Members of the health and wellness staff at the Beckley-Raleigh County YMCA introduced a new fitness program Friday, developed especially for those insured through the state Public Employees Insurance Agency.

The Y B-Fit program sets members up with their own personal exercise prescription, following a personal consultation.

“PEIA has established a weight-management program to help their members develop an overall better sense of health and lifestyle,” April Nicolls, a YMCA exercise physiologist, said.

To qualify for the program under PEIA, Nicolls says, members must have a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 — plus a condition such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes — or a BMI of more than 30.

Those who qualify can participate by making a co-pay, and Y members can enroll under a separate rate.

“As long as you are a Y member right now, you don’t have to have any real health problems,” Nicolls said. “If you just feel like you need to drop 5 or 10 pounds, you can come into the program as well.”

Participants will work with exercise physiologists, personal trainers and a registered dietitian.

“We establish a workout plan for them to come work out on their own and have some personal accountability,” Nicolls explained, “but yet they have to write down everything so that we oversee it.”

The 12-week weight loss program, with compliance, can be extended to a one- or two-year program.

Members will receive a personal training session every three, six and nine months.

“We have basic personal training services and then we have advanced or high intensity personal training,” said Kevin Williams, a clinical fitness consultant at the YMCA. “So they do have a variety of trainers to choose from, as well as programs.”

A registered dietitian will require participants to put their information into a food log and have a meal plan.

Nicolls said the staff at the Y will make sure members are met with all of the right components in order to have successful weight loss.

“It’s all about lifestyle change,” Jay Rist, vice president of marketing and membership for the YMCA, said. “We’re trying to help battle the obesity in West Virginia and we think that offering this program here at the Y and in our area will really benefit the people that come here and the state and county employees that participate in PEIA.”

Nicolls said a simple way for people to find out if they qualify for the Y B-Fit program is to call the number on the back of their PEIA card.

“They will be referred to a case manager or nurse and they will talk it over with their doctor to see if they qualify,” she continued. “Then we’ll receive a referral and PEIA will provide reimbursement to the Y.”

The YMCA will be open Dec. 1 to PEIA and Y members to come in and enroll in Y B-Fit.

For any health and fitness questions, contact Reginia Thomas, the health and fitness director for the YMCA, at 304-252-0715, extension 313.

— E-mail: cclark@register-herald.com