YMCA hosts Healthy Kids Day

By Heidi Bell Gease, Journal staff | Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

Exercise bikes that power video games. Kid-sized weights. “Dance Dance Revolution” workouts.

All those things are part of the YMCA’s Youth Wellness Center, where kids and their families are invited to attend Healthy Kids Day on Saturday.

Healthy Kids Day is a nationwide YMCA event meant to introduce kids to an array of YMCA programs that teach healthy behaviors while making fitness fun. The Rapid City YMCA will offer free hands-on activities, take-home projects, family contests and healthy snacks from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kids can also try out the wellness equipment.

But Wellness Director Nicole Craig said adults will likely get just as much from the event as kids will. Educational activities will show how much fat – that is, how many teaspoons of shortening – is in popular snack foods and how much sugar is in soda (10 sugar cubes in a can, 52 in a 60-ounce fountain drink).

Other activities will show how families can get fit together by increasing their physical activity at home.

Communications Director Mary Wickler Peterson said Sen. Tim Johnson helped secure a federal grant to establish the Youth Wellness Center two years ago. Kids between 6 and 14 years old can use the center only by enrolling in a supervised fitness program.

“Those kids are still developing their muscles so we want to make sure they’re using (the equipment) properly,” Wickler Peterson said. “We do have nice participation.”

Anyone attending Saturday’s Healthy Kids Day should stop at the registration desk in the YMCA lobby before going to the Youth Wellness Center downstairs.

For more information contact Nicole at 718-9622 or nicolec@rcymca.org.

Contact Heidi Bell Gease at 394-8419 or heidi.bell@rapidcityjournal.com.