Who doesn’t love summer in Chicago? The Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, concerts, museums and more!  Right Fit Sport Fitness Wellness received an invitation to perform fitness activities at this year’s Taste of Chicago. Twenty years ago my main focus was sampling lots of food from favorite restaurants and listening to all those great bands along the city’s beautiful lakefront.  This year, Right Fit agreed to organize and instruct family fitness sessions during the opening day of the 2011 Taste.  Trainers, Jennifer Day, Kim Mueller and I were launched into our first session “Every Body Can Dance” and it became easy to create an atmosphere full of fun and energy with selected upbeat music.  Right Fit’s tent and demonstration area soon became “the playground” and we challenged everyone to Get in Shape and show First Lady Michelle Obama that Chicago understands the importance of family fitness!  Next we played “Move Your Body” and immediately the children, parents, and grandparents were moving and enjoying each other on their new found playground.

No one sat down unless it was time for the “take 5 water break.”  In fact, one little girl came up and sadly told me she had to leave because her mother wanted to walk around The Taste.  An hour later she came back and asked if she could “play” again.  As the music continued playing we offered nonstop action games like the limbo, relay races, parachute, bubbles and hoops.  It was endless fun and one lady even suggested a game that turned out to be our most popular hoola hoop game.  The energy was contagious and I wasn’t surprised that most of us adults felt like kids again!  The Taste of Chicago truly became our family “Playground” to experience the power of play! Yes, I was sad to leave the Playground and I need to thank the Chicago Park District for their vision, inspiration and support.  As I look back, it is clear people and play can create a very special magic.  How many of us get to laugh, dance, sing, high five and “play” with so many strangers? Not once did I hear a complaint, see a cell phone, or experience a more rejuvenated Taste of Chicago crowd than I did this special day.  In fact, I had to smile for I do remember those days when as kids we were having too much fun and we would do anything not to come in for dinner or bedtime.  The Chicago Park District “Playground” is the spot for family. It means Fitness and Fun!  “The Family that Play’s Together Stay’s Healthy and Fit Together!”