Lewisburg

Chronic diseases continue to reduce quality of life and increase health risks, especially in rural populations who often lack access to wellness resources found in urban areas. This research aims to establish a lifestyle medicine prescription program for adults aged 18 to 64 in rural West Virginia who have two or more chronic diseases. The program focuses on improving physical activity and healthy body composition, which have been shown to effectively combat and prevent chronic diseases with fewer side effects than many medications. Participants who receive a referral from their primary care physician at the Robert C. Byrd Clinic will be invited to join the program, which includes one month of referral time followed by three months of access to a wellness facility. They will receive personalized exercise guidance tailored to their health conditions and goals, with support from the principal investigator or trained staff during exercise sessions. The wellness facility offers various activities like strength training, yoga, and group fitness classes, and participants are encouraged to reach 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity weekly. Before starting, each participant will attend an intake meeting to collect health information, set individualized goals, and develop an exercise plan. Progress and adherence will be monitored through questionnaires, activity tracking with wearable technology, and coaching support. Researchers will measure demand, dropout rates, physical activity levels, and body composition changes throughout the study. The goal is to support sustainable healthy lifestyle changes to reduce chronic disease impact in this rural community.