INDIANAPOLIS – On Friday, May 18, students at Broad Ripple High School will get to show off their muscles – and their weight room -- to Mayor Bart Peterson as a part of the Mayor’s FitCity Challenge.

Funded nationally by a PEP grant, the Broad Ripple High School weight room is open to all students after school to provide them an opportunity to incorporate fitness activities into their daily lives even after the last school bell rings. Nearly 50 students take advantage of the facility regularly – many of whom are a part of the 1000 lb. (boys) and 500 lb. (girls) Club. Club members’ photos are displayed throughout the facility indicating their participation and dedication to fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

INDIANAPOLIS – More than 90 Hoosier athletes, who rely on power wheelchairs due to a disability or an accident, are getting a kick out of being fit. On Monday, May 7, Mayor Bart Peterson will cheer on players of Power Soccer of Indy during this month’s FitCity Challenge.

INDIANAPOLIS — Local fitness experts will provide information about local resources, answer questions and demonstrate how to lead healthier lives March 27 at the Glendale Branch Library. It’s the second of two healthy discussions sponsored by FitCity, the American Heart Association, WFYI and the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library to help combat obesity.

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson has been named one of the fittest mayors in the country by Men’s Fitness magazine. The March issue ranks America’s fattest and fittest cities and included a feature on Mayor Peterson and his work through FitCity. Indianapolis’ ranking improved five places since last year, in part because of the mayor’s efforts, the magazine said.

INDIANAPOLIS – Amid a great deal of fanfare, Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson joined YMCA officials as they completed the grand reopening of the Jordan Branch of the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis located on Westfield Boulevard.

The celebratory event was highlighted by a 25-minute news conference, at which Peterson hailed the opening as a “significant step forward for the community” and a chance for “…more of us to get in step with a healthier lifestyle."

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s the most wonderful time of the year – lots of holiday parties, family gatherings and office celebrations, each offering an opportunity to sample traditional seasonal foods that can be high in fat and calories.

How do you celebrate the fall and winter holidays without adding unneeded weight?

Moderation is key, says Mandy Hill, a registered and certified dietician with Community Health Network. And exercise helps too, notes Kim Modglin, an exercise physiologist with St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers.

INDIANAPOLIS – Every year on Halloween, parents ask their children to refrain from eating lots of candy before they get home from trick or treating. This year, parents can give trick-or-treaters non-candy items and remove the snacking temptation.

“You can’t remove all of the treats, but you can create a healthier environment for Halloween,” says Stacey Faryna, RD, ACSM, Midwest Wellness Solutions. “There are a lot of tasty, nutrient-packed foods that are just right for giving as holiday treats.”

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s time to play! That’s the message from FitCity and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for Saturday, Sept. 30, designated as Worldwide Day of Play.

The Alliance has issued a Go Healthy challenge for kids and families on Saturday and has received support from Nickelodeon. The children’s cable network will cease broadcasting for three hours, from noon to 3 p.m. Eastern Time, on Saturday, to get the message to kids and families to go and play.

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s time for children, adolescents and adults to make their healthy move.

FitCity, a collaborative effort to get Indianapolis-area youth to eat healthy and be more physically active, and to encourage adults to set a good example for kids, is sending that message in a new integrated ad campaign that started this month and will run through November.

Mayor Bart Peterson will distribute free healthy lunches to kids at Riverside Park at 11 a.m. Thursday as part of the June FitCity Challenge.

After distributing the lunches, the Mayor will eat with the kids and talk about the importance of a healthy diet.

The event is another stop on Mayor Peterson’s 12-month fitness challenge to encourage Indianapolis area residents to move more and eat healthier.

On Tuesday, May 30, students at Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School will each walk home with a new pair of athletic shoes as part of a celebration of fitness with Mayor Bart Peterson and representatives from FitCity, Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC) and Finish Line. 

Elder W. Diggs School 42, Emma Donnan Middle School and T.C. Howe Academy, all committed to improving the community’s health, are hosting free health and wellness fairs this week.

Physical education teachers, advocates, school administrators, nurses and health and wellness professionals are invited to take part in the Feb. 17 PE4Life summit. Breakout sessions will include topics on classroom activities, wellness within the school, fitness outside of school and technology.

Mayor Bart Peterson kicks-off Healthy Habits, a wellness program for city and county employees, as part of the mayor’s on-going commitment to FitCity, a community-wide childhood obesity campaign.

Four local teens will take 806 steps to a healthier lifestyle on Saturday, when they participate in this year’s Bop to the Top as part of their own fitness programs. The Northwest High School students are participating in the competition as representatives of the Teen Fitness Champions program, a new initiative created by the Indiana Minority Health Coalition and FitCity designed to provide youth the motivation, resources and incentives to get up, get moving and lead a healthier lifestyle.