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Active Living Program News

Above and Beyond Expectations

Stacy Wegley, MS, ACSM-HFI and director of health promotion and education for the Hamilton County General Health District in Cincinnati, Ohio, recently shared with us her experiences as an Active Living Partners program director and facilitator. With nearly four years’ experience in offering Active Living Every Day to sedentary older adults, Stacy and her staff have discovered more rewards than they imagined, as well as some challenges to overcome. Read, enjoy, and learn.

ALP: How do you describe the impact of a program like Active Living Every Day on the community and on the groups you work with?

Stacy: The outcomes exceed our expectations. The individual and collective energy found in each group, and the behavior changes they accomplish, are tremendous. We see marked improvements and renewed capacity to complete daily living tasks—taking out the trash, being able to go out and buy groceries, walking to get the mail. And the adults in Active Living Every Day find energy they didn’t think they had. We receive postcards from participants who are now taking trips to the Grand Canyon and other places around the country. It’s gratifying to be a part of that process.

Participants in Active Living Every Day are building a sense of pride and a real sense of independence. We see new joy and light within people. Learning that they can become more active gives them the confidence to try something new.

ALP: You've had a chance to learn from other facilitators and program directors in the Active for Life group. What benefits do you find from sharing experiences with other providers?

Stacy: Among the program directors, it’s been a collaborative effort. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by a talented group that sets high standards, which encourages each of us to keep finding ways to innovate and improve. We’re all trying to figure out what works best. We share information about new partners brought on board, we hear how others have tweaked the marketing message, and we learn creative ways to bring together resources. We want to continue to reach out to facilitators and directors outside of the Active for Life project and learn from that interaction.

ALP: What are the challenges in implementing a successful program in the community?

Stacy: Specific to Active Living Every Day, we have to pay close attention to the messaging. Many people already see themselves as “active,” but they are really just busy: Some think that getting out of the car or switching tables while playing cards is activity. We use the term physical activity and avoid exercise—that conjures up thoughts of spandex and gyms, which don’t appeal to the audience we work with. We focus on the supportive and motivating aspects of the program. They know what they should be doing, but they need to discover their own motivation for becoming physically active.

We offered a worksite class and found that the overall message for this group, too, needs to be about commitment, support, and motivation. Those are the aspects of an active lifestyle that seem to resonate with people—the pieces they feel they are missing.

We found the need to overcome the perception that this is an exercise class. We make it clear on all the marketing literature, but many people still expect to do some kind of exercise in class. This is the only behavior change program we offer. We suggest that once someone completes this class and has found ways to include activity as part of their life, that’s a great time to try out activity classes.

Now that we have individual success stories to share, the evidence helps people overcome the barriers of how to promote it and the cost. This applies to both potential participants and partners we seek out in the community. They can see the results and how valuable the program is.

ALP: Any class management or recruiting tips you can pass along?

Stacy: Administrative support is a key role and helps to increase the hours the facilitator can focus on facilitation. It’s easy to get bogged down with scheduling, bad setups, and all the logistics. We try to remind facilitators of why they are offering this program, to focus on the changes they are making in people’s lives, and the impact are they having on the community.

I would encourage new facilitators and program directors to reach out to others who have experience. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We have learned so much in hearing about what has worked for other organizations, how they approach partners, and how they implement their programs.

To identify potential participants and partnerships, we’ve found that word of mouth is the strongest recruiting tool. People in our classes who started as referrals from others in the class, a physician, or one of our program directors tend to stick with the class at a higher rate than others. It’s sometimes a challenge to use word of mouth since we serve five counties, but it can be used effectively. Ask facilitators to identify participants who could recruit others, take photos that can give a face to the program, keep notes about what works—those are all critical to promoting the program and making it successful.

We thank Stacy for her time and insight. To learn more about Hamilton County’s Active Living Every Day program, including a video, visit their Web site at hamiltoncountyhealth.org or call 888-223-3674. To learn more about Active Living Partners programs, go to www.ActiveLiving.info, send an e-mail to kristinem@hkusa.com, or call 800-747-4457, ext 2286.