Each year we take our Fitness class outside to enjoy the natural beauty that is Gatineau Park! It is a much loved outing by our young moms and staff, and hiking is a great activity for our moms to continue with their children as they grow up.
Please enjoy some photos from the sunny fall day that we enjoyed our hike!
Each year in our fitness program, we try to provide unique outings and opportunities for our young moms. One such outing is a trip to Gatineau Park for a hike. This not only provides a chance for physical fitness, but hiking is also good for the soul as it connects us to nature and can do wonders for stress relief. It is important to us to teach lifelong, affordable physical activities that our young moms can continue to do throughout their lives, and with their children. Please enjoy a few photos from our recent hike in the Gatineaus.
This fall, as part of our Physical Education Program, our students had the opportunity to go for a hike in beautiful Gatineau Park.This special field trip was part of Take Me Outside Day,
A day that began as cloudy and rainy quickly turned to a day filled with smiles, laughter, sweat, great stories and a sense of peace for our students. It was so great to see moms at school early, even on a rainy, muddy day, ready to travel to the park to take on this fitness challenge!
It was a wonderful chance to introduce Youville’s young moms to Gatineau Park and to an activity that they could continue throughout their lives with their children. It was also a leadership activity, as our young moms pushed past their comfort zones and proved to themselves that they could try a new activity. They set a goal to complete the hike and they achieved it!
Our Physical Education program focuses on the mind body connection, specifically how exercise and benefit academic focus and performance. Not only does an activity like a hike help keep our students active, it also helps with mental and emotional wellness, improves academic focus and concentration and improves the brain’s potential for processing new information. The science behind our Physical Education Program is inspired greatly by John Ratey’s book, Spark, which “presents the pairing of fitness activities to academics to affix learning”(Ratey).
With the academic year winding down and summer school on the horizon, our Phys. Ed. class decided to take fitness to another level — a university level, if you will!
Due to the generosity of the University of Ottawa, our young moms received the opportunity to exercise in a well-equipped athletic centre and on an outdoor athletic field! A five minute walk down the street to the University of Ottawa’s Minto Sports Complex (a very accessible location) helped our students get the most out of their Phys. Ed. classes without skipping a beat.
The University of Ottawa donated their time and talent to provide our students with a Personal Trainer for 4 sessions in the gym and outside on the track and athletic field. The Personal Trainer, Adrian, motivated our young moms to do their best as they worked out using cardio machines, weight machines and the outdoor athletic field. Weight training instruction and guidance was given, allowing our students to be safe and to get the most out of their workout.
It was also beneficial for our students to see other students working out in the U of O facility — not only did it motivate them but also it provided a glimpse of what they might be able to use if they decide to enrol at the university someday!
Special thanks to Mr. Sabourin, Manager of Fitness and Instructional Programs; Elizabeth Wattie, Assistant Manager of Fitness Programs; Personal Trainer Adrian, and Luc Gelineau from the University of Ottawa for making this partnership possible. We look forward to the possibility of joining forces yet again with the University of Ottawa as we continue to provide holistic services for our young moms.
On a snowy day last week, a group of Youville moms and their teachers braved the cold and enjoyed a fun and exciting field trip to the Rideau Canal! Everyone laced up their skates and bundled up in their winter gear; both of which were generously donated and loaned to our students by donors and staff members. It is always so wonderful when we can combine our Fitness Program with a fun-filled field trip and offer our young moms an experience they may not otherwise have the time or resources to experience.
Our Youville moms showed off their graceful moves and positive attitudes during this skating trip, and they enjoyed getting out on the canal for a unique fitness class.
If you’d like to support our skating trips in the future, we are always hoping for donations of skates, winter coats, snowpants, mitts, hats and scarves.Please contact us at (613) 231-5150 Ext. 128 if you’d like to donate.
Happy Skating, everyone!
