By Mallory Jenkins
Saddleback includes an outdoor training course open to the public as part of its ‘Daniel Plan’ health initiative.
Boasting a true promise of “something for everyone,” Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA, is a community of more than 200 ministries focused on maintaining both the spiritual and physical health of its members. Senior Pastor Rick Warren has often been referred to as “America’s Pastor.” But after consistently gaining a few pounds each year since establishing the church in 1980, Warren decided it was time to put a wellness plan into place that he and his entire congregation could follow.
Building on strengths
Like others of its size, Saddleback offers a variety of worship services, outreach opportunities, support programs, seminars and networking. Hoping to build on these strengths by adding physical well-being to the equation, outdoor exercise equipment from TriActive America was installed at the campus in conjunction with the church’s Daniel Plan, a 52-week fitness and nutrition program aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle changes.
About 6,000 people participated in the Daniel Plan’s kick-off event, while thousands more listened from satellite campuses and online, the Christian Post reports. Developed by some of the most recognizable names in the medical field, The Daniel Plan integrates expert advice from Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. Mark Hyman and Oprah confidant Dr. Mehmet Oz with monthly webcasts, optional menu planning, and of course plenty of exercise. Recognizing that not everyone could afford a gym membership, Saddleback elected to install 19 different pieces of equipment along a half-mile course that includes five zones, or stations, each targeting separate muscle groups. And its use is totally free of cost to the surrounding community.
“One of our staff members looked into a few alternatives and found TriActive outdoor fitness products to be the most widely used, reliable and best in quality,” Ryan Keith, director of Property Development at Saddleback Church, said. “We chose the company due to their solid reputation in the industry and the wide variety of equipment they offer.”
Five zones
Just like an indoor gym, the five zones are designed to help improve strength, endurance and flexibility. But the greatest benefit comes in combining this with the natural boost users experience simply from being outdoors. Research published in Environmental Science and Technology shows that as little as five minutes of green exercise improves both mood and self-esteem.
According to Psychology Today, access to green areas has also been shown to enhance cognitive functioning, reduce stress, improve sensory and motor skills in both children and adults, and ameliorate the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children.
Daniel Plan team doctor Hyman is a staunch advocate for maintaining a “whole-systems approach” to health, which he defined during the kick-off event as a combination of nutritional eating, exercise and stress management used to bring the body back into balance. He argued that the secret to health is as simple as eliminating the “bad stuff” and getting more of the “good stuff.”
Mallory Jenkins is a freelance contributor. www.Saddleback.com, www.triactiveamerica.com
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The Daniel Plan
The Daniel Plan is a 52-week health program that began on January 15. The leadership team at Saddleback Church brings together leading medical authorities Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Daniel Amen, and Dr. Mehmet Oz along with Saddleback Pastoral and Healthcare ministries to create a healthy lifestyle program. The Daniel Plan includes a six-week small group study, an online profile on The Daniel Plan website that will help participants track their progress, monthly webcasts with Rick Warren interviewing leading health experts, an optional healthy choice menu, and a new outdoor fitness equipment set-up on the Lake Forest campus.
For more information, visit www.saddleback.com/thedanielplan.
