NHLBI, Hearts N' Parks Program - 2003 Magnet Center Sites

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2003 Magnet Center Sites

Tamarac, FL—Adult Programs

Description

The Walk Fit, Massage Mondays, Wellness Wednesdays, and Fitness Fridays programs targeted adults over 55 years of age. All programs focused on physical activity, healthy eating, blood pressure, and cholesterol. In Walk Fit, participants walked on treadmills and regularly recorded time walked, distance, pulse rate, and weight. Participants also received bi-weekly health lectures, healthy menu options, exercise demonstrations, and various health-related literature. In Massage Mondays, participants received massage as well as written materials to promote healthy choices for an active lifestyle. In Wellness Wednesdays, participants received presentations from local health professionals on topics such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nutrition, and sleep disorders. The participants were taught that nutrition and physical activity are a vital part of their overall wellness program. In Fitness Fridays, participants worked with a trainer to individualize their fitness programs. Participants learned the proper warm-up and cool-down stretching techniques, as well as how to use the fitness equipment. The trainer also assisted them in maintaining personal logs to chart their progress. In addition, participants received information on healthy menu options, exercise demonstrations, and various health-related materials.

Program Information

Name of program	Wellness Wednesdays	Fitness Fridays	Massage Mondays
Program start and end date	7/16/2003 to 12/17/2003	7/25/2003 to 12/19/2003	10/1/2003 to 12/22/2003
Number of times program met per week	1	1	1
Number of participants (total)	N/A	15	48
Number of male participants	N/A	10	30
Number of female participants	N/A	5	18
Target group	Adult	Adult	Adult
Program focus
Physical Activity
Heart-Healthy Eating
Blood Pressure			-
Cholesterol			-
Location of activities
Classes	-	-	-
Fitness center	-		-
Senior center
Other	-	-	-
Materials used
Information Handout
Lesson			-
Activity	-		-
Menus			-
Other	-		-

Public Visibility

Internal efforts to promote Hearts N' Parks programs:

Bulletin board or information racks
Newsletter or brochure
Posters in buildings

External efforts to promote Hearts N' Parks programs:

Media Coverage: Print

Special Event(s): FunFit Festival

Number of presentations: N/A

Other: N/A

Partners

Partners who contributed to adult programs:

Partner Name	Partner Contribution
At Your Door Physical Therapy and Massage	Provided massages and education during Massage Mondays.
Coral Springs Medical Center	Health professionals offered lectures and educational materials.
Area Agency on Aging	Provided educational material.
North Broward District Hospital	Provided educational material.
American Heart Association	Provided educational materials and speakers.
American Red Cross	Provided educational materials and speakers.

Performance Measures

Fitness Fridays
Participant scores in the Fitness Fridays program showed significant improvement in overweight/obesity knowledge, heart-healthy eating attitude, physical activity knowledge, high blood pressure knowledge, and cholesterol knowledge. Moderate improvement was observed in heart-healthy eating knowledge, overweight/obesity attitude, heart-healthy eating behavior, physical activity level, and SIT score.

Wellness Wednesdays
Participant scores showed significant improvement in overweight/obesity knowledge, heart-healthy eating attitude, physical activity level and knowledge, high blood pressure knowledge, cholesterol knowledge, and FIT score. Moderate improvements were observed in heart-healthy eating knowledge and behavior, overweight/obesity attitude, and SIT score.

Massage Mondays
Information not available.

Hearts N' Parks Walk Fit 2003
Significant improvements were observed in overweight/obesity knowledge, heart-healthy eating behavior, and physical activity level. Moderate improvements were observed in heart- healthy eating knowledge, physical activity attitude, high blood pressure knowledge, and FIT and SIT scores.