Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club Awards CHHS West $500

CHHRC’s Teen Fitness Connection A Summer Success

Cherry Hill High School West Awarded $500

Pictured from left to right: John Piacentino, Fitness Director, CHHRC; Eleanor Stofman, President, CHEF; Susan Bastnagel, First Vice President, CHEF; Brian Kosa, General Manager, CHHRC; Stacy Covelli, Programs Director, CHHRC.

To combat current trends of obesity and lack of activity in American teens, Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club (CHHRC) once again opened its doors to local teens as part of its annual program, the Teen Fitness Connection.

As a partner with the Cherry Hill Township Mayor’s Wellness Campaign, the program began on July 1, 2013 and ended on August 31, 2013. Local teens aged 12-17 were offered a complimentary membership. Teens could utilize all fitness equipment as well as participate in CHHRC’s popular Group Exercise classes. As part of their membership agreement, teens were able to check into the club any weekday morning and leave by 4:30 pm each day, and at any time on Saturday and Sunday.

NEW for summer 2013, we offered an incentive for Cherry Hill students attending East, West, Beck, Carusi, and Rosa.  For every child that joined the program and utilized their membership 16 times (2 x per week,) CHHRC would donate $20 to the Cherry Hill Education Foundation (CHEF) for that child’s Phys. Ed department, on behalf of that child!  Also, an additional GRAND PRIZE of $250 would be awarded to the Cherry Hill school Phys. Ed. department (via CHEF) with the most kids that enrolled, activated, and utilized their memberships during the span of our 2013 Teen Fitness Connection.  *The base qualifier for a school was a minimum of 20 teens for a school to qualify for the $250 prize.

The winner of this year’s GRAND PRIZE is Cherry Hill High School West, with a total number of 22 students enrolled in the Teen Fitness Connection program. A whopping 184 teens from throughout the local area participated in the program, and 40% of participants averaged one visit a week or more!

The Teen Fitness Connection program is part of a continuous effort by CHHRC to expose kids to healthy lifestyles and to change the direction of teen fitness and health in our community. “Our club staff is extremely excited about this community teen program. Our hope is for teens to get active every summer, and continue to experience the health benefits of exercise year-round.” states CHHRC General Manager Brian Kosa.  “With the support of the CHEF, we plan to increase our involvement from the Cherry Hill schools, and tap into our teachers, administration, and counselors to motivate our teens and get the word out.”

For more information about the program at CHHRC, call the club at 856-429-1388, or to pre-register, log on to http://chhrc.com/teenfitness

Cherry Hill Health & Racquet Club (CHHRC) is a family oriented health club that is dedicated to providing the best sports programs and fitness services to the South Jersey area. We pride ourselves in our ability to motivate & retain members, our excellent customer service, and our commitment to the entire family. For more information, visit www.chhrc.com.

The Cherry Hill Education Foundation (CHEF) was founded as a response to the national challenge to keep our young people well equipped and productive in an increasingly competitive, complex and changing world. Its purpose is to provide resources to enhance positive programs for students, while partnering with the schools and the community in the pursuit of excellence.

Don't let Thanksgiving stuff you all season!

Thanksgiving is a fantastic American holiday to stop and appreciate what we have, and to spend time with friends and loved ones. What’s not so fantastic, however, is that it seems to kick off a holiday season of rich, high calorie meals that last until New Year’s Day. Here’s why it’s even more important to push away from the table and not let that second helping become a regular event.

According to a 2010 study out of Linkoping University in Sweden, short term overeating can lead to long term weight gain. Researcher and PhD student, Asa Emersson, tracked 12 men and 6 women with an average age of 26, and a BMI (Body Mass Index) considered healthy, or less than 25. Study participants increased their caloric intake by a whopping 70% for four weeks -- mostly from fast food, or foods high in protein and saturated animal fat.  Participants did not increase their daily activity.

As you might imagine, the participants gained weight -- an average of 14 pounds -- during their four week binge. But what you might not guess is that 6 months after the group went back to a typical diet, the group had only lost about 50% of what they gained. Even a year later, the group still weighed more than where they began. What’s more, two and a half years after than 4 week binge, the body weight average of the group increased by 11 pounds. The control group, who did not binge, did not see an increase in body weight after two and a half years.

If you find yourself stuffed like your turkey this Thanksgiving, make the conscious decision not to overindulge for the rest of the weekend. The pounds you gain may remain long after it’s time to remove that holiday themed sweater!