The first-of-its-kind virtual platform is geared to tackle social isolation by providing Houstonians resources to strengthen spirit, mind and body in the comfort of their homes
The YMCA of Greater Houston announces the launch of HTX+, a new on-demand, one-of-a-kind virtual platform with fitness and wellness courses and resources for all ages. The multilayered platform includes fitness, HTX Kids, ForeverWell, YLife, mindfulness, virtual personal training, educational resources and more. Since the start of the pandemic, The Y has taken unrelenting action to eradicate inequities in the community and support critical needs. The virtual service is another step in the Y’s mission to provide access to all and combat food insecurity, racial inequities, health disparities, social isolation and learning gaps.
“Given the safety precautions and restrictions of COVID-19 last year, the Y pivoted to ensure the community could still access YMCA programs and rolled out virtual classes on YouTube to keep everyone active and feeling connected,” states Stephen Ives, President and CEO, YMCA of Greater Houston. “During the peak of the pandemic last year, the virtual classes witnessed record-breaking check-ins by members of all ages and backgrounds spending 43,000+ hours per week connecting and staying active. With this in mind, The YMCA elevated its online platform with HTX+ by offering more classes and resources. Through the new platform we can better serve the community and provide more opportunities to connect whether inside or out of a YMCA location.”
HTX+ offers interactive elements for kids to seniors, differentiating the online platform from any other virtual platform in Houston. To keep moving, HTX+ offers an array of fitness classes including: high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength, cardio, cycle, yoga, barre, low impact, bootcamp, mind and body, dance, Pilates and more. HTX+ also features ForeverWell which is designed for adults 55+ and includes a variety of exercise classes such as low impact, strengthening, cardio, fall prevention and more. For a guided fitness regimen, HTX+ includes virtual personal training lead by a certified personal trainer who will create a customized plan to help achieve short and long-term wellness goals.
In YLife, members will discover everything from games, recipes, mindfulness videos, documentaries and more. For the young members, HTX Kids includes arts and crafts for kids of all ages, STEM, as well as plenty of sports videos to help teach kids the basics and get them ready for the next sports season. Videos for the platform are updated each week to ensure fresh and engaging content year-round with LIVE classes coming soon.
As an added bonus, all members can access the full library of workouts, water safety, swim lessons, sports and educational videos whenever or wherever – at home, in the gym or on the go by steaming from a laptop, mobile, tablet or tv through the Houston YMCA app or HTXplus.org. The Y is transforming its membership to become a powerful tool to create equity and impact in our community. HTX+ is one of the many ways that helps create a stronger, healthier and more connected community for all.
For more information about the YMCA of Greater Houston, visit https://www.ymcahouston.org/ or follow the organization on Facebook @YMCAHouston and Instagram @YMCAHouston.