Does BodyWork? : Assessment of Opportunities to Expand the Changing Aging Program
Creators: name: Gill, Ria
name: Poblete, Grace
name: Pohang, Monika
name: Wan, Ashley
name: Wong, Carson
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2024

description: BodyWorks, which is the School of Kinesiology’s outreach program at UBC, currently offers two weekly exercise classes for older adults, with one of them being the Changing Aging program. This study aimed to provide specific recommendations for the BodyWorks staff to assist them in guiding their next steps with the expansion of the Changing Aging program within more community centers across the Greater Vancouver Area (GVA). Throughout this study, key success factors and challenges that past and present Changing Aging program members have experienced were taken into consideration. In addition, this study also looked to understand the aspects that would attract future participants to the program. After identifying the target population, which included those who would be eligible to participate in the Changing Aging program along with those who have or who are currently participating in that program, in-person and online recruitment began. This study included a mixed-methods design and questions were split into two categories, one for past and present Changing Aging participants and the other for those who have never participated in the program. Once the data collection period came to an end, a total of 58 responses were recorded. To analyze the quantitative responses, descriptive statistics were used, whereas descriptive qualitative statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyze the qualitative survey responses. The survey responses highlighted several key findings, such as common modes of transportation, class day and timing preferences, motivators for participating in exercise classes, important qualities in an exercise leader, and specific facility features. Based on the results, the recommendations for BodyWorks to consider when expanding the Changing Aging program into other community centers revolve around accessibility, perceptions and interests in exercise, and facility and program resources. In terms of accessibility, BodyWorks should implement the Changing Aging program into community centers that are closer to residential neighborhoods as well as look into ways they can decrease the costs that are associated with attending the program. Regarding perceptions and interests in exercise, BodyWorks staff should be equipped with sufficient knowledge of the importance of certain exercises and the muscle groups that are being targeted to better inform participants of the benefits of each movement. Furthermore, in terms of facility and program resources, BodyWorks instructors should provide clear and loud instructions to participants, wear name tags, and possibly use microphones to ensure all instructions are being heard. It is also recommended that the BodyWorks instructors are mindful of the amount of breaks they are offering for participants, with more breaks being more optimal. Unfortunately, due to the limited resources and time frame of this study, the population that was surveyed did not include a diverse sample size. Therefore, future research could aim to identify how the perceptions of those from different ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural groups differ from those of the current study participants. With the GVA being very culturally diverse, the perspectives of individuals from these different backgrounds must be considered when looking at implementing programs in their community centers. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”