Now that the holidays are over, those looking to put the feasting and festivities behind them can challenge themselves with a workout regimen.
Wrangell Parks and Recreation launched its third annual Winter Workout Challenge on Monday, welcoming the new year with some healthy competition.
“It’s an eight-week, progressively building workout challenge,” explained Kate Thomas, the department director.
The department overhauled some of its activities for this year’s competition, and while tailored mainly to entry-level activity, beginners’, intermediate and advanced programs are available. Thirty-eight people have so far signed up for the challenge, with age groups categorized into 13-and-under and 14-up.
Participants earn points with each workout, which is not limited to Parks and Rec programs but also encompasses walks on public trails, time spent in the pool or weight room, and other healthy activities. Each week participants get their names dropped into a raffle for a prize basket, and at the end of the program the person with the highest point count wins a grand prize.
“It’s just a way to incentivize winter health,” Thomas said.
A board outside the Parks and Rec office tallies people’s progress during the course of it, both encouraging them to put in the time and showing what activities their neighbors have been getting into. A slew of activities are on the way, with the newest being the coed inner tube water polo league starting Friday nights in February.
Other programs coming up this winter will be youth wrestling, and the wally ball league from Mondays to Thursdays. The department will also be offering several classes. The soonest will be a blended learning lifeguard course, set for this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Red Cross courses teach water safety basics as well as emergency protocol.
Adult swim lessons will begin on January 16, with Thomas leading introductory courses Tuesdays at 5:15 p.m. and Bruce McQueen leading coached workouts the same time Thursdays. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Kim Covalt and Michael Bania will lead arthritis classes and water aerobics at the pool from 9 to 11 a.m.
There will be activities for smaller children as well, with the tot gym program catering to under-5’s at the community center Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Held from 10:30 a.m. to noon, the sessions feature interactive circuits, supervised games and the bounce house.
For more information on the challenge and other programming, check out http://www.wrangellrec.com.
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