April 27, 2017 – On Saturday, YMCAs across the country will be full of children celebrating the annual Healthy Kids Day, where families can come to learn about ways to stay healthy, both over the summer and into the future.
At New York’s Westside YMCA, families can take part in a unique celebration of music and fitness. The Y has partnered with the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition and Hip Hop Public Health as well as Interactive Health Technologies (IHT Spirit) in celebration of the Council’s 60th Anniversary.
As part of its 60th Anniversary, the Council has launched the #0to60 Campaign aimed to help Americans accelerate their journey to their healthiest life with physical activity and healthy eating habits. Healthy Kids Day will be an opportunity for the Council, Hip Hop Public Health and the Y to come together to educate, engage, and empower youth to be active, play sports, and eat healthy.
The day-long event features three-time Grammy nominee Brady Rymer singing the new #0to60 theme song, dance workshops by Hip Hop Public Health, games and more including the use of IHT’s ZONE wrist heart rate monitors. Participants in the dance workshops will be wearing the ZONE monitors and will be getting a real-time look at their heart rates as they perform. Following the performance, participants can receive an email with the details of their workout, including how much time they spent exercising in the healthy fitness zone.
By putting students in touch with their heart rate data, IHT helps teachers empower students to take ownership of their fitness both in school during physical education classes and beyond. Multiple studies show that healthy, fit students perform better in academic settings, and it’s never too early to make children aware of that correlation.
“When a child is healthy and happy, she is motivated to learn. At the Y, we continuously teach children about healthy habits,” says Julie Gallanty, Senior Executive Director of the West Side YMCA. “We strive to help kids find that potential within themselves. A child’s development is never on vacation and Healthy Kids Day® is a great opportunity to educate families and motivate kids to stay active in spirit, mind and body.”
National Healthy Kids Day takes place toward the end of the school year to remind students that fitness is a year-round endeavor. According to the Y, research shows a sharp decline in physical activity for youth during adolescence and increased weight gain during idle summers. The Y is committed to keeping kids active by introducing them to healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
Hip Hop Public Health and the 0to60 Fitness Foundation will also continue to engage with children in New York City, offering programs during the summer to keep children fit and active.
But it all starts Saturday at the Westside YMCA. National Healthy Kids Day activities will take place from 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. If you can’t attend, you can still take part in the activities. There will be live social media updates throughout the day on Instagram including the following pages: @westsideynyc, @ymcanyc, @plus_socialgood, @fitnessgov, and @HHPHorg.
For more information about National Healthy Kids Day, visit the national YMCA website.
