Anytime Fitness Hosts PTA Challenge

An area gym is launching a new effort designed to support a Parsippany school and boost business while promoting healthier lifestyles.

The PTA Challenge is the brainchild of  at 1004 Tabor Road. Co-owner Eric Skovronek said the program targets the Parent-Teacher Associations of , and elementary schools.

"For each person who mentions your school when they join, Anytime Fitness will donate $20 to your PTA and give the new member a bonus month of membership," Skovronek said. "This offer applies to anyone—parents, family, friends, neighbors, teachers, etc.—who mentions your school. 

"The school that has the most new members join Anytime Fitness will receive a free cup of yogurt at YoFresh Frozen Yogurt in Denville for all the fifth graders as a graduation gift."

In addition to growing membership at his gym, Skovronek said the PTA Challenge can lead to healthier adults in Parsippany. This, in turn, could show area children the benefits exercise can bring to their lives.

"Nearly one out of every three American children is clinically overweight or obese," he said. "The health and well-being of future generations is undeniably at risk. The primary reason we have so many overweight kids is because they have poor role models: overweight, underactive adults."

Skovronek said too much blame is being placed on children for their condition.

"Adults—parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, neighbors, etc.—need to step up and be better role models if we want our kids to be healthy."

According to recent research as reported by the Exercise Is Medicine website:

• “If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that the children will also be obese. However, when both parents are obese, the children have an 80 percent chance of being obese.” - American Academy of Child & Adolescent Phychiatry.
• “The Factor that puts children at greatest risk of being overweight is having obese parents.” -Stanford University of Medicine researchers.
• More than two-thirds of states (38 out of 50) now have adult obesity rates above 25 percent. In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent

The benefits of exercise are indisputable, Skovronek added.  

Exercise Is Medicine bears that out, citing that regular physical activity at the correct intensity:

• Reduces the risk of heart disease by 40 percent
• Significantly improves overall health
• Lowers the risk of stroke by 27 percent
• Reduces the incidence of high blood pressure, by almost 50 percent
• Reduces the incidence of diabetes by almost 50 percent
• Can reduce mortality and the risk of recurrent breast cancer by almost 50 percent
• Can lower the risk of colon cancer by over 60 percent
• Can reduce the risk of developing of Alzheimer’s disease by one-third
• Can decrease depression as effectively as medications or behavioral therapy.

Skovronek said there are other benefits as well, such as creating lower absenteeism and employee turnover in the workplace, reducing health care costs, boosting productivity and energy, improving sleeping and generating greater self esteem. 

"We want to help adults get started on the road to a healthy lifestyle and to becoming excellent role models—and at the same time helping out local schools," Skovronek said.

"Through a joint effort between Anytime Fitness and the three PTAs, the children at Mt. Tabor, Littleton and Lake Parsippany elementary schools will be able to encourage adults to be good role models for the children around them."

The program runs through June 9, 2012.

For more information on the PTA Challenge, contact Anytime Fitness at 973-998-6300.