Recovery Alberta program blends gym with building self-confidence

LETHBRIDGE — Recovery Alberta is offering a helping hand to get on their feet — literally and figuratively — to clients through its On Our Feet program, offered in partnership with the YMCA.

On Our Feet is a 12-week, transitional therapeutic recreation program for clients as they progress on their recovery journey and wishing to take on new challenges. Started in 2021, this unique Lethbridge program was developed by recreation therapist Carolyn Tivadar and Jenna De Guzman, her colleague and former Alberta Health Services (AHS) occupational therapist.

“There's so much research over the last several decades that states that exercise improves not only your physical health, but your mental health, too,” says Tivadar.

Partnering with the YMCA, participants enjoy the opportunity to try a variety of activities in a safe, inviting, group atmosphere with peers who are also attending a fitness centre or athletic program for the first time.

“Going to the YMCA is a totally new experience for me,” says Sean Dorman, who attended On Our Feet this winter. “I would never have done that myself. It was much easier in a group environment where, for a lot of people, this was our first experience in the gym, so everybody was in the same boat.”

Sean Dorman learned that “going to the gym is not scary or intimidating” after participating in the On Our Feet program with Recovery Alberta. He’s one of many participants who learned how to use the Lethbridge YMCA facilities and fitness equipment, while building confidence and improving their overall well-being.

Clients participating in the On Our Feet program are supported by mental health therapists, addiction counselors and nurses, with referrals made to occupational and recreational therapists as clients progress through their recovery.

“We receive referrals for clients who are ready to take steps in their life to reduce boredom, improve their well-being, and to get out to the house,” says Tivadar. “We get a lot of referrals because of loneliness, as symptoms of depression can cause isolation.”

Dorman agrees that finding the courage to get out of the house is one of the biggest takeaways of the program. For him, On Our Feet is less about fitness and more about taking on a new challenge and building his self-confidence.

“I learned that going to the gym is not as scary or intimidating as one would think,” he says. “I haven’t turned into some sort of gym rat where I'm all over it. I like it, and I'm happy going, but it's more about the experience of getting out of the house and not isolating that's important to me.”

Joining a fitness program may present mental health barriers and financial barriers. On Our Feet helps to remove both, with the YMCA providing discounted membership fees, bus passes — and welcoming staff and trainers who get to know participants by name. Tivadar further supports participants through the steps it takes to participate — from how to get there, what to do once you walk in, and how to participate in all the different opportunities that are available.

“There are many barriers our clients face and they need that extra support, to have someone guide them,” adds Tivadar. “We don't want them to attend the program for 12 weeks then go back to their isolation. We want them to feel like they belong, to continue on with the YMCA, and to develop a belief in themselves that they’ve got this. Building that self-efficacy is key.”

Dorman credits On Our Feet — as well as participating in A Brush with Art, an art-based therapy program in partnership with the Southern Alberta Art Gallery — with building his confidence to take on new challenges.

“The gym was out of my comfort zone, and on my particular recovery journey I was doing well and was ready to dive into something that I thought was scary. I looked at it as a challenge — and it really worked out,” says Dorman.

“I recently got a new job, and going out dropping off resumes — it's weird, but it made it easier. I felt pumped up, and then I got the job which is super-exciting.”

After completing the program, Dorman continues to be inspired, and visits the YMCA when he can, while focusing on his recovery and new career.

“I can't say enough about On Our Feet,” he says. “I looked forward to it every time — and that was so cool.”