Ownership: Minority, woman
Self reported impact: Potential to do so in the next 12 months.
One sentence summary:
A mobile functional fitness center that provides free access to exercise equipment, nutritional coaching, and training to low-income communities across Long Island to promote their mental and physical well-being, and as a result, help empower them to rise above challenges they face in society.
Description of impact:
The attention on physical and mental health is crucial for the success of low-income communities. Given that financial burdens are already a major setback, paying for this physical means of help is out of question. By creating a mobile-fitness center, we aim to eliminate the barriers of a brick-and-mortar gym and address the lack of accessibility to fitness and health by bringing resources, such as instructors and equipment, directly to the community.
Since exercise creates a positive mood and reduces stress, we hope to raise awareness of health and well-being directly through an enjoyable experience. Providing the opportunity to engage in forms of physical activity will stimulate confidence and self-management, which in turn would improve individuals’ self-perception of their well-being. The resulting impact would be an improvement in the emotional, physical, and social functioning of individuals in these communities as a result of access to a supportive environment that may otherwise not be available.
This September, we will host our first community event in a local park in the village of Hempstead. We will run a fitness workshop and use the mobile fitness center to provide nutritional samples and baseline fitness assessments that will equip members with the resources and knowledge to take charge of their own health. We hope to expand this model by directly visiting multiple low-income communities throughout the week to offer free fitness classes and nutritional resources.