Get Up and Go Testimonial: A Family Builds Healthier Habits Together

For families working toward healthier lifestyles, meaningful change doesn’t always start with a major transformation. Sometimes, it begins with learning how to build a balanced plate, find new ways to move together, and make small choices that can become lifelong habits.

Families participating in the Get Up and Go program are learning how those everyday choices can make a difference.

For Tamika and her daughter, Isabelle, the program at the T. Boone Pickens YMCA has become more than a weekly class. It has inspired a lifestyle change for their entire family.

“I want to let you guys know how the Get Up & Go program has been inspirational to me and my family. Isabelle has been taken off metformin; her A1c is now 5.2. We look forward to our Saturday meetings. It’s exciting to learn new healthy tips. The plate system is really working for my child. This program has taught us that movement is important, not necessarily exercising. We have adopted a new lifestyle change and are having fun while doing it.”

— Tamika

Building Healthy Habits as a Family

Through our partnership with Children’s Health, the YMCA is proud to offer Get Up and Go, a free, 10-week weight management program designed for children ages 6–14 and their parents or guardians.

The family-focused program gives children and their families practical tools to develop and maintain healthy habits together.

Each week, families participate in physical activities, explore healthy lifestyle topics such as nutrition and cooking, and set goals with a YMCA-trained staff member. Rather than focusing only on traditional exercise, the program helps families understand that movement can take many forms and that being active can also be fun!

The curriculum was developed by physicians and Registered Dietitians at Children’s Health to help children and families better understand how lifestyle choices can affect their overall health, both today and as children grow into adulthood.

For families like Tamika and Isabelle, those lessons extend beyond the weekly sessions and into everyday life.

Creating Change That Lasts

One of the most powerful parts of Get Up and Go is that children aren't making changes alone. Parents and guardians participate alongside them, creating opportunities for the entire household to learn, move, and build healthier habits together.

Tamika’s experience demonstrates what can happen when families have access to education, encouragement, and a supportive environment!

And perhaps one of the most important lessons her family has taken from the program is a simple one: Healthy living doesn't have to feel like a chore.

It can mean moving more. Trying something new at the dinner table. Setting a goal together. Celebrating progress. And, most importantly, having fun along the way.

Interested in Get Up and Go?

Families interested in participating in Get Up and Go should speak with their child’s physician about a referral to the program. Once a referral is received, families will be contacted about enrollment.

Learn more about Get Up and Go and discover how your family can begin building healthy habits together.