KITTANNING — It’s summer and kids are always looking for something to do — so they’re going to the Armstrong YMCA and heading straight for the cross training and treadmill machines and the abdominal crunch, shoulder press and low row strength-training equipment for a workout.
It’s keeping them busy and keeping them fit at the same time.
And the best part? It’s free.
“We get the athletes, we get the kids that have never been on an organized team before, the cheerleaders who want to stay in shape, we get all kinds,” said Joely Beeker, Armstrong YMCA operations director. “The kids just pick what interests them.”
“The cardiovascular and the strength training gets them in better shape, plus it hopefully is teaching them a lifestyle that they’ll continue in,” she said. “It goes with our mission at the Y of healthy lifestyles, youth development and social responsibility.”
The summer exercise workout is part of a HEALTHY Armstrong program in partnership with the local YMCA for secondary school students in the Armstrong School District using a federal PEP (Physical Education Program) grant of nearly $1 million obtained by HEALTHY Armstrong.
HEALTHY Armstrong, an Armstrong County community coalition whose goal is to improve the health of families and to help children maintain a healthy weight through improved nutrition and increased physical activity, received the Carol M. White Physical Education Program competitive federal grant through the Department of Education. The grant is for improving and enhancing secondary school physical education programming.
HEALTHY Armstrong stands for Healthy Eating Active Lifestyles Together Helping Youth.
“The PEP grant is designed to expose kids and families to activities that they wouldn’t think to do or even know about,” said HEALTHY Armstrong Director Kay Owen. “The PEP grant’s goal is to have kids increase the amount of their physical activity. The Y has an array of different exercise programs that the kids can participate in.”
HEALTHY Armstrong sent notices about the summer program out in students’ report cards. Owen said they are looking for more to participate.
“The more the better,” she said. “We want to reach out to the kids that have not traditionally enjoyed physical activity, but in the kind of setting like this they can work at their own pace and begin to learn about activities that they can do for the rest of their life to promote a healthy lifestyle.”
Solomon “Sparky” Reed, 14, and Noah “King” Shoenfelt, 12, both of Kittanning, who were busy doing cardio and strength work on Thursday at the YMCA, said they got their nicknames from playing on PlayStation.
They said they like working out as much as they like PlayStation.
“This works,” Solomon said. “I’m getting stronger for hockey.”
“I make sure they’re safe,” said YMCA instructor Janet Kean. “Young boys like to put too much weight on.”
“I did once,” said Noah, who is getting ready for soccer season, of adding weight. “I couldn’t lift it.”
What: Summer workout schedule
Details: Weight training and cardio session supervised by a YMCA staff member
Cost: Free to students in grades 7-12 in the Armstrong School District — provided by a federal grant obtained by HEALTHY Armstrong
Where: Armstrong YMCA, 138 N. Water St., Kittanning
When: 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays
Open to all: You don’t have to be a YMCA member. All students in grades 7-12 in the Armstrong School District are invited to participate for free.
Sign up: Just sign in when entering the YMCA
More: Other evening fitness classes, including spinning, body combat, step, Latin jam, cardio mix and yoga are free to students in grades 7-12 in the Armstrong School District.
Information: Contact Lisa Stolitza at the YMCA at 724-545-9622
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