A Full Wellness Routine, Right in the Heart of Bethlehem

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BETHLEHEM - When a household starts looking closely at where each dollar goes, the places that give back more than they take become easy to spot. The Bethlehem YMCA at 430 East Broad Street is one of them. From October 15 through October 31, River Crossing YMCA is offering a $0 join fee to new members, and members register for programs at a lower member rate, with plenty of classes ready for a November 1 start. It is a simple way to build a healthy routine for the whole family around one local membership.

The Bethlehem branch has an indoor lap pool, gymnasium, a fitness center featuring state-of-the-art equipment, a recently updated weight room, a racquetball court, an indoor track, and a sauna and steam room, plus group exercise classes that are free to members.

"We know rising costs are putting a lot of pressure on people right now, especially families, so we want to do all we can to make sure everyone knows the Y is here for you," said Trish Feinthel, chief operations officer for River Crossing YMCA. "Self-care, affordable youth sports and senior connections are just as important, if not more important than they ever have been, so we want to bring as many people into that fold as possible."

Federal guidelines suggest adults aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, along with muscle-strengthening work on two days. That works out to about 30 minutes, five days a week, and a brisk walk around the indoor track counts. Research on daily steps shows the payoff arrives well before the famous 10,000 mark, with benefits leveling off around 6,000 to 8,000 steps for adults 60 and older and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults. Rain, snow, and dark evenings do not have to change the plan.

Families have plenty to choose from, too. Parent and child swim lessons start at 6 months, and a study of childhood drownings found that formal swim lessons were associated with a lower drowning risk in children ages 1 to 4. Kids can try basketball, soccer, gymnastics and Kindergym, while teens and adults can drop into free member classes such as Teen Basketball and Men's Basketball for ages 25 and up. With an on-site child care center and before and after school care, the Y can anchor a busy week. The branch’s popular Stay & Play member benefit offers fun activities for children in a safe, supervised environment while parents/guardians attend to their wellness needs at the branch.

Beyond the equipment, the Y offers something harder to measure, which is people. A review of 148 studies found that people with strong social relationships had a 50 percent greater likelihood of survival than those with weaker ones. A regular class, a friendly face at the pool, or a free Senior Connect gathering is how those connections begin. Membership also includes access to every River Crossing branch, free InBody scans every 90 days, and an app for schedules and tracking. Join online at or stop by the branch before October 31, and start with one class this week. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify.

River Crossing YMCA (formerly YMCA of Bucks and Hunterdon Counties and Greater Valley YMCA) is a charitable, nonprofit organization committed to strengthening communities through membership and programs that foster youth development, healthy living and social responsibility for all. Annually, the Y serves over 100,000 members and participants at its 11 member branches, 12 early childhood centers, 20 summer camp locations and 44 school age child care programs. River Crossing YMCA provides over $12 million of community impact annually in the form of financial assistance to individuals and families in need and free programming for veterans, cancer survivors, older adults and more. To learn more visit ymcarivercrossing.org.

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