Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

MEMORIAL HEALTH SYSTEM, Abilene, KS
Impact Kids Fitness Clinic

What is it?
Memorial Health System's Impact Sports & Fitness Center, in collaboration with local schools and the Community Foundation of Dickinson County, recently conducted an Impact Kids Fitness Clinic, a six-week free clinic targeting elementary and middle school students.

Who is it for?
Students in kindergarten through eighth grade in Abilene.

How do they do it?
The clinic taught children to set personal fitness goals and exercise on their own, and it provided motivation to continue to exercise and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Sixty-minute sessions were held twice weekly at the schools, followed by a healthy snack and lots of encouragement. The initial goal was to enroll 100 children, but the program was so popular that over 190 kids participated. During the program, the kids walked or ran a combined total of 2,065 miles. The clinic culminated with the students' participation in the annual community-wide Chisholm Trail Stampede (5K run, 2-mile run or walk). As a consequence of this program, some of the local schools are installing walking trails and implementing before- and after-school walking programs. Plans are to make this clinic an annual event.

Why do they do it?
Inactivity and obesity are major concerns for America's youth. Studies show that 60 percent of children ages 9-13 engage in no physical activity other than school physical education classes and over 18 percent are overweight. Experts predict that this percentage will climb to 50 percent by 2010.

Contact: RaeLyn Whitehair
Director, Impact Sports & Fitness
Telephone: 785-263-3888
E-mail: rwhitehair@caringforyou.org