Healthy Living - Nutrition
Promoting Health for LIFE
A healthy lifestyle is more than just physical activity. It combines a balanced spirit, mind and body. That balance is the foundation of our mission to promote healthy living. Our signature Healthy Lifestyle programs are designed to get people moving in the right direction and achieve physical and mental well-being. Whether just getting started, looking to intensify workouts, or hoping to find life-balance, our health and wellness experts guide people toward the right steps to achieve their health potential. Beyond fitness facilities, we provide educational programs to promote healthier decisions and support physical, intellectual and spiritual strength.
Teaching Nutrition Early
Proper nutrition is essential for the healthy growth and development of young people. YMCAs are the nation’s largest providers of child care and after school care and are leaders in youth sports and camping programs as well. With this reach they have tremendous potential to help youth get a good start on developing healthy eating habits. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming overweight and developing related diseases and these habits are behaviors that YMCAs can impact through program and policy. An estimated 61 percent of overweight young people have at least one additional risk factor for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
Healthy, Holistic and Sustainable Programs
No matter a person’s age, there’s strong evidence that maintaining a healthy weight and body composition are important to health and well-being. Many people try to lose weight using methods that are not healthy or scientifically sound. Exercise and nutrition are integral parts of effective weight-control programs, and YMCAs provide holistic programs that incorporate both. Through programs and services, YMCAs can help members understand and put into practice healthy food intake and weight-loss principles.
As we aim to improve the nation’s health and well-being, the Y is also focused on community integrated health strategies that strengthen the linkage between traditional health care and community-based prevention initiatives in order to help individuals prevent, delay or live better with chronic conditions.
The Y helps manage a range of health conditions, including cancer wellness, diabetes prevention and management and more.
We offer free access to relevant and current nutrition information at any point during an individual’s health journey.
We live in a world where people live busier, more hectic lives. Problems arise with schedules and commitments. It's not always feasible to plan every part of our day, but we hope these tips give you one less thing to think about.