Solutions to childhood obesity, lack of physical activity and food insecurity require difficult lifestyle changes. Teaching healthy habits is at the heart of how the Y supports the development of over nine million youth annually.

I have found that those that are the most successful in life are not the ones that can separate work and life, but those that can combine their life and their work into their life’s work.

But what I have learned almost three months into this resolution is that silencing my phone and taking time away with the people I love most has recharged me in a way I didn’t realize was possible. And now I see how essential that is for my personal well-being.

Summer camps aren’t one size fits all. When choosing a summer camp for your child, it’s important that you choose the right camp to fit your camper’s needs, interests, goals and energy level.

Don’t allow these extended weekends due to snow days, and long cold nights get the best of you and your family. Stay optimistic and charged with these ideas for your family to stay active and engaged these last couple of cold weeks.

I give to the Carlisle Family YMCA because I’m investing in my community, and providing a brighter future for our children.

As I reflect over the past year and look forward into 2015, I begin to toss around some ideas for a New Year’s resolution or two for the coming year.

I’m always surprised when I see the impact camp can have on youth in plain black and white. I always wonder if others can see what we see as counselors or staff when kids come to camp and leave transformed.

This is my favorite time of year, where special days are completely devoted to family and loved ones we don’t get to see often. We get to share some laughs, good food and remind them our loved ones how much we care about them.

It’s that “proud parent” moment that keeps campers and counselors bonded in that special unique summer camp way. Thank you, parents, for sharing some of your child’s special experiences with our counselors.

In my time with these young people, I also have had the opportunity to employ some of them as counselors for our camping program at the Y. I am always amazed at how much someone can grow in a single summer.

If you can burn the same amount – or more – calories in 30 minutes of interval training as you do with 1 hour of regular, steady state cardio or weight training with rest in between each set, why would you not try interval training?

When you join the Carlisle Family YMCA, you’re not just joining a gym. You’re helping us to strengthen our community from the inside out in so many different ways, each and every day.

When most people think of the Y they think of a place to work out or swim or somewhere to send their kids for summer camps. And the Y is that. But what I have learned since I started working here is that the Y isn’t just a place – it is a community of people working out together, swimming together, going to camp together and so much more.

Camp has taught me not only physical skills, but also leadership qualities, teamwork qualities and skills that not just anyone has.