SENATOR JEFF KLEIN HOSTS CELEBRATION FOR THE STUDENTS OF THE COUNTDOWN TO FITNESS PROGRAM

BRONX, NY – Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) and Urban Health Plan hosted a celebration for the participants of the Countdown to Fitness program, featuring a special Asian noodle and vegetable salad food demonstration on Thursday at the Harding Park Community Center.  All participants received commitment certificates for the dedication to healthy living.

“I’m proud that through my $50,000 funding allocation, we can continue to bring this innovative and effective fitness program to our residents. Countdown to Fitness promotes increased physical activities, offers a variety of nutritious cooking demonstrations, and encourages participants to adapt to a healthier lifestyle through educational seminars. The evaluations taken throughout the year show significant improvement in healthy lifestyle habits for these dedicated participants,” said Senator Klein.

“The Countdown to Fitness Program has generated a lot of interest in the community to get fit and live a healthier lifestyle. We are pleased to partner with Senator Klein to bring the health and wellness information that we share with our patients to the larger Soundview community,” said Paloma Hernandez-Izquierdo, CEO and President of Urban Health Plan.

“At Urban Health Plan, we offer a hands-on cooking class where we teach our patients how to prepare healthy recipes. The Countdown program is a great opportunity to teach the participants that healthy living starts in the kitchen,” said Karla Giboyeaux, RD, Demo Chef at Urban Health Plan.  

Senator Klein allocated $50,000 in state funding for this seven-week fitness and wellness program held by Urban Health Plan in the spring, summer, fall and winter.  These sessions, which offer health lectures, exercise, and cooking demonstrations, are held twice a week. Educational health lessons included addressing the topics of cancer, dental health, diabetes, heart disease, mental health and stress management. Nutritional food demonstrations included chickpea salad, pinto bean salsa, southwestern corn and black bean salad, and tropical fruit smoothies. Students enjoyed special exercise classes, such as aerobics, belly dancing, dancersize, kickboxing, tai chi, and zumba.