Activate America

The YMCA is very concerned about the growing numbers of adults and children who are inactive and/or obese. Activate America is the YMCA's response to this crisis. We are shifting how we focus all the aspects of our work both inside and outside the YMCA to better engage health seekers.

We define "health seekers" as all children, youth, teens, adults and families whose successful pursuit of health and well-being requires continuously supportive relationships and environments. As we begin to implement strategies to motivate health seekers to make positive changes in their pursuit of well-being. we hope you will find the YMCA is a place where you are comfortable enough to begin taking steps toward your healthier life.

The Challenge

The eating and physical activity patterns of most Americans have become a cause for concern.

• More than 60% of American adults fail to get the recommended 30 minutes of sustained physical activity each day.
• 25% of adults aren't physically active at all.
• On average, adults are gaining 1-2 pounds each year, with some gaining even more.
• The current generation of American CHILDREN could be the first to lead shorter lives than their parents, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
• More than 50% of U.S. adults do not get enough physical activity to make a difference in their health.
• Health problems related to obesity cost our country an estimated $117 billion a year (as of 2007) due to direct health care costs, as well as the indirect economic costs of lost productivity.

The Solution

America on the Move Foundation, Inc. is a national, non-profit initiative dedicated to improving the health and quality of life by promoting healthy eating and active living for individuals, families, and communities.

The YMCA has adopted America on the Move as one of its strategies to Activate America. America on the Move has demonstrated that Americans can stop weight gain by balancing the energy they burn with the calories they consume. This concept is known as "energy balance." America on the Move provides simple, fun ways for you to achieve energy balance by encouraging two small changes each day:

1. Take 2,000 more steps (or activity equivalent) each day
2. Eat 100 fewer calories ( by eating smarter) each day

Key to Weight Control: Energy Balance

Think of energy balance as weight management. A calorie is a unit of energy. When we eat, we consume calories that provide our bodies with energy to do everything from breathing to walking. Physical activity boosts the calorie-burning process. So the more we move, the more we burn.

Energy Balance 101

• Controlling weight is balancing energy. If the number of calories in and calories out are in balance, you will maintain your weight.
• If you burn more calories than you eat, you'll lose weight - everyone knows what happens when we eat too much and move too little.
• Physical activity also fires up your metabolism so you automatically burn calories even while sitting at a desk, watching TV or sleeping (not a bad deal, right?).
• Weight management through energy balance may also lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, help control blood sugar and increase energy levels.

When it comes right down to it, what's even more important than knowing exact amounts of calories consumed and calories burned is simply being mindful of your lifestyle. If you're not getting enough physical activity each day, it's extremely difficult to maintain or lose weight, or to keep weight off.