Local YMCA Has Programs for the New You

The new year is now in full swing. With this in mind, thousands of citizens across the United States are taking the initiative to change and grow with the “new year, new you” mentality. While gyms are typically the places people think of to get a jumpstart on their new lifestyle, the YMCA offers a variety of programs for people to participate in.

“It is not necessarily the same mom-and-pop gym that you get,” said Hernando YMCA Executive Director Kent Reiber. “This is a family where people can come and really get whatever their goals are for the year.”

Having been in his position with the 5,600-member branch of the association for the last 17 months, Reiber and company are dedicated to helping the people of Hernando County live better lives.

With one of the most active branches in their association, they have a very engaged staff and clientele. They offer classes for exercises such as yoga, Pilates, Zumba, and are often “pretty full throughout the day,” Reiber noted.

An 8,500-square-foot wellness center now serves as a mainstay for members of all ages to exercise their bodies. It is one of their newer wings at the facility and the YMCA has been continuing to take strides in updating the campus since its foundation.

The wellness center has a multi-purpose space with kettlebells, medicine balls, and even a jungle gym-esque setup as well. There is free-weight equipment with dumbbells, squat racks, Smith machines, and pretty much anything else one would expect from a gym.

The YMCA’s fitness services also include personal trainers and “smart starts,” which are “a way for our members to be able to engage with whatever their goals are and for us to be able to connect them to their goals,” Reiber added.

Karate is a “new” addition they will be providing this year, too. The association had previously offered these classes until the end of 2022, when their previous instructor left. With a new teacher now in tow, the staff is preparing to relaunch their karate curriculum this year.

“Jumpstart,” which is another one of the newer programs the organization provides, focuses on group-based personal training. The advantage of this, Reiber reasoned, is that people are more motivated to carry out an exercise regimen when they do so with others.

Programs like these give “the youth an opportunity to do something outside of school” and helps keep them out of trouble by giving them “an opportunity for them to come and connect with different peers of their age and get out some of those frustrations through karate,” continued Reiber.

The staff also emphasizes the importance of swimming instruction with their “Safety Around Water” program. With 11 Hernando County citizens perishing from drowning in 2023 and only two dying of the cause in 2024, classes such as these appear to be having a positive impact on the community.

In the past year alone, the YMCA saw over 1,600 children enrolled in these programs, and the organization wants to continue to grow its numbers. “In my opinion, no one should drown in Hernando County,” stated the executive director.

Cycling (as part of their “Peddling for Parkinson’s” program) and pickleball are all offered by the association as well. They even have a child daycare wing to look after the kids of members who show up to take part in their various programs.

The organization offers a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere for those from all walks of life. Long-time member and nurse Tara Walsh noted, “This is where I found my community […] I feel like I am meant to be here.”

Coming up, the YMCA will be hosting a “Parents Night Out Red Carpet Party” on January 17. The evening event, which runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., gives children a fun night out with pizza and popcorn. It also offers parents the opportunity to have a night out of their own while their kids are supervised.

Building more social programs for isolated seniors is also of critical importance to them as they look to improve the lives of everyone in Hernando County. Down the road, Reiber and company hope to continue their expansion to provide more services to the citizens of Hernando County.

“I think one of the things we want people to know, the [YMCA] is not just a gym,” said Ann-Gayl Ellis, Senior Membership Director at Hernando YMCA. “We are here to serve our community from a physical standpoint, but also a social standpoint and emotional and mental health.”

Further information about the local “Y” and its membership details can be found at www.ymcasuncoast.org.