YMCA Child Fitness Week Review

Left: Kids wave colorful scarves during Kid Zumba ®, led by Lynn Blakeley. Middle: Black Belt Instructor Mike O’Neal shows the children some American Martial Arts techniques. Right: Kids strike a pose during Yoga, led by Lynn Blakeley.

The YMCA Child Development Center in Versailles recently celebrated their first Child Fitness Week for the Preschool and Pre-K classrooms. The YMCA of Darke County is dedicated to the HEPA Initiative (Healthy Eating and Physical Activity) where we promote health and wellness throughout all YMCA programs.

In 2011, Y-USA made a commitment to First Lady Michelle Obama and the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to become the nation’s healthiest childcare provider and help end the childhood obesity epidemic. By adopting and implementing Healthy Eating and Physical Activity (HEPA) standards in more than 2,700 Ys across the country, the Y is developing healthy habits in more than 700,000 youth.

As a cause-driven organization, the Y isn’t merely looking to incorporate HEPA into its early childhood and afterschool programs, but seeks to improve health for youth in every community the Y serves.

The children in Versailles took part in a demonstration of American Martial Arts on Monday; swimming on Tuesday; gymnastics on Wednesday; Zumba on Thursday and yoga on Friday.