We have previously touched on the YMCA Association of Greater Seattle before when we discussed their Youth Fitness Clubs. Really when you get down to it, the YMCA Association of Greater Seattle really gets Exergaming, the value the equipment has, and the benefit it brings to their members. They have several youth development programs and teen leader programs set up to keep kids active while also teaching them important lessons.
Most of our work for the Seattle YMCA Association has been at the Coal Creek YMCA. Currently at their facility they a T-Wall 64, Fit Interactive 3 Kick, Fit Interactive Heavy Ball, Exerbikes, and an EyePlay Floor system. This is a great selection of equipment that not only shows what exergaming can do, but can provide a seriously intense workout.
Moving forward we want to expand the outreach of exergaming with other Seattle YMCA locations. We would like if an association like Seattle had universal exergaming equipment across their facilities, like you would with an elliptical or a row machine in a wellness center. So that when kids go to the Y after school or parents bring them while they work out, they always know what they will be to do and achieve on the interactive fitness equipment from Exergame Fitness. We want kids to be driven to workout by the games they play – and hopefully not even realize that they are ‘working out’ in the process. Instead we want to reinforce the idea of having fun while staying active in kids while still keeping activities and programs focused on fitness.
With programs like our Workout of the Weeks (WOWs) and our YouTube Exergaming Portal, there should be no short supply in things to do on our machines. With Coal Creeks
youth development programs, the equipment is also a good opportunity for the teens to practice their leadership skills, demonstrating workouts on a T-Wall or leading a game on an EyePlay.
The YMCA Association of Greater Seattle shows us two things. One is how great a YMCA association can be, all the locations acting as one big family. The 2nd lends itself to the first, in that they all support each other in the community. They support programs, missions, and ideas the others have, and the idea and implementation of exergaming at their facilities is no different. Even though they might get a little more rain over in Seattle, their future with exergaming is looking very bright and successful. We will continue to share updates about the YMCA Association of Greater Seattle and their commitment to exergaming and interactive fitness.