Healthy Lifestyles — Page 11 — Greater Joliet Area YMCA

Building a Healthy Future: Morris Prenatal Fitness Class Benefits Mothers

September 25, 2019

The Y is always grateful to play a role in the important lifetime moments of those who walk through our doors. This is especially the case when it comes to the Morris Community YMCA’s Prenatal Exercise class, which is designed to help soon-to-be-mothers maintain a healthy fitness level during pregnancy.

“The primary goal for any expectant mom is to maintain her fitness level if she had an established workout routine before her pregnancy,” instructor Leigh Anne Hall said. “For the non-exerciser, it is to have her establish a fitness routine so that she will hopefully have an easier delivery and recovery period.”

For Morris resident Kim Haiduke, the class was a new experience that helped her prior to having her fourth child.

Morris resident Kim Haiduke gave birth to her fourth child, Lillian, this past summer. Haiduke said attending the Morris Community YMCA’s Prenatal Fitness Class ultimately helped her post-delivery recovery.

“I had never done any of the classes at the YMCA but I saw a flyer at my doctor’s office for the prenatal class and could not wait to try it out,” Kim said.

Kim said she rarely missed a class and was extremely pleased with the guidance she received from Leigh Anne.

“Leigh Anne motivated me to push myself and to want to be fit throughout my pregnancy,” Kim said. “She was the reason I continued to attend class week after week. She went above and beyond to challenge me, support me, and get to know me on a personal level. I felt like I was working out with a friend, which made the time fly by!”

Leigh Anne said that she always reminds class members to stay hydrated during the process and that they must listen to their bodies as tasks become more difficult in the later stages of pregnancy.

“We have tried to remove all of the barriers and provide a place where women can be with others who are experiencing the same changes. They are pregnant, not sick, but as they get into the third trimester they cannot always do the same things they did when they were only one month along,” Leigh Anne said.

Kim gave birth to her daughter, Lillian, this past summer and said the class helped make the recovery process go quicker. Though her time in the class came to an end, she is already looking forward to the next stage of her relationship with the Y.

“I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough for the daycare so I can try some new classes,” Kim said.

The Morris Prenatal Exercise class is offered on Mondays and Wednesday from 5:30-6:20 p.m. and on Fridays from 9-9:50 a.m.

“When moms come in they always leave feeling great and glad they made the effort. We hope the word will get out and more will join us along this wonderful journey,” Leigh Anne said.

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Commit to Your Health: National Women’s Health and Fitness Day

September 23, 2019

National Women's Health and Fitness Day

An action-packed summer and a busy back-to-school season can mean temporarily putting your fitness routine on hold. But, with only a little over three months left in 2019, the Greater Joliet Area YMCA has the perfect motivation for you to finish out the year strong: National Women’s Health and Fitness Day.

Set for Wednesday, September 25, National Women’s Health and Fitness Day aims to remind women of all ages to about the importance of embracing a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some great tips to help you focus on developing a healthy mind and body:

Try a New Group Exercise Class

At the Y, you’ll be sure to find many group exercise classes that are included with your YMCA membership. To celebrate National Women’s Health and Fitness Day, you may want to consider trying a new group fitness class. If you’ve been thinking about trying yoga, Zumba or other exciting classes, now’s the perfect time!

When planning your trip to the Y, make sure to use our online schedule to view all of the free group fitness classes available at your local branch.

Bring a Friend to the Y

At times, there is no better way to focus on yourself or relieve stress than heading to the gym solo. But, heading to the Y with a friend can be fun and it helps to shake-up your everyday fitness routine. The next time you head to the Y for a workout, consider bringing a friend along by using one of your complimentary guest passes.

Schedule a Health Checkup

If it’s been a while since you’ve seen your doctor, now’s a great time to make an appointment. Being healthy is more than just exercising your body. Balancing your health and physical fitness is key.

As a reminder, registration for fall programming is underway. Fall 2 will kick-off on Monday, October 2. Register online or in-person for your favorite fitness classes. If you have questions about our group exercise classes or personal fitness, be sure to speak with a member of our Wellness team during your next visit.

For more ideas on how to celebrate National Women’s Health and Fitness Day, check out this great article, courtesy of Fitness Magazine.

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Become Your Best Self: Jonelle Carter’s Story

September 17, 2019

At the Y, we know a healthy lifestyle goes beyond toning muscles. Improving your emotional health and well-being can be just as important. For Morris resident Jonelle Carter, working with a personal trainer at the YMCA not only helped her lose weight, but also find peace of mind.

“A lot of people who know me know I struggled with worry and anxiety. It’s been nice to use exercise as a tool,” Jonelle said. “I would say my journey has been 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical. For me, the body changing was a plus.”

Jonelle’s wellness journey started back in February on a trip to Key West with her husband, Terry. As musicians, Jonelle and Terry regularly take trips around the country to scout potential show locations. These trips are supposed to be a fun part of the job. But on this occasion, things weren’t quite right.

“I had an anxiety attack while we were away. I knew I wasn’t in the place I wanted to be,” Jonelle said. “My media team was sending me pictures and I didn’t like how I looked. More than that, how I felt started to change in a negative way.”

When they returned from their trip, Jonelle made it a point to rekindle her relationship with the Y. A self-described ‘on-again, off-again’’ member since 2015, she started conversations with Y trainer Ro Petersen to begin a new training regiment. The first steps forward weren’t easy.

“During my first session with Ro I felt like I was going to pass out. It wasn’t even physical, my anxiety was through the roof. She was so gracious to talk me through my first day. That’s what we did for an hour, we talked,” Jonelle said.

But Jonelle stuck with her commitment and eventually started making improvements. She described her mind and body as hitting what was, in essence, a reset button.

“My big thing was that when my heart was beating fast, it was like telling my brain something is wrong. That never felt good, and I avoided it at all costs. It wasn’t until two months in that I was able to change the way my brain thinks, not just my body. I was finally able to have that feeling that people talk about where you love when your heart is beating fast and you’re building up a good sweat,” Carter said.

Jonelle has lost 21 pounds since starting her personal training sessions. But she feels that the day-to-day goals have had a bigger impact on her confidence level.

“The things that make me excited are the little personal goals. They might be little, but I’m doing things I never thought I would be able to do. I couldn’t even run for 30 seconds when I started. Then I could only run for three minutes. Now I can run a mile,” she said.

And Jonelle credits much of her success to her relationship with her personal trainer.

“Without a trainer you sometimes get lost in your own head,” she said. “I don’t think I ever would have come back if I didn’t have Ro. I didn’t want to let her down. Now, I don’t want to let either of us down.”

Whether you’re just starting a fitness routine or looking to add a little variety to your exercise program, a YMCA personal trainer can help you to achieve your wellness goals. One-on-one or small group coaching enables our certified personal trainers to interact with members in creating a fitness program that meets their needs and offers direction, education, motivation and support every step of the way.

The Y’s personal training sale runs through September 30. If you buy four sessions, you will get one free. For more information about the sale, please click here or stop by your local branch.

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Keep Growing and Exploring: Climbing Iconic Buildings of the World Challenge

July 12, 2019

August 5-September 29

Stay active and ‘travel the globe’ by participating in the YMCA’s Climbing Iconic Buildings of the World Challenge. This 8-week program is designed for all fitness levels and will challenge you to climb the world’s tallest and most important buildings…in the comfort of your own Y! It’s a great way to learn about notable world landmarks while engaging in a healthy lifestyle.

Starting August 5, participants will be given the chance to scale a new building every week by logging their workouts. The more you climb, the more you’ll earn. Challenge participants will earn one raffle ticket each time they ‘climb’ up and down a building. Activities that will qualify for the challenge include: Stair Steppers, Treadmills, Elliptical Machines, Rowing Machines, Group Exercise Classes, and Swimming Laps. Distance conversion charts will be available on site.

Weekly raffle prizes will be available and $50 in Y Bucks will be awarded to the Top 3 finishers at the end of the challenge.

Cost: Free to all Facility Members

Register Today

To register, stop by the Membership Desk and pick up your week one Tracking Card today!

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Helping You Live Better: Fad Diets vs. Well-Balanced Diets

March 22, 2019

March is National Nutrition Month, which focuses attention on embracing good eating and physical activity habits. With the help of social media, it’s extremely easy to discover new ways to revitalize your workout routine and diet—including some not-so-healthy diets. In celebration of National Nutrition Month, consider choosing a well-balanced diet as opposed to a new fad diet.

Fad diets are not new. In fact, it’s said that these trendy diets have been around since the 1930s. For many years, people have wanted a quick and easy solution to lose or maintain their weight. And, because fad diets tend to promise fast weight loss, many people are willing to give them a try. But, there is more to these diets than just rapid weight loss. A diet that is highly restrictive and focuses solely on weight loss can be harmful to your overall well-being.

Instead of focusing on a quick solution to achieving your weight loss goals, try embracing a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet with the right amount of physical activity will help to improve your overall health. If you’re thinking about transforming your diet, consider making small changes, including drinking plenty of water, limiting saturated fats, eating a good amount of fruits and vegetables, and limiting your sugar intake.

Once you develop a healthy diet, be sure to incorporate the right amount of physical activity into your weekly routine. Making changes to your diet and exercise routine can be challenging, but the Y has wellness attendants, fitness instructors and personal trainers to help you along the way!

If you have questions about your nutrition or if you’re looking to make modifications to your diet, be sure to speak with a member of our Wellness team during your next visit. And, make sure to consult your physician or other health care professional before starting a new diet or fitness program.

To learn more about how you achieve a well-balanced eating plan, check out this article, courtesy of the CDC.

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