Health and Fitness Days 2012

The Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is sponsoring Wyoming Health and Fitness Days with events planned throughout the State.

The theme for Health and Fitness Day is to “Make Fitness Fun.” Every community event will be somewhat unique, but will feature fun activity and wellness stations, as well as health information tables.

The events are scheduled for the following days and locations:

Cheyenne: May 1 and 2 - City of Cheyenne Ice and Event Center 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Casper: May 31 - Casper at North Casper Baseball Fields from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Powell: TBD
Green River: September 2012 - Green River Wolves Stadium from 9:00-11:30
Laramie: Fall of 2012 - TBD

Volunteers from several groups including local ROTC students, YMCA staff members, City of Cheyenne Parks and Recreation staff, Wyoming Department of Health, and local physical fitness professionals have made these events possible.

For more information about these events, please contact Tammy Till at 307-777-6716.

Cheyenne Health and Fitness Day

By Deetta Rapp

Cheyenne Health and Fitness Day is an annual event sponsored by the Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness. This year’s event was held at the City of Cheyenne Event Center (formerly the Taco John’s Event Center). Wyoming’s own First Lady, Mrs. Carol Mead, graciously opened the event on each day – letting the third graders know how important their health and fitness is for a lifetime.

On Tuesday, May 1st, over 415 Cheyenne third graders filled the event center participating in a variety of fun filled activities such as jump roping, football, and karate. On Wednesday, May 2nd, the event hosted an even larger crowd of Laramie County School District #1 third graders with 527 plus attending.

During the evening hours, from 6-8 p.m. on May 1st, a family night event occurred at the Events Center. The primary purpose of the evening event was to encourage family involvement in health, wellness, and physical fitness activities to promote healthy living in our beautiful State. Families were presented with healthy activity ideas and choices that flourish in our area and throughout Wyoming.

Step Up Cheyenne!

Step Up Cheyenne is a 12-week community weight loss challenge that will begin Friday, April 13, 2012, and end on July 7th.  Weights will be recorded at the beginning and end of the 12-week challenge.  For more information or to register, visit StepUpCheyenne.com.

Family Fitness

By Alice Burron

You know exercise is good for you for many different reasons, but sometimes finding time to exercise can be a challenge, especially when you have to balance family and work. You may not have the luxury of spending hours at the gym, or even have time to go to the gym for that matter. And even when you do find time to sneak away to exercise, the guilt of not being with your family can stop you from going altogether so you can spend needed time at home.

As a working mom of four, I know the dilemma well, so I designed some fitness strategies just for those times when you want to pend
quality time with your family, and also get your heart rate up. Not only do you get your exercise for the day, but these routines come with many laughs and giggles from your teammates.

1. Turn up the music. Lately my crew has been big into Elvis, and we turn it up while doing all of the below activities. Sometimes we just dance.
2. Jump Rope. It always amazes me how a little piece of rope can work the lungs and heart so intensely, plus it improves coordination. Jump ropes cost only a dollar at the dollar store, and can travel with you where ever you go. Time yourself for 1 minute of jumping, then rest 1 minute, and then go for 2 minutes, rest for 2, then 3, rest for 3, and then back down to 2 and then 1 minute. Jump Roping is sure to take the edge off of the kids, and the pounds off you.
3. Make a circuit. Make 5 or more exercise stations, blare the music, and rotate from one station to the next every 3 minutes. Some stations can be downright silly, like jumping back and forth over a pillow, or pretending you are swimming by doing front stroke, breast stroke or back stroke. Some other ideas for stations are: sit-ups, climbing up and down stairs, summersaults, jumping jacks, squats, lunges, jumping on a mini trampoline (rebounder), marching with high knees, bouncing on the fitness ball, pretend tantrums on the belly and back, and push-ups.
4. Suicides. I'm not crazy about the name, but my kid's tennis instructor does this exercise with them at every lesson and they're actually fun. Have a starting line, and anywhere 10 or more feet away have a finishing line (we use the jump ropes to mark our lines). Put 10 bean bags or small stuffed animals behind the starting line, and have one child begin if you're in a smaller room, or if you have the space, have two or more play at the same time. Take one bean bag and run it over to the finishing line, and drop it in over the line, then run back and get the next one and do the same until all bags are over the finish line.
5. Walk. Take the kids for a walk, and spice it up with short intervals of walking backwards, sideways or running.

Exercise can be and should be fun, so why not try these ideas at home with your family? You will build muscle, strength, speed and stamina and memories that will last a lifetime.