THE FITNESS PROGRAM AT SUNSHINE COAST

THE FITNESS PROGRAM AT SUNSHINE COAST

INTRODUCTION

As part of its commitment to health and wellness, Sunshine Coast Health Center is dedicated to giving our clients unparalleled access to health, fitness, and recreation services. Not only are we dedicated to providing our clients with access to such services while they are residents, Sunshine Coast is also committed to providing them the skills necessary to make health and wellness part of their lives after they return home. In this way, Sunshine Coast is dedicated to promoting a proactive and healthy approach to recovery.

Why Sunshine Coast has a Fitness Program

The advanced fitness program developed at Sunshine Coast is not simply an attempt to keep clients from experiencing boredom and out of trouble. Instead, our commitment to fitness is motivated by scientific research that supports the benefits of exercise for individuals with addictions. Recently, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) allocated four million dollars towards grants that continue to research the relationship between exercise and drug addiction. This initiative is fueled by many research studies that have uncovered some compelling advantages of exercise including: the ability to curb cravings, relieve mild depression, and create detours around the neurological pathways that reinforce addiction. In addition to these scientific findings, Sunshine Coast has identified other reasons to promote fitness, most importantly the goal setting nature of embarking on an exercise program. Making tangible progress towards a concrete goal allows clients to increase their self efficacy, reversing the abusive nature of their relationship with their bodies. As clients begin to see and feel the physical changes taking place in their bodies, they can begin to understand the way that their minds and bodies are connected. Rekindling this mind-body relationship is a central focus of the Sunshine Coast fitness program. Most importantly, positive feedback from clients themselves supports the continued inclusion of fitness in an overall focus on health and wellness.

Program Overview

Upon being cleared for exercise by our doctor, clients are scheduled for a consultation and fitness assessment with our kinesiologist (exercise physiologist). The consultation serves as a type of meet and greet between client and trainer that will allow our kinesiologist to better understand each client’s individual feelings, circumstances, and goals pertaining to health and wellness. The fitness assessment gives the kinesiologist the chance to record measured outcomes in body composition, cardiovascular fitness, and muscular strength that will help him design a personalized fitness program for each client. The fitness assessment also provides the kinesiologist with baseline numbers to use as a barometer to track progress over the course of each client’s stay.

From this point, clients are given full access to the SCHC Fitness Program, and through the guidance of our kinesiologist, are encouraged to begin working toward their health and fitness goals. Each client’s program incorporates cardiovascular and resistance training, as well as recreational therapy. In addition to these components, clients have access to our indoor pool, as well as weekly massage therapy, ozone therapy, and relaxation therapy appointments. These facilities and amenities offer each client the opportunity to enter into an individualized fitness program with full confidence, so that they can methodically work towards reshaping and revitalizing their bodies and minds within a comfortable and supportive atmosphere.

Cardiovascular training: the act of participating in regular aerobic bouts of exercise in an attempt
to increase one’s fitness level by improving the ability of the body to deliver fresh oxygenated blood to working muscles.

Resistance training: the act of participating in a weight lifting routine that has been designed specifically for the purpose of increasing muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility. Recreational therapy: engaging in health-based activities that “re-create” personal perceptions of ones self by finding enjoyment and satisfaction in something new and often unexpected.

Massage Therapy: manipulation of tissue with hand or instrument for therapeutic purposes.

Ozone Therapy: ozone therapy is a term that describes a number of different practices in which oxygen, ozone, or hydrogen peroxide are administered via gas or water to kill disease microorganisms, improve cellular function, and promote the healing of damaged tissues.

Relaxation Therapy: any of a number of techniques for inducing the relaxation response, used for the reduction of stress; useful in the management of a wide variety of chronic illnesses caused or exacerbated by stress.

Step One – The Fitness Assessment

Introduction

The purpose of the fitness assessment is two-fold in nature. Primarily, it provides immediate feedback in terms of objective measures of body composition and cardiovascular fitness. These objective measures are then put into context by comparing them with recommended levels. Secondarily, the fitness assessment gives the kinesiologist the opportunity to understand each client’s unique set of circumstances and goals. Having a sound understanding of each client’s needs is paramount to designing a training plan that leads to success.

Body Composition

Through use of a bio-electrical impedance analysis (BIA) scale, measures of body composition can be found. The BIA method measures body composition by sending a low, safe electric current through the body. The current passes freely through the fluids contained in muscle tissue, but encounters difficulty/resistance when it passes through fat tissue. This resistance of the fat tissue to the current is termed ‘bioelectrical impedance’, and is accurately measured by body fat scales. When set against a person’s height and weight, the scales can then compute their body fat percentage, hydration level, and muscle mass. These figures can then be compared to age appropriate recommended levels and tracked throughout each client’s stay.

Recommended Male Body Fat %

Age	EXCELLENT 1	VERY GOOD 2	GOOD 3	FAIR 4	POOR 5
19-24	< 11	11.1 - 15	15.1 - 19	19.1 - 23	> 23
25-29	< 13	13.1 - 17	17.1 - 20	20.1 - 24	>24
30-34	<15	15.1 - 18	18.1 - 22	22.1 - 25	>25
35-39	<16	16.1 - 19	19.1 - 23	23.1 - 26	>26
40-44	<18	18.1 - 21	21.1 - 24	24.1 - 27	>27
45-49	<19	19.1 - 22	22.1 - 25	25.1 - 28	>28
50-54	<20	22.1 - 23	23.1 - 26	26.1 - 29	>29
55 +	<20	20.1 -24	24.1 -27	27.1 - 30	>30

Cardiovascular Testing

The instrument used to test cardiovascular fitness at SCHC is the Cooper Test. The Cooper Test was developed by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper during his Air Force career, but has been popularized due to its strong correlation to VO2 Max (a measure of cardiovascular fitness). Clients, who have complete control over their speed, are asked to cover as much distance as they can in 12 minutes on a treadmill at 1% grade. The resultant distance is input into a fixed formula and an estimated VO2 max is calculated. Clients are given the opportunity to re-test towards the end of their stay to map their progress.

Age	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Average	Good	Very Good	Excellent
29-24	<32	32-37	38-43	44-50	51-56	57-62	<62
25-29	<31	31-35	36-42	43-48	49-53	54-59	<59
30-34	<29	29-34	35-40	41-45	46-51	52-56	<56
35-39	<28	28-32	33-38	39-43	44-48	49-54	<54
40-44	<26	26-31	32-35	36-41	42-46	47-51	<51
45-49	<25	25-29	30-34	35-39	40-43	44-48	<48
50-54	<24	24-27	28-32	33-36	37-41	42-46	<46
55-59	<22	22-26	27-30	31-34	35-39	40-43	<43
60-65	<21	21-24	25-28	29-32	33-36	37-40	<40

Muscular Resistance Testing

The first step in developing a resistance training program is determining a client's one repetition maximum (1RM). A person's 1RM is the weight at which only one repetition can be successfully completed. Once the 1RM is determined, a resistance training program can be developed to help each client reach their individual goals. For example, if the primary goal of resistance training is to increase strength and gain muscle mass, then lower repetitions and increased sets of a higher percentage of 1RM would be advisable.

Step Two – The Fitness Plan

After the fitness assessment is complete, the kinesiologist begins development of an individualized fitness plan. This plan takes into account all three sections of the assessment, and lays out a deliberate plan to facilitate improvement in all three areas. While each client's fitness plan may look different, they are similar in that they create a blueprint that maps the way to improved physical, emotional, and spiritual health. (Below is an example of what the training plan layout looks like - Day 1 of 3).

Excercise	Weight	Reps	Sets
1.
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Photo Gallery of Client Day Trips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunshine Coast Health Center is a provincially-approved drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility licensed by VCH