Two New Programs in Raleigh County
This past month two new programs started in Raleigh County, a Beckley Running Group and Beckley Walking for Fitness. The two programs both meet at the Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex. The complex boasts multiple soccer fields and walking paths. It is also next to many trails perfect for walking, running, or biking. The Soccer Complex is a great location in Beckley for Community Captain programming because it has options for many different types of physical activity programming.
We are thrilled to introduce the two Community Captains leading programming, Bridgit who is leading the walking group, and Alyssa who is leading the running group. The two new programs at the Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex are an exciting and much-needed addition to Beckley. Both Bridgit and Alyssa are passionate about promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles within their community. Their enthusiasm and dedication are contagious, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will have on the community. We applaud their leadership and willingness to give back to their community, and we hope their example will inspire others to get involved in leading new community programs.
Importance of Being Active Together
In a world that is becoming more isolated than ever, new studies are emerging to show the impact this is having on humans. For our purpose, it is important to understand this and find solutions to get people to be more physically active together. Researchers at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine wanted to know the impact of group exercise. The results showed a remarkable uptick in all three quality of life measures. Group exercise participants showed significant improvements in all three quality of life measures: mental (12.6 percent), physical (24.8 percent) and emotional (26 percent). They also reported a 26.2 percent reduction in perceived stress levels. By comparison, individual fitness participants on average worked out twice as long, and saw no significant changes in any measure, except in mental quality of life (11 percent increase).
While being active alone is better than not being active at all, the data from this study and many more show that being physically active with other people is important for our health. It puts a larger emphasis on Active SWV’s programming as it is centered around the community. Active SWV is committed to supporting and empowering volunteers and participants who wish to make a positive impact in their communities by promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles.
Volunteer Opportunities
Is there an activity you would like to see at the Paul Cline Memorial Sports Complex? Maybe yoga, aerobics, or frisbee? It is easy and fun to become a volunteer Community Captain with Active SWV. All the training and support you need to be successful is provided for free by our Volunteer Director Elizabeth Raney. Elizabeth will go through your volunteer training, program set up, promotions, and more before you start your program. Becoming an Active SWV volunteer is a great way to increase your leadership skills, hold yourself accountable, and have something fun to do with family and friends.
Reach out to [email protected] to learn more!
Venue Partnership Opportunities
Active SWV is always looking for more facilities to host our Community Captain programs. If you know a place that may want to offer their space for free Community Captain programing, click here for our venue partner request form.
