YMCA offers a fun way to be fit

Forget exercise and have fun, instead.

The Davis Family YMCA on McClurg Road in Boardman will host Healthy Kids Day today from noon to 3 p.m. The free event will feature fun, engaging activities that foster healthy living, including archery and kayaking with Camp Fitch staff.

Vendors with healthy snacks will be available and information will be provided to help parents raise a healthy family.

“Keeping kids healthy is at the core of what the Davis Family YMCA stands for,” said Adele Taylor, Preschool/Family Director. “The word ‘exercise’ doesn’t sound very enjoyable to many people, especially kids, but getting them to move more through play that requires physical activity is the key to building healthy habits that last a lifetime.

“On YMCA Healthy Kids Day, both kids and grown-ups will have the opportunity to get moving, to play and to have fun.”

Experts recommend that kids engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity, including active play, each day. Studies show that kids who consistently engage in play are happier and healthier and develop and enhance a variety of skills including motor skills, social skills, problem solving and creativity.

Kids who get 60 minutes of physical play also tend to have higher self-esteem and perform better academically.

To make more time for physical activity, the Davis YMCA suggests you put more play in a kid’s day by limiting screen time use and electronic media.

Instead, add basic activity play like Kick the Can and Simon Says, allowing unstructured time for children and making physical activity a regular part of family time.

“The goal of encouraging kids to play more is to build a lifetime of love for physical activity,” said Taylor. “Play should not seem like a chore – it is an activity that is fun and brings joy, and allows a kid to just be a kid.”

This year’s event is sponsored by St. Elizabeth Health Center and Dr. Sangeetha Sethi, who will be offering information on healthy bodies and healthy habits. YMCA Healthy Kids Day is also supported nationally by Northwestern Mutual Foundation and Tropicana.