More than 7.3 million Americans have contracted COVID-19 and the virus has taken a toll on the health of just about everyone. Now Valley Shore YMCA (VSYMCA) is inviting the general public to participate in a new program designed to get people out of their COVID-19 ruts and back into active life again.

“The driver behind the program is that people are sick and tired of being sick and tired,” said VSYMCA Executive Director Chris Pallatto. “We think that now more than ever people have to recharge and refocus to finish out the year.”

The six-week Strong program will begin on Monday, Oct. 19 and end on Friday, Nov. 27. Registration is free and begins on Monday, Oct. 5.

The program is a national one that the VSYMCA is implementing locally along with the Middlesex YMCA in Middletown. Local sponsors are Middlesex Health and the Community Foundation of Middlesex County.oh

“We’ll have a strong local presence but we’re following a national model and participating with other Ys around the country,” said Pallatto.

YMCA membership is not required; in fact, the program includes a free two-week Y membership, although it doesn’t require participants to take group classes or come into the Y at all.

“We know that a lot of people are concerned about doing activities in groups,” Pallatto said.

Local classes will be offered online as well as in person, allowing people to join in at home.

“At its core, [the program’s] goal is to motivate people to do 20 minutes of physical activity a day for five days a week for six weeks,” he explained.

There will be many activities to choose from, some at the Y, some outdoors. It’s up to each person to join in according to their personal comfort level, he said.

“People will have lots of opportunities to find activities to do,” he continued.

Each week there will be a new menu of national and local virtual and in-person programs.

Those wishing to participate should text the word STRONG to 877-799-6224. The first 500 people to do so will receive a magnetic accountability calendar to plan activities and set goals. A paper version of the calendar, which can be printed at home, is available on the VSYMCA website.

Once people register, they’ll receive three texts a week with motivation, challenges, and workouts, and a chance to celebrate their successes at the end of the week.

The program has a “really strong social support component through social media,” Pallatto said. In its Facebook group, participants can “post their progress and get support from others and share whatever they’re working on in terms of their goals for the six weeks.”

Each week will have its own theme, with Week 1 focusing on setting goals. The following weeks’ themes are play, rest, connecting with others, serving the community, and finally, celebration.

For the second week, which focuses on play, VSYMCA is offering its family scavenger hunt, which it made available virtually early on in the pandemic. The scavenger hunt will be available to Strong program participants across the country.

“We’ve spent so much time in the past six months living our lives between press conferences [determining] what’s going to open or close,” Pallatto said.

The program is designed to “give people a sense of hope and purpose,” a chance to “reclaim their lives and re-energize,” he continued.

“It’s more than just getting your 20 minutes [of exercise] a day,” Pallatto said. “It’s about getting re-energized and connecting.”

Pallatto himself has had difficulty finding time to work out.

“I’ve got the longest 30 feet to the gym in America,” he said. “It’s a pretty stressful time for a lot of non-profits. VSYMCA runs a lot of highly regulated programs...They’ve been turned upside down like everywhere else.”

VSYMCA is encouraging its own staff to participate and focus on their own health and overall wellbeing, he added.

“We’re doing this for the community,” he continued. “Our hope is that people will develop some healthy habits at the end of six weeks. Sometimes it just takes a bit of momentum. We hope people will be energized, feel healthier, and a little bit more connected to the things that are important to them.”

More information about the Strong program can be found at vsymca.org.