Houston, New Orleans, Atlanta Targeted for Fitness Fanatics Program Aimed at Low-Income Communities

Houston, TX, May 1, 2015 (Newswire.com) - ​Low-income communities are more likely to report higher levels of stress and experience higher rates of obesity and diabetes, and a new fitness initiative targeting low-income communities in Houston, New Orleans and Atlanta aims to combat these realities in connection with National Sports and Fitness Month in May, and Juneteenth and Men’s Health Month in June.  

The Back in the Saddle to Fit 100 Fitness Fanatics initiative will invite 100 adult fitness enthusiasts – or Fitness Fanatics – from community centers, churches and neighborhood associations in low-income areas to one of five "train the trainer" workshops this summer based on the information in Back in the Saddle to Fit: 10 Steps to Reclaiming Athletic Fitness for the Busy Professional. The workshop has been used in similar “train the trainer” sessions with the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the staff of New Orleans Fit.

"Sometimes the communities that need the most attention are the ones overlooked. We want to make sure that accurate health and fitness information trickles down to everyone."

Darryl Ewing, Author, Back in the Saddle to FIt

The 100 selected Fitness Fanatics – or F2s – will receive free of charge: (1) five hours of workshop training on the basics of fitness program design and nutrition; (2) hands-on demonstration on how to organize a safe and fun “boot camp” program for adults; (3) onsite healthy lunch demonstration, designed to emphasize the importance of making healthy choices on a limited budget; (4) program swag, including T-shirt and Back in the Saddle book, and (5) networking opportunities to identify other F2s in the community for future partnerships.

After the workshop, F2s will be able to share accurate health, fitness and nutrition information in their communities throughout the year at health fairs, church workshops and other community events. In short, they become the voices of information who help dispel fitness misinformation and nutrition myths.

“The 100 Fitness Fanatics program is about inspiring and encouraging those who already are doing their part to inspire fitness to share information that helps discourage fitness and nutrition myths,” said Darryl Ewing, author of Back in the Saddle to Fit. “Imagine how much more influential a community center line-dance instructor or martial arts volunteer can be working with a network of other F2s in their community long after the workshops are over.”

To ensure the programs are free, Ewing has developed an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign, which will run through National Sports and Fitness Month. The Houston workshops are scheduled for late June in Houston and in July for New Orleans and Atlanta. Site selections are still being determined.   

The communities targeted for F2 participants have an average annual income of about $25,000. These communities are likely to report higher levels of stress and suffer from stress-related ailments such as hypertension or high blood pressure, research shows. According to research by the University of Minnesota, people with incomes below the poverty line were twice as likely to report chronic pain and mental distress as those earning $75,000. Low-income communities of color also are likely to experience health issues such as obesity and diabetes. National Institutes of Health data for 2011 shows that 18.7 percent of all African Americans 20 or older have diagnosed or undiagnosed diabetes, compared to 7.1 percent of whites. According to 2011 CDC data, the risk of diabetes is 77 percent higher among African Americans than among whites.

“Sometimes the communities that need the most attention are the ones overlooked,” Ewing said. “We want to make sure that accurate health and fitness information trickles down to everyone.”

National Physical Fitness and Sports Month in May is led by the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Sports Nutrition. Men’s Health Month in June raises awareness of preventable health problems and encourages early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Juneteenth, celebrated June 19, commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States and is a time to focus on issues impacting today’s African American community.    

About Back in the Saddle Fitness: Back in the Saddle Fitness is a Houston-based fitness training initiative designed to inspire permanent exercise and nutritional lifestyle changes among Baby Boomer and Generation-X professionals who have allowed the complexities of life to get them off their fitness game. The book Back in the Saddle to Fit: 10 Steps to Reclaiming Athletic Fitness for the Busy Professional (ISBN-13: 978-1478704218;) discusses the physiological realities of the 40-something body and the role exercise and better nutrition play in slowing the effects of aging. For more information, visit www.backinthesaddlefitness.com.  For more about the 100 Fitness Fanatics campaign, visit Indiegogo.com and search for Fitness Fanatics.