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Abstract

3 WINS Fitness is a FREE program delivered by Kinesiology students from Cal State University, Northridge focused on underserved communities in the San Fernando Valley. PURPOSE: The program aims to increase the health and fitness of participants, build healthier communities, and reduce population physical inactivity through exercise while developing students’ professional skills. METHODS: The structure of the program gives students an opportunity to apply in-class knowledge in a real-life setting. This translates to engaging participants of all fitness levels in 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity 3 days/week. Many students had no prior in-park experience before this fall and had only experienced the virtual setting the program converted to in March of 2020. In the summer of 2021, combining the virtual program with a park program created a hybrid opportunity. However, the in-park opportunity could not replicate the prior program due to pandemic precautions including an equipment-less program. Thus, methods to convert the program to hybrid, re-design exercise programming, train instructors who had less experience in prior years due to their virtual education, and recruit students and participants hesitant to return to an in-park face-to-face interaction were required. RESULTS: There is an opportunity for kinesiology departments to work towards increasing population physical activity levels throughout the country while concomitantly providing students a deeper understanding of classroom knowledge through application. Another significant experience for many is the opportunity to work with a population they are not familiar with and acquire a socio-cultural awareness and exposure not provided in the university setting. Students gained knowledge and leadership experiences required to re-open and modify a program to accommodate pandemic requirements. To date, the program re-started from nothing and presently has built the program to over 70 participants and growing. CONCLUSION: 3 WINS Fitness has taken an in-person program through a successful conversion to a virtual program and through critical analysis and strong leadership evolved the program into a hybrid model to enhance the program’s 3 WINS, student professional development, participant health, and community health.

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