By Jessica Dillon
LaDonna Hairston, owner of Performance 276 and a board member of the Salvation Army and the Minority Business Consortium, is advocating for healthier lifestyles through the Healthy Hearts Learning Collaborative, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded initiative focused on community health education.
Hairston said her goal is to reach residents — particularly minority communities — who may not have grown up with access to health education or examples of healthy habits.
“Especially the minority individuals in the area, especially those who may not have seen their parents exercising and practicing healthy habits,” Hairston said. “So, they are able to create a legacy for their children.”
She said she envisioned a gym that welcomes families and helps parents introduce healthy behaviors early.
“Planting that seed, and then they would water it, and it would grow within their family,” she said.
To help achieve that goal, Performance 276 offers free fitness classes for different age groups on select days and hosts cooking classes through a partnership with Pilgrim Baptist Church. Hairston said regular movement — not necessarily a gym membership — is key to better health.
“Just exercise,” she said. “People think that they have to go to a gym. It’s not necessary — just movement. It can be dancing, just doing 30 minutes a day. It doesn’t have to all be at one time.”
Hairston said even short intervals add up, with 30 minutes a day equaling 150 minutes of exercise per week.
“When you say 150 minutes, people think it’s a whole lot,” she said.
Addressing heart disease requires consistent effort, she said.
“What we try to focus on is heart health awareness, and we do it through lifestyle changes,” Hairston said.
Performance 276 also participates in a blood pressure self-monitoring program that teaches participants how to track and manage their blood pressure.
“It’s about how to advocate for themselves and reduce their blood pressure,” Hairston said.
The program meets twice a month for four months, helping participants build consistency and accountability.
Hairston said barriers to nutrition in the area often stem from limited education and food deserts, noting that mental health also plays a role in overall wellness.
“It affects your physical health,” she said.
She also helped write the grant for a community garden serving Fieldale departments, identifying priority areas based on census data.
“The priority areas from the census — Fieldale, Fayette and Carver — are food deserts,” Hairston said. “Those areas have the highest heart disease rate in Martinsville and Henry County.”
Beyond fitness and nutrition, Hairston is involved in a variety of community efforts, including local toy drives and outreach through the Day Center.
“What we are really focused on is the toy drive and participating in that every year, and then healthy hearts,” she said. “For me, it’s also the Salvation Army and helping with the Day Center.”
Performance 276 also offers free community workouts during the holidays, allowing families to exercise together.
“They can work out with their family for free,” Hairston said. “That’s adaptable for any age.”
Free community workouts are held Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at John Redd Apartments, with plans to move to the Fieldale Center. Free senior classes are offered Mondays and Thursdays at 10 a.m.
Hairston and her team have also participated in homeless drives, donated fitness equipment for the city’s Get Fit Challenge, and led demonstrations for the Baldwin Park Fitness Pad. Additional partnerships include work with the MHC Cancer Foundation and mental health agencies.
“Positive coping skills and improving independence,” Hairston said.
Performance 276 also coordinates toy drives with Heads of State and the Boys & Girls Club, ensures translators are available for the Latino community, offers free teen workouts at schools and supports food drives.
“We’ve had churches and other ministries reach out for health and wellness education,” Hairston said.
