Recipe of the Week: Tuscan-Style Tuna Salad

GNO is coming FAST!!

Calling All Ladies!!

Girls Night Out is coming Fast...but you still have time to sign up for our amazing event!  We'll be hosting the annual get-together this Friday, October 5th with registration starting at 5:00pm.  Some of the evenings events will include a 2 Mile Wellness Walk, Dinner with a Guest Speaker, Raffle drawings for some wonderful prizes and a Zumba Party as well!  Don't miss out, sign up online or at the Y, or come that night and get registered then! 

We are looking forward to seeing ALL of you!  

Come Have an Awesome Time at the Y!

Recipe of the Week: Pork Chop Suey

New Specialty Class Offered!

Lights...Camera...Pedal!

Recipe of the Week: Catalan Sauteed Polenta & Butter Beans

This One's For the Girls!

It's Tumble Time Once Again!

Just Kick It!

Let's Take a Ride!

Outdoor Boot Camp...Just How Tough Are You??

Recipe of the Week: Creamy Avocado & White Bean Wrap

DREAM TEAM UPDATE

Dream Team T-Ball

is cancelled for this evening

due to the rain earlier today.

Hopefully next week we can

"Play Ball"

GOLF FOR A CAUSE!

The Wells County Y will soon be hosting their annual Autumn Classic Golf Outing once again!  Not only is this event a great time for our community, but the proceeds raised support many local groups such as youth, families and adults through programs and membership scholarships. 

We know our success at the Y is measured by the lives we touch...so come join us in supporting our community! 




Details are as follows:
Thursday, August 30th
Timber Ridge Golf Course
Lunch from 11:00 - Noon
Florida Scramble
Shotgun start @ 12:15
$100/ Golfer or $400/ Team
$250/ Hole Sponsor

The Dream Team T-Ball Game 

for this evening has been 

cancelled due to excessive heat.  

Recipe of the Week: Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry

Recipe of the Week: Vanilla-Orange Freezer Pops

UPDATE ON DREAM TEAM T-BALL

The Dream Team T-Ball Game 

for this evening has been 

cancelled due to excessive heat.  

Next week's games are still 

on as scheduled as we 

hope the weather 

cooperates a little bit.  

Recipe of the Week: Tilapia & Summer Vegetable Packets

YMCA Holiday Hours

The YMCA will be closed in observance of 

Independence Day on Wednesday, July 4th.  

Have a safe and happy holiday!!

Exercise Tips for the Summer Heat

                                                                                                     

When the temperature's high, motivation can be low. Plus, you have the excuse that exerting yourself might be dangerous! Sorry, pal, but you can still walk, jog, or bike without suffering sunstroke. Just take these precautions:

Drink up before you're thirsty. Once you start craving water, you're already 3 percent dehydrated. To avoid that, drink two to three cups a few hours before you work out. Ten minutes before, have another cup — and one cup every 15 to 20 minutes while you're exercising. If you're a swimmer, follow the same plan — just because you're surrounded by water doesn't mean it's keeping you hydrated.


Eat often. Dieters often count on summer heat to kill their appetite — but exercising without enough fuel is dangerous. No one's suggesting a huge plate of pasta. But if you're going to work out, snack throughout the day on lettuce, carrots, grapefruit, and apples — all great hot-weather picks because they're naturally filled with water.


Avoid high-heat hours. Hit the streets before 10 a.m. and after 3 p.m. Another stay-cool tip: Run or walk on dirt paths instead of sun-absorbing pavement.

Sport the right gear. To deflect, not absorb, the sun's rays, wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Try cotton or "wicking" fabrics, which move sweat away from your body, or these GHRI-tested sun-safe clothes. And don't forget your head: A hat or visor with a four-inch brim will best protect your face.

Slather on sunscreen every two hours. SPF 30 or higher is recommended. Burns aren't just bad for your complexion; they also raise your body temperature.

Read more: Hot Weather Exercise Tips - Good Housekeeping
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/hot-weather-exercise-0807

Recipe of the Week: Spinach Salad with Steak & Blueberries

SUMMER IS THE SEASON OF THE BERRY!

Summer Berries

Delicious, colourful berries are in season. Here's what to do with them. Temporarily stained fingers and tongues are a cheap price to pay for the oodles of health benefits and bold, sweet flavours of berries — available all summer long. When colourful punnets of these warm-weather staples start appearing in abundance on market shelves, grab them, as there's very little you can't do with this versatile fruit.

Health Benefits

If you add one food to your diet this year, make it berries. They taste great and are very nutritious. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are rich in antioxidants, which may reduce the risk of certain types of cancer.

Selecting and Storing
When choosing berries, be sure to examine the punnet carefully for any signs of mould. Once mould has started it can spread quickly from berry to berry. Shop at supermarkets, or fruit markets with a high turnover, or at farmer's markets where the food has travelled the shortest distance, to ensure the freshest fruit. Because berries are fragile, keep them in their original containers or arrange them in a shallow pan (to reduce pressure from stacking), cover them with a paper towel and put them in the fridge. Don't wash them until just before you're ready to use them.
Blueberries freeze especially well. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until hardened, then transfer them to a resealable bag. Incidentally, frozen berries taste great and retain much of their nutritional value. In a pinch, you can substitute them for fresh in baking and smoothies. In fact you'll find that frozen berries are actually better to bake with than fresh berries. The juice from fresh berries has a tendency to bleed into cake and pancake mixture.


Cooking with Berries
Keep a punnet or two on hand in the fridge all week. Their price goes down significantly when they're in season and given their health benefits, you'll want to enjoy them in these ways and others:

• Toss a handful of berries into your morning cereal to pump up its nutritional value.
  
  
• Start off the day with a fresh berry smoothie: Blend a mix of whatever berries you have on hand with half a banana some low fat plain yogurt and skimmed milk. Sweeten it with a bit of honey if necessary.
  
  
• Fold a handful of berries into your low fat or fat free yogurt.
  
  
• For a berry sauce to drizzle over pancakes, or fresh or frozen yogurt, puree 150g berries with 50g sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. Fold in another 150g whole berries with a spoon.
  
  
• Top a bed of greens with a few berries and a tangy vinaigrette.
  
  
• Marinate (yes, actually marinate) strawberries with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 tbs of icing sugar, for a very Italian take on dessert.
•  http://www.weightwatchers.co.uk/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=30271

TRY THESE FUN EXERCISES WITH THE KIDS!!

Types of Exercises You Can Do With Your Child
_______________________________

Balance:  This exercise is like a mirror game.  You start  by telling the child to follow your lead while you hold up one foot for several seconds, then the other.  You can squat down or get on your tiptoes.  Whatever you do, make sure you’re balancing.  After you’ve had a turn, tell them it’s his/her turn to lead.

Hop Dots:  This is a simple exercise that’s easy for children do, but it has great rewards.  Put dots on the floor and have them hop from dot to dot and maybe have them pick up a couple of things along the way.  You should do it too to make the experience more enjoyable for the kids.

Hold on:  With this one the child is simply trying to hold on to mommy or daddy’s leg while walking.  This is fun for all children.  What they don’t know is they’re working almost every muscle in their body just trying to hold on.

Quick on Your Feet:  Start off this exercise by kneeling.  Toss a ball in the air high enough that you can hop up to both feet and grab it before it touches the ground.  After you’ve mastered that, do the same thing from a sitting position. And after that, do it from a lying position.  Younger kids can also do this exercise by using a balloon and have them do the same movements. 

Gorilla Walk:  Spread your feet apart about as wide as your shoulders. Bend at your waist and grab your ankles. Hold your ankles and walk stiff-legged.

Worm Walk:  Get into a push-up position, with your body and arms straight and your hands on the floor.  Keep your hands still and walk feet up as close to your hands as possible.  Keep feet still and walk with your hands forward to the starting position.

http://www.a-zfunforkids.com/exercise-ideas.html

Recipe of the Week: Grilled Chicken Tenders with Cilantro Pesto

Current Job Openings at the Wells County YMCA

Here at the Y, we have a few job opportunities that we are needing to fill soon!  The openings are as follows:  
Child Watch - Tues. and Fri. (9-11:30);
Welcome Desk - Weekdays (4-9) and Sat.;
Personal Trainer;
Mileage Club at Bluffton Harrison Elementary, Lancaster Elementary and Ossian Elementary - Two weekdays after school (3-4:30).
If interested in any of these positions then go to our website, www.fwymca.org/careers, to find an on-line application to submit.

Recipe of the Week: Turkey & Tomato Panini

SHE'S ARRIVED!!!

The YMCA Family Welcomes:

Lucy Rae Almdale

Born: June 6th at 7:48am

Wt: 7lbs 2oz  Ht: 18 1/2in

Congratulations to Lauren, our Program Director, and her husband Eric on the arrival of their daughter, Lucy Rae!  Both mommy and daughter are doing well and will be enjoying the summer at home before Lauren's return to the Y in early August.  

SUMMER HOURS HAVE BEGUN!

Summer hours at the Wells County YMCA have now begun.  Come and visit us during the following times between now and Labor Day:

                                                          Monday -Thursday:  6am - 9pm

                                                          Friday:  6am - 7pm

                                                          Saturday:  8am - 1pm

                                                          Sunday:  Closed        

"Here We Go Again" Takes the Prize!!

We want to congratulate our winning teams from the Wells Weighs In competition that just wrapped up!  Here We Go Again took first place loosing a total of 19.16%.  Second place went to Sister Squad, who dropped a total of 16.21% and our third place finishers were What, You Ain't Got No Bacon? shedding 12.30%.  "Weigh" to go everyone on a job well done...keep up the amazing effort over the upcoming summer months!

Recipe of the Week: Pork Chops with Quick Rhubarb Sauce

SUMMERTIME IS ON OUR HEELS...

Summertime is on our heels as school is wrapping up for another year.  That means it's time to get outside, have some fun and get those feet in gear!  Did you know Bluffton offers a wide array of local activities the entire family can participate in?  Check out the links below to find out about all the places you can go to enjoy Summer.
Don't forget about the Wells Co. YMCA as well!  We offer classes all season along with programs such as tumbling, our Autumn Classic golf outing, Dream Team Baseball and Mom's Morning Out.  Go to our website for more information.  Summertime truly is on our heels...so let's get moving!


https://www.fwymca.org
http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/; http://www.ci.bluffton.in.us/homepage.htm

WELLS WEIGHS IN CHALLENGE COMING TO AN END!

This coming Thursday, May 17th, we will be holding our final weigh ins for the Wells Weighs In competition!  We encourage teams to come as a group to have pictures taken for the Bluffton News-Banner.  If you are unable to come as a team, you are still eligible for the grand prize, but may be asked to take a group photo at a later time.  There are prizes available to those who have missed no more than one weigh in during our challenge!  The times and locations are the same:  at the YMCA from 6-8:30am, at Bluffton-Regional on the 4th floor from 12-1:30pm, and at the YMCA from 4-7pm. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR PARTICIPANTS...KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!

Try This Summer Recipe!!

Simple Exercise Routines at the Gym or Home!

 

3-2-1  Treadmill Routine

8 Minute At-Home Cardio Circuit:

60 jumping jacks

2 minutes jump rope

60 high knees

60 butt kicks

40 crunches

20 reverse crunches

1 minute rest

     iowagirleats.com

Cycling...Movie...Snack...It's a Date!

SUMMER MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS FOR STUDENTS!

Monthly Recipe: Turkey Burgers with Mango Chutney

Spring Asparagus...Try It!



 Try this lovely vegetable roasted with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper.  Pop it in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degress, dress with some coarse sea salt, or tie with roasted scallions, and enjoy! 

This gem can be served on a veggie tray, too!  Just blanch for about one minute, shock in ice water, and serve with your favorite dip or humus.  It's a fun twist on the typical carrots and celery platter!

Per Food Network

New On-Line Application Process

For anyone interested in applying for part time employment here at the Wells County YMCA, we have made the application process more convenient.  Just go to www.fwymca.org/careers  and follow the prompts to the application link.  We will view applications regularly.

April Weigh-Ins Coming Thursday!

On Thursday we will be holding our monthly weigh-in for the WWI competition.  Don't forget we offer three times slots throughout the day as well as two locations for weigh-ins in order to accommodate those busy schedules.  Keep up the hard work and we'll see you Thursday!

Try this Weekly Workout!

Looking for a quick, simple, total body workout?  Try the following for a week:

via Pinterest

Recipe of the Week: Smoky Corn and Black Bean Pizza

Upcoming Programs for Winter II Session

Registration now open for all Winter II programs until February 19th!

Programs: Financial Peace University