Active Living Program News
Spotlight on WellSpan Health
How do you convince an entire state that they need to get moving? Try Active Living Every Day! WellSpan Health in York, Pennsylvania, has implemented Active Living Every Day as one of the community programs they offer to supplement a statewide fitness challenge called Shape Up Pennsylvania. Their Community Health Improvement department assists residents with adopting and maintaining healthy lifestyles through physical activity and healthy eating.
Active Living Every Day program director Courtney Paskell states that they chose Active Living Every Day because of the course content. She says, “This is a program that gives participants the knowledge, skills, and support necessary to make long term behavior changes for a lifetime. This information can be applied to any type of physical activity at any time throughout life.”
WellSpan serves an assorted population: Their first class consisted of an all-female, largely senior population with a few younger females and WellSpan Health employees. Later classes included members of a bariatric support group and men and women from the community. They’ve completed two classes so far, have a class running now, and have two more scheduled in upcoming months.
Here are a few of the success stories from WellSpan Health:
- In the first group of participants, 41% advanced to a higher level of physical activity and 18% showed decreased exercise heart rate on the follow-up walk test.
- In the second group, 45% of participants advanced to a higher level of physical activity.
- One participant lowered her cholesterol level from last year. Her physician said she is in better shape than she was last year (before attending Active Living Every Day sessions) and told her to continue what she was doing, and do more of it.
- “I walk better, feel better, and have better health. I lost weight, take fewer medications, and have less depression. I am a little less afraid to try new things. I need to push myself beyond what I can do, and I can do more than I give myself credit for.”
The facilitators at WellSpan liven up the group sessions by demonstrating various types of physical activity, and giving incentives for completing home assignments. They also introduce stress management techniques such as diaphragmatic breathing and guided imagery. To celebrate one successful course, participants were treated to healthy snacks and gifts during their “graduation” session.
WellSpan stresses to participants that the skills learned in Active Living Every Day can lead to lifelong wellness. To encourage long-term usage of the skills the participants have acquired, facilitators ask participants to complete a commitment sheet during the last class session, describing their plan for continued physical activity. These sheets are mailed to participants three months later, along with a survey to complete and return to WellSpan. This allows the center to evaluate the long-term effects of the program, and to support each participant’s decision to increase physical activity for a lifetime.
Kudos to WellSpan for their dedication to improving the health of their communities! To contact WellSpan Health about their Active Living Every Day program, click here to view their contact information.
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