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Douglas County Women Complete 436 Hours of Exercise During Summer Exercise Challenge

Eileen Richards, above left, was the winner of a $25 gift certificate from Jean’s Healthway in Ava.  The certificate was donated by Jean Farbin, above with Eileen, for the Women’s Exercise Challenge. Above right is Helen Batten, winner of a $15 Town & Country Supermarket gift certificate which was donated for the Women’s Exercise Challenge. 

 

The Douglas County Health Department along with MOCH Wellness Center hosted an exercise challenge for Douglas County women this summer.  Females completed 150 minutes of exercise per week for 4 weeks, totaling 26,160 minutes or 436 hours!  

Local businesses donated to the exercise challenge.  The winners  of these prizes are:  Town and Country Supermarket ($15) gift certificates (Helen Batten, Rebecca Moore, & Becky Williams); Jean’s Healthway $25 gift certificate (Eileen Richards); MOCH Wellness Center 1 month trial membership (Lorna Welch), MOCH Wellness Center t-shirt (Wanda Johnson), Douglas County Health Department crock pot (Kay Dennis).  

Every participant received participation awards which were: Zumba class voucher, a water bottle, and day use pass for MOCH Wellness Center.  The benefits of exercise include sleeping, feeling and functioning better.  Strong research evidence demonstrates that 150 minutes of exercise per week, even if only a few minutes at a time:  

• Improves quality of sleep and increase time in deep sleep.

• Improvements in processes of the brain that help organize daily activities & plan for the future.

• Improves understanding, memory, processing speed, attention & academic performance.

• Reduce the risk of depression and the severity of symptoms.

• Reduce anxiety symptoms.

• Improves perceived quality of life.

• Improves energy, and people can more easily accomplish the tasks of daily living.

• Reduces blood pressure.

• Improves insulin sensitivity.

• Reduces risk of cancers.  

• Improves bone health.

 Also during pregnancy:

• Less likely to gain excessive weight during pregnancy.

• Less likely to develop gestational diabetes.

• Less likely to develop postpartum depression.

For more information, call the Douglas County Health Department at (417) 683-4174.  

Douglas County Health Department is an equal opportunity / affirmative action employer.  Services are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis in cooperation with the Department of Health and Senior Services.  This project is funded in part by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Maternal and Child Health Services Contract # DH190011032, and is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant # B04MC32553, Maternal and Child Health Services for $ 12,202,566, of which $0 is from non-governmental sources.  This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.