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Friday, Mar. 29, 2024

YWCA conducts accountability challenge

VW independent/submitted information

The YWCA of Van Wert County recently held a four-week accountability challenge. Throughout the four weeks, the more than 20 participants formed a private Facebook group to share wins, struggles, questions, recipes, etc. This helped with accountability, as did the weekly weigh-ins and measurement times offered.  Each participant had access to the YWCA 24/7 Fitness Center and classes and had the option to submit supplied food journals, fitness logs, and daily personal development tracking.

Main topics discussed as a group over the four weeks were clean eating, trigger foods, personal development, and exercise.

“It was exciting to be able to be a part of so many different individual’s health journeys,” stated YWCA Health and Wellness Coordinator J.J. McClain. “To start a new year off with a group of people to help stay accountable and share stories with is sometimes what it takes to stick to exercise, eating or personal development goals.

“Working out and eating well is often not the easiest option, but it one that is worth it,” McClain added. “Doing that with a group of people with similar goals can help make the difference in sticking to it.”

Of the total participants, about 10 of them chose to take part in the measurements and weigh-ins. Of those 10, over the course of the four weeks, a total of more than 65 pounds and 115 inches were lost.

“We were all so pleased to see these results,” stated McClain, “but the real victory was hearing story after story about how much better these people felt and seeing their smiles as they talked about some of their ‘wins’ during the challenge.”

The staff of the YWCA fitness team strives to create a safe, judgement free, supportive environment for its fitness partners and aims to take a holistic approach to well-being — mind, body and soul — for the men and women who choose to become partners at the YWCA.

“Many often ask how having a fitness center and classes ties into the mission of the YWCA of Van Wert County and, with one of the signature platforms of the mission being ‘Health and Safety of Women and Children,’ it is a great fit to our mission and the needs of the community,” McClain concluded.

For more information on the health and wellness department of the YWCA of Van Wert County, contact McClain by calling the YWCA at 419.238.6639 or emailing jmcclain@ywcavanwertcounty.org.

The YWCA is a non-profit organization and a United Way and Van Wert County Foundation agency.

POSTED: 02/16/18 at 8:08 am. FILED UNDER: Lifestyles