A Pierce County duo think they’ve found the prescription for curing childhood obesity: equal parts of perspiration and motivation.
They’re putting their formula into action in a weekly program they’re calling Re-Boot Youth that combines the skills of a mental health counselor and a personal trainer to motivate sedentary youths to spend more time in physical activities.
Laura Elliott is the certified mental health counselor who has spent 11 years counseling youths. Bryce Boschetti is a personal trainer and former competitive bodybuilder who has spent his career helping inactive individuals learn to enjoy physical activity.
The Re-Boot program was born from Elliott’s experience with youths and their body-image and self-confidence problems.
“I saw so many of the kids I was counseling spending their days playing video games or watching TV. They were missing the joys of physical activity and suffering the criticism of their peers,” she said.
Elliott knew that they could be transformed. She herself had recently benefitted from Boschetti’s help in losing weight and raising her fitness levels.
The program the two developed is designed to provide the motivation for youths ages 13 to 18 to change old, inactive lifestyles and to learn how to introduce activity into their lives while losing weight and gaining muscle tone.
The hourlong Saturday morning classes include exercises, games and interactive measures.
Boschetti said the classes are limited to 10 youths to allow him to tailor his training to different levels of fitness and varying interests.
Re-Boot’s program is now being held at Gig Harbor’s ILoveKickBoxing at 3201 Jahn Ave., Suite 104. Each class is $10. Participants aren’t obligated to attend a rigid schedule of classes but may participate as their schedules allow.
Boschetti said most exercise and activity classes he’s seen in his years in the gym are tailored to adults. The Re-Boot program, he said, is specifically designed to appeal to teens.
The two will help the participants keep active well beyond the class sessions. Elliott and Boschetti, for instance, plan to use pedometers to help the youths track their weekly walking activities to ensure that physical activity becomes second nature to them and to provide them activity goals to reach.
More information and sign-up for the classes is available at the class website, rebootyouth.com/contact or by phone at 253-948-7780.
John Gillie: 253-597-8663 john.gillie@thenewstribune.com
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