West Side Y’s Fit For All 5K Run

If
you’ve been trying to keep your back-to-school kicks in mint condition, now is
the time gear up and hit the road. On October 1st, the West Side Y is hosting a
series of races for the entire family along Riverside Park. The Fit for All 5K Run will begin to tackle
the nation’s childhood obesity issue and raise funds for the Y’s multitude of
youth fitness programs. —

Runners, stroller joggers and walkers alike can get moving starting at 9am in staggered,
differently paced races. The Fit for All
5K Run will also host free kid-specific races, with age-appropriate
distances and—of course—prizes. The youngest five-year-olds can scamper through
a 50-yard dash, while older teens can go head-to-head in a one-mile stretch.

“What’s
so exciting about what the Westside Y is doing here is that not only are we
raising funds and awareness, we’re literally walking the walk,” says Lori
Benson, the Vice President of Healthy Lifestyles for Greater New York’s YMCA.
“We’re getting people out there and modeling what we want people to do—not just
as individuals but also as families. I think that’s such a great approach in
terms of making this as authentic as possible.”

An
alarming 40% of New York City’s elementary- and
middle school-aged children are overweight or obese, but these issues aren’t
solely health ones. “We’ve seen a really interesting connection that children who
are fitter also seem to do better in terms of academics,” says Benson. “While
we’re really concerned about childhood obesity because of major risks like
diabetes and cardiovascular issues moving forward, we also know that there are
a lot of social and potential academic benefits [to being healthy] as
well—so we really want our kids to be healthier and fitter and be in a position
where they can achieve.”

In
part an effort to plunge into the childhood obesity initiative, October’s races
are also a way to raise funds for the Y’s youth fitness programs throughout the
city and help families see the Y as an all-inclusive resource. “Obesity does
affect people of low incomes at a higher rate,” says Wyndy Sloan, Senior Director of Communications
& Fund Development at the West Side Y. “We’re here for everyone, and we really want people to
realize that this is a resource for both people who have money and people who
can’t afford programs.” The goal is to continue keeping programs free, from
family Zumba classes to early childhood nutrition programs, and expanding the
entire youth fitness initiative over the next year.

Everyone
could use an active start to the weekend—and every kid deserves the resources
for a healthy and successful lifestyle—so visit www.FitforAll5K.org, register, and bust
out those pretty new sneakers.