Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is currently collaborating with Recreation, Cultural & Facility Services (RCFS) to revamp the well-known exercise program, previously known as Better Strength, Better Balance (BSBB), now rebranded as Strong and Steady. This initiative is specifically being redesigned to address barriers faced by equity-denied communities.
Following a pause due to COVID-19, restarting the program has highlighted both existing and new challenges in reaching communities that would benefit most. The redesign has focused on overcoming identified barriers, such as simplifying registration and access and expanding languages the program is offered in beyond English and French. The courses are led by Certified Senior Fitness Instructors, accredited by the Western Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging. A shortage of instructors has limited our offerings and resulted in a slower than anticipated start.
To better serve the targeted communities, OPH have collaborated with their epidemiology team and Community Engagement Team to strategically identify locations needing this program the most. However, instructor shortages have led to adjustments, including a reduction in planned locations for the Spring session.
Despite these hurdles, OPH is committed to expanding access and overcoming language barriers. They are actively working to certify instructors in various languages, recruiting 8 instructors across a broad linguistic spectrum. For the upcoming spring session, the program will be offered in English, with plans to include French and other languages in fall and winter, as additional instructors with additional language capacities receive their certification. Promotion for the spring session is now underway, due to the limited spots available OPH have focused on targeted promotion to engage communities with barriers to access.
