By Norma de la Vega
SAN DIEGO — Alma Rosa Sánchez Fuentes suffered joint pain, struggled to get up when sitting and had a tough time falling asleep.
Exercise may be helpful but the grandmother of 14 saw it as “pure vanity.”
A chance meeting in the parking lot of her parish, St. Charles in South San Diego, changed her mind. She saw a group of women wearing pink T-shirts with the “Fe en Acción” (Faith in Action) logo. Though several were senior citizens like herself, she noted, they were full of energy and bounding with joy.
They attracted her like a magnet.
Today, she is one of dozens of women participating in the Faith in Action program, which celebrated its first anniversary at the parish on Aug. 16.
A total of 13 parishes across the San Diego region are currently offering free physical activity classes, and an additional four will begin offering them this fall. The program is a 17-year collaboration between San Diego State University researchers and the Catholic Diocese of San Diego.
The goal is to improve the health and well-being of Hispanic women by offering the exercise classes in their churches in Spanish, led by trained fellow parishioners. It’s all done within the framework of faith, which calls on participants to care for their physical as well as their spiritual selves.
Nearly 900 women have officially enrolled in the program over the years, but researchers say the number of community members who have participated is much greater.
Researchers and many participants alike maintain that the program is nothing less than transformational.
Just ask Sánchez Fuentes.
She discovered that it was fun to exercise. The classes included dancing to the rhythm of salsa, cumbia and cha-cha-chá, which the women loved.
“This assistance we receive is very valuable for us,” she said. “Thanks to God and the exercise, I now sleep better and I’ve managed to control my cholesterol.”
The program is coordinated by SDSU’s Institute of Community and Behavioral Health, with funding from the National Institutes of Health. Its researchers say they highly encourage each parish to tailor the program to meet its particular needs. The program at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in City Heights, for instance, welcomes Vietnamese community members.
At St. Charles, Father Fernando Maldonado wanted the program to serve more than Hispanic women.
“Everyone is welcome,” said the pastor, who was surprised that many seniors joined, not just younger women.
“They told me that they like it because it’s hard for them to do exercise by themselves.”
The program offers a one-hour class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. at his parish. The sessions are also in English, given that some of the participants are from the Filipino community. The classes consist of walking, “cardio” exercises and dancing, all to the beat of lively music. The women do as much as they can, with the encouragement of their fellow participants. Along the way, they receive nutritional information to maintain good health.
On Aug. 16, a group of more than 30 women and a few men and children celebrated the program’s first-year anniversary at the parish. The day began with a thanksgiving Mass, which was followed by a breakfast complete with cake. Then, several women spoke about the positive changes in their life as a result of the class.
They said they could handle stress better, as well as anxiety and depression, and had seen improvements in their blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They had more energy to take care of their families, and to help out at their church, they added.
“This is a spiritual gym,” said Ángeles Servín, the “promotora” who leads the classes at the parish.
The mother of three said she has always been active at church. She is in the choir and serves on other ministries. Exercise had not crossed her mind. However, she agreed to take the two-month training to lead the class. Today, she not only joyfully exercises, but she inspires others to do the same.
“Truthfully, I didn’t think that I would complete” the training, she said. She confessed to seeing a 79-year-old fellow trainee in much better shape than she was at age 50.
Thanks to the program, she said she’s learned that, just like you have to make time to take care of your spiritual life, you also have to make time to take care of your body, which is a temple of God.
Elva Arredondo, the program’s principal researcher, attended the celebration at St. Charles. In an interview, she recalled that the program began in 2008 at Most Precious Blood Parish in Chula Vista. The goal was to promote physical activity among Catholic Hispanic women.
Hispanic women in the United States suffer much higher rates of certain chronic diseases compared to other demographic groups, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The health data the researchers collected from the participants in the pilot parish was so encouraging that they were able to secure additional funding to expand the program across San Diego County.
Their basic message to potential participants remains the same: “If you take care of your body, you will be better able to serve your community and God.”
Their greatest challenge has been finding sufficient parishes willing to start the program. The institute trains the women who lead the classes and pays them a modest stipend during the program’s first year. The idea is that, after those 12 months, the parish will establish a volunteer-led ministry, and continue to pay the “promotoras” to lead the classes, if they are able to do so.
Arredondo praises the enthusiasm of participating pastors and their communities.
“I feel really engaged with all of the people who are here,” she said.
Father Maldonado is confident that his parish will be able to support the class once funding runs out.
“There are ways to raise funds. We are all responsible,” said the pastor, who would like to expand the program to his entire congregation, including men.
He will have no shortage of participants to sing its praises. Many spoke up during the celebration.
Victoria Zavala said she could not have conceived of adding one more activity to her day.
“But once I started doing the exercises, I noticed that my body was asking for them,” said Zavala, who added, “Thanks to God and to my husband, because they helped me to continue doing them.”
Merlyn Baker, who retired three years ago, said she was facing serious physical limitations. She had difficulty raising her left hand, standing for a period of time, even opening a water bottle.
“It was agony,” she said.
She joined the program last November and immediately noticed the benefit of being physically active.
“Look,” she said in an interview, completely lifting her hand, her joy undeniable. “I’m thankful to Holy Virgin Mary for giving me the strength and, every night, I thank God in my prayers.”
Oliva Lafuente coordinates the “promotoras” in the program. She said many women join the program to lose weight but gain something far better: a healthier lifestyle, more energy for daily life, and new friends.
Best of all, they are proud of themselves for overcoming negative thoughts that kept them from leading a healthier life, such as thinking “that I don’t have time to exercise.”
Yolanda Vasquez, 71, said that although she has not lost weight, the exercise classes have helped her battle depression, which led to the death of two family members.
“Even though I’m a little heavy, I feel much better,” she said.
José Pablo Yépez said he arrived at the parish in search of food for senior citizens, but something unexpected caught his attention: a group of women doing exercises.
“I thought, ‘That’s not for me!’” he said, smiling. Even so, he dared to ask, “What’s going on here? And I ended up taking the class!”
He invited those on hand to guess his age: “72? 82? 83?”
Then, he revealed it.
“God has been with me for 85 years,” said Yépez, adding, “Sometimes my knees bother me. But the reality is that God is always with us.”
Father Maldonado said the program, which emphasizes faith and spirituality along with physical exercise, has brought great benefits to his community.
“Everyone should come. Exercise brings us closer to God.”
Parishes invited to participate
Fe en Acción (Faith in Action) is a program that offers free physical activity classes at participating parishes, mainly for Hispanic women. The program is a long-time collaboration between the San Diego Diocese and a San Diego State University institute.
More information is available by emailing manager Isela Martinez Sanroman at iselamartinez@sdsu.edu or calling (619) 594-3059.
Parishes with free exercise classes
Christ the King (San Diego)
Corpus Christi (Bonita)
Holy Spirit (San Diego)
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (San Diego)
St. Mark (San Marcos)
St. Anthony of Padua (National City)
St. Charles (Imperial Beach)
St. Leo (Solana Beach)
St. Jude Shrine of the West (San Diego)
St. John of the Cross (Lemon Grove)
St. Mary (National City)
St. Mary, Star of the Sea (Oceanside)
St. Stephen (Valley Center)
Soon to start offering classes
Our Lady of Guadalupe (San Diego)
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (San Ysidro)
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Ramona)
Good Shepherd (Mira Mesa)
