Sitting for hours at a time can be hard on visitors’ bodies but standing all the time isn’t the answer either. Research supports the need for an active learning or working environments. By changing a person’s posture and helping them move throughout the day supports better wellness. In fact, a few minutes of activity at a time can be beneficial by increasing focus or improving mood, according to the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.  

Here are some ways to encourage staff and patrons to be more active:

• Awareness — Adding signage in key locations can help remind guests to move around more. Libraries can also provide posters or pamphlets that highlight America’s current state of health with tips to fight against chronic conditions, like heart disease and diabetes, which account for almost two-thirds of all United State’s deaths according to the American Diabetes Association. By making a short walking route through the library and creating a challenge to complete every visit, patrons may be more motivated to take a much-needed wellness break. With the wearable health sensor boom, some libraries are even loaning pedometers to patrons so they can keep track of their steps while searching for materials. Pedometers can keep guests more aware of their fitness and may even help them be more active during their visit. Another idea is for libraries to provide patrons with electronic devices that send pop-up messages after every hour to remind patrons that a few minutes of stretching or activity could help improve their health and productivity.
• Attractive Stairs —  Libraries that have multiple stories already have an easy way for people without mobility limitations to get needed activity. Taking the stairs rather than an elevator or escalator should be the default for patrons to use to gain more movement throughout their day. However, stairs need to be attractive to draw guests into using them. Stairs that feature daylight to brighten the area or highlight fun accents are likely to be used more often. Examples would be creating art on each step with different popular book titles or putting together an interactive display of authors that live in the state.
• Fitness Programs — Libraries across the United State and Canada are implementing and sustaining movement based programming for all ages. This includes fitness programs such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates and Zumba for adults including less strenuous sessions for seniors as well as story walks, dance parties and nerf wars for children.  For more ideas on how to get your patrons moving, Let’s Move in Libraries shares stories and experiences of how libraries across the United States are encouraging movement. There is also an interactive map of Canada and the United States that highlights movement-focused programs and services that can help you determine what other libraries in your area are sponsoring.

Movement is an important part of keeping patrons healthy which has become a main focus for public libraries. By creating an atmosphere that promotes well-being and motivates users to move their bodies, libraries are making a positive contribution to their communities welfare.

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Other libraries across the country have also successfully developed exercise classes for older adults. In Oklahoma, many public libraries have developed Tai Chi programs in collaboration with the Oklahoma Healthy Aging Initiative. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, Public Library’s Tai Chi class proved to be so popular that the library decided to send several of its staff members to receive Tai Chi training through the Oklahoma State Department of Health so that the classes could become regular programs offered on an ongoing basis at the library. Other libraries have organized dance classes, walking groups, and exercise-based fall prevention programs.

In some cases, such as the Brooklyn Xbox bowling league, the programs are specifically for older adults. In other cases, older adults actively participate alongside other age groups. For instance, in Parry Sound, Ontario, a 92-year old woman joined a library yoga class in May 2016, and has since been an active participant in the weekly, all-ages gentle yoga class. In China Grove, North Carolina, an older couple in their 70s who participated in a library program focused on learning how to run were so inspired that they successfully completed their first 5K that year.

These examples show that there are many things libraries can do to have a positive impact on the lives of senior citizens through programs that feature physical activity. Nick Higgins, director of outreach at Brooklyn Public Library, told NPR:

“A good library reflects the needs of its particular community. Our older adult community … is looking for opportunities other than movie night, something active and social. And the public library is a perfect space for that to happen.” [1]

Your library may not start a bowling league for older adults, but there are lots of other things you could try to create opportunities for senior citizens to exercise and have fun together at the library.

References

[1] http://www.npr.org/2017/07/04/534431175/xbox-bowling-for-seniors-visit-your-local-library

Resources

https://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/calendar/library-lanes-bowling-homecrest-library-071817

http://www.altustimes.com/features/community/5780/tai-chi-classes-a-success / http://swoknews.com/health/free-tai-chi-classes-available-library-and-ccl

http://stillwaterliving.com/tai-chi-at-the-stillwater-public-library/

http://www.programminglibrarian.org/articles/creative-aging-our-communities-public-library-project

http://www.programminglibrarian.org/programs/wise-walk

http://kdla.ky.gov/librarians/programs/summerreading/Documents/FallsPrevention.pdf

https://www.parrysound.com/opinion-story/6559277-yoga-and-tea-at-the-library-thursdays/

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That last bit, “…accessible and affordable for everyone,” sounds as if a public library thought of it. It does, in fact, match the criteria for a Summer Wellness Challenge that the Kokomo-Howard County (Indiana) Public Library (KHCPL), is currently running for staff.

The handout has the look of a game board or bingo card, with topical column headings such as “Time to Eat” and “Take a Hike.” Somehow, the perky appearance and 25 extremely simple activities make it seem inviting, more like play than something the doctor ordered. Staff were given several challenge levels to choose from, ranging from 10 to 20 activities. The challenge is a pilot program; the goal is to see if the library should try something similar on a larger scale to raise wellness awareness and motivation in the community.

Image courtesy of Kokomo-Howard County Public Library.

Offering a range of activities that are accessible to all is more difficult than it may appear. Transportation, for example, may not be readily available to access a park or a farmer’s market. In response to the invisible barriers some participants might have, the highest level of completion is 20 out of 25 activities. This alleviates the stress of not having access to wearable fitness technology, a smartphone app, or even a pedometer for the “Walk 10,000 steps in one day” challenge or allows the person with osteoporosis to skip a challenge like “try three yoga poses.” The 25 activities selected were purposefully low-tech and readily achievable despite any number of personal differences including neighborhoods, income levels, and general health.

Because the pilot is being done with employees, it was easy to get additional information via a short survey. About two-thirds of the staff responded to the survey. In order to gain insight into their response one question asked was, “If you plan to participate, what is your primary motivation?” Of the choices provided, most want to be healthier, but significant percentages just thought it looked like fun or saw it as a positive team experience. (See pie chart below). Of respondents, 60 percent plan to participate in the challenge, 25 percent do not plan to participate, and 15 percent were undecided when they filled out the survey. We also learned that our staff is a great pilot group for the challenge in that 39 percent of them exercise only occasionally or never, so they have plenty of room for growth in developing healthy habits. Only 18 percent of respondents exercise four times per week or more.

An optional comment section of the survey was also enlightening. Some respondents made their choice to participate based solely on the rewards offered whereas others didn’t care about external incentives at all. Positive comments focused on the number of choices given, saw it as an alternative to workout videos, or emphasized that it was plain fun. They also emphasized the additional motivation it provided: “I am really enjoying this challenge. I have gotten back into some healthy habits that I had gotten out of. And I hope before it’s done, I add some new healthy habits.” One comment said, “Even if I don’t participate, I think it is a great idea.”

KHCPL’s tentative conclusions are as follows:

• More people are willing to choose healthy behaviors if the opportunities focus on something beyond health, e.g. their sense of fun or their desire to be a team player.
• Freedom of choice is an appealing element in wellness activities.
• Incentives that are perceived as valuable will net some wellness efforts, at least while the incentives are offered.

Once the Wellness Challenge has ended, KHCPL will assess whether something as simple as a grid of suggested activities could help to motivate community residents to improve their wellness.

Resources

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/

The post Summer Wellness Challenge first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Zaker said she was inspired by the book Punk Rock Aerobics and also her own love of exercise to create a library fitness program under the alt+library category (offering programs to patrons in their 20s and 30s). She successfully planned and launched her Punk Rock Aerobics program with 35 attendees. Since then she has gone on to host other themed fitness activities including: Alterna-Pilates, Brutal Yoga (yoga set to black/death metal music), Holidaze Yoga (where she uses rock covers of holiday songs), Zombie Survival Aerobics, Glam Metal Yoga, Hair-obicis (all the best Hair Band music), and more. She has also set out a list of suggestions to make one of these programs a possibility in any library:

1. Make sure you have patrons sign liability waivers. Zaker suggests asking your library’s legal counsel for help, or using reputable online legal forms databases. She also says to make sure your patrons know that whoever is leading this program is not a trained fitness professional, and that all patrons should go at their own pace and not push too hard.
2. Create your Playlist. Zaker says that she uses the Grooveshark site to create her playlists, but that you could also use a single CD if you wish. Zaker also listens to stations through the Pandora application to research music in specific genres.
3. Develop your routine. Zaker suggests building your routine upon DVDs that are available at your library, that way patrons can check those DVDs out after the program. She specifically says to note what moves look easy to demonstrate to someone else. Then she says to match your moves to your music, and make sure your playlist has a logical flow to it.
4. Promoting your program. To get the word out, Zaker says that you should go to local gyms and talk to the trainers. She also suggests advertising your program online, and that if you choose to make flyers that they be catchy, will appeal to the correct audience, and that they are distributed to non-library venues.
5. Setting the stage. The final suggestion that Zaker has is to make sure that your community space is free of clutter so that patrons can move about without fear of injury. She also suggests dressing the part by wearing attire that fits your fitness program’s theme.

These tips can be used to replicate Zaker’s program, or to create a new one at your library. This program could be tailored to fit any age group or interest. The main thing to remember is to focus on what would make your patrons interested, and to stress that this is a program for fun and enjoyment.

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