Lots of people are brimming with excitement over newly made New Year’s Resolutions to get fit, lose weight, or try a new activity. And your local Metro Detroit YMCA branch is perfect for that, for a whole host of reasons beyond simply its pristine pools and modern workout equipment. Here’s a by-no-means comprehensive list.
1) The Y is for everyone, old, young, a fitness veteran or a dedicated couch potato turning over a new leaf. Unlike commercial fitness facilities, you’ll never feel like you don’t fit in.
2) The Y is so much more than “gym and swim” — there are family movie nights, financial empowerment programs, a locally-reknowned choir, and sports leagues, as well as great character building programs for kids like Girls on The Run and STRIDE.
3) The Y supports the local community with events like Halloween at the Y, Healthy Kids Day, and countless other events that bring people together for positive fun, as well as runs that raise funds for others.
4) Your support of the Y through its Annual Campaign (formerly known as the Strong Kids Campaign) means that thousands of kids can have a safe day camp experience during the summer, learn to swim, or finish a 5K.
5) Parents can get a much-needed break and take care of themselves so they can be better parents to their children, thanks to the Y’s caring Child Watch staff. Branches even host periodic Parent Date Nights where kids get pizza and fun activities and parents can enjoy a few hours off for dinner or a movie.
6) Y personal trainers can adapt workouts to anyone’s needs and help people maximize their results in the time they have available. They can also provide inspiration in the way they face their own challenges.
7) Living with a disability doesn’t stop Y members from finding a place they belong and from achieving more than they ever thought possible.
8) Y-Arts programming provides arts education to children throughout the Metro area .. and has drawn support from some pretty big names in Hollywood. Art exhibits and theater productions bring well-known artists to the Y and give lesser-known ones a chance to shine.
9) Families rely on the Y Child Care programs as a trusted, affordable source of high quality child care for young children and after-school care for older kids; some centers even provide a healthy lunch and snacks.
10) Just as the Y supports its community, the local community supports the Y in many ways, from a Detroit Lions pro camp for day camp kids this past summer to a new partnership with the Detroit Pistons.
11) The Y fosters connections, friendships, and even marriages.