YMCA offering free use of building in 10-week challenge
RED OAK – Just in time for those well-intended New Year’s Resolution, the Live Well Montgomery County team and the YMCA is urging local residents to join a statewide 10-week wellness challenge.
Live Healthy Iowa brings together friends, families, businesses and communities in team-based wellness challenges designed to promote positive lifestyle change. It started as a prototype in 2002 and has grown to more than 30,000 participants in all 99 counties in 2013. They are a supporter of Gov. Terry Branstad’s effort to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016.
The Live Well Montgomery County team is promoting the event locally, with a goal of 100 teams including 60 businesses and 40 families.
“Our coalition, we have been dying to have a kickoff, so we thought we would grab a hold of this as a county,” Chair Sue Drake said. “A lot of businesses can do this, people and schools as well. It gets people thinking about health and exercise and it’s a good way to get our name out too.”
Progress is measured by the Gallup-Healthways-Well-Being Index which tracks five domains that make up an individual’s well being — purpose, social, financial, community and physical. “Making Iowa the healthiest state in the nation is not only critical to the economic viability of our state, but also critical to the quality of life for all Iowans,” Branstad said in a press release.
The initiative uses several programs — including Live Healthy Iowa — to give Iowans the best opportunities to get involved and live healthier lives. Since 2002, Iowans have lost more than 1 million pounds and tracked 8.3 million hours of physical activity with Live Healthy Iowa.
How It Works
The Challenge takes place from Jan. 27-April 4. Teams of 2-10 people track activity minutes and/or weight loss through the Live Healthy Iowa Website. The cost is $20 per person, with no charge for children. Local prizes will be awarded based on either activity minutes or weight loss.
Cost includes a challenge t-shirt, weekly activity tips via e-mail, personal online tracking page, unlimited access to health recipes, opportunities to win individual prizes and team incentives, one-year subscription to a lifestyle magazine, discounted registration to the Live Healthy Iowa 5k challenge finale event and free registration to Iowa Winter/Summer Games Fitness Walks and Zumba.
To sign up, go to www.livehealthyiowa.org. The code for residents of Montgomery County to sign-in is LHIROMC.
The Montgomery County YMCA will let Fitness Challenge participants who are not members use the facility for free on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday during the 10 weeks. They must present their access card to gain admittance.
For more information, please go to www.livehealthyiowa.org. For more information on how to sign-up, contact John Blomstedt at the Montgomery County YMCA.
About the Team
The Live Well Montgomery County team is comprised of individuals from local businesses, schools and churches who have partnered to promote and improve wellness. An offshoot of the Blue Zones Committee, the 12-membership leadership team began meeting last summer with John Stevens, Live Healthy Iowa Outreach Coordinator, to create a game plan.
While many activities for the group are still being developed, input and feedback from Stanton and Villisca residents have created a countywide initiative to fight obesity.
Iowa is the ninth most obese state in America, jumping from 16th in 2012. Montgomery is 94th out of 99 on the list of healthiest counties in Iowa.