Learn Recipe for Healthy Living with a Dash of Fun

The best way for families to learn how to live healthier lives is to do it together – and to have fun doing it. That’s the idea behind Healthy Living for Families, a 12-week program that starts later this month at three city locations.

 

“It’s not about losing weight. It’s about changing your lifestyle to eat healthier, be more active and have fun doing it,” said Heather Fiore, R.D., M.S. Ed, a registered dietitian with Golisano Children’s Hospital at the University of Rochester Medical Center and an organizer of the program. “Families who participated last year told us that doing the program together, as a family, really helped them change their lifestyles.”

The idea for the Healthy Living for Families grew out of Don’t Weight, a program developed by Rochester General Pediatric Associates that helped overweight teens live healthier. Healthy Living for Families encompasses the whole family and is open to any family with children between 8- and 14-years-old willing to participate in the twice-per-week program. Registration is $20. The first half of the 1½-hour sessions focuses on learning healthy behaviors, and the second half includes physical activity. Throughout the 12-week program, families will learn new games and exercises to get the entire family moving and having active fun together. Class teachers are YMCA instructors who have been trained on the curriculum by Fiore.

 

To participate, contact one of the three locations by Sept. 25:

Carlson MetroCenter YMCA

444 E. Main St. (6 to 7:30 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays)

(585) 922-5465

 

Charles Settlement House

435 Jay St. (time TBA, Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Ana Medina, (585) 328-5453 or Amedinacsh@yahoo.com

Grace United Methodist Church

121 Driving Park Ave. (time TBA, Tuesdays and Thursdays)

Sharon Bartter, (585) 458-5927 ext. 101 or kbartter@hotmail.com

 

Healthy Living for Families is funded by the New York State Department of Health and sponsored by the Center for Community Health, the Children’s Diabetes Center and Rochester General Pediatric Associates.