Specialty Programs

The Y partners with similarly-aligned health organizations to provide specialty programming options to those who are facing a variety of unique challenges and ailments.

 

Aquatic Knee and Hip Joint

Is a joint replacement in your future? Have you already had a knee or hip replaced and you want to sustain the gains that you have already made? Our Knee/Hip Joint Class is a collaborative program with Door County Medical Center and is designed to help you get yourself to where you want to be. The water environment provides cushion and support while reducing the impact on your joints. The buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure and viscosity allow you to do more than you usually would be able to do on land. You should be comfortable in both shallow and deep water.

Knee and Hip Joint

Is a joint replacement in your future? Have you already had a knee or hip replaced and you want to sustain the gains that you have already made? Our Knee/Hip Joint Class is a collaborative program with Door County Medical Center and is designed to help you get yourself to where you want to be. Between the periodic visits from therapists and working with certified YMCA trainers, we will help you realize success with your flexibility and build your strength and endurance.

Land Arthritis

This class is designed to help keep joints flexible and muscles strong, help you sleep better, increase your energy and improve your overall outlook. You’ll have less pain and more confidence in your ability to continue the activities you want to do. Instructor is certified by the Arthritis Foundation.

LIVESTRONG® and LIVESTRONG® Alumni

LIVESTRONG® at the YMCA is a small group exercise and movement program for adult cancer survivors. This 12-week program empowers the participants to improve their health and quality of life while diminishing the adverse affects of cancer or various cancer treatments. All program participants receive a complimentary family membership for the session's duration with a special offer to continue their membership once the program ends. 

Memory in Development (M. IN. D.)

Memory in Development, or M.IN.D, is a research-driven workshop which engages participants and care partners throughout education, exercise, and encouragement in a socially enriching atmosphere. 

Moving For Better Balance

Moving for Better Balance is a 12-week evidence-based group exercise program based on the principles of Tai Chi and teaches eight movements modified especially for fall prevention.

 

The program works to improve balance, muscle strength, flexibility and mobility to enhance overall physical health which leads to better functioning in daily activities. Participation in the program may also result in better mental health, reduced stress, improved memory and cognition and increased self-esteem. The safe and supportive setting provides an opportunity for participants to enjoy learning with like-minded adults and find relief from the isolation that can sometimes come from living with limited mobility.

Parkinson's Exercise

Geared toward individuals with Parkinson Disease (PD) and Parkinson Related Syndromes (PRS), the program is designed and led by a physical therapist with experience working with these individuals. The first 30 minutes will be spent on stretching, with a focus on trunk mobility, while the other 30 minutes will have participants walk on a treadmill. The theory behind this program is that improved trunk mobility combined with an aerobic conditioning program should lead to improvement or maintenance of functional activities used in everyday life. Participants must go through a screening evaluation with a physical therapy from Door County Medical Center.

Stepping On

Stepping On is a well-researched, fall prevention program with clinical results published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The Stepping On workshop meets for two hours a week for seven weeks. Topics include simple and fun balance and strength training, the role vision plays in keeping your balance, how medications can contribute to falls, ways to stay safe when out and about in your community, what to look for in safe footwear and how to check your home for safety.

Weight Loss Program

The YMCA's Weight Loss Program is designed to help adults seeking a healthier weight achieve their goals by making small changes to their daily behaviors and forming sustainable healthy habits.  Participants joining the program should be ready to commit to daily food and physical activity tracking, as well as developing self-designed action plans.  The 12-week program helps participants build skills for successful lifestyle changes instead of advocating any specific or restrictive short-term solution.

 

Each week, participants will weigh in privately with the facilitator, be introduced to a new topic relevant to weight loss, discuss as a group successes/challenges/suggestions around the topic, and develop goals for the upcoming week.  Topics covered during the program include balanced eating, physical activity, stress and sleep, positive psychology, goal setting, and sustainability.

 

Because weight loss is unique to each person, the program focuses on helping individuals identify ways to make changes within the context of their own lives and in support of their goals.  Prescribed meals or exercise plans are not provided.  The program is not intended for those with specialized needs due to chronic disease or the onset of chronic disease.

 

To learn more, email Tess Johnson at tjohnson@doorcountyymca.org.