Quit & Get Fit! Frequently Asked Questions For Personal Trainers (November 2011)

Transcription

1 Quit & Get Fit! Frequently Asked Questions For Personal Trainers (November 2011) What is Quit & Get Fit? Quit & Get Fit is an initiative of the Ontario Lung Association, made possible through funding from the Government of Ontario. Quit & Get Fit is both a province-wide communications campaign to highlight the benefits of using physical fitness to help a person quit smoking, and also provide a unique service by partnering people who want to quit with a specially trained personal fitness trainer. Quit & Get Fit is based on scientific studies that show how physical activity can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking, and can also assist in curbing possible post-quitting weight gain. Quit & Get Fit offers participants 16 sessions, at no cost, with a specially trained Personal Trainer. What will be offered in the Quit & Get Fit program? Quitting goals will be integrated as part of the overall physical fitness program. People who successfully register for Quit & Get Fit will receive 16 complimentary personal training sessions with a specially-trained Personal Trainer. When will Quit and Get Fit be available? December 5, 2011 to January 8, Participant Recruitment and Registration December 15 to January 8, Personal Trainers to complete online training January 23, All Q&GF Programs should be underway. March 10, Completion of all personal training sessions March 23, Invoices submitted to OLA for all personal training fees associated with program delivery How often will I need to meet with my Quit & Get Fit clients? The personal training schedule is developed between you and your client. However, it is recommended that for optimal results that you try to meet at least 3 times per week at least in the first few weeks of the program. And, aim for no less than 2 times per week in the final weeks of the program. All 16 Personal Training sessions must be completed by March 10, 2012 in order to be paid for by the Ontario Lung Association.

2 Is there a cost to register for Quit & Get Fit? Quit & Get Fit will be offered at no charge to a limited number of participants in Ontario where participating fitness facilities are located. People who register for Quit & Get Fit will receive 16 complimentary personal training sessions with a specially-trained Personal Trainer as well as access to the fitness facility at no charge. All 16 Personal Training sessions must be completed by March 10, 2012 in order to be paid for by the Ontario Lung Association. What is the expectation of the Quit & Get Fit participants? As part of the ongoing evaluation of the Quit & Get Fit program, and a study into its effectiveness, participants will be asked to complete a series of confidential on-line surveys to collect information about their smoking history, current smoking status, and fitness levels. All information will be collected by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU), which is funded by the Ontario Government and is a leader in tobacco control research, monitoring, evaluation and training. What if a person wants to participate, but is not available to start by the week of January 23, 2012? The program is based on 16 personal training sessions. Allowances can be made at the discretion of the participating fitness facility for people who wish to begin their program at a later time. If necessary, and at the discretion of the fitness facility, the personal training sessions can be scheduled on a more frequent basis to ensure completion by March 10. All 16 Personal Training sessions must be completed by March 10, 2012 in order to be paid for by the Ontario Lung Association. How does someone sign up for Quit & Get Fit? 1. Visit or contact the Ontario Lung Association at LUNG (5864) to register. 2. Participants will be required to complete a brief, confidential, on-line survey before being their registration is confirmed. The survey information will be held confidentially by a third-party evaluator individual answers will not be shared with the Personal Trainer, the fitness facility or the Ontario Lung Association 3. Once the survey has been completed, the participant s name and contact information will be given to the fitness facility and the participant will be notified. Will this program be restricted in any way? Anyone who is a daily or occasional smoker or someone who has quit in the previous 30 days and over the age of 18 who wishes to make or continue their commitment to be tobacco-free is welcome to sign up for the Quit & Get Fit program. Programs will be offered at select fitness facilities. Program registration at each location is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Participants will be asked to commit to completing up to five online surveys. Can my current clients participate in the program? Yes. As long as participants qualify for the program (a daily or occasional smoker or someone who has quit in the previous 30 days, and over the age of 18 who wishes to make the commitment to be tobacco-free) and registers through the Ontario Lung Association, they are able to participate in the program. Space is limited and available on a first come, first serve basis. Participants are advised however that they may not be matched with a personal trainer of their choosing, depending on which trainers in the participating facility have completed the Quit & Get Fit workshop.

3 I have someone interested in the program; can I go ahead and start their training even though they haven t registered with The Lung Association? No. The Ontario Lung Association cannot cover the cost of Personal Training for an individual who has not completed the registration process. If you or your client is unsure about their registration status, please contact the Ontario Lung Association Quit & Get Fit Team at TeamQuit@on.lung.ca to confirm status. What if a client misses a session? During your first session with the client please advise them of the standard rules at your fitness facility for cancelling a session (example: must give 24 hours notice). The client will be expected to respect your time and the regular rules for cancelled sessions, and if they miss a session without giving the required notice, that session will be considered one of their 16 free sessions. If the client misses more than one session without cancelling properly you can discontinue their participation in the program. Please notify the Ontario Lung Association right away as there may be a waiting list. TeamQuit@on.lung.ca. If a client misses a session and gives the required notice, they may need to meet with you more regularly to complete all their sessions by March 10, What if my client has a relapse (and smokes a cigarette) after their quit date while they are still in the program? Relapse is a common and a normal step in the process of change it s very important that neither you nor your client get discouraged. Celebrate the success that was achieved. Then, learn from the slip plan how to address the same type of trigger or situation in the future immediately get back on track! Provided your client is ready and willing to get back on track immediately, this should not affect their ongoing participation in the Quit & Get Fit program. If however, the client is not interested in continuing with their quit effort in other words if they are continuing to smoke, then the Ontario Lung Association should be notified. In some cases, great benefit can still be gained by having the client continue the program. And, in some cases, the spot will be better filled by someone on the waiting list. What if my client cannot complete all 16 sessions by March 10, 2012? During your first session with the client, please remind them of the March 10 th deadline. If they already anticipate they cannot complete the sessions within the required time-frame, we may need to give their spot to another participant. The Ontario Lung Association cannot pay for Personal Training sessions past the March 10 th deadline. What if the client needs to stop Quit & Get Fit? There are many reasons why clients may need to stop the program health, location, or personal reasons. If a client tells you that they need to stop the program, or if you believe that a client has stopped the program without letting you know (repeated missed sessions or you are unable to contact them), please let the Ontario Lung Association know as soon as possible as we may be able to give the spot to someone on the waiting list. If you are collecting data as part of the evaluation, please submit the data sheet, completed up to the last client session, to the evaluators with a note that the client has stopped the program and the date of termination. What do I do if I have a client who does not want to set a quit date? If you find you have a client who is not truly committed to making a quit attempt, or who changes their mind part way through the program, then we need you to discontinue the Lung Association Quit & Get Fit program. Please explain to your client that there is a financial investment involved in offering this program at no charge and it is for people who are ready to quit smoking. It is important to be supportive, and refer people to alternative quitting supports they may want to explore in future, such as:

4 Access Certified Respiratory Educators at the Ontario Lung Association Lung Information Line: LUNG (5863) Canadian Cancer Society Smokers Helpline and Be sure to ask about the new Text Message service! The local Public Health Unit may offer local support. Contact information may be found on the Association of Local Public Health Agencies Web site at: Please alert your manager or the Ontario Lung Association if you have concerns about any of your clients levels of commitment. If a program needs to be discontinued, there may be someone else on a waiting list that can benefit from Quit & Get Fit. What happens during the initial consultation with a new Quit & Get Fit participant? The Quit & Get Fit program consists of 4 milestones to be worked into the 16 session. At the first consultation appointment, Personal Trainers should conduct the typical consultation to establish the client s physical fitness goals in other words follow your usual protocols. In addition, there are several Quit & Get Fit objectives that need to be met. Please refer to the Road Map for Personal Trainers for an outline of the 4 Milestones. Also, remember to confirm that your client: 1. Has registered for the Quit & Get Fit Program (if in doubt, contact TeamQuit@on.lung.ca to confirm), and 2. Will be able to complete the 16 sessions by March 10, How is Quit & Get Fit being funded? Quit & Get Fit is an initiative of the Ontario Lung Association, funded by the Government of Ontario. Why is this type of program being offered in a fitness environment? The Ontario Lung Association wishes to provide a unique program to young adults who have a high prevalence of smoking, but few resources tailored specifically for them. And further, we wish to provide this program in an environment where people are already contemplating healthy lifestyle and behavioral choices. Quit & Get Fit is based on scientific studies that show how physical activity can help reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking, and can also assist in curbing possible post-quitting weight gain. Why is the Ontario Lung Association offering a smoking cessation program? The Ontario Lung Association is committed to being the recognized leader, voice and primary resource in lung health to enable all people to breathe with ease. Our vision is to improve lung health which includes helping people become tobacco-free. We know that smoking is the leading cause of preventable premature death, as well as serious lung diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, or COPD. Many organizations offer important support to people who wish to quit smoking, including the Canadian Cancer Society s Smokers Helpline, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, local public health units and many more. We are hoping to add to this body of support with the Quit & Get Fit program. How are the Personal Trainers being trained to support people who want to quit smoking? The Ontario Lung Association, in consultation with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, and with input from many cessation experts has developed an approach tailored for Personal Trainers in a fitness environment to guide and support their clients who wish to quit smoking. For the first time, this training is being offered as an online Workshop that Personal Trainers can access when and where they wish. If you need more information about the training, please contact the Quit & Get Fit team at TeamQuit@on.lung.ca.

5 Will personal trainers have to pay for the Quit & Get Fit Workshop? No. At this time, the Ontario Lung Association will be offering Quit & Get Fit Workshops free of charge to Personal Trainers associated with participating fitness facilities. Registration will be required. For more information about the registration process, contact the Quit & Get Fit team at Will Personal Trainers be paid for their sessions with the Quit & Get Fit clients? Yes. Personal Trainers will be paid by their associated fitness facility or club as normal. All financial arrangements are between the participating facilities and the Ontario Lung Association. In addition, you may be eligible for additional payment if you are required to collect and submit additional data on your client to the program evaluators. What information about their Quit & Get Fit clients will the Personal Trainers be asked to collect and submit to the Ontario Lung Association? As part of the ongoing evaluation of the Quit & Get Fit program, and study into its effectiveness, Personal Trainers will be asked to collect certain information about their clients to contribute to the program evaluation. This data will be collected and submitted using data collection forms provided by the Ontario Lung Association. Data will be submitted twice: at the beginning of a client s program and at completion of the client s program. Data will include, but is not limited to: Participants attendance and Quit Date Participants height (at baseline) and weight (baseline, mid-point and end) CO Monitor readings (at each session) Measurement of fitness status Personal Trainers will be eligible for payment from the Ontario Lung Association of $25 per submitted data collection form. To receive payment, trainers must complete a reimbursement form (available from the Ontario Lung Association) and submit as per instructions on the form. In addition to the data collection by the Personal Trainers, participants will also be expected to complete a series of confidential online surveys at baseline, at completion of the program and at 3 and 6 months following the program. Online survey will ask about their smoking history, current smoking and physical fitness status as well as where they heard about program, and details about what worked well for them. If you have any further questions about Quit & Get Fit, please don t hesitate to contact the Quit & Get Fit Team at TeamQuit@on.lung.ca. Or, by calling LUNG (5864) and ask for Sherry.