KATAPULT INTO FITNESS

1. KATAPULT INTO FITNESS AFTER SCHOOL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY PROGRAM FOR GIRLS

2. KATAPULT INTO FITNESS: • An after school physical activity program for girls at Fredericton High School • It is held on Thursday afternoons from 3:45 until 4:45 • It allows the girls of the school to come together and get physically fit while having fun • It provides them with opportunities to try new activities, adopt a healthy lifestyle, and make new friends • It encompasses a holistic health approach (it has been proven that physical activity improves overall health and wellbeing – physical, mental, and social)

3. The gears of katapult • A problem was identified in the school. There was an obvious need for increased physical activity among students. • KATapult was created to give the students an opportunity to improve their physical fitness and overall wellbeing in a safe and fun environment. • Thus far, the outcomes have been positive (increased physical activity among students, student enthusiasm about the program, good participation, etc.). However, the program will be continuously evaluated in order to obtain the best possible outcomes.

4. Identified problem area • It is no secret that there is a need for increased physical activity among the majority of the population. • A survey was implemented at the school to see how students rate their overall health (including areas such as physical, mental, and social health). The results of the survey will be viewed on the following slide.

5. Percentages based on survey values • As you can see, only 44% of students surveyed rated their physical health as good. • Only 50% of students rated their mental health as good. • And 56% of students rated their social health as good. • This shows us that there is a need for improvement in all aspects of student health.

6. The group Over the course of the program we have recruited 30 girls, each student received a folder containing information and scoring sheet for the mayor’s activity award, the katapult survey, a permission sheet to have their pictures taken for the wikispacepage, the Canada’s food guide, a guide to physical activity, and a pamphlet on physical activity Each week the number of girls fluctuates but the standard group size per week is 12-17 17 girls have qualified for the mayor’s activity award and will receive a medal, a certificate, and their picture in the paper on December 6th2013 with the mayor of Fredericton The rest of the girls will receive participation certificates on the same day

7. Activities over the 8 weeks: Welcome, introduction mayors activity award, and some physical ice breakers Scavenger hunt Circuit training Zumba Weight training Yoga Cooking class Spin class at good life fitness

8. Welcome, introduction mayors activity award, and some physical ice breakers For the very first session of KATapult, we had an initial welcome to the group and distributed folders to each of the participating girls. At this time each of the girls filled out the holistic survey that we created specifically for this program. Following this, we introduced the girls to Kate Baird (who works for the City of Fredericton and the Mayor), who gave everyone information about the Mayor’s Activity Award, how to calculate points, etc. We wrapped up the session with some fun and physical ice breakers that got the girls to get to know each other a little better while being active.

9. Scavenger hunt The second Thursday of the program, school was cancelled for personal development days. To substitute for the missed after school session, we held a scavenger hunt that Wednesday at noon hour for all that wanted to participate. The students who came, appeared to have a good time and won some cool prizes for completing the hunt.

10. Circuit Training For the third session, we brought in Jason Sullivan (a personal trainer from the YMCA) to run a circuit training class. The girls were very receptive and did an amazing job following Jason’s instructions. The circuit involved: • Skipping rope • Jumping jacks • Push-ups • Crunches (using medicine balls) • Lunges • Step-ups

11. Zumba For the fourth week of the program, we had Cassidy (a student) operate a Zumba class for the girls. She was amazing! She took time before each of the routines to teach us the steps that would be used and answer any questions. The class was full of energy, enthusiasm, and some giggles. We went through five different routines, each increasing the difficulty and adding more steps. This class was a lot of fun and many of the girls expressed that they hope this activity will be offered next year as well.

12. Weight Training Weight training was the focus of the fifth session. Mrs. Leblanc (a teacher from FHS) volunteered to show the girls the weight room off of the Auxiliary Gym and teach them about the equipment there, how to use it, and safety tips. She started the session off with some skipping rope, squats, lifting light weights, lunges, etc. From there, she showed us equipment like: • Treadmill • Elliptical • Leg-press machine • Rowing machine • Different weight resistance machines

13. Yoga The sixth session was run by Rachel (a yoga instructor from Dynamic Fitness). In this session the girls were encouraged to relax through yoga poses (heart-center, tree pose, plank, downward dog) and chanting. This class was very powerful and brought out good reactions from the girls.

14. Cooking class To switch things up, for the seventh session, Rachel (a public health dietician) volunteered to operate a cooking class, since eating healthy is equally as important as physical activity. The girls learned how to make: • Burritos • Home-made coleslaw • Apple sauce • Fruit filled yogurt After the class the girls were able to test each of the dishes and take home their own copies of the recipes. They enjoyed this class a lot!

15. Spin class For the eighth and final week, we took the girls over to Good Life Fitness for an hour spin class. The instructor (Allison) was very motivational, encouraging the girls to pick up the speed, and increase the difficulty on their bikes.

16. The final meeting The week following the final session, we had a meeting with the group to fill out an evaluation form specific to the program, to complete the post-program holistic survey, to pass in their Mayor’s Activity Award points sheets, discuss the program, and ended with free gym time to do whatever physical activity they felt like doing.