Low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. These behaviors are now considered major public health concerns and require effective behavior change interventions. The Fall Back into Fitness program was developed with these issues in mind. The series took place throughout the fall of 2022 at the Fayette County Extension Office. The classes occurred in the early evening for 45 minutes each. There were 8 sessions in total as we piloted this program series.

The components of the fitness class included Zumba, taught by my fellow FCS agent Maranda Brooks, who is certified to instruct Zumba. The second component of the class was strength training, taught by me. I am a certified personal trainer and have experience in instructing clients in strength training.

Through this program, participants increased their physical activity through the cardiovascular exercise of Zumba and during the strength training portion. Strength training has been proven to reduce the risk of diabetes, obesity, falls, back pain, and osteoporosis. The current results of this program do not include such long term data, but the goal is to equip participants with the knowledge of how to safely and effectively include physical activity in their life once the program ends. The initial outcome indicates that participants reaped the intended benefits of this program. 41 adults participated throughout the 8 classes. As a result of this program, 100 percent became aware of the benefits of regular physical activity, 100 percent reported having gained the knowledge and skills to be physically active, and 97 percent reported an increase in physical activity levels as a result of participation in this program. 

At the completion of the program, participants shared that they enjoyed the combination of Zumba for cardiovascular exercise and strength training. They expressed interest in participating in this program or a similar one in the future. Many of them stated that they have already begun implementing more physical activity in their daily lives and that they plan to continue this in the future. Several participants shared that they have noticed how much better they feel after exercising and can tell positive change is occurring. One participant wrote on the final class survey, “Great class - I want to do it again.”