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"Huffin & Puffin" By Holly Jamison Fitness programs - everybody is doing it or at least trying to do it. Some do it well . . . some are pretty shaky. Because fitness has become so important, it has become an integral part of part district programming. When I began teaching exercise part-time ten years ago, programs were called "Slim and Trim", "Slimnastics", or "Woman's Exercise". There was no such thing as "Aerobic Dance" and "Jazzercise". We had just started using music and exercise, and our knowledge of physiology of exercise was limited because the field was so new. Well, we've come a long way, baby! But, we still have a long way to go if we are to compete with private agencies and health clubs. When HUff n PUff was born at Mt. Prospect Park District, the logo was a slightly plump girl jumping rope looking slightly fatigued! I felt it important that people know that effective exercise is not just giggles and shouts. Besides that the typically pictured tall gorgeous blonde in leotards made many people who need exercise most feel unnecessarily uncomfortable. With the HUff n PUff logo came the HUff n PUff concept of aerobic exercise NOT aerobic dance. Why? because in HUff n PUff we are literally exercising - stretching and strengthening every muscle - not dancing. When I started noticing all the books and articles coming out about "instant fitness", I felt that as a professional, I had a real obligation to educate people about what is good and safe, and what is ineffective and even dangerous, and thus started "Fit Tips". One evening, the instructor of our men's exercise class was ill, and I taught the class—much to the amazement of the male participants. What I found was there there is no difference between what men need and what women need in the way of fitness. (I might also add, that no man has ever left a class because it was too easy!) When I was approached by several other park districts to offer HUff n PUff, I was delighted, and offered the program on a contract basis. However, I
Illinois Parks and Recreation 32 January/February 1982 found several problems. First, as the program grew in popularity the park district felt that their share of the profits was not growing at the rate mine was, and I understand this, having worked for park districts since graduation from George Williams College. Secondly, because the program was sometimes a distance away, the logistics of finding instructors was difficult for me. I felt that there must be a way to offer HUff n PUff to other park districts and make my expertise available at a reasonable cost. For all too long, the public has had the philosophy "the higher the cost, the higher the quality". At the same time, we in the recreation professional try to offer our programs at a very reasonable cost in order that more people can participate. However, the image of our fitness programs has not always been the best. If a park district is only able to pay an instructor $5 to $6 per hour, she/he may not have the knowledge and tools needed for an excellent program, and may feel that that is not enough money to pay for preparation, and a good fitness program does require preparation. Finding music and having tapes made alone requires about four hours from an instructor for each new tape.
After one year, of perfecting exercises, researching "Fit Tips", going back to school, designing the Instructor's Manual, listening to lots of music, the HUff n PUff Fitness package came into being in September of this year. It became available to park districts as of November 30th for use during winter programming and a certification workshop for instructors was held on December 12th. The fee is $65.00 for the eight week package, and this includes; four 55 minute tapes, different "Fit Tips" for each week, weekly lesson plans with all exercises and variations, brochure descriptions, flyers and posters and a T-shirt for the instructor and a comprehensive Instructor's Manual. There is no percentage involved; if one park district needs to charge $35.00 for eight weeks, they can, but if another park district needs to only charge $20.00 that is their option. A park district can also offer HUff n PUff two or three times weekly and can offer as many classes at different times as they choose. Secondly, each park district hires and uses their own instructor - someone familiar with the unique needs of that particular class. To further encourage the instructors to make that class responsive to the participants, all exercises and variations are included, but the instructor is free (and encouraged) to develop his/her own routine which reflects his/her personality and creativity. In the past ten years I have developed a rather large resource library of music, exercises, Fit Tips and information that would be difficult for one person to do - both timewise and financially, and I want to share these tools.
At the IPRA conference on "Fitness in the 80's" we heard from our NPRA Regional Director, Joe Schultz, and Mathew Guidry of the President's Council of Physical Fitness that park districts can and should be leaders in the field of fitness - we all know that it is simply a matter of finding the most effective tools and resources at the most reasonable cost to make those fitness programs quality programs. I am totally committed to the park district fitness program concept, I really have no desire to even become involved in the private sector because I have always believed that to have fifty people fit at the cost of $2.00 is far better than seeing only two people fit at the cost of $50.00. In spite of all the publicity, 50% of the adult population is still not exercising, and if I can change that statistic by offering HUff n PUff to park districts, my satisfaction will be almost as great as having someone who is finding the joy of feeling fit come to me and say "You've changed my life!" Illinois Parks and Recreation 33 January/February 1982 |
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