Easton YMCA: Thirteen Acres of Ways to Stay Active and Connected

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EASTON - Some of the best value in a community sits on a hilltop. The Easton Phillipsburg YMCA at 1225 West Lafayette Street occupies 13 acres on College Hill and offers programs for people of every age, from infants to seniors. Between October 15 and October 31, new members pay a $0 join fee, and members register for programs at a lower rate, with classes available for a November 1 start.

The facility list reads like a small campus: a heated indoor pool, a lap pool, a whirlpool, a sauna, a steam room, a full-court gymnasium, an indoor track, a spin studio, a dance studio, and a newly renovated wellness center with a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment and weight stations. Group exercise classes are included for members. For older adults, the World Health Organization recommends activity that mixes balance and strength training on three or more days a week to improve daily function and help prevent falls, and the Easton branch offers the tools and classes to do exactly that. Easton also hosts free Senior Connect gatherings for 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."

Families can fit a lot into one building. Stay & Play offers up to two hours of free daily drop-in babysitting for members, and the Forks Education Center provides child care from infancy through preschool, including PA’s free Pre-K Counts program. Kids can take swim lessons, join Junior Sixers basketball, or sign up for Parent's Night Out evenings on December 4, January 8, and February 5. Member-only Fun Family Friday events, such as Winter Cozy Cabin Fun on December 4, give families a low-pressure night out together. Time together matters. Strong social ties are linked to a 50 percent greater likelihood of survival, according to a review of 148 studies.

Membership also opens the door to every River Crossing YMCA branch, free InBody scans every 90 days, and an app for scheduling and tracking. Join online or stop by the Easton branch before October 31. Try one swim, one class and one family event in your first two weeks, and the routine will start to take shape.

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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