Rez-Fit challenge motivates Moose Factory women

Women in Moose Factory had the chance to develop a healthy and fit lifestyle when they took part in the Rez-Fit challenge over the summer months.
By participating in fitness, nutritional and obstacle course challenges during the eight-week program, the women were able to create a support network for each other as they worked to achieve their fitness goals.
“We had people lose weight but more importantly, they made fitness a part of their lifestyle,” said Christina Linklater, a community health coordinator at the Moose Factory Health Centre.
The Rez-Fit challenge came about after Linklater received an email from Suzanne Hajto, a fitness leader and registered dietician who previously worked in the community as a diabetes dietician.
While the community already had most of the programs Hajto was offering, Linklater said there were not any fitness programs for adults, particularly for women.
“We had a bit of trouble within our personal lives in having that initiative to get going after having kids and stuff,” Linklater said. “It would be nice to have someone to motivate us.”
So Linklater connected with Hajto to develop a fitness challenge program and “lay the spark” for the women to get fit.
Hajto lives near the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. She extended an invitation to the Chippewas to take part in a friendly fitness challenge with Moose Factory, which they accepted.
From May to August, women from both communities registered for the challenge and took part in fitness and nutritional classes.
“Suzanne would videotape herself doing zumba and people would come in for a half-hour nutrition session,” Linklater said.
Zumba is a Latin dance “with some Cree moves in there,” Linklater said with a laugh. They also had a glow-in-the-dark zumba dance event where the participants wore glow-in-dark paint and bands.
The challenge incorporated an obstacle course event on a Saturday, which Hajto called a Spartan race.
“There would be things like a ladder between two trees that they had to cross,” Hajto said. “And we had big man on a log, and using towels around an oar, they had to gladiator-fight the man.”
The challenge had a point-based system where participants earned points for each session they attended. Hajto created a private group on Facebook, where she would post a recipe and participants would earn bonus points if they posted a photo of the completed dish.
The Facebook group also allowed the women to post questions or comments related to fitness and nutrition, but it also evolved into a support system.
Hajto said some women would become distressed if they did not feel they were getting the results they wanted.
“Without any motivation from me, the group brought them up and motivated them to keep going,” Hajto said.
“The women just embraced it.”
Linklater said the challenge turned into more than a fitness program as the women connected during the sessions.
“We talked about what we were going through or what was difficult,” she said.
More than 35 women registered for the challenge and each session averaged more than 20 participants, said Hajto. The ages ranged from mid-20s to 50s.
After the challenge, one woman lost 20 pounds while a woman in her 50s lost five inches off her waistline.
To conclude the challenge, the women had a gala in late-August where they were presented with certificates and fitness-related prizes.
Linklater said the challenge received a great response from the community.
“One of the things they learned is realizing that you’re not alone,” she said. “There are a lot of women out there who feel the same way.”
Linklater and Hajto are working to acquire more funding to do the program again, this time involving more James Bay coastal communities during the winter road season.