Santa Monica creates program to encourage healthier lifestyle

Amancai BirabenStaff WriterThe city of Santa Monica recently created a program called Active Santa Monica to encourage residents to engage in healthier lifestyles. The program focuses on different types of exercise each month.The first event was held in the Memorial Park fitness room. Though admission normally costs $4 to $5, during the week of Jan. 23, admission was free. The entire program, however, will be held at different locations.“We kicked off the program by using the fitness room for a week,” Santa Monica’s Community Recreation Manager Kathy LePrevost said. “The great thing about the fitness room is that it has no membership, so people can just drop in when they want.”Along with training machines in the fitness room, the participants of the week-long event had the option of participating in Yoga Sculpt, Group Fitness and an Abs Workout. In addition, after this event, Active Santa Monica will branch out to other forms of exercise, such as cycling.“Some of the activities will cost money, and some will be free. It all depends on what the activity is,” LePrevost said.This program was created to highlight global health issues, and inform Santa Monica residents of what they can do to avoid them, mainly through exercise.“We wanted to encourage people to become more active in Santa Monica. There are so many health problems, such as child obesity, so we wanted to create a citywide program that will encourage people to be active,” LePrevost said.According to LePrevost, this program will enhance the well-being of the Santa Monica  community through fitness and learning how to live a healthy life.“We will show the community different options provided by the city," LePrevost said. "And by doing this, we hope to create a healthy environment."abiraben@thesamohi.com