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A healthy attitude |
| Posted by Kathy (kathy) on Jul 20 2010 at 10:40 PM |
A HEALTHY ATTITUDE
by Laura Cummings- Orleans Star
With students flooding back to school classrooms this week, a returning east-end fitness course targeted at teen girls is aiming to help balance physical activity, nutrition and healthy body image.
The two weekly classes – launching Monday, Sept. 14 and Tuesday, Sept 15 at the Bob MacQuarrie Recreation Complex–Orléans – are one of a kind in the city and meant to promote health and well-being “in a very positive environment” for area girls, explains instructor and Orléans resident Kathy Smart.
On top of fitness instruction and nutritional guidance, participants – whose ages range from 13 to 17 – get to try their hand at a choice of activities designed to get them moving in a fun way, she continues, naming kickboxing, yoga, running and aerobics as a few.
“There are so many different influences out there for teenage girls especially in terms of body image,” Smart says of the need motivating the class, now in its fourth year. “Between those ages especially is when they start to decide a lot of body image (concepts) … what they’re going to think about themselves when they get older.”
Another crucial juncture for many teens – and why promoting fitness and good health is so important – is the increasing childhood obesity rate, she recounts, which continues to rise. One goal of the classes is to ensure all the participants leave with healthy habits ingrained, Smart adds, another important factor to tackle early on.
Feedback from teens who have previously enrolled in the class has been nothing but positive, she says, citing impacts from weight loss to improvements in physical abilities to a full-on overhaul in their daily routines. And even with the emphasis on being active, it's a place for everyone regardless of fitness levels, Smart stresses, especially it’s tailored to keep participants at their comfort level or challenge themselves.
“It's for everyone – from beginners to people who are a little more athletic," she explains. “It's been very successful. The numbers (in terms of enrolment) have been excellent.”
Having held the class previously, there are “a lot of returners” who come back to take the course multiple times, Smart continues.
“We have our veterans,” she adds with a laugh. “They keep taking it, because every class is different.”
Fifteen-year-old Orléans resident Jessie Vannest is one youth who's returning to the class this fall, after having taken part for two years.
“My friend had been taking it and invited me to come try it out,” recounts the Colonel By Secondary School student. “It's a really enjoyable environment with Kathy. It really makes the group all feel great.”
And though the exercise and nutritional information have been a major help, Vannest says “being with the all the other girls” has been the highlight of her time there.
“We're all very supportive of each other,” she explains. “Kathy's great. It's really a positive thing.”
The proof in its value is that it’s a class worth repeating, Vannest continues, adding that she's now more focused on making healthy decisions and thinking about what's best for her body.
“It's really life-changing,” she adds. “It really gets you motivated.”
Both classes run until mid-December and are limited to 20 participants. For more information, please call 613-824-0819.
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