YMCA offers a chance to win up to six months of membership via the Gift of Health

(West Chester, PA) – With the hustle and bustle of the holiday in season in full swing, the YMCA is reminding you to keep health and wellness at the top of your checklist this year.

To encourage healthy habits, the Y is offering new and current members the chance to win prizes, including up to six or three months of membership at the Y, depending on the member’s join date. It’s all part of the Gift of Health – an effort to help the community prioritize healthy habits during the holiday season.

Giving Yourself the Gift of Health
“It is easy to lose sight of healthy habits at this time of year between holiday shopping, baking and entertaining, attending celebrations, events at school and more,” says Senior Director of Group Exercise, Jackie Canan. “It is important to find the balance between doing for others and maintaining self-care. Our own health is the best gift that we can give to ourselves – and to those we love.”

Because it is challenging to maintain healthy habits during the holidays, the YMCA is offering new members a chance to win one of 21 prizes. One Grand Prize and two Runner-Up Prizes will be offered at seven branches across Chester County – totaling 21 chances for new members to win.

To be automatically entered into the drawing, new members must join YGBW by Dec 31, 2023. Current members who joined prior to Oct 1, 2023 and maintain an active membership through Dec 31, 2023 have a chance to win in a separate drawing of 21 prizes.

Keeping your Health at the Top of your Checklist
"Everything feels important and almost urgent during the holiday rush,” continues Canan. “Yet when we stop and reflect, we realize that nothing is more important than our own health. It’s something I remind myself often.”

To help you keep your own health at the top of your checklist, the Y is providing holiday health tips.

1. Keep It Simple

When life is hectic, simplify your fitness routine. Look for opportunities to integrate healthy habits into activities that you are already planning to do.

• Meeting a friend for coffee? Take your coffee to go and have a walking coffee date instead of sitting in a café.
• Planning your holiday meal? Include dishes that feature seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables like brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, kale, cranberries, apples, pears and more.
• Baking for the holidays? Reduce the added sugar in your recipes this year. Try cutting 20-25% of the sugar called for in your recipe. You may not notice that it’s gone.
• Shopping for gifts? Consider taking your shopping offline and into brick-and-mortar stores. Your body will thank you for the opportunity to move around instead of sitting.
• No time for the gym? During a busy time of year, you may not have a full hour to devote to your typical fitness routine. Can you squeeze in 20 minutes instead? Exercising for any amount of time is better than skipping your routine entirely.

And, if you truly can’t get to the gym, tune in to YMCA360 for a catalog of on-demand exercises designed to fit your busy lifestyle.

2. Start Slowly and Stay Focused

If you are new to a fitness routine or are looking to mix up an existing routine, pick one goal to focus on for 2-3 weeks before moving on to your next step. Focusing on one change at a time will increase the likelihood that you’ll stick with your new routine.

Start with just one of the ideas below or come up with your own goal to focus on.

• Replace one meal of takeout per week with a homecooked meal
• Attend one Group Exercise Class per week
• Meditate one morning or evening per week
• Walk with a friend once per week

3. Say Yes to Yourself
At a time of year when we are preoccupied doing for others, it is okay to say yes to your own self-care needs. There is a difference between being selfish and taking care of yourself.

When it comes to our own health, we often make compromises. Yet there is nothing more important than eating well and exercising our bodies and minds regularly.



To read more about prioritizing yourself: https://ymcagbw.org/blog/put-yourself-your-checklist

To access YMCA360: https://ymca360.org/home

To learn more about the Gift of Health: https://ymcagbw.org/gift

To sign up for YGBW’s newsletter: https://ymcagbw.org/newsletter-sign