Latino Action Group exercise program targets minority groups

The Latino Action Group in DeKalb has joined with the Dekalb Park District to offer an excercise program specifically for minorities. During Tuesday's program at Haish Gym in DeKalb, Maria Garcia (right) follows the dance moves of Emmali Richmond (left), as Richmond instructs the class. (Rob Winner – rwinner@daily-chronicle.com)

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DeKALB — All it took was a little Jazzercize and a lot of camaraderie to cheer up Erika Ruiz when she was feeling down.

"This is what I needed," the 32-year-old said while exercising at Haish Gym in DeKalb on Tuesday evening. "It's educational and it's available."

Ruiz is among about 20 women who joined the Latino Action Group's exercise program last month. The class — it comes with a nutritionist, a wide variety of exercise routines and childcare — is geared toward minorities including blacks, Hispanics and women.

"Obesity is so prominent in the minority population," said Jessica Lyons, a member of the Latino Action Group who helped start the program. "This gives them a way to empower each other."

Overweight and obesity rates in the U.S. are increased in minority populations, according to the American Obesity Association.

A 2006 study conducted by Mathematica Policy Research Inc. — a nonpartisan New Jersey based research company known for studies in health care and family support — found that around 26 percent of Hispanic children were obese by the age of 3, compared to 16 percent of black children and 15 percent of white children.

Aware of such statistics, Lyons and Latino Action Group coordinator, Zandra Garcia, began to look at the barriers local minorities face in improving their overall health.

They identified that obstacles including language, childcare, finances and overall motivation that were holding people back from getting in a solid workout, they said.

"We want this to be fun so they all stay motivated," Garcia said, adding that most participants bring a buddy. "We've created a group where we do not just exercise together, but we become friends."

The class includes women that span three generations — the youngest is 10 years old and the oldest is 64 years old. Together, the women have lost an average of 3 to 4 pounds each.

"Initially, we were thinking about a program that would address the obesity rate in kids," Lyons said. "But then we realized that if we start with the adults, the lessons will trickle down."

Nutritional information taught during the program includes understanding food labels, meal portions and trans fats, said Janelle Stein, nutritionist with the University of Illinois Extension DeKalb County.

Many participants in the group are bilingual and can teach the tips to those who aren't. Maria Garcia, 64, is thankful the lessons are translated for her because she is not always confident while speaking English, she said.

"I like all of it," she said in Spanish, referring to the program. "I have never had anyone talk to me about nutrition before ... I did this to feel better and it's more comfortable (with other Hispanics) because we can associate well with each other."

Lyons hopes the three-day-a-week program helps provide women with a, "jumping point," from which they can lead healthier lives, she said.

"They get to try yoga, Pilates, Jazzercise and belly dancing," she said. "This way they can identify what they really like and this will prepare them to go out on their own."
 

If You Go

For more information about the Latino Action Group exercise program, call 815-756-8560.