It wasn’t too long ago that Carol
Hill struggled to do a step exercise at the gym. Today, she can do it
— in a 20-pound vest. The 65-year-old has
been hitting the gym twice a week for a little more than a year with
the GOal Getters program at Memorial Fitness Center in Hollywood.
Since then, she’s not only gotten in shape, but has reduced her
dose of thyroid medication.
“You don’t have to exercise every
day,” she said. “Even if you do just twice a week you can make a
big impact — twice a week of good exercises.”
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That message is something she’s heard
regularly from Lori Hart, a fitness instructor with GOal Getters, who
manages the group’s Facebook page and regularly sends the group
text messages and emails about their progress.
“I love my job,” Hart said. “I
really do know at the end of the day that I help people feel better
about themselves.”
Memorial is one of a number of fitness
programs that incorporate technology and social media to keep their
clients connected, educated and on track.
“We feel like the proper education
leads to motivation, which leads to perspiration,” said Wesley
Smith, director of the University of Miami Guardrails program. “We
try to educate them properly on how much of an impact small changes
will make. It doesn’t have to be dramatic.”
Smith developed a wellness assessment
platform called Guardrails about three years ago. Using algorithms
and software. The program evaluates
different elements of one’s health. At the end of the screening,
participants are given an eight-page report card with grades from A
to F in the areas of metabolic, musculoskeletal, nutritional and
aerobic health. Results are used to customise
fitness plans, give nutritional recommendations and offer health
advice.
Smith believes that the more educated a
population is about their health, the more motivated they’ll be to
improve it. He said tweaks such as adding vegetables to meals or
taking the stairs, can make a big difference and play a role in
prevention.
“If someone catches a virus, they
know in a few days,’’ he said. “But if they catch heart
disease, they’ll know in about 30 years.”
Although Guardrails is just for UM
students, faculty and staff, Smith and his team have recently founded
HealthSnap Solutions, which offers similar screenings to be done at
doctors’ offices. The university is involved in this project as
well.
“We’re educating the community on
this product,” said Yenvy Truong, CEO of HealthSnap. “It’s not
just another routine assessment. It’s specialised
and personalised information.”
Samson Magid, a co-founder of
HealthSnap, agrees. “It’s not just
telling people to get leafy vegetables because they’re good for
you, but to eat them because they can lower your chances of certain
diseases or cancer,” he said.
At Memorial, Hart and her team have
developed a full-body workout program that changes every two weeks.
Participants are encouraged to go to the classes twice a week.
“You introduce the exercises, and
they’re like ‘Oh my, what’s happening?’ then the second time
they’re practising and the third time
they should perfect it,” Hart said. “It makes them feel like
they’ve accomplished something.”
But before anyone gets too comfortable
with the routine, Hart and her teachers will change it. Exercise
physiologists are on hand to oversee the participants’ health, and
help them improve their health and fitness.
Outside of class, Facebook is the glue
that keeps the group together. People can stay in touch, download
homework assignments — like one that asks them to find their
personal heart rate — and share recipes.
So when Kelsey Vasquez sprained her
ankle while working out recently at the fitness center, she posted a
photo of her foot with a caption that updated her classmates on her
status.
“Sorry for the extra excitement
today!!” she wrote. “Hope everyone got a good workout in!!”
Courtesy
miamiherald.com
