Make Your "Someday" Today: New Jersey YMCAs Come Together to Bring Resolutions to Reality

It seems nearly everyone has a New Year’s resolution, but statistics indicate that less than a quarter of these resolutions are kept.

Creating personal change takes effort and support. To encourage individuals and families to make their resolutions a reality, YMCAs across New Jersey have come together for the first time to hold open house events at their local facilities on January 10. The YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties will hold an open house from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. at both YMCA locations, 59 Centerton Road in Mt. Laurel and 302 Commerce Square Blvd. in Burlington.

Free, fun-filled open house activities will include:
• ZUMBA® Dance Party | Noon-2:00pm | All ages
• Try the facility as our guest for the day
• Check out a variety of youth and adult classes
• Enter to win raffle prizes
• Participate in free activities for everyone
• Enjoy healthy snacks
• Tour the facility (tours offered every half hour)
To make it even easier to achieve those New Year’s resolutions, the YMCA will be waiving the joiner fee (up to $150 savings) now through January 31.

“Everyone resolves to improve,” says Tim Kerrihard, president and CEO of the YMCA of Burlington and Camden Counties. “We all say, ‘Someday I’ll get on a regular workout routine.’ ‘Someday I’ll play sports again.’ ‘Someday I’ll have more time to spend with my kids.’ Our message is: why keep waiting? Local YMCAs are a place where you can do this today.”

Because personal change can be difficult, it’s important to take steps to make sure you stick with a routine:

• Write it down: Write down exactly what you want to accomplish…and don’t hide it away in your desk drawer! Post your goals in a prominent place where you’ll view them, and remind yourself every day. Keep a journal of your progress so you can measure yourself and keep yourself accountable.

• Get comfortable with being outside your comfort zone: If change were easy, more people would succeed. Accept that change is difficult. Embrace the challenge.

• Become active: Schedule into your day time for you and or your family to engage in physical activity. Walk, swim, bike on your own or take an exercise class. There is a social aspect to taking fitness classes which increases your probability for continued exercise and the Y offers classes to meet every interest. New classes for Winter I include Tone & Pump, Kids Yoga and Homeschool Gym Class. Whether or not your goals are fitness-related, eating properly and being physically engaged is important to a healthy lifestyle.

• Don’t do it alone: Difficult changes can become almost impossible when you bear the weight alone. It’s important to enlist support. A support system not only holds you accountable, it makes things more fun. Let others help you, and you’ll be more likely to accomplish your goals while also fostering stronger relationships in your life.

Community resources like the YMCA offer seniors, families, and others a place to gather and support each other in a healthy social environment. The YMCA is a nonprofit and believes all should have the resources to achieve health and wellness. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.

To learn more about the YMCA and the “Start Your Someday Today” Open House events, visit www.ymca-bc.org.

About the Y
The YMCA of Burlington & Camden Counties is a cause-driven, community based, charitable nonprofit organization that strengthens community by building healthy, confident, connected and secure children, adults and families. With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the community’s health and well-being and provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Throughout neighborhoods across the two counties and its 50+ sites, the Y makes accessible the support and opportunities that empower more than 30,000 people each year to learn, grow and thrive. Visit ymca-bc.org.