BUCKLAND — In partnering with the University of Washington, Franklin County’s YMCA plans to contribute to a study on the effectiveness of delivering a particular group exercise program remotely versus in person.

The program, EnhanceFitness, is an exercise group that aims to help people overcome the obstacles of living with arthritis. The Y has run these classes for roughly 10 years.

As part of this study, the YMCA will open a satellite location at Mohawk Trail Regional School at 26 Ashfield Road. Trial participants from Franklin County will attend in-person classes there three times per week. Participants will be required to complete surveys — either in person or online — before the study, and then again six months and 12 months after classes end.

The program, which will run Monday, Wednesday and Friday from Jan. 29 to May 17, is free. Participants who complete all the surveys will be compensated $125.

The program is open to individuals 18 and older who have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, gout or lupus.

The University of Washington was “the one who originally designed the study,” said the Y’s Fitness and Social Responsibility Director Jayne Trosin. “So many people have arthritis; we want to be able to help them, too.”

She said there will be up to 25 people admitted per class.

The location at Mohawk Trail Regional School will be the YMCA’s seventh satellite location, with programming already established at other sites, including the Weldon on High Street in Greenfield, the South County Senior Center in South Deerfield, the Bernardston Senior Center, Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield and Highland Village in Shelburne.

“We are Franklin County’s YMCA, we’re not just serving Greenfield,” she said. “This is the first time in a long time we’ll be up that way.”

The pilot program in the back gym of the school will help to determine if there’s interest in continuing YMCA programming there on a more long-term basis.

“If it’s successful, we’ll figure out a way to stay there,” Trosin said. “It’s an untapped market.”

People who are interested in participating in the study should contact Trosin at 413-773-3646, ext. 448, or jtrosin@your-y.org.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com. Twitter (X): @MaryEByrne.