By Lori Ehde
Friday is the deadline for teams to sign up for the 2003 version of the Rock County Shape Up Challenge.
The six-week Challenge, sponsored by Luverne Community Education and Nobles-Rock Public Health, starts March 17 and continues through April 27.
Public Health Educator Paula Anderson said the Challenge is not about losing weight, but rather improving lifestyle.
"It not only focuses on proper activity and nutrition, but on the person as a whole," Anderson said.
She added that losing weight is often a pleasant side-effect of the program.
"If you're eating five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, you're not going to have a lot of appetite left for things that are fattening," she said.
"Plus, if you're happier overall, as a person, this tends to be motivational in meeting personal goals."
She warned some people actually gain weight from adding extra fruits and vegatables to their current diet. The point is to replace junk food with fruits and vegetables.
More than 180 people participated last year, and many later reported they found themselves continuing many of the good habits they picked up during the Challenge.
"People realized it wasn’t that hard to get their five-a-day servings of fruits and vegetables, especially when you factor in juices," Anderson said.
"A lot of people said they enjoyed the requirement to spend 10 minutes a day on themselves. When you plan on that time for yourself, your whole day goes better."
The Challenge calls for teams of six to eight members to compete in a friendly health competition they say is a BLAST.
The acronym stands for Better nutrition (five servings of fruits and vegetables each day), Lifestyle change (drink eight glasses of water a day), Activity (structured exercise 20 minutes a day), Self care/Social connection (maintain annual checkups and complete random acts of kindness) and Time out (10 minutes a day of relaxation time, deep breathing or prayer).
These are all things anyone can do at any time, but joining the Shape-Up Challenge can be a catalyst for lifestyle changes.
"Most people aren’t self-motivated, but when you have to answer to five to seven other people, you take time to eat right and take care of yourself," Anderson said.
"So, maybe you’ll choose water over pop and carrots over cookies."
Team members earn points in each of the BLAST categories (minimum requirements apply).
At the end of six weeks, the team with the most points wins.
Weekly prizes are awarded during the Challenge, with a grand prize awarded to the most successful team, and special motivational events will be planned.
Call Community Education, 283-4724, or Public Health, 283-5066, to sign up. The cost is $8 per individual.
