Recreation – Take Two!
by Nicole Morrow R.N. (KCUYC Health Care Coordinator)

Each day at the KC Urban Youth Center, we have an hour of physical activity. Sure we play basketball, and on almost every nice day you can find our students outside tossing a football around. But in addition to these more traditional types of recreation, there are some exciting new options that have been inspired by creativity.

One of the most positive ideas incorporated into our Healthy Choices Program includes active video games played on a Nintendo Wii game system. On just about any day, our students are lining up to play Dance Dance Revolution, baseball, swimming, or track and field on the Wii. Theses games allow— and even requires—students to move their whole bodies as if they were really participating in the sport. So students playing baseball stand while holding onto the controller and literally “swing” as if they were hitting the baseball coming at them. The great thing about the Wii is that it involves students who might not otherwise be interested in playing baseball or any other “active” activities; most often, these students find themselves forgetting that they are even doing physical activity since the games are so enjoyable.

Another key feature of the KCUYC recreation program has been yoga. Our yoga instructor, Mo McDaniel, leads students in a variety of yoga and pilates poses to strengthen and stretch their muscles. Students have become increasingly confident in participating in the variety of poses required, as well as using the muscle groups that the poses work. The challenge and variety of the sessions keep even the most accomplished students and staff members on their toes.

These activities (and many others such as swimming, roller skating, and basketball) are just a part of the Healthy Choices program at the KCUYC, which seeks to increase the student’s knowledge about the key aspects of living healthy lives!

To volunteer to be a part of the programs and services we offer students and families in our community, email your contact information to volunteer@kcurbanyouthcenter.org.