The Winning "Losers" On Track for Success
 This year, the Fitness Unit ran its inaugural Lose to Win 12-week weight loss challenge. It began the first week of February and concluded at the end of April. The 34 participants that completed the program lost a total of 257 pounds and more importantly, created a healthier lifestyle with regular exercise.
Each participant received several perks such as: an unlimited 30-day group fitness pass, a beginning and ending assessment, a weekly webpage with health and exercise tips and healthy recipes, a 12-week exercise and nutrition journal, weekly weigh-ins and prizes for weigh-in participants. The male winner, Kim Brown, lost a total of 24 pounds and spoke to John Streit, Sports Correspondent for the Beacon stating, "This time, I'm going to keep it off. I'm going to continue to work toward my target weight."
Heather Whitley, the female winner who lost 16 pounds, said that she "started this long journey and needed the extra motivation to lose the weight." Neither Kim, nor Heather started the program expecting to win, but both are excited to continue working out with a personal trainer for the 6 one-hour sessions that they each won.
Look for the Lose to Win weight loss challenge to begin again in January 2011! |
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Meet the Instructor: Rita Cohen
 Though she has lived in the US most of her life, certified ZumbaŽ Fitness instructor Rita Cohen is a native of Accra, Ghana, in West Africa, and still speaks many of its languages. In fact, Rita is a proficient speaker and writer of several languages, and often works as a linguist and interpreter for the federal government. She loves using her dance (Ballet, Jazz, Ballroom, Belly Dance), music (a professional classically trained singer), and language (mostly Spanish) background to lead fun and energetic ZumbaŽ classes. Rita is a graduate of the University of Virginia (B.A.) and the Manhattan School of Music (M.M.). She resides in Virginia Beach with her husband and their two children.
Check the group fitness schedule at Bayside to take a ZumbaŽ class with Rita. |
Please Note Our Upcoming Facility Closures
All Community Recreation Centers and Owl Creek Tennis Center will be closed on May 31 for Memorial Day.
Don't forget that your membership is good at all six Virginia Beach Recreation Centers! If your usual center is closed for maintenance, take the opportunity to visit another center. Use this locator to help you find one! |
Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation believes all of our diverse citizens have a right to participate in community recreation and we are committed to creating equal access for everyone who may have a challenge or barrier. If you or your child require additional support, we can help. Learn more about our accommodation and inclusion services. |
We welcome your comments and questions. Feel free to email us at fun@vbgov.com. |
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Virginia Beach Parks & Recreation is accredited by CAPRA,
the certifying agency of the National Recreation and Park Association. |
"You must eat a snack that contains protein between 3 and 4 pm. Go for a protein bar, a piece of low fat cheese, or some almonds with an apple. No matter what, do not miss that snack. It's important because it boosts metabolism and balances blood sugar. The lower you keep your blood sugar, the lower you keep your insulin, and insulin makes you store fat around your middle. Eating every three to four hours will deep your blood sugar even, but many people tend to go five or six hours between lunch and dinner without eating."
Oh, how the times have changed! We've revamped our water fitness classes to give you more options for a better water workout. Take a look at our new 
Virginia Beach ranked 17th in the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) American Fitness Index! The ACSM American Fitness Index (AFI) program provides an evidence- and science-based measurement of the state of health and fitness at the community level throughout the US.
