Initially, most members of Lifelong Fitness Alliance were residents of the San Francisco Bay Area. However, in 1990 it was decided to develop a greater national presence through the creation of the Ambassador Program, designed to encourage members located away from the Palo Alto area to organize fitness activities in their own communities.

Lifelong Fitness Alliance has been involved as a partner in The National Blueprint Increasing Physical Activity Among Adults Age 50 and Older since its inception in 2000. Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation the National Blueprint initiative involves 46 leading organizations and agencies.

As one aspect of the National Blueprint, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and AARP have developed a social marketing program to increase public awareness and motivate individuals to increase their physical activity - what might be termed a “top down” strategy. Through the Fitness Ambassador Program, Lifelong Fitness Alliance intends to complement that social marketing campaign by providing a “bottom-up” strategy to assure that people can find local programs to assist them in achieving higher levels of physical activity. However, unless previously inactive adults buy into the new “active self” image, all of these efforts are futile. The inactive person must “own” the new behavior and must form a deep commitment to becoming a healthier and more fulfilled human being. The Fitness Ambassador Program offers strategies to assist individuals in that search for personal self-actualization.

A generous grant from an anonymous donor has allowed expansion of the Fitness Ambassador Program. The program has been restructured, the concept of the Fitness Ambassador has been broadened and the organization has developed a Fitness Ambassador Start-Up Kit to facilitate implementation of programs throughout the country.

Fitness Ambassadors are now defined as individuals who organize activities in their communities and disseminate information designed to encourage mid-life and older adults to enhance their health and quality of life through regular physical activity. As such, Ambassadors serve as catalysts for change in the lives of individuals and in their communities.

Most Fitness Ambassadors will work in the context of other organizations. Fitness Ambassadors who are unable to identify another organization within which they can begin their activities may elect to develop a local chapter of Lifelong Fitness. Whatever their affiliations, Ambassadors are encouraged to build programs in collaboration with a broad range of organizations in their communities and, whenever possible, to cosponsor existing activities and programs rather than starting programs “from scratch”

In each case, Fitness Ambassadors are provided with this Fitness Ambassador Start-Up Kit in order to provide a step-by-step process for implementing local programs.

Some Fitness Ambassadors will determine the need - and find the resources - to implement all of the programs outlined in the Start-Up Kit. However, most will develop one or two programs initially and start additional activities as they are able to do so. It’s clearly better to do a few things well than to make a half-hearted effort on many tasks at once. Therefore, this kit should be regarded as a menu of possibilities rather than as a mandate to implement all of the described programs.

Fitness Ambassador Start-Up Kit
This Fitness Ambassador Start-Up Kit is designed to:
• Allow easy, efficient implementation of local programs
• Provide a step-by-step process, beginning with an assessment of existing community resources and organizations
• Assure that activities are designed for participation by individuals at many levels of fitness, from beginners to those who already exercise consistently
• Offer solutions for the additional impediments to physical activity that are faced by diverse groups in the community, including language, cultural, economic and geographic barriers
• Include training for Fitness Ambassadors
• Offer comprehensive resource materials
• Provide consistency among the sites while also encouraging Ambassadors to be creative in developing new programs
• Include mechanisms for outcome evaluations
• Provide guidance in obtaining support from local sources as well as from foundations and government agencies
• Be a living, growing resource with frequent updates based on the experience of local groups
Although surveys reveal that many people prefer to exercise alone, most older individuals find it easier to begin exercising with others. The Fitness Ambassador Program recognizes that the social aspects of exercise programs can be critical for sustaining participation in physical activity, so most of the programs discussed in the Start-Up Kit involve group activities.

How To Start A Lifelong Fitness Chapter In Your Area

Lifelong Fitness Ambassadors are active members representing Lifelong Fitness Alliance in the community. Most activities begin with the organization of a walk, run, or bike ride (or other sports). Lifelong Fitness supplies the materials to organize these events and helps with the publicity. It is important to have a co-leader at the outset to keep continuity. Events are held once a month beginning at the same time of the month and place each time.

The expansion of the Ambassador role can encompass several additional activities, at the discretion of the Ambassador. Additional activities could involve setting up monthly discussion group meetings on topics of importance to fitness for older adults.  We also arrange cosponsored meetings with major health clubs or senior organizations in the community (Group Memberships), creating local publicity about our membership or an event related to our membership, and giving out awards locally at competitions involving seniors on our behalf. Lifelong Fitness can often locate and obtain professional speakers and conference leaders who value the opportunity to talk to our member groups.

Contact Lifelong Fitness if you would like to become an Ambassador in your area. It can be a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.