The Fit Girls mission is to promote a healthy and active lifestyle that includes regular exercise for the body (running and walking), the mind (reading), and the heart (fundraising for charity).
Who are Fit Girls?
Fit Girls have healthy bodies. Running and walking are easy, inexpensive forms of exercise that strengthen a variety of muscles in our body, including the cardiovascular system. Whether as an individual sport or a social activity, running and walking promote better physical health and better mental health, too. Our approach to exercise is noncompetitive, and each girl is encouraged to find a pace that is comfortable for them. EVERYONE who participates is a winner!
Fit Girls have healthy minds. Reading helps us learn and grow, exposing us to new ideas and new worlds. A good book can often be more than just entertainment - it can be inspiration, motivation, and comfort. By introducing girls to meaningful books and engaging stories, Fit Girls helps young women gain a deeper appreciation for themselves, their communities, and their unlimited potential.
Fit Girls have healthy hearts. Participating in charitable activities allows us to demonstrate our caring for others. Learning about the mission and contributing to the financial goals of a charity enables us to feel and see the value of generosity and the benefits of kindness. It is both powerful and rewarding to realize that we can help make the world a better place. The girls show their kindness to their teammates by supporting and cheering for each other at the workouts.
What is the Fit Girls Fitness Program?
The Fit Girls Fitness Program is a six-week running and reading program for 4th and 5th grade girls. During each six-week session, girls participate in two one-hour workouts per week, gradually increasing the time they spend running or walking, with the final goal of running or walking in a 5K road race.
Participants in Fit Girls dedicate their training and final 5K road race to First Book, a literacy-based non-profit with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books (www.firstbook.org). Part of their "training consists of raising funds for First Book. Fit Girls support of First Book reinforces that growing up healthy means growing up with good books. Fundraising for First Book is a group effort, and each girl should feel successful and proud to be part of the grand total regardless of how much or how little she donates. It should be emphasized that every small bit of generosity can add up to make a BIG difference.
While there is no required reading for Fit Girls participants, the girls are introduced to great books that feature strong female role models. They are encouraged to seek out additional titles at their local libraries and bookstores and are encouraged to read any books of interest to them.
Each Fit Girls participant is provided with a training log in which she records the time and distance she ran or walked during each workout and the books she read during the six-week Fit Girls session.
How do I start a Fit Girls program in my community?
Contact Sarah (Fit Girls Creator and Director) at saggybeach@aol.comto order the Fit Girls program manual. The manual outlines how to gradually build endurance with the eventual goal of running/walking the 5k distance (3.1 miles). A list of "great books for girls is included as well as a variety of forms to duplicate (sponsor sheets for fundraising, training log sheets, sample letters to parents, etc).
A fit girl is a powerful girl!
