YMCA of the North Blog

Get "Red-Y" to be kind to your heart

Diane Schnell is a familiar face from the New Hope Y. As a staff member often seen at the front desk, she knew all about the great benefits the Y had to offer, but had never given personal training a shot.

Even though there’s snow on the ground, it’s time to start thinking summer—camp, that is!

Yoga has become ubiquitous in our culture – but does that mean you should do it?

Cultivate your green thumb year round.

Made in Minnesota: Food Facts

Garbanzo Bonanza

12 healthy ideas for the new year

SMART resolutions you can live by.

Winter Recipes are delicious and healthy when you cook with what’s season. Check out a few great recipes.

Ever wandered by a cycle studio at the gym, heard the pumping music and curiously peered through the window at the mass of sweating bodies pedaling furiously? Intimidated? Don’t be!

When many people think of healthy grocery shopping, they picture spending a fortune at a high-end market. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat healthy.

Packing lunch for yourself or your kids is a great way to save cash and maintain healthy eating habits away from home. But it’s more fun when you have a little inspiration.

Looking for a way to jump start fat loss and keep your workouts interesting? Try adding interval training to your routine.

Need last-minute gift ideas for the workout pro in your life? Or maybe something for a friend who’s just getting started on a healthier lifestyle. There’s something for everyone on this list of health-inspired holiday gifts.

A growing body of research points to the fact that time spent in contact with nature is good for everyone, but that it’s particularly vital to the healthy development of kids.

A growing body of research points to the fact that time spent in contact with nature is good for everyone, but that it’s particularly vital to the healthy development of kids.

The obesity and diabetes epidemics currently facing this nation threaten the future health of our communities and touch all demographics, regardless of age, race/ethnicity, or economic background.

Like most nonprofits, the YMCA depends on the generosity of people like you to help impact the communities we serve. Your donation stays in your community and ensures thousands of children and families in the Twin Cities can pursue health and wellbeing at

Our parents said breakfast was the most important meal of the day. Their parents told them the same thing.

Research shows the average American gains seven pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s – then spends the next several weeks trying to undo the damage.

It’s that time of year again – holiday decorations, cards and cookies, office parties and lights on the tree. And one more thing: Nonprofit donation appeals in your inbox.

The holiday season is a time to reflect on and give thanks for what we have, celebrate with the people we love, and give back to our community.

An Interview with Paul Tough, author of How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. Learn about why character strengths are critical to success and what camps offer kids as unique learning environments.

Benefits of Day Camp for both kids and families.

Shake up your routine and keep it interesting with interval workouts like this.

Dave Fredericks hated exercising until he walked through the doors of the Eagan Y in June. Plagued with high blood pressure and sleep apnea, he knew it was time to make a life change and live healthier not only for himself but his family as well.

Jo Taliaferro has been teamed up with Personal Trainer Kelly Fox at the Shoreview Y. They’ve been working together since January after completing a New Leaf Metabolic Assessment in December to jump start her weight loss efforts.

Armin “Whitey” Luehrs had a 41 ½ year career with the YMCA and was one of the most highly recognized camping specialists from 1948 - 1990. Within the camping movement of his time, he was considered legendary by his peers.

A great lunch isn’t just inspiring, it’s energizing. Try these.

This course is for children between the ages of 11 and 14 and teaches them the skills necessary to become Safe Sitters.

Richard Louv’s book, “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder,” makes the case that “never before in history have children been so plugged in—and so out of touch with the natural world,” a condition destructive to their development on every level.

Minnetonka Heights Community Program (supervised by the Ridgedale YMCA) is a unique, apartment-based initiative that’s been helping kids and families from low-income backgrounds for more than a decade.

YMCA water safety lessons help kids learn how to be safe in the water; they also teach them to be “teachers.”

Tips for enjoying the Fair without all the fat.

Y Camps believe in conservation of natural resources and stewardship of the land we use. Practicing “Leave No Trace” principals is an integral part of our camping programs.

"It’s amazing how the little things can build over time, slowly transforming who you are."

As a Freshman coming to the University of Minnesota, I saw the University YMCA as an opportunity to work in the Twin Cities community and utilize the values and skills I had obtained from my past experiences with the YMCA. I was able to find a community within the University YMCA where I felt welcomed, respected, and important. This experience helped me handle the immensity of the University of Minnesota that was intimidating to me as a young college student.

I arrived in the fall of 1963. Working with students we eventually initiated several new U-Y programs began including Project Motivation (student mentors for inner city children) Project Friendship (mentors for incarcerated youth), and a signature series of Conferences on Values in Higher Education for top University student leaders and faculty.

At the Y, we believe everyone has a right to good health. Which is why we did everything we could to make sure Amanda could end her long commute to Courage Center for her cerebral palsy therapy and instead get her therapy workout at the Downtown St Paul YMCA.  The right access and the right equipment made all a big difference. 

They say time heals all wounds but what a person does with the scars that remain is the real test. Mike Stahl has passed that test and then some.

When Amy’s husband Jeff was deployed to Kuwait from May 2011-May 2012, she found herself a single parent with a son suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome. Determined to get herself back into shape, she joined the Y and committed herself to being healthy.

Every Y member has a story. Most are “normal,” some are “special,” each is unique. This story illustrates the strength of the human spirit, and the Y’s dedication to helping people remain strong in spirit, mind and body.

Then—suddenly—came headaches, blurred vision, numbness on his right side, six grueling weeks in Intensive Care, and the diagnosis of a life-threatening brain-stem infection.

“This is too dangerous for surgery,” his doctors said. Antibiotics beat back the infection, but Michael was left paralyzed in his arms and legs. “My right arm hung limp, flopping around like a mudflap on a semi,” he recalls.

Michael spent the next six months learning life in a wheelchair and wondering about his future.

“I didn’t get depressed,” he says. “I remember thinking, I wouldn’t even be able to get to a bridge, never mind jump off it.”

Michael fought back. A major battleground was the workout room at the Downtown YMCA. He started slow with weights and adapted cardio equipment, but soon saw progress. Over time he regained his fitness (losing more than 50 pounds), got strength in his arms, and traded in his wheelchair for a cane.

In 1998 Michael received the “YMCA Inspirational Award” from the Downtown Y staff and members. “He’s our locker room hero,” a Y friend said.

Today Michael maintains his daily workout regimen and uses that cane only sporadically. He remains positive, upbeat, looking to the future. How does he do it?

“The Y has been a wonderful support,” he says. “The staff and members have been very encouraging.”

Michael also offers these practical points for others facing life-changing challenges.

1. Surround yourself with good people.
2. Look within yourself—find your personal strength and determination.
3. Be consistent—create a routine that you miss when you miss it.
4. On those days when you don’t feel like doing it—do it anyway.
5. Be motivated by your results and progress—they will come!

If you need special support to help you begin or maintain your fitness journey, or if you know someone else who does, please feel free to contact your local Y’s Fitness department. The Y is here to help!

My body needed some serious maintenance and I finally thought, “That’s it!” I need to do something. I made a conscious decision to commit to improving my health, which included quitting smoking and exercising (not necessarily in that order).

I set a date to quit smoking. February 1, 2006. I decided to join the Y because most of my family members already belonged. I was still smoking when I joined the Y, so cardio was out of the question.

Working out on the machines was a chore…zzzzzzz. My sister introduced me to Body Pump and exercising actually became fun. I really wanted to take the next step and enter a more intensive cardio arena. I’d gained over 20 pounds after I quit smoking and I needed something new.

I had walked by Jennie’s TurboKick classes MANY times, but was very intimidated. I decided it was now or never. In my first few classes I anxiously tried to keep up - my brain and body weren’t on the same page. 

But I admit I was hooked in no time. People are drawn to the positive energy in the class (or maybe it’s Jennie coaxing us…”You’re tired; I DON’T CARE”). Gotta love it! Jennie’s classes are very fun, upbeat, and challenging in a good way. She makes workouts fun!

I feel as if I’ve awakened from a long slumber. I’ve shaken off the cobwebs of a sedentary lifestyle and have a new lease on life. I may not have lost the whole 20 pounds I gained six years ago, but more importantly, I’m healthier!

Thanks to Fitness Instructor Jennie Berglund for sharing this story!