why not choose to start some healthy traditions this year. The YMCA has a great, free resource called Healthy Family Home, available at www.ymca.net/healthyfamilyhome. Healthy Family Home outlines all kinds of simple yet effect ways families can eat healthier, be more physically active and spend more time together. No matter what your role is in encouraging or leading physical activity, you’ll find all kinds of uses for YMCA Healthy Family Home.

The tips in YMCA Healthy Family Home work year round, but trying them out around the holidays may help jumpstart some new family traditions. Other suggestions include playing a vigorous game of touch football rather than watching TV Football Half-time reports. All of the tips in Healthy Family Home focus on small, simple things, that when combined, can have a positive effect on your family’s health and well-being. Check out YMCA Healthy Family Home. What are you doing to help create healthy family traditions?

Also visit our website at www.ymca.net