Shape Up US contributes to building a healthy future for America’s children by hosting Health & Wellness Expos across the country that promote the improvement of the health, fitness and overall well-being of youth and their families. These free events that are attended by up to 10,000 people promote wellness, create awareness about a healthy lifestyle and provide a day of fun for the entire family.
What you will find at Health & Wellness Expos:
As soon as you arrive, you will begin discovering the wealth of information, physical activities, demonstrations and entertainment designed to create awareness of heart disease and other avoidable medical conditions as well as ways to prevent them.
Activities: Exhibitors offer giveaways or fun activities for attendees, providing a variety of information, take home items and most of all, FUN! Thousands of participants at this event enjoy tumbling, tug-of-war and other fitness contests, games, hands-on cooking, food tasting, arts and crafts projects, inflatables, dancing, “CLAP FOR KIDS℠” contests with prizes and much more.
Entertainment: As kids take a break from the activities, they enjoy the entertainment on multiple stages located throughout the expo. Continuous live entertainment features sports team mascots, local and nationally recognized musicians, dance and gymnastic performances, and martial arts troupes. Eric James, Shape Up US’ hip-hop artist, also performs on stage!
Booths: Hundreds of booths provide information on everything you can imagine related to healthy living. Examples include heart health, dental care, fitness, nutrition, exercise stations and tools for a positive and productive lifestyle; youth programs sponsored by Parks and Recreation, YMCA, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts; a variety of risk behavior prevention programs; grocery stores with samples of produce that kids love to eat and other information about healthy food choices.
What you will get at Health & Wellness Expos:
Heart Health: Height, weight, and blood pressure readings; interactive assessment for the family; BMI and body fat composition screening.
Safety: Child fingerprinting; 9-1-1 demonstrations; water and helmet safety; kids’ and families’ Q & A about their health and safety; ambulance and fire truck tours.
Dental Care: Information and demonstrations on proper brushing and flossing techniques; toothpaste, toothbrushes and tooth floss giveaways.
Fitness: Opportunities to participate in boxing, gymnastics, flag football, volleyball, weight training, jump roping, dancing, karate, soccer, batting cages, basketball, yoga, hockey, kickball, obstacle courses, games, challenges, hula-hoops, soccer, tai chi, JUST CLAP FOR LIFE! and much more.
Nutrition: Cooking Stations; healthy food samplings; the Cook-Off Challenge in which attendees are challenged to prepare delicious, healthy, nutritious food – teams compete to create fabulous dishes and the contestants and crowds learn how to easily prepare great food; a chance to create your own granola.
Positive and Productive Living: Tools for financial fitness and living in synch with your environment; mini-massages; meditation and stress management techniques.
Health & Wellness Expos Goals:
- Promote awareness and discussion of health and wellness among family members, teachers and schools on how to assess and address their personal and community wellness.
- Strengthen community by connecting attendees with businesses, media, sports teams, schools and universities, non-profit organizations, and city service organizations (fire and police departments, hospitals, and local governments) around issues related to health promotion and wellness.
- Introduce Hip Hop Healthy Heart Program for Children™, Shape Up US’ continuing education program for teachers and their K-6th grade students.