LAKEWOOD —A group of about 16 residents at Link Recreation Center talked among themselves before their second workshop on managing chronic health conditions.
Mark Skinner said he signed up for Healthy Lakewood in hopes of reducing lower back pain and also to head off Alzheimer’s, a disease he said runs in the family.
“My wife, Carol, and I signed up to just stay on top of those health issues that seem to sneak up on you once you start hitting your 60s,” Skinner said.
Organizers said participants in Healthy Lakewood will find practical information in managing chronic conditions ranging from diabetes and respiratory ailments to high blood pressure, obesity and depression.
“If everything works out the way we envision, participants will see a fair amount of behavior changes and acquire tools to help that, (and) they’ll also be exposed ,” said Robert Buck, Lakewood’s fitness programs administrator.
The seven-week classes have been offered about three times a year for three years. Demand is so high the city has added classes for April and May and funding is being secured with hopes of year-round programming.
“The need has sort of exploded lately,” said Maripat Gallas, director of implementation for the “It’s exciting, but we’re having to look at the manpower on how we’re going to make any expansion happen.”
The workshops are a collaboration between the city, clinical partners like St. Anthony’s Hospital and the Lakewood-based Consortium for Older Adult Wellness. Residents are referred into the program through their physicians. Participants learn techniques to reduce stress, pain, anxiety and how to increase mobility while becoming more active.
Each workshop is conducted by two certified peer leaders who have been trained in the One of those instructors is Sharon Lubienicki, a Lakewood community wellness advisor.
“The class really brings it back to the basics — how to problem solve, read food labels and how to diet for different situations,” Lubienicki said. “I like to use myself as an example: When I go to the doctor I try to quit eating sugar and clean up one week beforehand. That’s not really the way to go, you want to clean up for the entire year.”
The Stanford model is an evidence-based program that looks at finding ways to manage chronic pain or other conditions. Lubienicki said that if left untreated, those conditions can lead to immobility, sleep problems, loss of appetite and inability to maintain social contacts. Proponents say that by improving a community’s overall health, medical costs can also be reduced.
“A lot of healthy residents are already using the recreation centers — we want to reach those people who are at home and maybe are afraid to walk because they’re afraid they may fall, or are sitting at home with diabetes,” she added. “We want to help those individuals find ways to move forward with whatever condition is it they have.”
Participants who complete the program are given a $50 gift card to be used for fitness programs at city recreation centers and are also given an opportunity to develop a personal health program with a certified instructor.
Margo Moran, 68, said she completed Healthy Lakewood last fall and the workshops helped her gain confidence and set realistic health goals.
“It’s helped me learn to eat better and be more active,” Moran said. “It helps finding out you’re not the only one and there’s people in the same boat as you are. Everyone in the class enjoyed talking, visiting and going to class together.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729 or abriggs@denverpost.com
Healthy lakewood
For more information, visit or call Maripat Gallas at 720-383-1919.
