The pervasive reach of physical inactivity has now spread worldwide and some authors have appropriately described this issue as a “pandemic” (4). Levels of physical activity among modern-day youth are down while time spent watching television and surfing the Internet are up. Researchers from Canada recently assigned a letter grade of D- to physical activity levels in 5- to 17-year…
Princeton, N.J. — Sixteen of the nation’s leading food and beverage companies sold 6.4 trillion fewer calories in the United States in 2012 than they did in 2007, according to the findings of an independent evaluation funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and announced today. The companies, acting together as part of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF), pledged to…
An increasing use of technology means fewer kids to meet physical activity guidelines so the Greater Scranton YMCA wanted to help kids fight obesity while still having fun. Many kids spend an average of 50 hours a week in front of a screen, whether that on the computer or playing video games. But now, thank to an interactive fitness arcade,…
DUNMORE, December 18, 2013 — On Monday, December 23rd, 11:00 a.m., the Greater Scranton YMCA will hold a grand opening celebration for its new Exergame Youth Fitness Arcade. In fulfillment of the Y’s goals to combat childhood obesity and engage children living in Lackawanna County through a diverse offering of youth and teen programs, the Greater Scranton YMCA is confident…
Palatine, IL (Dec.17, 2013) ─ Exergame Fitness, the leadingprovider of commercial Exergame equipment, announces today the official launchof Exergame TV. Exergame TV gives subscribers the freedom to relay informationand announcements about their facility to kids, young adults, and parents intheir youth fitness rooms. In an effort to fight childhoodobesity, Exergame TV provides action sport entertainment as a means ofmotivation to…
Tuesday, Dec.10, 2013,Edison Elementary in Appleton, WI assembled to watch a video posted on U.S. Cellular’swebsite that determined their chance to implement a wellness room for theirschool. Seconds later, students,teachers, and staff let out a huge cheer as their school name appeared in the winners’video. Then, eight U.S. Cellular representatives awarded them a $25,000 check partof the “Calling All Communities”…
21st Century Grants support the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular…
As childhood obesity grows, steps taken to get kids moving Eighth Street Elementary School student Aubree Grubbs furiously peddled a stationary bicycle one recent evening at the Frank DeLuca YMCA Family Center. Holding a video game controller, Aubree looked up at a television screen and guided a bicycle along a virtual course. The 6-year-old was not there just to get…
This study suggests virtual “cybercycling” can produce a beneficial cognitive effect over and above traditional exercise. Physical exercise may prevent or delay dementia. However, getting older people regularly moving is a particular challenge, as evidenced by the fact that only 14 percent of adults aged 65 to 74 years and 7 percent of those over 75 years exercise regularly. More…
Kids today cannot run as fast or as far as their parents did, which may indicate their health will worsen as adults, according to new research from the University of South Australia’s School of Health Sciences. To determine children’s cardiovascular fitness over the years, researchers analyzed 50 studies about running fitness conducted between 1964 and 2010. The studies involved more…
On Saturday, November 2nd 2013, the brand new Eastlake YMCA located in Chula Vista, CA launched a very successful grand opening of its state of the art, multi-purpose, family friendly fitness epicenter. But there was something that made this grand opening party even more intriguing to the members, media and guests that were eager to get a peek inside. Yes, the Eastlake YMCA (like many other YMCA’s across the country) partnered…
The Obama administration’s obsession with childhood obesity appears to have reached a new level with a $1.2 million government grant to help middle school students create fitness video games known as “exergames.” The National Science Foundation recently gave researchers at a public university in Indiana the money to tackle two national challenges; increasing children’s interest in science, technology, engineering and…
