- Be an employee/staff with a nonprofit organization; independent
personal trainers, consultants, and for-profit individuals/groups are
not eligible to attend the training or to implement the StrongWomen
Program. If you are not an employee/staff of a nonprofit BUT are
working in partnership with a nonprofit organization to implement the
program, you must submit a letter from the nonprofit organization as
your sponsor. In addition, all leaders are required to sign a scope of
use agreement regarding nonprofit use of the program only as well as an
understanding that this is not a train-the-trainer program (you are
being trained to implement programs and are not permitted to train new
trainers).
- Be actively strength training. Being physically active in general
is, of course, important. But, the expectation is that you are very
familiar with lifting weights and are personally committed to and
regularly practicing the behavior. This is a mandatory criteria for
eligibility.
- Have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This
training is to teach you how to lead a StrongWomen Program, and should
not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.
Sites that are appropriate to potentially run the StrongWomen Program include, but are not limited to: senior centers, hospital outpatient centers, cooperative extension services, offices on aging, assisted living facilities, independent retirement communities, community fitness centers with a large older population, places of worship, and other places where older adults convene. Your site may provide an appropriate community-based setting in which to run the StrongWomen Program. To meet this end, we are eager to assist you in implementing the program safely and effectively as possible. With regard to the implementation of the Program, we recommend the following:
Experience in providing exercise instruction
This experience may be in a fitness center, community setting, outpatient hospital setting, or as a personal trainer.
Educational background in exercise or some aspect of public health
The appropriate educational background might include medicine, nursing, nutrition, exercise physiology, occupational/physical therapy, massage therapy, or community/public health.
Certification by reputable health and fitness organization
Organizations include the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the American Senior Fitness Association, the International Association of Fitness Professionals (IDEA), and the Cooper Institute for Aerobics Research. We realize that this is not a complete list of organizations that certify individuals; the Program Leader may have a certification from another organization, and along with his/her education and experience, would be qualified to become a Program Leader.
Note: Identifying a Program Leader with the above three attributes will contribute greatly to the safety and efficacy of the StrongWomen Program. We recognize that some people who want to become Program Leaders may not have any formal education regarding health and fitness, and they may not possess a fitness-related certification. Ultimately, the decision of who becomes a Program Leader is in your hands. As the site director, we encourage you to strongly consider the recommendations we outline above.
Space & Equipment
We recommended that the site have a room that is at least 200 square feet (ideally, 400 square feet) to run the program. The room should be well lit and be free of clutter. In addition, there should be sturdy, armless chairs available in the room. Preferably there should be a locked closet either in the room or near by where the exercise equipment (dumbbells and ankles weights) can be stored between classes. Finally, the entire building should be safe for women of all ages to access. The parking lot (if applicable) should be well lit; there should be proper security of the facility; and the corridors and rest rooms should be safe and well lit.
The StrongWomen Workshop (Program Leader Training)
At the StrongWomen workshop, program leaders will be trained on the exercise program itself as well as how to effectively instruct and assist participants in learning the exercises. Additionally, the workshop will cover all topics found in the Toolkit such as screening, safety, and effective leadership. Program leaders will be given guidance on how to schedule their programs, discuss space and equipment needs, and strategize about issues such as transportation and gaining local support and funding. Following the workshop, sites/program leaders will then be required to initiate at least one program in their community.
More Information
If you want to become a program leader, or have questions about the information here, email Rebecca Seguin, the Hancock Center program manager, or call her at (617) 636-3740.