Teenager Does His Part to Reverse the Epidemic

Today I ran across a story about a 17 year old in Memphis, TN, Steven Hollingshead who is working towards reducing childhood obesity in his community (read story). Hollingshead started "Get Moving" at his local YMCA to get his peers exercising and feeling better about themselves. Hollingshead recognized that his peers needed help and he got moving.

Every Monday thru Friday from 3 to 7 pm Hollingshead conducts Get Moving Sessions at his local YMCA. He spilts his 40 to 50 person program into two rotating groups with one doing cardio and weightlifting activities well the other does their homework. While role modeling a healthy lifestlye he also leads by example in the classroom. He has a 4.0 GPA.

He and his program demonstrate the important interlock between exercise and school. Exercise not only makes you feel better about yourself, gives you energy, but it also improves your cognitive ability. It gives you the discipline you need to suceed in school and the confidence to do so.

Get Moving participants are proof of the power exercise can have on scholastic achievement. "I'd say 90 percent of the students that come here now are on the honor roll and it wasn't always that way," said Sabrina Norwood who manages the YMCA at which Hollingshead runs the program.

To honor all he is doing Hollingshead won a $1,000 Teen Wellness Leaders scholarship from the National YMCA and Amway Global. Congrats Steven and keep up the great work!

We should follow Steven's example and encourage our kids, friends, parents and peers to be active and eat healthy. We can also be a good role model for those around us by exercising regularly and demonstrating healthy eating habits, so like Steven Hollingshead, we too can be part of the solution!