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Health & Fitness

Set New Year's Resolutions that Strengthen Your Life and Your Community

Five New Year's Resolutions the Y recommends for 2012 to strengthen your life and your community

The New Year is a time for new beginnings! For the Y – a leading nonprofit that
strengthens community through youth development, healthy living and social
responsibility – one of the most important resolutions is to resolve to make
positive changes that strengthen individuals as well as entire communities.
Following are five New Year’s Resolutions the Y recommends for 2012:

Live Healthier – Achieving greater health and well-being is all about taking small
steps. Take care of your health by eating nutritious foods and being physically
active each day – experts recommend 30 minutes of daily physical activity for
adults and 60 minutes for kids. This can be achieved throughout the day by incorporating physical activity into your daily routines (e.g., taking stairs instead of elevators, walking instead of driving, etc.) The Y offers many fun opportunities for individuals and families to be active. Visit www.ymcalakecounty.org to learn more.


Volunteer – Doing good feels good, and giving back to support neighbors benefits everyone involved. Volunteering also provides individuals the opportunity to meet new people and to develop new relationships. Find an opportunity in your community that you may enjoy, such as cleaning your neighborhood park or distributing food at a local food bank. To find out how volunteering with the Y will positively impact those in your community, contact either Nena Hermes at Central Lake YMCA in Vernon Hills, nhermes@ymcalakecounty.org, or Lisie Reyes at Northern Lake YMCA in Waukegan, ereyes@ymcalakecounty.org. 

Help Inspire Children and Teens, Be a Mentor – Children and teens often need caring adults to look up to and seek guidance. By nurturing our youth, we can help them strive to accomplish success and reach their full potential. Whether a relative or neighbor, use your experience and talent to help youth realize who they are and what they can be. Central Lake YMCA and Northern Lake YMCA offer a variety of mentoring programs. Learn more at www.ymcalakecounty.org

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Learn Something New – Step out of your comfort zone, have fun and grow by exploring personal interests. Is there a swimming, Zumba or painting class you’ve always wanted to take? Try something new that you’ve always wanted to do, to build your spirit, mind or body. Find opportunities at either Lake County Family YMCA branch.

Spend Time with Family and Friends – Socializing is good for your well-being and spending time with the people you care most about really helps strengthen meaningful relationships. It also helpful to have a community of people you can reach out to during times of need. So, try to carve out time each month, depending on your schedule, to connect with family and friends and to get involved with community organizations such as the Lake County Family YMCA. 

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Both Lake County Family YMCA branches will be open New Year’s Day to accommodate those wanting to get started right away on keeping their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight and/or get in shape.

Central Lake YMCA, 700 Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills, and Northern Lake YMCA, 2000 Western Ave. in Waukegan, will be open for physical workouts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Jan. 1. However, the swimming pools will be closed New Year’s Day.

Some fitness classes will be offered Jan. 1 at both locations: Kickboxing from 9 to
10 a.m., Zumba from 10 to 10:45 a.m., Yoga from 11 to 11:30 a.m. and Muscle
Works from 11:30 a.m. to noon at Central Lake; Boot Camp from 10 to 10:30
a.m., Zumba from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. and Group Training from 1 to 1:30 p.m. at
Northern Lake.

Need a workout buddy? Guests can participate free of charge when accompanied by a Y member.

Become a member of either Y during the month of January and the joiner’s fee will be waived. In addition to this, those who sign up on New Year’s Day are eligible for one-month’s free membership – in April – plus a chance to win one of four new bicycles for kids ages 7 to 10.

As always, all the benefits of Lake County Family YMCA membership such as indoor swimming pools and exercise equipment, free fitness classes and free babysitting are available with no contract to sign.

For more information, visit www.ymcalakecounty.org or either Lake County Family YMCA facility.  

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The Lake County Family YMCA is a cause-driven nonprofit that strengthens the community through programs and services that foster youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. Founded in 1892 as a 501 (C) 3 nonprofit, our association is comprised of the Central Lake YMCA in Vernon Hills, Northern Lake YMCA in Waukegan and Early Head Start in Waukegan. To learn more,
visit www.ymcalakecounty.org.  

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