Do you suffer from arthritis or know someone who does? The Plant City Family YMCA is one of five YMCAs in the Tampa Bay area that offers a grant-funded program, called Enhance® Fitness, proven to improve quality of life for those with arthritis.
Enhance® Fitness is an evidence-based program. This means that research confirms the program works. Each Enhance®Fitness program is 16 weeks in length, and classes are offered three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The instructor conducts a Baseline Fitness Check at the start of the program and repeats it at the end of the 16 weeks. Best of all, our participants have FUN!
Beryl Pope has been attending classes since the start of the program last year. This is her third session. She suffers from arthritis pain in her knee and has lower back problems. After a back procedure, she attended physical therapy. Once that ran out, she came to the Y and continued with Enhance®Fitness. She saw improvement after the first session and enrolled in a second session. She was thrilled to see her second session results were even better than her first. Beryl tells me Enhance® Fitness has helped with everything in her daily life; including walking, better balance and increased strength. She shares, “I have lost 30 pounds and four inches in my waist!”
Beryl says the best thing about the group is “…the fun we have and the way Janice (Diggens) leads the class.” Unique to the Plant City Y, this group takes time at the end of each class to thank God for whatever is happening that day.
“We encourage each other. I believe the class is a great environment to be in,” says Beryl. “No matter your condition, you can get help with arthritis, strengthening your legs. Everybody has improved and everybody is inspired to come back and keep going.”
In addition to helping reduce arthritis symptoms, Enhance® Fitness is designated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control as a Fall Prevention Program. The next Enhance®Fitness program begins in May and is open to the community at no cost
Angela Fulgieri is the Wellness Experience Director at the Plant City YMCA. Contact her at observerfitness@gmail.com.