Active Living Program News
Richland, WA, Personal Trainer on a Mission to Get People Active
Steve Anderson doesn’t just talk about becoming more active; he’s out there helping people change their behaviors. As a personal trainer at the Columbia Basin Racquet Club in Richland, Washington, Steve trained as an Active Living Every Day facilitator in 2004. He’s using the program in cooperation with a community initiative to motivate sedentary adults in his community to find fun physical activities that they can stick with in the long term.
“Our traditional approach to getting people to exercise just hasn't worked very well in this country. You can't deny that,” Steve says. “The Active Living Every Day philosophy just makes sense. It breaks the mold on how we view exercise, and I think that is exactly what people need to give physical activity a try.”
As director of Get Active Tri-Cities, a community coalition to promote physical activity, Steve brings together businesses, media, government, hospitals, schools, and individuals to offer fun, practical ways to become more physically active. He helps people find the resources they need to make lifestyle changes that combat obesity, sedentary living, and unhealthy eating habits.
“Lack of physical activity isn’t an isolated or individual problem. It's an ‘everybody’ problem. The people that know they need to make a change also need to know there are a lot of people out there that share the same problem. People don't do it on their own for a lot of reasons, I think mainly because they have old-school ideas on how they have to exercise that keep them from even starting. I also think many people are just intimidated to start. They fear failure. That's where having a coalition of people can be very, very helpful.”
Get Active Tri-Cities thrives on support from the community. The Richland School District got behind the program from the beginning and has done a great job promoting physical activity. Local media helps out, too. Steve tells us, “We just finished shooting 5 public service announcements that use the Active Living Every Day philosophy to get our community more active. We have plans to do another 15 with one of our local sponsors, KEPR-TV (CBS affiliate). We want the Active Living message to get right into the homes of our residents."
The Get Active Tri-Cities Web site, www.getactivetri-cities.com, offers several additional tools to help people become more active. They can learn about and sign up for Active Living Every Day classes, view weekly tips on staying active, link to additional resources regarding healthy lifestyle, and register for Teamwork Tri-Cities. This five-month competition enrolled 25 teams and encourages people to work together to adopt healthier lifestyles and better eating habits. Results of the contest will be posted to the Get Active Tri-Cities Web site.
Steve sees personal benefits from being involved in this grassroots initiative. “The greatest satisfaction I get is having people come up to me and say, ‘I didn't think I could do it, but I am.’ They are making small changes in their lifestyles, starting with those two-minute walks, and building from there. It works.”
To learn more about Get Active Tri-Cities, visit their Web site at www.getactivetri-cities.com. To find out how you can offer Active Living Every Day in your community, contact Active Living Partners at 800-747-4457 ext 2522, send an e-mail to michellem@hkusa.com, or visit our Web site at www.ActiveLiving.info.
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