Fitness for Life program seeks participants

The program is part of study being conducted by Karen Coleman, UB research assistant professor of psychology, in conjunction with the departments of Psychology, Social and Preventive Medicine and Physical Therapy and Exercise Science. UB Fitness for Life will employ several approaches to help all participants eventually walk 30 minutes for up to six days out of the week.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released recommendations that adults should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week. Moderate physical activity is defined as the equivalent of brisk walking at 3-4 miles per hour for most healthy adults.

UB Fitness for Life is not a group-oriented walking program, but instead will focus on self-motivational skills including self-monitoring, self-reinforcement, goal setting and preplanning.

The program will run from October to February, with a follow-up in June or July. Since the program runs through the winter months, a large focus will be on walking in the cold.

The program will begin with a 2-1/2 hour introductory screening, including a medical interview and questionnaires, an exercise test on a stationary bike and measurement of blood pressure, height, weight and body fat percentage. Participants will be asked to wear an activity monitor and record their activity for two weekdays and two weekend days before beginning the program.

Not everyone applying to UB Fitness for Life will be accepted due to the limitations of the study. All persons accepted into the program will be required to pay a $50 entry deposit, which will be refunded throughout the study in exchange for participation and cooperation in the program.

UB Fitness for Life will consist of 16, 30-minute weekly group meetings held one night per week after work. Participants will meet briefly with a counselor one-on-one to assess progress. Counselors will work with each participant to identify obstacles to becoming more active as well as possible solutions.

Measurements taken at the beginning of the program will be assessed at the end of the 16-week program. There will be a check-up period four months after it is over. For more information, call 645-6315.