• A senior level person within your organization that is respected by all.
• Has a personal interest in their own fitness and health. This person does not have to be the most fit within your organization; instead they need to be someone that is physically active.

• A person that has made a commitment to their health, in areas of diet, tobacco avoidance, moderate alcohol use and mental health.

• Willingness to work with others as a health and fitness supporter.

• Ability to learn new and complex information and develop skills and strategies to distribute the information to participants in your organization.

• Capacity to find new and creative ways to engage participants.

• Understands the importance of confidentiality.

• Energetic

The role of the HFC is to be your organization’s STAR:

• Support participants as they make decisions to improve their health and fitness levels.

• Teach participants safe and effective ways to make lifestyle changes that will be long lasting.

• Acknowledge that all participants are individuals and help each one meet his/her personal health and fitness goals.

• Reinforce participants when they make positive fitness and health related lifestyle changes.

To equip the HFCs with the necessary skills to meet their role, they will be provided many learning opportunities. To facilitate the training, coordinators will attend a day long workshop where they will learn how to assess, educate and motivate their employees. In addition, district coordinators and an exercise physiologist are always on call to help with programming ideas, presenting workshops for your personnel and to be a constant source of support for the coordinator.

The purpose of the workshop is to provide the coordinators with a knowledge base and skills that will make them effective health and wellness practitioners.  Specific workshop topics include:

• Risk Factors for heart disease

• Blood pressure assessment and ways to manage.

• Cholesterol values that are related to heart disease and how to lower them.

• Diabetes, what it is and the importance of controlling it.

• Aerobic exercise, why exercise is medicine and how to prescribe it.

• Muscular strength and endurance, how to evaluate it and why it is so important for activities of daily living.
• Nutrition Guidelines and Recommendations