Women's Wellness Outreach Program (WWO)
Mission
Our mission is to reach out to women who have suffered debilitating adversities in their lives. It is through adversity that we become stronger women. Yet we need to learn how to cope with these adversities in healthier ways.
The WWO is dedicated to helping women cope with stressors in their life through mindfulness based exercise, breathing and muscle relaxation techniques. These exercises are designed to increase awareness and to strengthen the body. Biofeedback is used to help you achieve a state of calmness.
We will reach out to targeted groups of women who share similar stories. We hope to reach out to women who are survivors of cancer or women who are caretakers of cancer survivors, women who have suffered from eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction or depression.
Types of Exercises
- Breathing exercises facilitated by biofeedback are used to increase the variability of your hearts rhythm. Increased heart rate variability is associated with a healthier cardiovascular system. These exercises, if practiced regularly, will help you respond to stressors in a healthier way by using breathing as a way to increase parasympathetic drive.
- We can also use biofeedback to help you decrease tension in the muscles in your back and neck. These are the muscles that are usually very tense when you are feeling stressed.
- We have group yoga exercise for you and a mindfulness based group walking program. The yoga class is taught by a certified and trained yoga-fit instructor. This class teaches you the principles of mindfulness (acceptance, non-judging, awareness, etc.) and emphasizes 7 principles of alignment. Yoga-fit is endorsed by the American Council of Exercise.
- The mindfulness based walking program is a group walking program that begins with breathing exercises and ends with stretching and a short meditation. During the walking you will wear a resistance band that is used to increase the strength of your upper torso.
- We can also detect muscle imbalances using SEMG biofeedback and design resistance training programs to help you achieve muscular balance on your dominant and on-dominant side.
- We can also perform strength assessments for you and detect muscle imbalances using SEMG biofeedback and design resistance training programs to help you achieve muscular balance on your dominant and on-dominant side.
Who Can Benefit?
We will reach out to targeted groups of women who share similar stories. We hope to be able to serve women who are survivors of cancer or women who are caretakers of cancer survivors, women who have suffered from eating disorders, alcoholism, drug addiction or depression.
What is the Cost?
It is absolutely free. This is a service that is supported by Dr. Noreen Goggin, Chairperson of the Department of HESS and Dr. Lawrence Schovanec, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Who Are We?
Jacalyn McComb, Ph.D., FACSM
Jacalyn McComb, Ph.D., FACSM, is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine as a clinical program director, clinical exercise specialist and exercise test technologist. She is also certified by the American Council of Exercise. She has extensive training in biofeedback and how to increase your hearts health through breathing exercises which increase the variability in your heart rate.
Maria Fernandez del Valle, MSc
Maria Fernandez del Valle, MSc., CAFYD, Associated Prof., Universidad Europea de Madrid (Madrid - Spain), preparing her Ph.D. dissertation specialized on clinical exercise in mental diseases (Eating Disorders). She is also certified in International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK) as an instructor (Level 3). She has extensive training in prescribe resistance and strength individualized programs in chronic diseases which increase the quality of life in patients treated from Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Eating Disorders or McArdle disease.
Melissa Inigo, CSCS
Melissa Inigo, CSCS is currently preparing her master's thesis on the influence of the menstrual cycle phases on exercise-induced asthma. She is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and has trained some of the Philippine National athletes as well as international high school athletes.
Yu Lun Tai
Yu Lun Tai is doing his Ph.D. in exercise physiology at Texas Tech University. He received his master's degree in exercise physiology and bachelor degree in physical education at the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan.
How to Sign Up
Yoga sessions are held on Tuesday and Thursday from March 26 - May 4, 2012. Mindful walking will be held from 12:00-1:00 on Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from March 26 - May 4, 2012.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback To sign up for a biofeedback session, please e-mail hess.physlab@ttu.edu and state that you would like to sign up for a biofeedback session on a specific date and time. On the subject line in the e-mail, please put biofeedback session, room 113. Click below on session schedule for available times. Each session is 1 hour long You will receive a confirmation email that you are signed up. The breathing and heart rate variability sessions are held from 12:00-1:00 and he muscle relaxation sessions are held from 1:00-2:00. See Location below.
Yoga
For the Yoga sessions, please come to room 114 in the Exercise & Sport Sciences Building. No confirmation of attendance is necessary. Yoga is held from 12:00-1:00. See Location below.
Mindful Walking
For the Yoga sessions, please come to room 114 in the Exercise & Sport Sciences Building. No confirmation of attendance is necessary. Mindful Walking is held from 12:00-1:00. See Location below.
Strength Assessment and Development
For the strength assessment and development sessions, please come to room 114 in the Exercise & Sport Sciences Building. You need to sign up for the strength assessment and development sessions. To sign up for a session, please e-mail hess.physlab@ttu.edu and state that you would like to sign up for a strength assessment and development session on a specific date and time. On the subject line in the e-mail, please put strength assessment and development, room 114. Each session is 1 hour long. You will have to sign up for 2 sessions, 1 for the assessment and the next session for strength development guidance. Strength assessment and development is held in room 114 from 1:00-2:00. See Location below.
Location
Both sessions are located in the Exercise & Sport Sciences building (formerly PrinTech) in Rm 114. The building is located between Indiana Ave. and Flint Ave. across the street from the Rec Center. Click here to open a map.
Session Schedule
Click here for a copy of the Session Schedule.
Doctor’s Permission to Exercise
In order to participate in the yoga, walking, or strength assessment and prescription session, you will need to sign a consent form that states that your doctor has given you permission to exercise.
If you answer yes to any of these questions, we will not allow you to exercise even if you do have a doctor’s permission to exercise.
Click here for The Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q).
Parking
If you do not have a TTU parking pass, you will need to e-mail hess.physlab@ttu.edu at least 1 week prior to your attendance. You will need to e-mail us your name, make and model of car and the dates that you will need a parking pass. On the subject line in the e-mail, please put parking pass. TTU will issue you an electronic dash parking pass. This will enable you to park in the Exercise and Sport Science Parking lot. There is no cost for this specified parking allotment.
The parking lots on the west and east side of the building are available as long as you have an electronic dash parking pass.
What to Wear
You will need to wear loose and comfortable clothing. Tennis shoes are required for the walking program and strength assessment session. A sports bra is advised for the strength assessment. You will not need special shoes for the yoga or the biofeedback session
Health Information for Cancer Survivors
- What is Biofeedback Breathing Training
- Good Breathing Techniques to Practice at Home
- Information on Cancer Recovery Through Exercise
- Nutrition and Cancer Prevention
- Special Nutrition Considerations for Cancer Patients
- ACSM Step Count Recommendations
- Surviving Cancer Physical Realities
- Overall Assessment for Fitness Measurement of Strength
- American College of Sports Medicine Roundtable on Exercise Guidelines for Cancer Survivors
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