Futsal: Come See What It Is All About

Join at the Decatur Recreation Center on June 2 from 2 – 5 pm and check out the game of futsal. Futsal is a version of indoor soccer that is played on a basketball-size court and can be played on a variety of surfaces. The game does not require the use of expensive dasher board walls and is a great skill developer. It demands quick reflesed, fast thinking and pin-point passing.  It is an exciting game for children as well as adults. Since this is the first time its being played at the Recreation Center it will be laid back and very casual.

Check out this video for a quick overview of the game.

Stay Active in Decatur This Weekend

There are many things to do in Decatur this weekend to keep you active.

Friday, May 24
ArtWalk kicks off the Decatur Arts Festival weekend. Enjoy a stroll or bike ride around Decatur visiting  galleries and businesses featuring artwork by local artists. Refreshments are served at many of the stops. Click here for information and a list of participants.

Saturday, May 25
Start your Arts Festival weekend on bike and join the Houndstooth Road Heels on Wheels Ride. The ride begins at Houndstooth Road on Church Street at 8:45am. Click here for details.

After riding around Decatur, park your bike at the Bicycle Valet at the Decatur Arts Festival. Sponsored by Bicycle South, the City of Decatur and the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, the bike valet gives you a safe place to leave your bicycle while you stroll the festival booths and enjoy free music.

The Kids Arts Festival kicks off with a parade. Lineup begins at 9:30 am at the corner of Commerce Drive and Church Street. Marching begins at 9:50. Dress up  and decorate your strollers, bikes and trikes. Join the parade and show your artistic spirit! Then enjoy an afternoon of fun at the Decatur Recreation Center from 10am until 2pm.

Breaking New Ground: This year the New Dance Festival offers classes and performances in the dance studio at the Decatur Recreation Center. Click here for a schedule and dance away the day; then hang out for some performances.

Sunday, May 26
New Dance continues on Sunday so get your moves on with Ballroom Dancing and Salsa.

Monday, May 27
Visit the  Decatur Cemetery and give thanks to those many men and women who lost their lives defending our freedom. DHS student Connor Tinaglia  (pictured below) and others helped place flags at the Decatur Cemetery on almost 50 graves of those who lost their life in the service of our country. On Sunday around 6:00PM, flowers will be placed on the graves. On Monday, at 6:00, they will pick up flags and flowers so take a stroll or bike ride through the area. There are Cemetery Walking tours at the Cemetery Office or download one here.

Wishing you and your family a fun, active and safe Memorial Day weekend.

Heels on Wheels Anniversary Ride: Saturday May 25th

 From Jae Schmidt at Houndstooth Road:

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR HEELS on WHEELS ANNIVERSARY RIDE: SATURDAY MAY 25TH 8:45AM

Please join us for a leisurely, fun, and festive Heels on Wheels (Sadie Hawkins style) anniversary ride beginning at Houndstooth Road with morning refreshments and rolling over to Oakhurst, Kirkwood, and back to Decatur in time to enjoy the Decatur Arts Festival. We will have a couple of stops along the route including a bite for those interested. Ladies are invited to bring along a friend, date, children, or pet! Our friends at the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, Decatur Active Living, and Brooks England will be supporting the ride.

We have much to celebrate after our first year in Decatur and being the first Georgia bicycle retailer featured in Momentum Magazine! 

To celebrate we will be offering special sales and treats on the day of the event exclusively to participants.

Sounds like loads of fun and a great way to start off your Decatur Arts Festival Weekend!

Team Decatur: Registration for the KP Corporate Challenge is Open

Decatur Active Living invites you to participate in the 2013 Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk 5k as part of Team Decatur. This is a great opportunity to get fit and meet fun neighbors and community members.

This year’s run/walk will be held on Thursday, September 12 and begins in downtown Atlanta under the Olympic Rings. The run/walk concludes with the “World’s Largest Office Party” adjacent to Turner Field. Team Decatur members join together in the “team tent” and enjoy music, food and camaraderie. Everyone who registers under Team Decatur will receive a special Team Decatur dri-fit running shirt to wear during the event.

How to register? Click here and be sure to select Team Decatur from the provided list. You will be asked for a t-shirt size twice. One is the KP Run/Walk t-shirt and the next time specifies that you are choosing the size for the Team Decatur shirt which offers the option of getting a small. These shirts will be distributed before the race for you to wear while participating.

Everyone registered will be offered a free eight week training program to help them prepare for the event. For more information visit www.decaturga.com/teamdecatur or contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com.

Bike Ride to Stone Mountain Cancelled Due to Threat of Bad Weather

The Bicycle South Ride to Stone Mountain is cancelled this morning due to the threat of thunderstorms moving in. Join us next month.

Hope to see you at the Decatur Arts Festival next weekend at the Bike Valet.

Keep on riding!

More Bike Month Activities in Decatur

Thursday, May 16: Bike Decatur meets at 8 am at Decatur Recreation Center, 231 Sycamore Street. The meeting is open, so come on out and join in the discussion. The Bike Decatur night meeting is at 8 pm, McGowan’s Pub in Oakhurst. Check out the FB page at www.facebook.com/bikedecatur for updates on Bike Decatur.

Friday, May 17: Bike to Work Day. Stop by Decatur Recreation Center between 7 and 10 am for a refreshment break on your bicycle commute. We will greet you with coffee, juice and a pastry. And of course, a big smile!

Saturday, May 18: Beginner Group Riding skills, 10 am  – 1 pm. Decatur Recreation Center. If interested in attending register on WebTrac or  contact cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com before 5 pm on Friday.

Sunday, May 19: Bicycle South offers an easy no-drop ride to Stone Mountain Park, beginning at the store at 9 am. Refreshments at Bicycle South after the ride.

Did you kow that you can use an easy AP to log your miles? Click here to access Endomondo – it will also track your walking, running and more. Check it out!

Check Out Free Classes in June

Bike to Work: Stop by Recreation Center for a Refreshment Break

It’s Bike to Work Week and Friday is Bike to Work Day!

Stop by the Decatur Recreation Center for a refreshment break on Friday, May 17 between 7 and 10 am for coffee, water and pastries before your bike commute to work. You will also be able to pick up a City of Decatur Bicycle Suitability Map which identifies roadways using three bicycle difficutly rankings to assist cyclists in choosing suitable routes to desired locations.

Healthy Monday: De-stress Through Diet

While food isn’t a cure-all when it comes to stress, what you consume has the potential to affect your body.

Alcohol, caffeine, and high-sugar foods can contribute to mood changes, excessive stress, and blood sugar disruption.

Foods rich in the vitamin B complex, on the other hand, may help you stabilize your mood and avoid stress, while those rich in antioxidants may help combat the free radicals released when your body’s stressed.

If you feel stressed this week, increase your vitamin B and antioxidant intake by opting for veggies (especially dark leafy greens), whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds.

The Monday Campaigns is a national movement backed by leading public health schools that dedicates the first day of every week to health. Every Monday, individuals and organizations join together to commit to healthy behaviors that help end chronic preventable diseases. For more information and healthy tips, click here.

Volunteer to CATCH Healthy Habits

Get Kids Moving and Eating Healthfully this summer.

Volunteer to CATCH Healthy Habits!

 

The CATCH Healthy Habits Program allows you to make a difference in the life of a child, in your community, and improve your health, too!  In the CATCH Healthy Habits Program, adults age 50+ teach children in grades K-5 healthy habits for a lifetime. The children and adults have a lot of fun as they learn together how to stay healthy and fit. Volunteers work together in teams, so you are never by yourself. All training and class materials are provided free of charge.

CATCH classes are one-hour long and are conducted once a week for a period of eight weeks. This summer CATCH classes will be held at several locations in the Atlanta metro area beginning the week of June 3 through the week of July 30.  Volunteer training will be held May 22 and May 23 at the Villages at Carver YMCA, in southwest Atlanta.  CATCH Healthy Habits is a wonderful way to improve your health and celebrate healthy living in your community, so join us! To volunteer or receive more information about the CATCH Healthy Habits Program, visit the CATCH Healthy Habits website www.oasisnet.org, or contact Mary Newton at ARC at 404-463-3119 or mnewton@atlantaregional.com.  CATCH Healthy Habits- It’s Contagious!