Les Mills Provides PHIT America $35,000 in Grant Funding; Supports Funding of Sports and Education Programs for Elementary School Children

BALTIMORE, April 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Les Mills announced that it is a Gold Sponsor of PHIT America, a cause dedicated to increasing physical activity and fitness to improve the health of Americans. As part of this partnership, the company will provide $35,000 in grants to support funding of sports and education programs in U.S. elementary schools, programming that is often cut from curriculum due to limited budgets. Grant recipients will receive funding that can be used to implement Les Mills BORN TO MOVE programs, a series of movement-based classes that help kids create positive physical habits. 

"Les Mills is committed to helping create a fitter planet and the PHIT America initiative aligns perfectly with our mission. The BORN TO MOVE classes will help introduce children to active lifestyles, and inspire them to keep moving throughout their lives," said Jesper Magnusson, Chief Executive Officer, Les Mills U.S.

BORN TO MOVE is a series of movement-based classes for toddlers to teenagers that help children get off the couch and fall in love with movement. The goals of the programs are to inspire and motivate new generations through music and movement, and help kids enjoy increased self-esteem, well-being and the health benefits of an active lifestyle.

GO! Grants of $1,000-$5,000, administered by PHIT America's partner, KIDS in the GAME, will be awarded to selected schools to help support more physical activity before, during and after school. National public or charter elementary schools in the U.S., that serve children ages 5-12, are eligible to apply for the grants. Schools can apply for a grant online at www.kidsinthegame/go up until June 1. Grants are expected to be awarded in August 2015.

As a Gold Sponsor of PHIT America, Les Mills has made a significant investment in the foundation, which supports grassroots, school-based programs. In addition to funding GO! Grants that could financially support BORN TO MOVE programming, Les Mills will help advocate to pass the PHIT Act, legislation pending in Congress that will allow Americans to use pre-tax medical accounts to pay for physical activity expenses. The goal of the PHIT Act is to encourage healthier lifestyles by removing the costs barriers for 'preventative medicine' like physical activity, which will ultimately reduce healthcare costs related to obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Les Mills participated in Congressional meetings in Washington D.C. in March to help advocate for the importance of active lifestyles for Americans.

For more information about PHIT America, visit www.phitamerica.org. To learn more about BORN TO MOVE visit www.lesmills.com/borntomove.

About Les Mills

Les Mills International is the creator of 13 global group fitness and team training programs, including BODYPUMP® (weights), BODYCOMBAT® (martial arts), RPM® (indoor cycling) and LES MILLS GRIT® (30-minute high intensity interval training). Every week, millions of people get fit in more than 16,000 clubs across 80 countries with the help of 100,000 passionate Les Mills instructors. The company's SMART TECH™ equipment line combines innovative ergonomic design with quality construction to help people get better results from their workouts in less time, while Les Mills Good Protein, a simple and functional protein powder, helps people fuel their bodies right. For more information, visit Les Mills at www.LesMills.com.

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SOURCE Les Mills

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