Urban Active Opens Doors FREE to Public for the 9th Annual Get Active America! Program

May 2, 2012 - PRLog -- Urban Active (Atlanta, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Omaha, Toledo, Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington and Northern Kentucky) is joining forces with the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) – in support of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move!- to help America become physically active and improve their diet.  As part of this year’s 9th Annual Get Active America! program, Urban Active will also encourage its communities to pursue the President’s Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) by being active and making more healthy food choices for 5 days a week for at least 6 out of 8 weeks.  In doing so, Urban Active is offering FREE workouts for the entire month of May along with a complimentary Jumpstart Personal Training Session for its local non-members.

The goal is to help make exercise more accessible to millions of Americans, and motivate them to take the first step toward a healthier lifestyle. The Get Active America! program is part of a continuous effort by the health club industry to change the direction of the nation’s health. In its 9th year, the program has aligned itself with the President’s Active Lifestyle Award (Obama’s PALA+) and the First Lady Michelle Obama’s  Let’s Move! initiative.

The PALA+ challenge is a commitment to being active five days a week and working on several nutritional goals for at least six weeks. For adults, that includes 30 minutes of physical activity a day, while for children that is 60 minutes per day. For more information, please visit www.presidentschallenge.org.

Since First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Let’s Move! campaign in 2010, a number of targeted efforts within the initiative have been introduced in an effort to reduce the nation’s rate of childhood obesity. There are now 790 Let’s Move groups in 331 cities in the US and overseas. Additional information is available at www.letsmove.gov

Obesity levels in the United States continue to rise. According to IHRSA, over 35 percent of adults are obese while obesity rates in children tripled over the past two years. To be considered obese, a person has a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. With the extra weight comes a myriad health issue — obesity contributes to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, depression, sleep apnea, respiratory problems, osteoarthritis, and some cancers.

“Urban Active realizes how challenging it is to make healthy lifestyle changes and how valuable it is to have the support of those around you,” says Coby DeVary COO of Urban Active. “We are here to offer the tools to those in our communities who want to improve their well-being and acquire more physically active lives. At Urban Active, we have the resources and professionals on staff to help them succeed. We are proud to be participating in the 9th Annual Get Active! program and hope that many people will take advantage of the free workouts we are offering this entire month of May.”

Please visit www.urbanactive.com for more information about club amenities and to find a location near you.

About IHRSA
The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. The association’s membership includes over 9,000 clubs in 75 countries, along with over 640 industry suppliers. IHRSA is committed to taking a leadership role in advancing physical activity, which is critical to America's health and the battle against obesity and disease. IHRSA supports effective national initiatives to promote more active lifestyles for all Americans and is working to pass laws that will help affect societal changes toward a more fit America.