YMCA of Dane County Activate America



	YKidzFit health improvements are achieved - see results.

	YMCA Activate America Links • YMCA Health & Fitness • Local Team Members • National Strategic Partners • Walkable Communities • Local Events • YMCA Healthy Family Home • WKOW Workout Wednesday		What is Activate America? YMCA Activate America is a national initiative to combat the drastic increase in chronic disease related to obesity, inactivity and poor nutrition. In July of 2005, the YMCA of Dane County was selected as one of twenty communities nationally to continue working on this initiative. An outstanding team of local leaders has come together to initiate action in Dane County. Improving the health of our community is a challenge that involves every citizen. For more than 150 years, the YMCA has encouraged people to live healthy lifestyles. Through Activate America, the YMCA of Dane County, along with its community partners, is working to help our citizens live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

			YMCA Activate America - Pioneering Healthier Communities Mission To improve the health status and overall healthy lifestyle of the community through collaborative means. YMCA Activate America – Pioneering Healthier Communities is a community level initiative to encourage and empower Dane County residents to increase their level of physical activity and awareness of proper nutrition. Beyond promotional and awareness campaigns, the Activate America vision aims to provide the tools, the motivation and the mentoring for both the individual and the community to succeed in addressing the epidemic of physical inactivity, obesity and the chronic diseases associated with physical inactivity and obesity. Long term, our goal is to have Dane County recognized as one of the fittest communities in this country. Click here for more information on the national YMCA Activate America program.
	“Today’s children will live sicker and die sooner than their parents for the first time in modern American history.” - Dr. S. Jay Olshansky, Longevity Researcher, University of Illinois at Chicago

	YMCA of Dane County Pioneering Healthier Communities Activate America Team • Access Community Health Centers • American Heart Association • Dane County Public Health Initiative • Fit City Madison • Junior League of Madison • Physicians Plus Insurance Corp. • St. Mary's Hospital • UW Children's Hospital, UW • Hospitals and Clinics • WKOW TV YMCA KidzFit		YMCA KidzFit YKidzFit is sponsored by Physicians Plus Insurance Corporation and UW Children’s Hospital. YKidzFit is a 24-week program and includes nutrition and fitness sessions for all youth participants along with games, toys, sports, computer software, and other materials to engage youth and teach ways to make fitness fun. With the generous support of our sponsors YKidzFit is offered as a FREE enrichment program to the children already enrolled at select YAfterschool program sites. YKidzfit results show significant improvements in both cardiovascular fitness, measured by the gold-standard, maximal VO2 test, and body fat measured by DXA were seen due to the YMCA KidzFit program. Maximum VO2 increased by 4 points (Fitness can be measured by the volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising at your maximum capacity. VO2max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters, one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight). Percent body fat decreased by 3% (A person's total body fat percentage is the total weight of the person's fat divided by the person's weight and reflects both essential fat and storage fat.). BMI showed no significant change (Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height.), supporting the idea that BMI alone may not be sensitive enough to pick up on significant health improvements for fitness interventions for children.

	YMCA Activate America – engaging national strategic partners to magnify our impact. • Active Living by Design • America on the Move • American Public Health Association		NEW Food Pyramid One size doesn't fit all. The new food pyramid called "MyPyramid" can be customized for each individual based on your age, sex, and activity level. MyPyramid Plan can help you choose the foods and amounts that are right for you. To go to MyPyramid click here
	• Association for Community Health • Improvement		Making Strides – 10,000 Steps to a Healthier You Making Strides is about moving towards a healthier you. Making the commitment to lead an active lifestyle may be one of the most important decisions you will ever make, and this program encourages daily activities that enhance overall wellness. Scientific studies have shown that adopting an active lifestyle, such as walking and stair climbing, result in the same fitness improvements that frequent gym-goers experience. Specifically, lifestyle exercise has been shown to be more effective and enduring than organized fitness. Lifestyle fitness is movement that is part of your daily life and has meaning other than the single goal of exercising. Click for more about Walkable Communities.
	• Center for Disease Control
	• Chronic Disease Directors
	• Harvard School of Public Health
	• Health Research & Educational Trust
	• President’s Council on Physical • Fitness
	• Steps to a Healthier US
	• Stanford School of Medicine

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