1. Examine the internal and external preconditions for your program idea!
- Are the aims and the content of the program compatible to the mission and the kind of activities of your club/association?
- Did you examine the health-profile of your sport?
- Do you expect support or obstruction from the leadership?
- Do you expect sufficient spontaneous interest in the target group of your program or do you probably need to advertise the program beforehand?
- Will you be the first and only provider of such a program in your surrounding?
- Would you like to invite partners for cooperation?
2. Try to find an attractive title for your program, which testifies something about the kind of activities and the target group!
- Examples: “Fitness with music 60 plus”; “Power-man”; “Active up to 100”;
“Walking Football for everybody”; “Power Yoga”
3. Set up a leaflet which outlines your concept briefly!
The leaflet should include the aims, the content, the target group and the prevailing conditions (e.g. duration of the program; location of the facility; timetable; participation fee; limited numbers of participants). It should become clear how the activities are fitting with the preconditions of the target group.
4. Announce and advertise your program inside and outside your organization!
- Examples: A flyer for distribution in your club, in pharmacies, waiting rooms of physicians, news-bit in local newspapers and on the web-page of your organization.
5. Try to gain a clear insight into the physical condition and the motoric ability of your
groupbefore you develop your course-plan!
- Many test-tools are available, but also your personal observation in the first unit of the program is very important.
6. Set up a mid-term and/or long term course-plan!
- The course-plan should be divided into individual sessions, including the respective aims and kind of activities, the method of carrying out and the equipment.
If you provide a documented, standardized program the course-plan is set in
advance.
7. Give the individual sessions a clear structure!
- An often used structuring of fitness programs is as follows (American College of Sports Medicine, 2006): Warm-Up with low intensity large muscle activities (e.g. walking, stretching); Stimulus or Conditioning Phase - includes endurance, resistance flexibility exercises; Recreational activities, e.g. rhythmic activities with music, and/or modified games to experience successful participation; Cool-Down with stretching, relaxation.
- Another structuring, especially in specific health enhancing exercise programs, is the seven sequence structure (often used in HESE programs of the German Gymnastic Federation): Opening Sequence (about 5 minutes) come together; Warming-Up Sequence (about 10 minutes); Endurance Sequence (about 20 minutes) with walking or aerobic activities with music; Muscular Strength, Flexibility & Coordination Sequence (about 30 minutes); Relaxation Sequence (about 10 minutes); Final fun and activating Sequence (about 5 minutes) especially for enhancing mood; Information Sequence (max 10 minutes, always combined with one of the sequences 1 - 6).
8. Transfer regularly knowledge to the participants generally about the health benefits of physical activities and sport as well more explicitly about the respective activities of the program session!
9. Feel free to adapt your course plan constantly according to the physical and
mental conditions of the participants!
10. Evaluate the impact of your program on one hand through your personal observation and on the other hand through standardized processes!
- Beside your observation you may make interviews with the participants or use scientific verified questionnairesto evaluate the health and well-being status of the participants. Moreover you may use existing physical fitness and motor-skill tests.
11. Report about the course of the program from time to time internally and externally!
- On one hand a regular, evaluating report to the leadership of your organization is recommended, to keep the leaders updated on the success and also on the obstacles of the program. On the other hand public relation work is recommended through news bits in your club magazine, on the web-page of your organization, a press release in the local newspapers etc.