The new Downtown YM-YWCA is officially open.
While the popular facility on the ground floor of the Interior Health Building at Ellis Street and Doyle Avenue in 麻豆精选 has been open for a few months, the official cake-cutting took place Wednesday鈥攆ollowed by workouts on the myriad of new exercise equipment available at the gym.
Karlene Sewell, general manger of health initiative for the YM-YWCA of the Central Okanagan said the downtown location is already proving popular with many area residents who have taken out memberships and are benefiting from equipment, programs and health advice for all.
鈥淲e are a mission-oriented centre,鈥� she said, adding staff at the gym use what she called 鈥渆vidence-based鈥� coaching to help people improve their fitness. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just say 鈥榟ere, do this.鈥欌��
And she said a facility like that is needed downtown. A recent study found only 20 per cent of Canadians are currently getting the 150 minutes a week of exercise recommended for a healthy lifestyle.
鈥淲e officially have a pandemic of inactivity in this country,鈥� said Sewell.
One of the many reasons, she said, is people have very busy lives. But much of the activity that keeps them from exercising is done sitting down. And that鈥檚 a big part of the problem.
鈥淪o a lot of what we do here is help people fit exercise into their busy lives.鈥�
And it appears to the Y is a welcome arrival in the downtown core.
Leon Avenue resident James Funshaw, working out on treadmill on Wednesday, said he loves having the Y so close to his home.
鈥淚 walk here, work out and walk home,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very handy.鈥�
Sewell said with the downtown area growing as a residential spot in the city, she expects the facility will continue grow in popularity.
And, she added, being located in the Interior Health Building, it is also convenient for patients who need to be treated there too.
