​​Nourishing Hearts

Animals make it fun and gives us natural motivation to get active, even through social, emotional, physical and mental barriers!

​​​The Elgin St. Thomas Public Health 2011 Healthy Communities reported 53.9% of people 12yrs + are not active or moderately active in their leisure time and 88% of children and youth are not meeting the recommended 90 minutes of physical activity a day,

as outlined in Canada’s Physical Activity Guides. 

Animal Assisted Physical Activities

Wellness Care Farm

Julie Casey MSW, RSW

Animals provide natural motivation for participating in physical activities, even through social, physical, emotional and/or mental barriers. Physical activity is achieved through a variety of natural occurring engagement with the animals and the environment. Animals make it so much more fun!

Activities include:

• Exercising, training and playing with the animals
  
• Feeding and grooming the animals
  
• Learning animal care
• Maintaining the animal environment which includes mucking out stalls, hauling & spreading bedding, sweeping, and cleaning buckets