Annual wellness expo raises awareness — and funds
Fun fitness activities for all ages, from a Zumbathon to a fitness obstacle course, will be highlighted at the Wisconsin Wellness Campaign Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Southeast Recreational Facility. Hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Recreational Sports, the expo provides campus and the community the chance to connect with organizations promoting wellness. The free event is open to the public.
“Madison is a community vested in health and wellness as noted by its ranking as the eighth healthiest city in America in 2013 and 2014,” says Lori Devine, assistant director of fitness and wellness at the Division of Recreational Sports. “The expo allows people to experience the varied products and services that the Madison area has to offer.”
In addition to the expo of vendors from the community, the event will feature a variety of activities for the whole family to move. A three-hour Zumbathon will raise money for Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin, a local organization dedicated to finding permanent homes for animals in need, and to enrich lives by strengthening the connection between animals and people through community outreach. Day of Play for elementary school students provides fun, movement-based activities led by UW–Madison students.
New this year is a Fitness Obstacle Course for adults to promote physical activity as a tool for disease prevention.
More than half of adults in the U.S. do not get the recommended amount of physical activity, which is about 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are promoting the idea that activity can be obtained in many ways and that incorporating movement into everyday life is a key to good health,” Devine says.
Sponsored by Campus and Visitor Relations and the Division of Recreational Sports, the Wisconsin Wellness Program has grown into a variety of wellness-related activities held around the campus and community throughout the year. For more information, visit recsports.wisc.edu.
—Hannah Curley
