Fitness program helps vets physically and mentally
A Healthy Minds-Healthy Bodies program for veterans that Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association helped to seven years is now part of 23 park districts and continuing to grow.
The participating veterans benefit from fitness training not only to increase strength for their permanent injuries but also to maintain mental well-being. The HMHB program includes two free health club memberships for a veteran and his workout partner, 15 free personal training sessions, and monthly networking events to help veterans readjust to civilian life.
"Considering that the park facilities independently fund the program, I wish it would grow faster because every veteran who has served our country deserves access to this program," says Donna Allen-Sebok, developer of HMHB.
Allen-Sebok is a certified therapeutic recreation specialist who came up with the program in cooperation with NEDSRA.
"I got a call from NEDSRA's director who was interested in helping veterans but didn't know where to start. I did the research, gave him a proposal, and the HMHB program was accepted in October of 2009," said Allen-Sebok, whose father was in the military.
HMHB sponsors monthly networking events for families of veterans where camaraderie is encouraged. Spouses find out that they are not alone in dealing with veterans' issues. Many veterans have trouble dealing with crowds and constantly are "on guard." They don't feel comfortable going out in public and prefer to stay home. However, being around their "battle buddies" eases their guardedness and allows them to relax and enjoy socializing with their families.
Tom Snarich, a personal trainer, has been working with HMHB since its inception. He attended HMHB workshops which taught him veteran culture, awareness of disability barriers (and solutions) in a fitness facility, adaptive exercises and an understanding of vet's physical and psychological injuries.
Snarich currently works with five veterans from the Vietnam and Korean conflicts at Club Fitness in Addison.
"Some vets are skittish due to PTSD. Clanging weight machines sometimes sound like machine-gun fire or small explosions and the noise is unnerving to an experienced war veteran," Snarich said.
War experiences are not talked about during training sessions unless the vet initiates the conversation. Snarich tries to find common ground with vets by talking about sports, cars or fishing to gain their confidence. This allows him to "push" vets to work harder thus relieving their stresses and lowering their blood pressure to become less depended on medication.
"My father was a Korean War vet so I was raised in a military family. I feel that training vets is my way of paying them back for their service," Snarich said.
Gerald Frey, a 68-year-old Bloomingdale resident, is a Vietnam veteran. He started the HMHB program three months ago and thought he was in good shape.
"Tom really pushes me which I like because I want to get healthy and stay healthy," Frey said.
After the 15 free sessions Frey plans to continue working out using the exercises learned from Snarich.
Participating park districts include Addison/NEDSRA, Bartlett, Bensenville, Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove/NWSR, Dundee Township, Rakow Center in Carpentersville, Randall Oaks Recreation Center in West Dundee, Itasca/NEDSRA, Lombard/NEDSRA, Mundelein Park Recreation District, Oakbrook Terrace/NEDSRA, Plainfield and Wauconda.
To learn more about HMHB, contact Sebok at (847) 372-1092 or healthymindshealthybodies.org.