Program areas at Lakeshore Foundation
Fitness, personal training and aquatics - Lakeshore Foundation offers more than 60 fitness and aquatics classes specifically designed for persons with a wide range of physical disabilities and chronic health conditions seeking a lifelong path to wellness. Lakeshore also provides an opportunity for self-directed, individual fitness and aquatics workouts, as well as fee-based personal training services. Lakeshore life, a comprehensive health promotion initiative, includes nutrition education and empowers individuals to take personal ownership of health and wellness choices. Virtual programs are also being offered to community centers allowing a broader audience to access valuable wellness programs.
Research - Lakeshore conducts applied research and program evaluation on the effectiveness of physical activity programs in promoting health and quality of life, improving functional independence, and preventing secondary conditions in people with physical disabilities. Our research activities include physiological testing, qualitative studies, and program evaluation. Research identifies ways to improve health related quality of life, reduce secondary health conditions, and increase community participation. Innovative technology is also being utilized to improve access to fitness. Through professional publications, conferences and collaborative efforts, evidence-based programs and models in physical activity for people with physical disability are shared worldwide.
Recreation, athletics, military and training site programs - Lakeshore Foundation offers year-round activities for children and adults with physical disabilities including recreational programs, athletic teams and local, regional, national, and international athletic events that provide an outlet for competitive drive and contribute to participants' health and well-being. This includes high performance camps for usa wheelchair rugby, boccia united states, usa wheelchair basketball, paralyzed veterans of america, wounded warrior project, and local children's summer camps. Our work with veterans also includes health and wellness options for all local Alabama veterans and their families, nearly one thousand of whom have begun participating.
Advocacy and policy - Lakeshore Foundation works to reduce health disparities and supports the achievement of optimal health by people with physical disability and chronic health conditions by ensuring people with disability gain access to health promoting resources and receive the right support and services, at the right time, in the right setting. Lakeshore's community health efforts locally, nationally and globally address barriers that prevent people with disabilities from maximum participation in society. Sports science and performance center - Lakeshore Foundation established a new program called sports science and performance center during its fiscal year 2023. Although this new program did not begin offering services to greater public until after the tax year-end, the Foundation expended considerable amount of resources building the program during the year. The program is designed to provide a diverse range of in-person and virtual sports performance services to disabled athletes, advance sports science research and pave a pathway for emerging and elite athletes with disabilities to achieve sporting success and a lifetime of health. Furthermore, Lakeshore is able to provide specialized services like sport specific testing, personalized nutrition, equipment modification and mentorship that target the needs of disabled athletes and coaches and close the gap in sports equity.