Parks and Recreation challenges people to winter exercise

At this time of year, when it's dark for nearly 16 hours a day and temperatures are often below freezing, it's difficult for many to get outside and exercise.

Wrangell Parks and Recreation is trying to address that dilemma by encouraging people to exercise indoors.

The Winter Workout Challenge is a friendly competition where people self-log their exercises on a board at the community center. Those who log the most exercises will receive prizes like free entry to Parks and Recreation facilities and prizes donated by Wrangell businesses.

"The Winter Workout Challenge is ... built to encourage consistent movement with a goal of completing at least 30 minutes of exercise five to seven days a week," recreation coordinator Devyn Johnson said.

"Nothing more than a fun little competition to motivate and inspire," the department said in its social media postings.

The challenge is for people of all fitness levels, but workouts must happen inside Parks and Recreation facilities. Johnson said people can swim, stretch, do yoga or cardio, lift weights, and play racquetball or volleyball.

Participants must be at least 14 years old.

The challenge began Jan. 2 and ends Feb. 29.

The person with the most logged workouts over that period gets a six-month pass to Parks and Recreation facilities.

As of Jan. 18, 30 people had signed on for the challenge.

"Wrangell is a pretty hard place to live mentally during these dark cold months, so we're just trying to get folks in a healthy mind space and move their body," Johnson said.

Kate Thomas was one of the first to sign up. "I like competing against myself," she said. "I love the StairMaster and the new Concept2 bike."

Local businesses donated things like hats, stickers and paintings which the parks and recreation department will distribute by raffle at the end of the challenge.

By completing workouts they've never tried, participants earn double points. So, if you've never lifted weights and do weight-lifting workouts, you get a double-point star sticker. Participants add stickers under their names on a big board to log their workouts.

Registration is free and available online: https://bit.ly/WPRWWC23. For more information, call Parks and Recreation at 907-874-2444 or go to the website http://www.wrangellrec.com