What's Involved in Participating in a LIFT Class

- [Narrator] Are you thinking about joining a fitness class near you?

Not sure what to expect.

This short presentation is designed to help you understand more about Penn State Extension's Lifelong Improvements for Fitness Together Program.

The LIFT program teaches men and women over 40, safe strength building techniques, appreciation for regular and safe physical activity and proper nutrition habits.

You can contact your local Penn State Extension office or go to the Penn State Extension website to find a program near you.

Once you find the class that meets your schedule, you can register on our website, extension.psu.edu/lift or call our registration number 877-345-0691.

At orientation you'll be given an overview of the program.

Details for your orientation will be given to you when you register.

Many sites will offer a separate orientation session for new class members.

Other sites will conduct the orientation during the first class.

A LIFT class series runs twice a week for eight weeks and meets for about an hour per class.

At your first class, you will be given the participant paperwork packet.

The paperwork may seem overwhelming at first, but we collect the information for research to show how successful the program is.

The first form will be the participant information sheet.

This is to collect some basic information like your name, address, phone number, email and emergency contact information for the instructor.

The second form is the medical and current health history.

This helps the instructor know if any adaptations to the program will be needed to benefit you and best fit your needs.

The third form will be the participant consent form.

It gives permission to Penn State University to have you participate.

The next is the informed consent for biomedical research.

This form allows Penn State to use the evaluation and assessment data for our ongoing research project.

The next form to be completed is the physical activity readiness questionnaire plus.

This form lets the instructor know if you need a medical release from your healthcare provider to participate.

If you check yes to certain questions on this form or are over the age of 70, you will need a medical release from your doctor, allowing you to participate.

If you need a medical release, the instructor can give you a copy to take to your healthcare provider.

Now you're finally done with the paperwork and you can enjoy the LIFT class.

Many instructors will use a guide to help new participants determine what amount of weight to begin to use in class.

Many sites have weights for participants to try out and use before considering purchasing your own.

You will want to bring a towel or floor mat and water bottle with you to class.

During the first class, you will complete a fitness assessment.

The fitness assessment is a series of easy exercises to measure your strength and balance before the start of the program.

This same assessment is done at the end of the eight weeks to see how much you have improved.

If you have any questions you can ask the instructor or call the extension office.

Enjoy and happy strength training.