Active Aging

14 ACTIVE AGING WEEK | SEPTEMBER 25 - OCTOBER 1, 2016 A group of Springfield seniors is taking great steps to improve their health and well-being. STRIDING toward health BY JENNIFER MCFEE T he brand new Springfield Strides walking program will launch this month to bolster the fitness of those aged 55 and older in the area. Taylor Devlin, community wellness facilitator for the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority, said 36 people have signed up for the new program. Community volunteers received training to run the group in different locations in the community, with a focus on Anola, Dugald, Oakbank and Cooks Creek. "That way, it makes it accessible for the people who may not feel comfortable driving longer distances because Springfield is quite a large municipality," she said. "We're planning to do it once a week in each location on days that work best for those particular community members." The structure of the program is based on a University of Manitoba study through the Centre of Aging that looks at increasing the functional walking ability in older adults. Interest in developing the program stemmed from a community health assessment that indicated older adults were not engaging in enough physical activity. Canadian physical activity guidelines recommend adults 65 and up get 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week. "Most don't meet that goal right now, so we were looking to increase that," Devlin said. Another impetus for the program stemmed from a recent recreation master plan developed for the RM of Springfield. "With the recreation master plan, it showed a lot of interest for a new community centre within the RM. There was really big interest in having a walking track, which is something we currently don't have," Devlin said. "So it showed that there was a lot of interest in residents being able to walk all times of the year, not only in the summer but also in the winter. Also, by word of mouth, people were saying it would be really great if we had something for that active older adult age group." As a result, Devlin co-ordinated and organized the new walking program, along with Diane Dumas, Services to Seniors resource co-ordinator, and Sue Mackenzie from the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults. The program received funding from the Healthy Together Now grant, put forward by the provincial government and facilitated by the regional health authority. While the grant covered the initial startup costs, Devlin expects the program will be self-sustaining with little or no cost going forward. In addition to the actual walking activities, the program aims to increase knowledge about the importance of physical activity for older adults. Education components focus on topics such as safety considerations and disease prevention. "We look at how it can prevent mental health issues and how can it prevent cognitive decline," Devlin said. "Recent research has shown that your mental health and mental capabilities can decrease as you age, but physical activity has been shown to actually help with that and keep it from declining." In late August, approximately 50 people attended a one-day workshop that offered information about physical activity, home care injury prevention, gait assessment, balance, foot care and more. "There is lots of interest, lots of great feedback and lots of community support for this particular program," Devlin said. "We've really had excellent partnership, and people have been really enthusiastic about the program. We're thrilled that it's going so well." Some participants have even expressed an interest in attending more than one walking group each week in the different communities. As well, Devlin hopes the program will branch out to other Manitoba communities that don't currently have established walking programs. If there is enough interest, they also hope to find an indoor site to carry on walking throughout the winter. "Pedometers will be provided to participants on loan for use during the walking program itself and we're hoping to create challenges regarding distance walked between the different communities to make a little bit of a competition between the locations," Devlin added. "It really brings community groups together in the particular areas. They'll get out and be able to have really good social occasions and meet new people. It's not only physical; it also helps to maintain their mental health as well. Overall, it will be a great program." Although the program is geared towards participants who are 55 and older, younger people are also welcome to join family and friends who are taking part in the activity. "We're still taking registrations and people are welcome to join in halfway through the program," Devlin said. "We're not closing doors to anybody who's interested." To register or for more information, contact Devlin at 204-444-6144.

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