The Hamilton County Health Department has become the first health department in Tennessee to launch the “HealthMatters” program.

The program is a 12-week healthy lifestyle course for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

HealthMatters spans across 25 states and 8 countries, impacting 10,000 individuals with disabilities.

They say the goal is to improve the life of these people by lifestyle and behavior topics such as:

Psychosocial and physiological health status

Knowledge and self-efficacy

Fitness: FABS Flexibility, Aerobics, Balance, Strength

“This course provides education on how to choose healthier meals and activities to implement more physical activity into their daily lives,” says Haleigh Dunning, Public Health Educator at the Health Department. “This program is designed for individuals of all ages.”