April 9, 2020

This paid piece is sponsored by Sanford Health.

While COVID-19 prevents groups from meeting in person, Sanford Health is transitioning educational health classes online to keep patients connected with resources, experts and support.

“It’s important to us to provide our classes virtually because people are still planning for life events like having a baby or taking care of a newborn in the midst of everything else that’s going on,” said Amy Johnson, child services manager at Sanford Health. “We want to make sure patients still have the chance to do that preparation.”

For expecting mothers in their last stage of pregnancy, classes like “Birthing With Confidence” are now available online and can be completed independently or as part of a virtual class that meets weekly.

“A lot of moms still want that contact for in-the-moment questions, so that’s going to be a great option for them to get to interact with our childbirth educator,” said Sonya LaMont, a pregnancy navigator at Sanford Health.

After registering online, participants receive a code to log into class. They can see both the presentation and the instructor, and can ask questions using a chat feature.

“For women, it’s nice to hear information for a second time outside of their doctor’s appointment and to ask those questions they may not think of until after they leave,” LaMont said.

Other virtual classes for women include Hypnobirthing®, which guides participants through techniques to remain calm in labor, breastfeeding preparation and baby basics to learn essential skills for taking care of a new baby.

For parents navigating the beginning stages of childhood, classes like “Understanding Me up to Age Three” teach tips for guiding and encouraging children’s learning while understanding their behaviors. There’s also a class geared toward grandparents and a training camp for dads.

“A lot of our classes already had an online option, but now we’re moving them entirely online to help people still get the resources they need,” Johnson said.

 Free online fitness classes  

Instructors and staff at the Sanford Wellness Center also are taking workouts online. The team is providing free classes on Facebook and YouTube that feature a variety of workout lengths and intensity levels.

So far, classes include cardio, cycling, strength conditioning, yoga and a dance-based workout along with a PiYo class that blends Pilates and yoga. Next, instructors are adding a class on yoga poses to improve sleep.

“We were planning on doing that class even before the start of COVID-19, but now is the perfect time to share it,” said Danelle Schultz, a group fitness supervisor. “So we’re posting some new classes members haven’t done before, along with traditional ones.”

With more classes in the works, the Sanford Wellness Center is planning to add about four offerings a week, along with sharing daily workouts and fitness challenges on social media.

“We want to create resources for people to relieve stress and find a sense of calm, and exercise will help you with both of those needs right now,” Schultz said

Helping athletes with workouts from home

For the dozens of high school athletes who are no longer playing on school sports teams, Sanford POWER is creating workout resources to help them retain athletic strength, speed and skill while they’re at home.

POWER coaches and dietitians have put together online resources that include tips for incorporating household items into workouts, adjusting nutrition for a slower activity pace and videos to teach at-home drills for basketball, volleyball, golf, football and more.

The team also is providing live workouts on social media, as well as Skype and phone call consultations.

“We want to continue giving students access to our coaches and encourage them to reach out to us to find ideas for creating at-home workout plans,” said Jesse Haines, a strength and conditioning specialist.

In this uncharted time of no school sporting events, Haines said it has been a challenge trying to equip athletes with tools and support.

“It’s not easy, but we’re going to make it work the best we can,” he said.