Why I love The Y(MCA)

Hey lovely people :) It's so nice to have all this time to blog...I'm really dreading going back to work on Monday :( Hopefully I can find the time to keep this momentum going! There are lots of cool blog-related things in the works, so that'll provide plenty of fodder for my posts. A friend of mine is going to be working on giving this here blog a much-needed facelift, and the plans I have in mind are very exciting! So obvs, stay tuned...

So, as you may have gathered from reading some of my earlier posts, I'm a huge, huge fan of The Fitnessista. As my other bloggy friend The Trendy Trainer once pointed out, The Fitnessista is basically "the Holy Grail" of fitness and health-related blogs. I especially enjoy her "Focus On" posts, which the following is meant to emulate/pay homage to. I wanted to write a little about an organization that I absolutely, wholeheartedly support and hope to work with/for one day: The Y.

Now, I don't really support a lot of charitable causes/organizations because I don't have much dispensable income. That's kind of par-for-the-course when you work at a non-profit ;-) However, there are plenty of orgs whose work and mission I truly admire, including but not limited to: HealthClass2.0, Get Focused Foundation, and Alliance for a Healthier Generation. These organizations are all putting forth innovative, health-focused platforms to address obesity-related chronic diseases. I've noticed, however, that their primary focus appears to be on educating the younger generation to make better, healthier choices and stop the cycle of poor health that disproportionately affects low-income, minority people.  While this is all well and good, I think it's important to not only target children in the fight to end obesity and other chronic illnesses, but adults, too, which is why I really support the efforts of the Y.


The Y's mission is more well-rounded in my opinion. The focus is on nurturing the potential of our youth, but recognizes the importance of harnessing the efforts of the entire community to make positive changes and strengthen communities by encouraging people to live healthier lives and be more socially responsible. The organization has been around for nearly 160 years, and its presence is felt in over 10,000 communities across the nation. Yes, it has religious affiliations, but as far as I'm concerned, its mission transcends such simplistic classification.

From a personal point of view, I was a member of the YMCA in my former Brooklyn neighborhood for nearly two years. It was a wonderful, welcoming place with friendly, helpful staff; a great group fitness instructors; nice, clean facilities; and offered a variety of classes and other extracurricular programs. This Y, and like most others with which I am familiar, has many community partners, and offers expansive programming for youth as well as for seniors and other adults.  I even picked up my CSA share every week from the garden behind the facility!

As a fitness enthusiast and future fitness professional, it's important that fitness and the components which make up a healthy lifestyle are accessible. That includes affordability, and especially, comfort: I love that The Y's programs--while targeted to specific portions of population--are all offered under one "roof." That is, youth, young adults, mature adults and seniors can all come together and find something of interest and a welcome environment at a single location.

I can't praise The Y enough! I'm hoping to join my local Y as soon as I get a chance. I highly recommend checking out the local Y in your neighborhood!