Phil’s Take – The Y-Dubs!

Phil’s Take

The winter tends to make me, like many others, very lazy. I’m like a big sedated bear, and most days I can be found horizontal on my couch. Somehow–and I know I’m not alone in this–my repeated self-reprobations to get into shape weren’t actually motivating my butt to get up. Thankfully, I live with someone who is willing to ambush me into action. And so a few weeks ago I found myself joining the Midtown YWCA, that great bastion of progressive health nuts.

Thankfully the relatively new and spacious Midtown Y is fairly close to my home. I’m averaging a couple visits per week, and I love it! Within five minutes of our first visit we ran into an old friend we hadn’t seen in a couple of years. She told us to expect to see everyone and anyone that we knew. Sure enough, we saw two more friends that very evening.

Today the Y stands for two things: empowering women and eliminating racism. Not all Ys offer physical fitness facilities, indeed even the original chapter in NYC doesn’t offer as much. Our YWCA Minneapolis offers several locations with full facilities to get into gear, including in Midtown, Uptown, and Downtown. Our Y also offers child care and programming for youth after school, racial justice, and women’s wellness.

The YWCA of America is celebrating its sesquicentennial this year, and its mission has changed considerably during that span. The organization was founded in 1855 by Christian women responding to the industrial revolution in Great Britain. An American branch was established soon after, in 1858. Early services were directed towards rural women, then focused on quickly expanding urban areas and assistance in finding safe housing, training in job skills, and Bible study groups. The Minneapolis Y was founded in 1891 as a center for working women.

Membership in the early YWCA was not limited to white Christian women. All faiths have been welcome since the beginning. In 1889 the first African American Y was established and a Native American branch followed the next year. The progressiveness of the early Y had its limits however, the first “interracial conference” only came in 1915. By the post-war period the organization had taken a clear stand for civil rights and they’ve taken action to follow up this pledge.

If you’re losing the battle with winter hibernation and thinking about taking concrete steps to stay active, I highly recommend joining our YWCA. I can’t drag you there like my partner did me, but I can promise that you’ll be thankful you joined. Not only will you be getting fit, but your membership will support the Y’s incredible programs for the people of our city.