YMCA Focuses on Healthy Bodies, Spirits, Minds

The annual membership drive waives joining fee through Jan. 23.

Words by Arlinda Smith Broady

With the sweet treats and fattening meals of the past few months behind us, many are dreading stepping on the scale to reveal the evidence of overindulgence. The YMCA is ready and willing to help everyone in the community to focus on healthy living, whether you’re looking for physical fitness, tips for nutrition eating or lessons in destressing and improving your mental well-being. The Y is keeping up with the changing times and needs of today’s busy lifestyles. The J.M. Tull Gwinnett YMCA is a bit outside the southwest quadrant of Gwinnett County, but other YMCA affiliates in the country, a membership at one is a membership at all. Even if you’re a member at the Robert D. Fowler YMCA or another branch, your membership is good at participating clubs everywhere.

New programs and classes

“We’re really excited about the new year. We’re actually onboarding a new wellness director, so he’ll be bringing a whole bunch of great, fresh ideas,” said Collette Cosby, executive director of the J.M. Tull Gwinnett YMCA. “We will also be adding some new group fitness classes. And we’ve had requests for morning classes, so we’ll be having something for all days and times.” Both Tull and Fowler YMCAs offer a variety of multi-level classes geared toward several fitness levels. “You don’t necessarily have to be a senior to participate in things like chair yoga and low impact strength classes,” said Cosby. Both locations also offer fitness classes designed for members with Parkinson’s disease. “It’s through a partnership with the Parkinson’s Foundation,” Cosby explained. “That is a great opportunity to keep people moving and help them keep all of their muscle tone and strength up as they work through that disease.” Another new addition at Tull is the community garden that began in October. Spaces are rented out for gardeners. There’s a builtin program to donate produce, so nothing is wasted. The facility also offers cooking classes to help showcase the fresh veggies in new ways.

Something for everyone

With many similar offerings at Fowler, Executive Director Katie Furlough agreed that, through the mission statement of focusing on spirit, mind and body, a major component is to foster a sense of community. “We have lots of group exercise classes like yoga, and we have a wide-open program for cycling,” said Furlough. “These kinds of things are fun, and participants build community and connection with each other.” Of course, it wouldn’t be a traditional YMCA without family activities. “We also have some family nights that are going to happen in the early part of this year. So really, it’s an opportunity for families to come together and have some fun and connect and spend time together,” Furlough added. As society moves through the pandemic and the changes that it has brought, there’s a deeper emphasis on mental health.

“We also have a program called lifelong learners, …a group of seniors who come together and discuss different topics,” said Furlough. “We’ve had people come and talk about money management and we’ve had people share their experiences as caregivers. …We have had conversations about healthy eating. We’ve brought in other kinds of organizations to help teach on different things. “It’s really an opportunity for seniors to come and connect and build community and prevent loneliness and help provide them with connections,” she said. Cosby stated that the YMCA isn’t just a place for kids or seniors — it really has something for all ages. “We want to make sure that people know that at the Y, there are a lot of different activities,” she said. Hours run from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., so the Y tries to be available to everyone. There are kids’ leagues for soccer, basketball and more, and there are also programs for adults who play basketball, tennis and pickleball.

Holistic approach to health

Everything isn’t group centered. “We view wellness in a holistic sense of how people are doing from a mental standpoint, as well as a physical standpoint. We want to create spaces where people can be connected and people can find community, but also people can build healthy lifestyles,” said Furlough. She explained that this is how the Coach Approach program fits in. Members meet with a wellness coach on an individual basis. “I like to think of it as an accountability system,” said Furlough. “They set goals, they talk through the barriers to achieving these goals and why are they setting these goals.” For example, if a member wants to run a 5K, the coach will help them get there. He or she will help build a plan with the right equipment and exercise plan. Then the member will meet with the coach periodically — bi-weekly or monthly — to check their progress. “It’s all based around behavior change. There have been some really great successes of people who come into Coach Approach who don’t exercise on a regular basis. Once they leave Coach Approach, they are more apt to have a consistency of exercising or making better health decisions,” said Furlough.

Opportunities to join and get involved

As an added incentive for residents to join, the membership joining fee is waived through Jan. 23. If a child is enrolled in Care Source or Peach State, the family may qualify for a free membership. Because the Y is a nonprofit, it holds an annual giving campaign. A lot of the work that is done in the community is made possible through community generosity. “Whether it’s our safety around water program, backpacks full of food on the weekend or senior programming — it’s all funded by donations,” said Furlough. “I love the idea of being part of something that is not just a place to come exercise, but it’s something that is investing in the community. “And we also provide volunteer opportunities. …I think it’s just a cool way for families to give back, too.”

Robert D. Fowler Family YMCA 5600 W Jones Bridge Rd., Peachtree Corners 770-246-9622 ymca.org/locations/robert-d-fowler-family-ymca J.M. Tull Branch/Gwinnett Family YMCA 2985 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Lawrenceville 770-963-1313 ymca.org/locations/jm-tull-branchgwinnett-family-ymca

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