January 14, 2008/Brattleboro, VT:  Brattleboro-area citizens can get some support for achieving their New Year’s resolutions. Meeting Waters YMCA is offering a free ten-week course called Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle.

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle is a facilitated education and support group designed by Meeting Waters YMCA staff for “health seekers”—those children, adults and families that desire a healthier lifestyle but need guidance and support to achieve and sustain that goal. Support for health behavior changes will come not only from the Y staff but other participants, as well. Unlike most health programs, Journey focuses on physical, mental and spiritual well-being. It does not offer prescriptive recommendations but, rather, helps each individual assess and plan for ways that they can sustain a healthier lifestyle. Topics to be explored include readiness for change, goal-setting, barriers to change, supports, prioritizing, celebrating success, and dealing with setbacks. 

The program will be facilitated by Susan Fortier, one of its co-creators, and Steve Fortier. Both are YMCA of the USA-certified Fitness Specialists. Susan holds a degree in Sports Medicine with a concentration in Physical Therapy while Steve’s undergraduate degree is in Fitness and Health Management. They have been co-directors of the Meeting Waters YMCA since October of 1998. They came to these roles after years of running their own community health consulting firm. 

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle was created by MWYMCA’s Laura Sperazi and Susan Fortier. Sperazi, a trained facilitator in the Healthy Living program being offered by Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, and Fortier pulled from several health-enhancement curricula and their own experiences to create this new program.  According to Fortier, “Journey respects the resources, supports and barriers that each person has in their life as it relates to their health. Through the program, we help individuals increase their resources and supports while reducing the barriers that are keeping them from achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. People in the group—not just Steve and I—will be important resources in this process. And, we’ll bring in other local experts and resources as needed once individual and group goals have been established.” 

Journey to a Healthier Lifestyle is part of Meeting Waters YMCA’s Activate Windham County public health initiative which aims to reduce barriers and increase supports for “health seekers.” Other Activate Windham County activities include wellness programs for adolescent girls and senior citizens, YMCA Healthy Kids Day, and an ongoing commitment to healthy activities and foods at the regional YMCA’s ASPIRE programs. Activate Windham County activities are supported in part by proceeds from the Second Century Ride, contributions to Meeting Waters YMCA’s Annual Support Campaign, and grants from the Holt Fund and Pepsico.  

The Meeting Waters YMCA is a charitable, social service organization founded in 1895. Its programs take place at its facility in Bellows Falls, camp property in Springfield, and satellite sites in Brattleboro, Chester and other communities in Vermont and New Hampshire. A capital campaign is now underway to develop a new facility in Brattleboro to better serve the youth and families in the southern part of the regional Y’s service area. More information about Meeting Waters YMCA is available at their website at www.meetingwatersymca.org or by calling their office nearest you—Brattleboro: 246-1036; Bellows Falls: 463-4769; or Springfield: 885-8131.