Sitings

        Click here: Ladies, here's a Web site full of advice, ideas and encouragement for getting the most from (or getting started with) your fitness plan: www.fitforwomen.com. Sign up for an e-mail newsletter, check out the “move of the month” and read up on nutritional supplements and other fitness gear.

Calendar

        On your toes: The Gamble-Nippert YMCA, 3159 Montana Ave., Westwood, is offering a ballet fitness classes Mondays and Wednesdays beginning Sept. 10. Ballet barre exercises and Pilates will be included. No previous ballet training is necessary. Cost: $24 for members; $34, nonmembers. Information: 661-1105.

        Benefit walk: Sign up now for the Alzheimer's Association's Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Memory Walk 2001. In Butler and Warren Cuonties, the walk will be held Sept. 15 beginning at the Wetherington Golf and Country Club, West Chester. In Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, the walk will be held Oct. 7 beginning at Schott's Amphitheater at Sawyer Point. Information: 721-4284 or (800) 441-3322.

Tips

        Get smart: Back to school is a great time to focus on your child's fitness level.

        Kathrine Switzer, program director of Avon Walking and Running, a series of women-only runs and walks, offers these tips to help parents develop a fitness routine for their children:

        • Reinforce a positive body image: Exercise should be about fun, not about looking like a cover model. Don't embarrass or belittle children.

        • Schedule regular exercise times, and blackout TV and computer time: Kids spend too much time watching television and playing on the computer. Schedule regular times for them to get up and get moving.

        • Help kids organize walking groups: Encourage children to walk to and from school in groups. Parents can create a “walking bus” in their neighborhood and walk kids from “stop to stop.”

        • Save money: Walking and running are two of the most affordable forms of exercise for children. All it takes is a good pair of sneakers and getting out the door.

        • Encourage sports participation: Help your children sign up for team sports at school and in the community. Team sports build self-confidence and help children develop new interests and hobbies.

        • Speak up for sports: Be a vocal advocate for physical education activities in your child's school.

        • Make exercise a fun priority for the whole family: Take the kids along on morning or evening walks. They can bike or blade along, and the whole family gets a workout.

        • Eliminate the junk food: Substitute healthy, low-fat foods like fruit and veggies for chips and cake. Teach good eating habits and don't make food a reward or emotional issue.

        • Make exercise fun, not work: Don't use exercise as a form of punishment. Children love to run and play, so encourage them by finding them a safe play area and helping them set up games and contests.

        Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax, 768-8330; email, pofarrell@enquirer.com.

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