Moving for Life – Inspiring others to stay active
September 30th, 2019
Being healthy and staying active is part of my family’s lifestyle. I am an athlete from Venezuela, and although I love running marathons and triathlons, I am the most passionate about motivating others to live a healthier and happier life no matter their age, weight, or gender. Dr. Waters connected me with Tatiana and Delia of the Healthy Choices Department, and we talked about my physical activity program that I taught in Venezuela and Mexico.
I was eager to contribute to the Healthy Choices Department. In Venezuela, I had physical activity programs that I then took to Cancun for a year. The idea was to share a new culture and different techniques. Although Zumba is very popular here in the United States, people sometimes feel intimated to participate because it is very choreographed. Someone new may feel like a fish out of water and sometimes feels too intimated to participate and would rather not do it at all.
In Venezuela, we began to create a technique of inclusion in every activity. Since I am a teacher, the idea was always to have children, and their parents participate together. We focused on games and dance. The dance portion consisted of recreational dance. We named it “Bailo Terapia.” It is a dance with the purpose of having fun. We created a fun program called Moviemento por la Vida – which is the program I implement here at the clinic. The idea is for everyone to stay moving and stay active. Through it, we try to peak their interest to jump into other sports and other activities.
The response we have had from the community has been amazing! We excited the activities at Burnham Park till the end of September, and the group is hoping to be able to continue through the fall and winter months. A lot of patients have begun to venture into other forms of exercise – some have started running, biking, and even won medals at different races! Their motivation and excitement have motivated others to take on various forms of exercise outside of our group. I am thankful to be part of this amazing community. I love to see how everyone motivates and takes care of each other, we have become a big family, and that’s what it’s all about.
Related Posts
Prioritizing Clean Air in Your Home July 22, 2019
Asthma | Recognizing Triggers and Creating an Action Plan July 22, 2019
It’s Time to Treat Obesity as a Disease – Not as a Failure of Character July 22, 2019
Featured Video
Featured Patient Story
Get Healthy Together as a Family July 22, 2019
Sign up for updates!
Get news, blogs and stories from Sixteenth Street directly to your inbox with our monthly E-Newsletter.
Our Story
Mission
History
Leadership
Collaborations
Blog & News
Blog
E-Newsletter
Patient Stories
Newsroom
Annual Reports
Get Involved
Donate
Events
Careers
Volunteer
Recognition
Quality
Awards
This health center receives HHS funding and has Federal Public Health Service (PHS) deemed status with respect to certain health or health-related claims, including medical malpractice claims, for itself and its covered individuals.