Chanukah is a memory, but the latkes and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) may still be hanging around as a few unwanted pounds, causing us to feel a bit sluggish. We all know we need to take care of ourselves and work toward getting fit. But it’s cold outside, and it’s so nice to snuggle in front of the fire or under some warm blankets.
The Jewish Community Center is starting a new program that will help you overcome all the excuses, provide support and encouragement along the way, and an incentive to keep going. Introducing Team Trek to Israel, a new workout program.
The idea is simple:
• gather a team of five and choose a captain by January 16;
• work out and convert the time you exercise into miles;
• earn bonus miles by answering trivia questions about Israel; and
• complete your team’s Trek to Israel, 6200 miles, before April 25, just in time for Israel Independence Day.
All teams that complete the journey before April 25 will receive a free T-shirt as a prize acknowledging their achievement.
All kinds of exercises count. For each half hour you exercise, your team gets 15 miles. Just check in with the Health and Wellness Desk staff each day when you’re done and let them know how long you worked out. They’ll keep a tally of everyone’s hours.
You’ll be able to see how well your team is doing and compare it to other teams by checking the giant game board that will be posted on the wall next to the Health and Wellness Desk. Each team will have a game piece that will mark their progress on the Trek. The staff will move the pieces along the brightly colored path as your miles add up.
Once a week, the team captain will receive trivia questions about Israel by e-mail. Answer the questions correctly and your team will earn bonus miles.
So add a little fun to your workout and get the support and encouragement you need to keep exercising from your teammates. (If you’d like to participate, but need help assembling your team, just let the Health and Wellness staff know and they’ll connect you with others who are also looking for teammates.)
Register your team today at the Health and Wellness Desk, 238-2727, and get ready for your Trek to Israel.