Topic Archives: HEALTHY LIVING

Being healthy means more than simply being physically active. It’s about maintaining a balanced spirit, mind and body. The Y is a place where you can work toward that balance by challenging yourself to learn a new skill or hobby, fostering connections with friends through our lifelong learning programs, or bringing your loved ones closer together through our many family-centered activities. At the Y, it’s not about the activity you choose as much as it is about the benefits of living healthier on the inside as well as the outside.

Stories about the Y Community Impact in Healthy Living are below.

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Get a 31-Cent Iced Coffee, Help the Y

How about this for a win-win? At participating Metro Detroit Dunkin’ Donuts stores tomorrow (May 21) you can get a delicious small iced coffee for 31 cents. And for each one sold, Dunkin’ Donuts will donate 31 cents to the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit. You can buy coffee for the whole office, be everyone’s favorite coworker of the day, and help out the Y at the same time!

The idea is to “put winter on ice” and given that it’s supposed to be in the 80s tomorrow, it’s a pretty appropriate time to do so! It’s a good way to try Dunkin’ Donuts’ many flavored iced coffees, and support the Y as well. And you can enjoy your treat without derailing your healthy Y-member lifestyle: A plain iced coffee with skim milk and sucralose sweetener is only 30 calories for a small, while a mint chocolate chip coffee is 110 and an old-fashioned butter pecan flavor is only 90 calories. Visit the Dunkin’ Donuts website to find a location near you.

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Girls On The Run Closes In On Goal

Miss Michigan visited Girls On The Run during the fall season.

Asked how the spring season of Girls On The Run has gone, council director Jackie Kippen says “it’s been incredible.” She was expecting about 1000 girls to participate, between sites at YMCA branches and at local schools; instead, more than 1200 signed up. Between the girls, their coaches, and parents and friends who want to run with them, they’re expecting around 2,000 at the 5K that marks the finish line of the season. The 5K is May 19 at Oakland University, and represents the achievement of one of the Girls On the Run goals that the girls in the program have been working toward since the beginning of the season.

The other, of course, is to develop their self-respect and capacity for healthy living. The core of Girls on the Run  isn’t so much the running, Jackie notes, as the activities the girls do that help foster self-esteem, show them how to resist peer pressure, and teach ways of resolving conflicts and relating to each other positively.

Jackie’s seeing the magic of Girls On the Run close up this year — she’s volunteered as a coach at REACH Academy in Warren. “I am more committed to the program than ever” she says, adding with a laugh “I drank the Kool-Aid!”

Over the nearly ten weeks her team has been together, she’s been noticing the lessons of Girls On The Run really taking shape. “I’ve seen the girls use conflict management skills at practice,” she says. “If they are mad at someone or someone cut them off while they were running I’ve seen them talk it out  — that has been amazing.” They’re also cheering each other on and encouraging each other to participate in the conversations as well, and have built a lot of trust in each other. “They have started to really open up,” Jackie says. “The more discussions we have, the more they talk about things they wouldn’t normally talk about with other people.”

Coaching helps her understand the challenges her fellow coaches are facing as well and makes her more effective at working with them, she says. Often when a coach calls her with a problem, she’s faced it herself as well and can talk it through with them. “I’m not just telling them what to do, I’m living it with them,” she says.

Overall, it’s been a great experience working with the girls this year, she says, and has reinforced what an amazing program Girls On the Run is. “Its been an awesome experience seeing he confidence the girls develop,” she says.

 

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Silver Sneakers Member Uplifts Others

There are some people in life who bring light to anyone who crosses their path through their warmth, positive attitude, and refusal to let limitations keep them down.
Peggy Johnson is one of those people. The 54-year-old married mother of two children comes to the Boll Family YMCA twice a week for the Silver Sneakers exercise class and to do a cardio workout afterwards. That’s not uncommon, but the challenges she faces in getting to the Y are.

Peggy has cerebral palsy and uses crutches to walk. She does not drive, so she either gets a ride from her husband, Quentin, who she calls “such an inspiration to me” or takes a bus from her home in southwest Detroit to the Boll two days a week. She says people at the Boll have been very welcoming to her and make her feel at home. “People here are so encouraging, uplifting and positive,” she says. “And it’s been so great to be an encouragement for others.”

Silver Sneakers classes are designed for older people and people with physical limitations. instructor Marietta Franklin helps students with modifications based on their abilities, while still ensuring they get a good workout. There’s a warm, friendly, supportive vibe in the class, and members help each other out.

Tom Bender, branch operations manager for the Boll, says Peggy is “such a positive person, each interaction I have with her…always smiling and upbeat.”

The class has helped Peggy as well, both physically and emotionally. “Getting out and interacting with the group helps my morale,” she says. She retired from the city of Detroit after a long career as a physical therapist, so she knows the power of exercise to heal body and spirit.  “As long as I can keep moving, I can keep going throughout my life,” Peggy says.

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New Neighbor Helps Girls On The Run

Sometimes an interaction can have wide-ranging impact, not only on the people involved but on the community around them. That was the case with Jeff Lambert, president and managing partner of Lambert, Edwards and Associates. The public relations firm recently moved their offices from Troy to the block of Broadway in Downtown Detroit that also is the location of the Boll Family YMCA. That move was catalyzed in part, Lambert says, by a visit to the Boll.

Lambert, a longtime board member of the Y in West Michigan, wanted to make a donation to provide swim lessons to needy children. He connected with the team running Detroit Swims, which has the goal of providing swim lessons to every child in Detroit, and gave a $10,000 donation. The Boll staff held an event to thank him, and Lambert was taken with the activity and energy in the neighborhood surrounding the Boll.

“That was my first introduction to that area,” Lambert says. “Fast forward a year and half or so, and now we’re neighbors.”

Lambert, Edwards and Associates moved into an abandoned office suite that is now a vibrant, open plan office that’s drawn notice for its sports theme.

The firm wanted to mark their new space in a special way, so they crafted a creative donation to Girls On the Run. At Christmastime, they gave each of their clients a gift certificate for a pair of shoes from Wolverine Worldwide, which makes Saucony running shoes as well as iconic brands such as Hush Puppies, Merrell and Stride Rite. When clients redeemed the certificate, Lambert, Edwards and Associates donated a pair of shoes to Girls on the Run. “We celebrated our new offices by paying it forward,”Lambert says.

All told, Lambert, Edwards and Associates donated 100 pairs of shoes. Many of the young women who participate in Girls On the Run can’t afford quality running shoes, so the donation will allow a lot more girls access to the program. It teaches girls about resisting peer pressure, raising self-esteem and making healthy choices wile also training for a 5K race.

As a longtime Y member and board member, Lambert believes in the Y’s commitment to all forms of healthy living and to a diverse community.

“The Y is a great example of a public/private partnership,” Lambert says. “It’s evolved from the traditional gym and swim to being a community advocate for everyone from the youngest to the oldest members of the community. It touches all aspects of a person’s wellness, and that’s something we really believe in.”

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Healthy Kids Day Encourages Activity

The Metro Detroit YMCA is joining more than 1,900 Ys across the country on Saturday to celebrate Healthy Kids Day. The event, which is free and open to the public as well as Y members, is designed to combat childhood obesity and summertime learning loss by encouraging healthy habits in children and their families.

The event is not just fun for kids, although it is something “Y kids” look forward to every year; it’s also enjoyable for parents. Children and their families can enjoy free exercise classes, food, giveaways and other fun events at their local Y.

Through Healthy Kids Day, the Y addresses critical gaps in health and education that cause kids to be at-risk for childhood obesity and suffer summer learning loss. Research shows that without access to activities that stimulate the mind and body, kids are more prone to gain weight and fall behind academically over the summer months. The Y can help with that, with everything from day camps to classes to friendships made at Childwatch.

Times and activities will vary by branch; visit www.ymcadetroit.org  to find contact information for local branches and contact them for specific times and activities. Most branches are also on Facebook. Come join the fun and learn how to keep your family healthy and strong in body, mind and spirit.

 

 

 

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Y Rallies Around Trainer

Everyone faces adversity in their life, and how a person responds to that tells a lot about who they are.  Jamie Stec, a personal trainer at the Macomb YMCA, proved herself to be strong not just physically but emotionally as well when she faced a frightening breast cancer diagnosis last July, and didn’t let it stop her from working with clients or keeping up with her own exercise routine.

Despite the fatigue and nausea of cancer treatment, Jamie kept coming in to work with her clients as often as she could “still rocking the bald head,” she says.  She finished up radiation and still has some surgery in front of her, and will be on medication for years to control the cancer, but all things considered she’s doing very well. she says. She’s back to training for the Detroit International Marathon this fall and knocked out a 14-mile training run just this past weekend.

Jamie believes that already being fit and healthy helped her stay active throughout her treatment, a fact she tries to pass along to her clients now. “Being a distance runner as well, I was no stranger to stress on my body and no stranger to pain,” she says. “I knew there was a finish line,  it would just take me awhile to get there.”

Her clients, as well as other Y members, told her how much she inspired them by continuing to work out even while she was facing such challenges. “They would tell me ‘if you can do this, I don’t have any excuses.’”

Her Y family stepped up to help her after her diagnosis. “I would not have been taken care of the same way if I worked  at a gym,” she says. “Because I worked at a place that cares about its employees, its members, and the community, I was very well taken care of.” The staff gave her children a week of day camp, so she could recover from surgery without worrying about them. A friend took over working with her small group training class and refused to take the fee, asking that it still go to Jamie.  And she especially notes that her boss, Wellness Director Christina Wollcott, was incredibly supportive.

Her family is very involved at the Y: Her husband is a triathlete and trains there, and her children are in Y sports. When she was undergoing her education to become a personal trainer, she interned at the Y, and volunteered there when she was done until they could hire her.

As her recovery progresses, she is looking at it as an opportunity to discover her true strength.

“Cancer really can adjust your priorities,” she says. “It’s been interesting, but I find I myself, as I progress through all of my treatments, finding out exactly how strong I am.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Run To Honor Y Worker’s Memory

The community of people that gather at a YMCA is often referred to as “YMCA family,” because being part of the Y is so much more than just belonging to a place to work out, go to camp, or learn to swim. And sometimes, the Y truly is family.

When Breeana Dixit was killed in a car accident near Western Michigan University’s campus in February, it hit the Lakeshore Family YMCA very hard. She’d worked in the Y’s childcare facility in high school and early in her college career, and her mother, sister, aunt and cousin all work at the Y as well. She had an impact on just about everyone there, members and staff, and her loss was a huge blow to all who knew her or her family.

Bree (as she was known) was a recent WMU graduate, loved working with children, and also loved running. “It was an important part of her life, as well as working with kids,” says Rose Cesario, the school-age childcare director for the Lakeshore Y. To honor her memory, the staff at the Lakeshore Y, along with a group of Bree’s friends, have organized a 5K run in her honor which will be held on April 27, the Y’s Healthy Kids Day. The annual event will be dedicated to Bree this year. Proceeds from the run will benefit the Y’s Strong Kids Campaign and the Ted Lindsay Foundation for Autism.

A tree will be planted in memory of Bree at the event before the run. The tree planting is at 10:45 on April 27, and the race starts at 11:00. In order to allow more people to participate, the race will not be timed and is for everyone from beginning walkers to experienced runners. Field day activities will run from the start of the race until 1 p.m. as part of the Y’s Healthy Kids Day. There will be sack races, water relays, cone relays, and an exercise relay, among other fun events.

The “Bree’z Through the Shores” run is planned to become an annual event. Registration is $20 for children and $30 for adults and is ongoing at Active.com.

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DLA Kids Celebrate Tigers Opening Weekend

Happy Opening Day, every Detroiter’s favorite unofficial holiday. While the crowds will be thick around Comerica Park (and the Boll Family YMCA) today, there are celebrations all weekend, including Sunday, which the Tigers have dubbed “Kids’ Opening Day.”

The Tigers, along with partner Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, are making healthy lifestyles for children the focus of the day — and the YMCA, with its commitment to healthy kids and healthy families, is playing a big role.  Students from the Y Detroit Leadership Academy will be among nearly 200 kids who will participate in exercise on the field before the game, with guidance by the Tigers trainers and an assist from Paws, the Tigers’ mascot.  Other participants represent the Boys & Girls Clubs, Detroit PAL, and local youth baseball teams.

The excitement doesn’t stop there, though, Kids will throw out the first pitch, sing the national anthem and announce the starting lineups, among other activities.

The participants also get a T-shirt with the Tigers “Kids Opening Day” logo, as their “uniform” for the day. They’ll also be able to enjoy the game and cheer on the rematch between the defending American League Champion Detroit Tigers and their ALCS rivals, the New York Yankees. And in keeping with the theme of the day, they’ll prove you can make good food choices at the ballpark with a healthy lunch consisting of a chicken pita, pasta salad cup, baked chips, celery and carrots, and a bottle of water.

All kids age 14 and under attending the game will receive a miniature Miguel Cabrera MVP bat and “cheer card” upon entry.

“The Y would like to thank BCBSM and the Detroit Tigers for this unique opportunity,” said Reid Thebault, YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit President and CEO.  “This is the chance of a lifetime for our kids and we’re excited to be a part of it.”

 

 

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Barracudas Excel In, Out Of The Pool

The Boll YMCA Barracudas Swim Team is tearing it up in the pool: they are swimming at national meets, including last week’s Black History swim meet in Washington, DC; they’re putting in the time at practice and seeing results like faster times, and they are doing all this while still performing well in school.

Swimmer Harisen Davis, for example, came to the Y for swim lessons and, after joining the team, quickly progressed to be one of the fastest swimmers for her age group,  Charisse Woods, the youngest swimmer on the team at age 7, has one of the largest spirits, according to her coach. Charisse placed 6th fastest in all four strokes for her age group, out of 62 swimmers, while in D.C. Both girls are on scholarship at the Y through the Strong Kids Campaign. Neither would be able to participate in this program that has allowed them to excel and grow without the generosity of those who give to the Strong Kids Campaign.

It’s not just the kids on the team who are benefitting from the Barracudas. Another amazing result is the teamwork among the parents of the kids on the team. Many of them face financial challenges — six out of the 17 students are on scholarship, and 12 came to the team through swim lessons taken on scholarship. But they have come together to make the program what they want for their children. Through tireless fundraising, they have financed all kinds of remarkable experiences for the team members. “They want uniforms and national meets and rewards and team equipment and team morale and team camaraderie; so, they decided to fundraise and dedicate themselves to serve on self-appointed committees,” says Boll Aquatics Director Mike Hamlett. “They are using their efforts and networking connections to help build their program into the thriving system that it is beginning to be.”

It all speaks to the higher purpose of the YMCA; beyond teaching some children to swim and giving them a chance to excel through hard work and support, the Barracudas (like so many other Y programs) have built a stronger community. As Mike wrote of the team, “By our actions at the Boll Family YMCA, we have initiated change. Change within ourselves and change within other people. When we do for those who can’t do for themselves, we are serving a much higher purpose than just punching in on a clock and earning a paycheck. We are planting seeds; seeds of respect, honesty, caring, and responsibility into our youth development. As we water and fertilize those seeds, they will develop and grow into socially responsible people; and possibly be able to give back to their communities through the healthy living that they received from us here at the Boll Family YMCA.”

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New Class Gives Kids a Spin

Parents of preschoolers are always looking for ways to channel their boundless energy, especially during the winter months when going to the park isn’t as much of an option.

At the South Oakland Y, Mike Wilcoxon launched a “Rinse and Spin” class for preschoolers. Anyone who’s been to South Oakland more than once knows Mike; he’s been a part of the Y for 15 years, done about every job possible short of running the place, and is especially popular with kids in Childwatch.

Each class begins with playtime, where Mike will teach them a new sports skill. On a recent morning it was bowling; other times it’s been soccer or basketball. Then the kids have a snack, and then it’s off to the pool for a brief swim lesson. Once they’re all dried off and changed, it’s time for more play until the class is over.

The class draws about four or five kids every session. Parents like it because it allows their children to burn off some energy while they work out; children like it because they can try a bunch of different activities. And Mike likes it, he says, because of “the things that come out of their mouths,” he says with a laugh.

Sarah Tereau,whose daughter Irelyn is in the class, says “It’s good to get them physically active, acclimated to different sports and in the water — and I love Mike, I think he does a great job.”

The class runs Mondays and Thursday mornings from 9-11, and registration is required.