YMCA of Greater Springfield: Health & Wellness Opportunities

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (Mass Appeal) - With the New Year fast approaching, many people are starting to set goals for their personal health and well being.

The YMCA of Greater Springfield is proud to be able to meet the diverse health and wellness needs of the members of their community and  Julie Costello and Delanie Magoffin joined us to share more.

Importance of Community Partnerships

·          Thanks to our community partners, the Y is so much more than a “gym.” Our health & wellness programs are far reaching and offer something for everyone. 

·          Our community partners are critical to our success in meeting the diverse health and wellness needs of our community and keeping our programs accessible to all: Center for Disease Control, Department of Public Health, Mason Square Health Task Force, Baystate Health and many others.

LIVESTRONG

·          LIVESTRONG at the YMCA is a 12-week small group program designed for adult cancer survivors who have become de-conditioned or chronically fatigued from their treatment and/or disease.
·          The program is offered without cost to the participants.

·          Our goal is to help patients build muscle mass and muscle strength, increase flexibility and endurance, and improve functional ability. Additional goals include reducing the severity of therapy side effects, preventing unwanted weight changes, and improving energy levels and self esteem. A final goal of the program is to assist participants in developing their own physical fitness program so they can continue to practice a healthy lifestyle, not only as part of their recovery, but as a way of life.

·          Research is now showing that physical activity can decrease recurrence and increase survivorship for cancer patients.
·          This program fulfills the important need of the increasing number of cancer survivors who find themselves in the transitional period between completing their cancer treatment and the shift to feeling physically and emotionally strong enough to attempt to return to their normal life.

MOHCA (Men of Color Health Awareness)

·          MOCHA is an innovative health movement in Springfield, Massachusetts which seeks to reduce severe health disparities in the city by creating health-conscious norms and diffusing them through men of color’s personal and social networks.

·          It is a collaborative health program designed to fight health disparities in men of color – funded through the Massachusetts DPH

·          Works to raise awareness and increase knowledge among men of color about staying healthy in body, mind and spirit)

·          Promotes social attitudes and norms about masculinity and men of color that enhance individual, family and community health.

MIGHTY (Moving, Improving, and Gaining Health Together)

• MIGHTY is a 6-month-long group program with strong emphasis placed on physical activity, nutrition and behavioral change for the entire family.
   
• It includes a fitness evaluation, individual fitness prescriptions, group exercise sessions, individual and group nutritional counseling and strategies for lifelong behavior change.
   
• Families who participate in MIGHTY also receive a free 6-month long membership to the Y.

ACHIEVE

• We are proud to be a part of the ACHIEVE program. ACHIEVE fosters collaborative partnerships between city and health officials, city and county government, parks and recreation departments, local health-related coalitions, and other representatives from the school, business, health, and community sectors to implement improvements.
   
• State departments of health and other state-level partners provide additional resources and information to help communities meet their goals. Examples of community-based improvements include increased access to and use of attractive and safe locations for engaging in physical activity, revised school food contracts that include more fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods, and placing sidewalks and crossing signals in neighborhoods to make them more pedestrian-friendly.