“You need to get more exercise and move more.”

Have you heard a similar phrase from your doctor? If so, you’re not alone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only 24% of adults age 18 and older in the United States meet the guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity. According to the Department of Health and Human Services about half of all American adults have one or more preventable chronic diseases.

When you combine chronic disease with other issues, including lack of time, skill and financial barriers, it can be difficult to know where to start. LiveWell Douglas County has found a new way to help through an activity prescription program, which is a partnership funded by Pathways to a Healthy Kansas, a five-year grant provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS).

Ginny Barnard is the executive director of LiveWell Douglas County.

“The grant funding we received from BCBSKS has areas that we have to choose from to support efforts across the social determinants of health,” she said. “One of the ways to improve those outcomes is through increasing physical activity, and we can help do that by making access easier through this activity prescription program.”

While the grant funding is new, the idea of an activity prescription isn’t. Barnard shared that there was a push to implement a similar program a number of years ago, but it hadn’t materialized.

“When I told previous LiveWell members that the pieces came together to make it work, they were ecstatic,” she said.

Funding is one piece of the puzzle, but the program won’t work without partnerships. Lawrence Parks, Recreation and Culture, LMH Health and Heartland Community Health Center were able to help.

Allison Koonce is the community outreach and engagement supervisor for LMH Health. She made connections with LMH clinicians to write the prescriptions for patients. Jenn Kessler and Karen Lewis, Community Health Workers at Heartland, made connections with clients. Taylor Martin, the recreation facility operations supervisor for LPRC, provided ways to fill the orders.

Who does it work for?

Physicians like Dr. Mark Oertel with Lawrence Endocrinology Specialists jumped at the opportunity to participate in the program. He’s offered it to patients with diagnoses such as diabetes, pre-diabetes, osteoporosis and osteopenia. He’s also seen it work for those with hypertension and dyslipidemia.

“The vast majority of people I see can benefit from this program,” Oertel said. “I’ve given it to about 50 patients and it works so well that some have come back and asked for another one.”

Heartland has found similar success with its clients. Kessler and Lewis lead Food is Medicine, a program provided in collaboration with the Sunflower Foundation, focusing on nutrition for those with chronic health problems including hypertension and diabetes.

“When we’re focusing on chronic health conditions through Food is Medicine, the activity prescription really complements the program, but we don’t limit it to those clients,” Kessler said. “Let’s say a patient tells their provider that they don’t exercise and don’t feel good; we want the activity prescription to be accessible to them, too.”

Once a patient has their prescription, they contact Parks and Rec, complete a pre-activity survey and receive a $75 credit toward the cost of a program. Staff can then help them find one that’s best for their activity level and schedule.

“We’ve had people sign up for personal training programs and aquatic and fitness classes,” Martin said. “Personal training has the highest interest, and we’ve also had people sign up for senior circuit classes and Aqua Fit.”

To get their clients comfortable with the program, Heartland has organized field trips for their classes. They take a tour of Sports Pavilion Lawrence, learn about available opportunities and register for an access card that allows them entry into all LPRC facilities.

“It can be intimidating for people to go into a fitness setting, especially if they haven’t been exposed to one before,” Lewis said. “We walk with them through the process, provide support and help them follow through.”

The activity prescription program is also a win-win situation for Parks and Rec. It helps raise awareness about their facilities and programs and serves as a pipeline to increase exercise and physical fitness.

“We know there are a lot of people who haven’t been in our facilities before. This program provides a unique opportunity to get folks in the door and comfortable working out or spending time on the basketball courts or soccer turf,” Martin said. “It took a little bit to get it going but once we did, it’s really come together well.”

When participants complete the program they’ve enrolled in, they receive a $25 credit toward another class after completing a survey about their experience. They report a number of improvements, including better balance, improved strength and flexibility and feeling better both physically and mentally.

Barnard is thrilled with the results.

“Funding support to get the program off the ground and fantastic partnerships between LMH Health, Heartland Community Health Center and Lawrence Parks, Recreation and Culture made it all possible, and we’re now adding Haskell Indian Health Services to the mix,” Barnard said. “We’re excited to see how much we can grow the program over the next few years.”

— Autumn Bishop is the marketing manager and content strategist at LMH Health, which is a sponsor of the Lawrence Journal-World health section.