Bridging the gap between awareness and action: Expanding the impact of Black health and wellness fairs

Coy Jackson is a professional coach, author and adjunct professor at Blackhawk College, with over 10 years of experience helping individuals improve their fitness, performance and long-term health. He is the head coach and owner of Quiet Strength Health & Performance.

Health and wellness fairs have been in full swing in our community, and these are great environments to engage Black people not only about different programs in our area but also to raise awareness of issues that adversely impact us.

These can and have been extremely successful, as Black people are often more misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed than any other racial demographic in America. Community members can often be screened for high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes, to name a few.

The approach used at these wellness fairs often centers around medical interventions. Because of this, we often lose sight of the many at-home strategies to get in front of an issue before it gets worse. The following is just one of three strategies that I would love to see incorporated at Black health and wellness fairs.

Before going into this topic, it is very important to note that this is informational and not medical guidance. improved cardiovascular fitness reduces the demand on the heart and blood vessels, which contributes to lower blood pressure. Practice simple changes like walking, running and some form of exercise (resistance training is great here). Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week.

Much of the conversation is currently centered around the medical treatment for stabilizing high blood pressure. This conversation is critical, and many people need this standard information. However, by framing the conversation around fitness and other lifestyle behaviors, we help those with high blood pressure, as well as empower others in our community to take steps to reduce their risk before it develops.