Playworks Denver created Colorado Recess Day to bring awareness to the importance of play and physical activity at every age. This is a chance for adults to rekindle the curiosity of childhood with a couple hour of games and food. Junior Coaches will be using the skills they've learned at Playworks to help everyone remember what it's like to have fun playing games outside. Just to keep your energy level high, there will be three food trucks available.

What: Colorado Recess Day
When: Friday, Oct. 5, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Infinity Park, South Fields

Brown Bag Series: Our Aging Parents and Long Term Care

Please join  Jo Tansey, Long Term Care Program Manager and Rebecca Davis, as they present a brown bag lunch on Our Aging Parents and Long Term Care.  The lunch will be held on 8/28/12 in C1E from 12 – 100PM.   We encourage people to bring questions they have and to send questions prior to the date to Rebecca.davis@state.co.us Our aim is to talk about what to expect from nursing home care and make available resources on how to effectively search for reputable facilities.

The Wellness Advisory Board is happy to announce an updated on site activities schedule for the Main Campus.  New to the program is a Boot Camp offered 3 days a week!!  Yoga and meditation are still being offered, although their location has changed to the wellness room on the 4th floor of Building A.  Here is a list of some of the activities and programs available onsite.  See the "In the Office" page for all programs at the main and satillite campuses.

• Hatha Yoga - on Mondays from 12 - 1:00 p.m. in the Wellness Room (4th floor, Building A).  The cost is $80.00 for 8 weeks or $12.00 for a 1 time drop in. All levels welcome. Contact Michael Bonamer  
• Boot Camp- Strength and cardio every Tuesday (upper body and abs), Wednesday (cardio boxing) and Thursday (lower body and abs) at 11-11:30 in the wellness room (4th floor, Building A). Bring a yoga mat and resistance bands with handles.  All skill level welcome. Contact Mariska Osborne. No cost.
• Wednesday Walkabout - join your coworkers on Wednesdays 9:30 a.m. for 30 minute walk. All paces are welcome and you can turn around at any point.
  Meet at the flag pole outside of Building  A.    
• Meditation Circle – offered on Thursdays in the Wellness Room (4th floor, Building A) from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.  Contact Doug Ryder. No cost.

March 2012 Employee Wellness Survey Results

The Wellness Advisory Board would like to thank the 795 of 1,281 employees who responded to the March 2012 Employee Wellness Survey, yielding a 62 percent response rate. The Executive Summary highlights the most notable and critical survey results.  

Good Luck April!

As you all probably know by now, this is that last week at CDPHE for our Worksite Wellness Coordinator, April Sifford . Please take time today or tomorrow to wish her good luck in her new role at Metro State, where she will be teaching nutrition! There will also be a going away party next week on Tuesday, July 24 at 4:30 p.m. in the new Wellness Room on the 4^th floor of Building A. April’s work has had a great impact on the department and she will be greatly missed by many of us.

April- From all of us on the Wellness Advisory Board and the Wellness Champions, we wish you luck in everything you do in the future and want to thank you for all of your hard work here at CDPHE! We know you will make an impact wherever you go. Thank you for sharing your passion with us during your time here at the health department.

Family Friendly Hikes Near Denver

Enjoy the great outdoors, spend quality time with your loved ones, get some exercise, and take in the beautiful scenery this state has to offer…all within a 30-minute drive from Denver!  We’ve compiled a list of the most family-friendly day hikes around, including level of difficulty, distance, and trail characteristics.  How does 100% shaded sound? Get out there and take a hike!  

Weight of the Nation Screenings

The Weight of the Nation is a 4-part documentary created by HBO, the Institute of Medicine, CDC, NIH, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and Kaiser Permanente that aims to inform, inspire and incite all of us to confront America’s obesity epidemic.  Here are some facts:

•   Sugar-sweetened beverages are the largest source of sugar in the diets of children and adolescents.  About 46% of adult’s added sugar intake comes from sugary drinks.
• In the 25 years between 1987 and 2010, the number of American’s diagnosed with diabetes almost tripled to 20.9 million. In addition, 79 million Americans are now pre-diabetic.
• One study showed that obese people are 83% more likely to develop kidney disease compared to those of normal weight.

All showing will take place in the DOC from 12 - 1 p.m (the room is reserved from 1:00 - 1:30 for those wishing to discuss the films):

o Tuesday, July 10, Part I - Consequences

o Tuesday, July 17, Part II - Choices

o Tuesday, July 24, Part III - Children in Crisis

o Wednesday, August 1, Part IV - Challenges


      NOTE:  If you are not able to attend the viewings and still want to be a part of the conversation around campus you can go to http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/ to view episodes and find additional resources.