Independence Township Parks and Recreation’s New Year’s resolution this year is to help the community lose weight and enjoy the perks of being fit.
‘We want to get familes focused on their activity levels,? ITP&R Recreation Supervisor Kelly Hyer said.
The focus will come in the form of the new health and fitness program Club Active and the Families Always Moving event series which kicks off on Jan. 13 with ITP&R’s Cabin Fever Cure from 6-9 p.m. at Clarkston High School. A $5 fee is charged per family of four for the Cabin Fever Cure, with each additional member costing $1.
FAM is designed to assist families in making healthier nutritional choices and increasing their activity and exercise levels. Club Active works within the framework of FAM, tracking residents progress and dispensing awards for increased activity levels.
‘We really want to be a leader in getting people active,? Hyer said.
As the kickoff for both FAM and Club Active, the Cabin Fever Cure is intended to be a fun exercise experience for the whole family. Some of the activities available will be: parachute games, tumbling, a Xbox dance off, jazzercise, swimming, jump rope, basketball, volleyball and start smart stations for young children.
The Cabin Fever Cure is also the first time people can register for Club Active. As upstanding members of Club Active, families are challenged to increase their activity levels while charting their results on Club Active point cards. For every half hour of activity, participants receive one point. A weekly raffle will dole out prizes to families who turn in their cards each Friday. On July 4, the family which accrues the most points will earn a grand prize.
Those who register will receive a goodie bag filled with information on living healthier and a pair of Club Active toe toggles. The organizers of FAM and Club Active hope people will sport the toe toggles on their shoe laces to show dedication to the programs and a healthy lifestyle.
But, to tell people to be more active might help them for a week, FAM’s role is to show people how to increase their activity and sustain a healthy lifestyle.
‘You don’t have to belong to a gym or have equipment to get in shape,? Hyer said.
Aside from events like the cabin fever cure, FAM literature is packed with helpful ideas and activities revolving around healthy living.
Hyer suggested snowshoeing and cross country skiing during the winter months and mentioned that ITP&R’s walking program would be included in FAM in the spring.
‘We want to remind families it’s important to be active, no matter what they are doing,? Hyer said.
For more information on Club Active, the Cabin Fever Cure or FAM, call ITP&R at 248-625-8223.