ACTIVE LIFESTYLES PROGRAMMING CREATES A LIFETIME OF BENEFITS
At the Boys & Girls Club, young people have countless opportunities to learn about and practice activities to ensure a healthy lifestyle. In a recent survey, 88% of Club Members said staying healthy is important to them and 91% learned to make healthier choices at the Club. The mental and physical benefits of activity are wide-ranging, and learning healthy habits early creates skills that last a lifetime.
All four Club locations offer a range of programming, spaces, and events that encourage physical activity. Each site offers Club Members the opportunity to play sports and other active games. Each site is unique in space, but offers a similar opportunity for activity. In the fitness studio at the Caroline S. Mark Site, Club members practice yoga and dance. In the racquetball courts at Greenheck Turner Community Center Club, Members learn breakdancing and on the playground at the D.C. Everest Middle School, Members enjoy playing flag football. At the Prairie River Middle School Site, Club Members play gaga ball in the gym.
With the support of our community partners, Club Members learn mindfulness yoga and practice martial arts. These activities teach young people that exercise and movement comes in many different forms, targeting their minds and their bodies in different ways, whether it's building coordination and flexibility, instilling discipline, boosting confidence, or just having fun.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle includes a combination of physical activity and making healthy choices. In addition to sports and games, Club Members at each site participate in small group programming to learn about physical health and mental wellbeing. Hands-on programming reinforces key concepts and supports peer-to-peer discussions about peer pressure, healthy relationships and wellness.
