“Fitness Trail” developed to help children facing obesity and mental health challenges

A “Fitness Trail” project has been developed by a multidisciplinary team of professionals at the Chaleur Regional Hospital who want to improve services for children facing obesity and mental health challenges. It includes a walking trail with a bench fit program, a children’s playground, an area for adolescents, and a gazebo as well as a community garden for the adult population.

“This project was discussed with our team of professionals on many occasions but the cost of the project always held us back. We are very excited that the Hospital Foundation and many partners have agreed to help us make the project a reality. We believe that it will certainly give us more tools that will have a positive impact on the lives of the region’s children,” explained Christian Rousselle, Nurse Manager of the Chaleur Regional Hospital’s Psychiatric Unit
Overall, the objective of this project is to develop social responsibility and healthy lifestyles through exercise and better food choices. The cost of the project is evaluated at $200,000. The Chaleur Regional Hospital Foundation is proud to announce that it has already forged partnerships with the following donors totalling $132,500 and that the Foundation will cover the balance of the required funding:

• Trevali – $50,000;

• Medavie – $50,000;

• The Fishermen of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) of the wharfs of the Chaleur region – $15,000;

• Jeff & Carolyn Daley – $10,000;

• New Brunswick Children’s Foundation – $7,500.

“As a not-for-profit health solutions partner, Medavie is committed to improving the wellbeing of Canadians. Through investments in programs and innovative solutions, we help people live well and enable easier access to quality health care in our communities. Providing children, youth and their families with access to healthy lifestyle options aligns with our Foundation’s belief that all Canadians, especially young Canadians, should have access to the tools and supports they need to live their best lives,” explained Bernard Lord, CEO of Medavie.
Work on the first phase of the project (excluding the community garden) has already begun and is expected to be completed in the fall. The second phase of the project will be tackled next year.

The Chaleur Regional Hospital Foundation is pleased to be a partner in this project. “We are very concerned about the welfare of children in the region and we want to ensure we can provide a better environment that will help our professionals offer better health care,” explained Jean-Guy Robichaud, Chair of the Chaleur Regional Hospital Foundation.

About the “Fitness Trail”

Walking space – Walking is an activity that is open to everyone but we must motivate people to make it a habit. The mental health clientele is often sedentary and we want to encourage them to get moving. The proposed path includes simple exercise stations (bench fit) that will motivate people to exercise. Walking will also provide an opportunity for our professionals to talk to patients in a much more relaxed environment.

Children’s playground – Play is the best way to motivate children (aged 4 to 10) to do physical activity, and professionals often use play therapy with the obese pediatric clientele. We are trying to raise young people’s awareness of physical activity and educate them about the joy of being outside rather than in front of their screens. The proposed park will be a place for children to have fun and be physically active outside. Parents will be encouraged to provide ongoing motivation back home for their children to continue being physically active. This will make it an accessible family activity.

Adolescent play area – We are proposing to include a basketball space, a wall game (tennis) and a few pieces of equipment to encourage adolescents to be active. Once again, play will be a way of creating a pleasant environment where young people could be more open to discussion. A gazebo will also be included in this part of the project.

Community garden – This part of the project will allow patients to start flats of plants in the winter and then transplant these into the garden in the spring. It has been shown on many occasions that planting flowers and gardens has a very relaxing effect on people. Participants will be involved in preparing healthy meals in the fall, with any surplus produce going to the region’s food banks.