Church offers family fitness program

The free family fitness
program has registered 85 participants so far.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — The United Methodist Community Center is launching a pilot program to provide activities to improve health, fitness and the wellness of youths and adults.

Juanita Pasley, director of the Main Street center, said the free family fitness program is designed to provide services to residents who can’t afford to pay for them at commercial health facilities.

Tremain Myers, center program manager, said the nine programs that will be offered range from cardio aerobics to line dancing to nutrition education and smoking cessation.

All the programs will be conducted at the center at 760 Main. If the pilot program is successful, Pasley explained, it may be expanded to the Youngstown center.

Partnering with the center to provide the services are Humility of Mary Health Partners, whose major facilities are St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, St. Elizabeth Health Center Boardman Campus, and St. Joseph Health Center, Warren, and Fit Woman Inc. in Austintown.

Myers said 85 participants have signed up for the programs thus far, and letters will be sent to the parents of schoolchildren making them aware of it.

The program runs from Feb. 4 to May 2.

Pasley said that if there is a good demand for the programs, they will be extended.

A survey of the participants will be done to determine if class times should be changed to accommodate the participants.

Ellen Ford, manager of community heath education at HMHP, said all participants will receive a health assessment before starting.

In addition, those 7 to 18 also will be given a sports physical, Ford added.

The assessments will include blood pressure, body fat analysis, weight measurement, body mass index and a hip-to-waist test.

The sports physicals will be given by resident physicians of HMHP.

The health and fitness assessments will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Jan. 24 and orientation at 5 p.m. Feb. 1.

The program is being funded through a grant secured by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, and money from the United Methodist Church Fund.

Interested participants can register by calling or walking into the center — it is the former Rebecca Williams Community Center — or mailing in the registration form. To contact the center, call (330) 373-6480, Exts. 224 or 226.

Currently, the center officers a mentoring program, book club, line dancing, truancy intervention and boys basketball.

yovich@vindy.com