Cooper Youth Summer Camps 2007

Cooper Fitness Centers and Whole Foods Team Up to Give
Youth Summer Fun with a Healthy Twist

Cooper camp in Dallas to feature the first-ever Teen Fitness Camp;
New McKinney location to hold first-ever Young Guns training for teen athlete

DALLAS — It's your fun-filled summer camp with a healthy twist. Cooper Fitness Centers in Dallas and at Craig Ranch in McKinney are hosting Summer Fun and Fitness Camps to help youth stay off the couch and stay active this summer. In Texas, studies show that 35 percent of school-aged children are considered overweight or obese. To combat this alarming trend, Cooper has teamed up with Whole Foods Market for a second year to provide fitness and nutrition education to its campers. Both camps run June 4 through August 17.

"We give youth of all ages a healthy dose of fun," says Emily Santanelli, associate director of Youth Programs for Cooper Fitness Center in Dallas. "What makes our camps unique is that we combine traditional summer camp activities with fitness and nutrition education. It helps kids learn how to stay healthy and active while they're out of school or not part of an organized sports program."

This year, the Dallas location expanded its general fitness camps for 5-12 year olds to host the first-ever Teen Fitness Camp for ages 13-16. Sports camps for basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming, self defense, running and triathlon are also available. Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch will host general fitness camps for ages 5-12 and sports camps for basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming and volleyball. For the first time, a Young Guns camp is open to 13-16 years olds who want to become better athletes. Other activities include hip-hop classes, yoga and Pilates for kids and rock climbing.

"We know through research that overweight children will become overweight and obese adults," said Jennifer Pell, director of Youth Programs at Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch. "Parents must take an active role in their children's health by finding interesting and fun ways to engage them mentally and physically. Cooper's summer camps achieve that."

Each day of the camp week focuses on a specific theme incorporating different lessons. At the Dallas camp on Mondays, youth learn how to play different sports, as well as self defense techniques such as running in a zigzag line if they are being chased by a stranger. On Wednesdays at the Craig Ranch location, the topic is cooking and participants have fun while learning how to cook healthy meals in the facility's demo kitchen.

As a second-year sponsor, Whole Foods Market provides organic snacks to the campers in Dallas and McKinney. Each Thursday, their registered dietitian and other team members will teach the kids about different topics such as, "You Are What You Eat" and "Better Snacking."

"It's hard to keep nutrition top-of-mind with families' busy schedules these days," says Karen Lukin, Community Relations for Whole Foods Market. "By the end of Cooper's Fitness Camps, we want kids to have experienced healthful and tasty foods, and to even ask their parents to take them to the grocery store to choose their new favorite items."

Cooper Fitness Camps
As a fun bonus, camp participants take home their own caricatures. Cooper's Summer Fun and Fitness Camps are open to the public. Membership at the Cooper Fitness Centers is not a requirement to attend the summer camps. In fact, about 70 percent of campers are not members.

Camps run June 4 through August 17. To register or find out more information on dates, prices and schedules, call 214-383-1045 or visit www.cooperyouth.com.

About Cooper Fitness Center
Cooper Fitness Center, founded by Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., is a medically-supervised fitness facility. It features the latest in cardiovascular and resistance training equipment, scientifically-proven exercise assessments and programs, and a highly educated and caring personal training staff. The original Cooper Fitness Center in North Dallas is joined by a 75,000-square-foot fitness center and spa at Craig Ranch in McKinney. For more information, visit www.cooperaerobics.com.

About Whole Foods Market
Whole Food Market has more than 180 stores in North America, and six stores in the metroplex, including the Preston Forest store near the Dallas Cooper Aerobics Center facility, and the Park and Preston store in Plano, near Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch. Childhood education and nutrition is one of the stores' main goals, and is the reason we are the national sponsor of the Marathon Kids program.

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