Enhance®Fitness

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About the program: Enhance®Fitness is an ongoing group program that includes arthritis-appropriate exercises. Enhance®Fitness partners with YMCA clubs across the United States to offer the program for free to YMCA members.

People Exercising in a Group

Objectives:

Enhance®Fitness uses exercise to:

  • Decrease risk for falls.
  • Increase social connections.
  • Increase strength.
  • Improve flexibility and balance.
  • Boost activity levels.
  • Elevate mood.

Population of Focus:

  • Adults with arthritis.
  • Older adults.
  • Any adult who is interested in increasing their physical activity level and lessening their risk for falls.
  • Adults with disabilities.

Proven Benefits:

  • Improves physical function.
  • Decreases depression.
  • Protects against falls and fall injury.
  • Provides a social benefit.
  • Promotes a physically active lifestyle.
  • Reduces medical care utilization costs.
  • Decreases unplanned hospitalizations.
  • Decreases mortality rates.

Key Activities:

  • One hour exercise class consisting of a 5-minute warm-up, 20-minute aerobic workout, 20 minute strength training, 10-minute stretching workout, and 5-minute cool-down.
  • There are balance exercises throughout the class.

Setting: Community/ Group-based workshop (in person and remote).

Suggested class size: In-person maximum of 25 participants. Remotely delivered classes maximum of 12 participants.

Duration: Each class is an hour long and offered three times a week.

Costs:

  • Participant: Cost varies. A wide variety of locations offer the program for free or for low-cost. See here for a list of licensed sites.
  • Leader/ Host Costs: For the most up-to-date information on cost, please visit Project Enhance Become an Affiliate web page here.

Program Enhance®Fitness Requirements:

  • Licensing: Host organizations require a license with Project Enhance to deliver Enhance®Fitness. Learn more about getting a license here.
  • Instructors: Enhance®Fitness Master Trainers train qualified instructor candidates to provide the Enhance®Fitness protocol. Instructor candidates should hold a nationally recognized Fitness Instructor Certification and CPR certification. Enhance®Fitness recommends instructors have experience working with older adults or adults with activity limitations.
  • Enhance®Fitness also offers opportunities for instructors to receive training. Learn more here.
  • Equipment: Class sites should have armless chairs, adjustable resistance soft wrist or ankle weights, a stopwatch, tape measure, and cone or other distance marker, such as a garbage can or large bottle. Music and a sound system are encouraged but optional.
  • For remote delivery: The instructor must have a technical assistant, strong internet connection, satisfactory audio-visual equipment, and video conference software.

More Information:

More About Lifestyle Management Programs