A lesson learned from Mr. Carter

MEET MR. CARTER

Samuel Carter that it is – a Richmond resident for the entirety of his 74 years and the most recent winner of the Anthem Foundation 150 Minute Fitness Challenge. In early April, Mr. Carter took on the challenge presented by Sports Backers. He set out to attain at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week for at least 8 out of 10 consecutive weeks and to obtain a health screening along the way. So what was his first step in the challenge? Signing up for the Dance Your Way To Fitness program being offered at the Calhoun Center through a partnership between the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA), the YMCA of Greater Richmond, and the Sports Backers.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO TRY SOMETHING NEW

Mr. Carter explains that he has been active from childhood on up, detailing how he played the “Big 3” (basketball, football, and baseball of course). However, he admits that it’s gotten harder over the years due to aching bones and says sometimes “it’s just hard to move.” But that – or the bypass surgery he has survived – doesn’t stop him! When he heard about the 10 week Dance Your Way To Fitness program, he said he was eager to try it out because it was “something I’ve never done.” Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Mr. Carter arrived at the Calhoun Center ready to try Zumba, Tai Chi, and anything else that was thrown his way. And in the days between program classes he was walking, participating in bike-a-thons, and playing softball. Anything to just keep it moving!

PRIZE TIME

At the end of the 10 week program at the Calhoun Center, which also marked the end of the second session of the Anthem Foundation’s 150 Minute Fitness Challenge, Mr. Carter and many others submitted the fitness logs which they had used to track their physical activity minutes. For doing so, all participants earned a small prize and those who were successful in meeting the challenge were entered to win a $100 gift card! But to let Mr. Carter tell it, the prize had already been won. He summarizes the benefits of being active and getting the Center for Disease Control’s recommended amount of physical activity – 150 minutes per week – by saying “it gave me energy – I can do a little extra on a whole lot of things now.”

AND THE WISDOM HAS BEEN DROPPED

Hearing him say that made me realize that there is one benefit of leading an active lifestyle which is often overlooked. Sure being active will lead to improved cardiovascular health, decreased chances of chronic disease, and assist in weight management. But what about improved quality of life and increased ability to complete life’s basic functions? I can think back to times in my own life where I was not being consistently active (yes I’m human too and haven’t always given this fitness thing the priority status it deserves) and found myself out of breath after taking a flight of stairs or struggling to lift a heavy bag of groceries from the cart into the trunk. Then when I got back into the swing of things – started going to the gym consistently and getting back into training for local running races – I found that I was able to run up the stairs with ease, lift things that others thought I would need help with, and most importantly I started to feel so much better about myself. That improved self-concept and ability to function was reflected in Mr. Carter as well, a benefit we both experienced as a result of maintaining an active lifestyle. I believe it is the one benefit we can all experience if we just put in a little effort. And once you experience it, you will likely be like Mr. Carter and I – addicted to that feeling, ready to take on the next challenge, and reaping the benefits of an active life along the way.

HE GOES ON TO WIN THE GRAND PRIZE

When it came time to notify the winner of the challenge, I had the privilege of making that phone call. I called Mr. Carter to tell him that he had won and he seemed shocked. Later when I spoke to him in person, during a shopping spree with his newly-won gift card, Mr. Carter described a feeling of disbelief when he received the news. “I’ve never even won a raffle,” explained Carter. But this time, luck was on his side and he had put in the work to document all his efforts. He had attained the recommended health screening, thanks to the VCU School of Nursing providing students to administer free screenings at the beginning of the Dance Your Way To Fitness program, and logged at least 150 minutes of physical activity for 9 out of 10 weeks. To put it in the words of Mr. Carter, “stick a fork in it, I’m done!”

THAT’S NOT ALL FOLKS

But he’s actually not done. He’s just getting started. The YMCA graciously offered Mr. Carter a complimentary 3 month membership to help keep him moving. He has already taken them up on the offer and has created a personal schedule to go to the gym at least three times per week. And the big picture take away is that the RRHA is on board to continue the partnership with Sports Backers and the YMCA in order to offer continued fitness programming at the Calhoun Center this fall. Mr. Carter can’t wait for the next program to get kicked off and neither can the other 64 residents that participated in the Dance Your Way To Fitness program.

They all got a taste of that feeling I was talking about – a feeling which has the power to permeate every aspect of one’s life. Not sure what I’m talking about? Haven’t yet experienced such a feeling? Not to worry – Sports Backers offers several options to get you started and keep you going. Check out one of the free Fitness Warriors group exercise classes which are happening in a community near you, take advantage of the YMCA’s income based membership rate, join Sports Backer’s 8k training team (which offers a $10 income based rate for those who qualify), or find out how you can participate in the next Anthem Foundation 150 Minute Fitness Challenge. Do something active – just keep it moving – and you will begin to reap the benefits of an active lifestyle.