Active Aging

8 ACTIVE AGING WEEK | SEPTEMBER 24 - 30, 2017 P eer leaders are making a difference by actively encouraging older adults to take steps towards a healthy lifestyle through two interactive programs. Volunteers are always in demand for the popular Steppin' Up With Confidence and Speakers Bureau programs, which both promote healthy lifestyles for older adults. Through the Steppin' Up With Confidence program, peer leaders receive training to lead fitness classes for other older adults. "One of the big hurdles when you're older is being able to get to a different facility to take an exercise class, so a lot of these classes are taking place within seniors' homes," says Lance Letain, a master trainer for the Steppin' Up With Confidence program. "Since the classes take place right within their own facility, that removes the barrier of them having to take a bus or drive or take a cab to get to a different facility to exercise." The volunteer fitness leaders gain confidence in their abilities by attending a training workshop and receiving a binder full of resource information. "Some people understand the benefits of exercising and fitness but they lack the confidence to actually step up in front of their peers to lead a fitness class that could be anywhere from 20 minutes to 45 minutes to an hour long," Letain says. "We give them the tools to lead such a class through proper demonstration of how the exercises are done, laying out the program for them step by step, and then giving them the binder that also includes a DVD of exercises." Ideally, the fitness leaders will provide classes three to five times per week with a focus on cardiovascular exercise, strength, conditioning, flexibility and fall prevention. "This is a very gentle way to learn how to lead a class. All the supports are there for the people from beginning to end," Letain says. "If we taught somebody in one of our workshops, we also follow up with them. We ask them questions about how we can help them more. We take a look at the room in the facility to see how it could be more conducive for moving around and for people to feel comfortable." A free two-day training workshop is scheduled for the end of October, and Letain welcomes people to contact him for more information at 204-475- 0156 or lance.letain@hotmail.com. There are no age restrictions, so volunteers of all ages can get involved. Similarly, the Speakers Bureau program offers another opportunity to step up in front of a crowd and share beneficial information. This program launched in 2006 to provide information to older adults through interactive discussions. At the same time, the program also offers an opportunity for older adults to volunteer to lead presentations on behalf of the Active Living Coalition for Older Adults. The volunteer speakers use PowerPoint to enhance their presentations since they might be speaking to people with hearing or vision impairments. "There is an orientation for new volunteers that's somewhat tailored to their experience," says Sue Mackenzie, peer leader co-ordinator for ALCOA-MB. "So if people want to volunteer and they've had no experience, that's no problem. If they have a lot of experience, we'll work from where they're at and provide content." Volunteers receive all the content and resources for the presentations, which focus on topics such as active living, 10 habits for healthy living, healthy mouths, get into the 55+ Games and fall prevention. A new presentation on brain health will also launch this fall. The presentations are developed with input from experts on these topics, including representatives from the Wellness Institute, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, the Manitoba Dental Hygienists Association and the Alzheimer Society. "These are standardized presentations and the content is vetted by people who have expertise," Mackenzie says. "There is so much information out there and not all of it is reliable, so we use well- grounded research and best practices to augment the content." Anyone who would like more information or would like to get involved in the Speakers Bureau program can contact Mackenzie at 204-444-5120 or suemack@mymts.net. Step up &lead BY JENNIFER MCFEE Through the Steppin' Up With Confidence program, peer leaders receive training to lead fitness classes for other older adults. Lance Letain and his Steppin' Up With Confidence program. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY

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