YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region’s Post

Inclusive health is a cornerstone of Special Olympics, fostering well-being for athletes of all abilities. As an Athlete Leader, you can champion inclusive health in your society by: Education: Raise awareness about the importance of inclusive health through workshops, seminars, or social media campaigns. Share information on adapting fitness routines for individuals with diverse abilities. Lead by Example: Embrace a healthy lifestyle and showcase the positive impact it has on your well-being. Your personal journey can inspire others to prioritize their health, breaking down barriers to inclusive fitness. Collaboration: Partner with local health organizations, schools, and community centers to develop inclusive health programs. Collaboration enhances resources and expands the reach of inclusive health initiatives. Accessible Facilities: Advocate for accessible fitness facilities that cater to individuals with various abilities. Ensure that gyms, parks, and recreational spaces are designed to accommodate everyone. Promote Adaptive Sports: Encourage participation in adaptive sports and fitness activities. Showcase how these programs provide opportunities for individuals with diverse abilities to engage in physical activity. Community Engagement: Organize inclusive health events within your community, involving people of all abilities. Promote the idea that everyone, regardless of their physical or intellectual abilities, deserves access to health and wellness opportunities. Mental Health Awareness: Highlight the importance of mental well-being in conjunction with physical health. Addressing mental health contributes to overall inclusive health and fosters a supportive community. Advocate for Policies: Be an advocate for policies that promote inclusivity in health-related initiatives. This may involve working with local authorities to ensure that health programs are accessible to everyone. Peer Support Networks: Establish networks where individuals can support each other in their health journeys. Peer support fosters a sense of community and encourages individuals to overcome challenges together. Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and celebrate achievements in inclusive health, showcasing success stories that highlight the positive impact on individuals with diverse abilities. By taking these steps, you can play a pivotal role in creating a more inclusive and healthier society, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their abilities, has the opportunity to lead a fulfilling and active life. #specialolympics #inclusivehealth

Moving People deserve organisations that treat them as their first priority! The vast majority of people who are active in sport – in of all its formats – exercise because it improves their health, their physical, mental and, not least, social wellbeing. They deserve organisations that treat them as their first priority! Fortunately, the demand for active recreation coming from large segments of the population has also resulted in the creation of multiple organisations with diverse origins that specifically focus on recreation as their first or even single priority. On the other side, we have organisations that aim to serve elite sport development, with the view to winning international medals, whilst serving participants with purely recreational interests. This split focus raises some dilemmas among organisations which have to accommodate everything from the pursuit of medals and talent development to the joy of movement, sports games and exercise for children and seniors. This organisational priority dilemma in sports-political environments could be compared with the competing priorities evident in the health sector. Most public health providers have a focus on both cure and prevention. Everybody knows that prevention is very important in the longer term, not least when looking at return on investment. But when it comes to prioritisation, the ‘cure’ always wins over ‘prevention’ in political battles. With a split focus – medals tends to attract the financial and political priority. Read the full story here:

🌟 New Blog: Wellness & Growth through Community Engagement 🌟 👥 Community engagement isn't just participation; it's a dynamic force for positive change, nurturing personal growth in a shared journey. 🌱 Youth Thrive with Community Engagement: Skill Boost: Acquiring and honing skills. Confidence Soars: Engaging with peers boosts self-esteem. Empathy & Leadership: Diverse perspectives foster empathy, while leadership opportunities prepare for responsibilities. 💪 Promote Wellness via Community Engagement: Forge Connections: Combat isolation and build meaningful relationships. Stress Relief: Find positive outlets for stress and anxiety. Embrace Healthy Habits: Activities promote physical well-being. Discover Purpose: Active involvement offers emotional fulfillment. 🌊 Our Approach at Shoreline Therapy Center:  We extend our therapeutic approach beyond sessions through our Connections Program, fostering a strong community bond. In conclusion, community engagement empowers wellness and personal growth, especially in young individuals. Join us in making a difference! Explore the full blog below, and like 👍 and share 💬🤝 your thoughts. #CommunityEngagement #Wellness #PersonalGrowth #ShorelineTherapyCenter

New research findings - Creative pathways to wellbeing: learnings from a synthesis of Spirit 2012’s case studies. Spirit’s creative, volunteering and other initiatives have built on the legacy of the London Olympic Games. Personal wellbeing has provided common ground across Spirit’s funding strands, allowing for cross-cutting analysis of Spirit’s impact on wellbeing across different projects over time. But the evidence for ‘how’ and ‘why’ different projects achieved wellbeing outcomes is often hidden and isolated in the different project reports. We have applied our case study synthesis methodology to analyse a set of ten case studies from Spirit’s funded creativity based projects, drawing out the pathways by which they supported the wellbeing of participants. In today’s blog, our Senior Civil Society Lead Ingrid Abreu Scherer, explains the research, key findings and recommendations: https://lnkd.in/esQ2wXCC #Wellbeing #Creativity #Spiritof2012 #CaseStudy #CaseStudies

This recording of a Big Leap Bridge Class is called Self-Care Lifestyles for Community Wellness and our facilitators Nicole and Heath Reed share many tools that you can use right away to increase your self care. The phrase “self-care” has so saturated the world of wellness that the expression is often trivialized, misconstrued, or misunderstood. Heath and Nicole advocate for a new appreciation and application of self-care. “Tender” versions of self-care–like receiving massages, taking a bubble bath, or enjoying a slow day–generally epitomize the common sense examples for caring for oneself. But tender self-care is only one end of the self-care continuum. “Fierce” self-care lives at the other end of the spectrum and includes actions like commitment, dedication, and active adaptation to generate a balanced and holistic approach to one’s well being. When we incorporate both ends of the self-care panoply, from fierce to tender, we enhance our ability to fortify ourselves with a self-care lifestyle. Watch the recording to learn more. https://lnkd.in/g2ieEDJf #authenticity #response_ability #appreciation #fear #fearmelters #ComingHomeToYourself #BigLeapHome #BigLeap #BodyIntelligence #FoundationForConsciousLiving #EssencePace #CultivatePresence #Presencing #PresenceConnectPlay #CaringCommunities #CocreatingCaringCommunities #CreatingConnection #RestoringResourcefulness

3 boxes to ✔️when building a community In my eyes, everyone needs a community. It’s just part of being human. That innate desire to belong. Especially in this post-pandemic world, where social isolation and loneliness seem more prevalent than ever. That’s why, personally, I’ve always seen building a community within fitness as a top priority. Keeping people engaged with exercises and training for the long term is crucial, now more than ever. Reflecting on my past mistakes in creating a genuine fitness community, here are my three key takeaways to avoid messing up: 📝Failure to Adapt: Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to stay ahead of where the fitness industry is heading. If you don’t adapt, you risk being left behind. I believe we’re at a stage where overall wellness is paramount, extending beyond just the work you do in the gym. 📝Inclusive Culture: This is a big one. Many gyms make the mistake of focusing solely on the “Elite” members. In reality, the emphasis should be on supporting the needs of the average client/member. Everyone deserves attention and encouragement, not just all small group. 📝Lack of Clear Purpose or Vision: I made this mistake in the early years of my business. Back then, we used to showcase a lot of before-and-after pictures, emphasizing transformations. However, it attracted the wrong type of member – those looking for a quick 6-week shred. While there’s nothing wrong with before-and-after pictures, it’s essential to consider how to invest real time in new members. Teaching them new movements, skills, and building long-term habits takes time, and that’s the real journey worth focusing on. I am proud of the culture and community of what the members, myself and all the team @sisu_fitness_uk have built this past few years. Anything I’ve missed off the list?

Engaging an entire community in a well-being program can be a challenging task, but it is certainly achievable with the right approach. Here are some of our top tips in establishing effective ways to get a community actively engaged in well-being programs: 1. Identify the community's needs and interests: Conduct a survey or focus group to understand the community's health and wellness priorities. This will help you tailor programs and initiatives to meet their specific needs and interests. 2. Create diverse and inclusive programs: Make sure the well-being programs offered are inclusive of all members of the community, regardless of age, gender, fitness level, etc. Offer a wide range of activities with a vast variety that cater to different interests and abilities. 3. Promote the programs: Don’t just promote them, but use the proper channels to do so. Use various channels to promote the well-being programs, such as social media, local newspapers, flyers, etc. Highlight the benefits of participation and create a sense of excitement to build anticipation. 4. Partner with local organizations: Partner with local organizations, such as schools, businesses, and community centers, to promote the programs and encourage participation. This will help spread the word and increase engagement. 5. Reward participation: Offer incentives or rewards for participation in the well-being programs. This can be in the form of prizes, discounts, or recognition. This will motivate community members to join, continue to participate, and encourage others to also join the programs. By following these steps, you can successfully engage an entire community in well-being programs and initiatives. At RedeemWell, we can help you promote a healthier, stronger, and more productive lifestyle for all. Contact [email protected] for more information. #wellbeing #wellness #healthandwellness #wellbeingprogram #wellnessprogram #communitywellnessprograms #communitywellbeingsolutions #communitywellbeing #healthier #stronger #moreproductive #collaboration #partnerships

Happy National Exercise Day! The ability to live a #healthy and #active lifestyle through #fitness should be available to everyone.   Recently, I came across Bloom Fitness, a Houston-based gym founded by Jill and John Watson, specifically designed for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities #IDD. Their story and mission deeply resonated with me, and I wanted to share it with you all.   Bloom was founded on the belief that fitness should be accessible to everyone, regardless of ability. For certain people, traditional gyms can be intimidating, and people with IDD often lack the support and modifications needed to participate safely and effectively. Bloom addresses this gap by providing a welcoming and supportive environment with certified instructors trained to adapt exercises to everyone’s needs.   The impact Bloom has is truly #inspiring to me. Their programs focus on building #strength, #cardiovascular health, and improving #motorskills – all while fostering a sense of #community and #belonging for people with IDD. This not only improves physical well-being but also boosts #selfesteem and #social interaction. Bloom's participants experience the joy of movement, leading to healthier, more fulfilling lives.   Bloom's Core Mission:   ✅ Inclusive Fitness: Provide a safe and supportive environment for adults with IDD to engage in regular physical activity.   ✅ Holistic Wellness: Classes promote not only physical fitness but also social interaction and a sense of belonging.   ✅ Adapted Programs: Certified instructors modify exercises to meet individual needs and abilities of people with IDD.   ✅ Lifetime Commitment: Empower individuals with IDD to develop a lifelong love of fitness and healthy habits.   This is such a beautiful example of how fitness can be a powerful tool for #transformation, and why #inclusivity within the fitness industry is paramount. I implore all my colleagues in the US fitness industry to continue breaking down barriers and empower everyone to experience the life-changing benefits of exercise. To learn more about Bloom Fitness and their mission - watch this short piece from CNN Heros. Keith Perry Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA) Peter Guarraia Kirk English Jourdan McNair Al Noshirvani Tara Levitt Mike Goscinski Adam Fiore Joey Greany Bryan K. O'Rourke