5 Free Ways to Celebrate Texas Obesity Awareness Week

Next week is Texas Obesity Awareness Week and the best way to celebrate is to make next week your most active week yet. Here are 5 free events in Austin that will keep you on the move.

1. Monday – For those of you who want to start the week off early (i.e. 5:20am) join the Austin Runner’s Club on a brisk jog around Town Lake. Every one else might just be getting up by the time you finish, but so will the sun which means you’ll avoid the hottest part of the day. Click here for the details.

2. Tuesday – If Monday got you down and you really need to shake it off, try Bilingual Zumba at the Sierra Vista apartments. Plus this exercise class also provides free childcare, so you can really let loose and move around. Details can be found here. Don't forget to also attend our Texas Health Champion Award Ceremony Tuesday evening. Come and hear our keynote speaker discuss how obesity influences servicemembers who are too fat to fight, and also learn what health leaders and youth in Texas are doing to combat the obesity epidemic. Register to attend here.

3. Wednesday – Wednesday might be hump day, but that’s no reason to be a lump on the couch. Head to the Hancock Recreation Center for some old-fashioned barn dancing. Details: http://austinbarndancers.org.
4. Thursday – On Thursday, get to know your vegetables personally. Volunteer to work on a farm for a morning with the Urban Roots program and see where your food comes from. Find out more here.
5. Friday – And if you’ve made it through the week, you deserve a little mental relaxation. Check Enlightened Yoga in Hostelling International Park. Details: http://www.austinparks.org/yoga.html

For other ideas of how to celebrate, check out our TOAW Activities page and download the super helpful Choose Healthier app.

 Written by:

Jessica Bickel-Barlow  

Jessica is a recent graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois where she majored in Radio, Television, Film (RTVF) and English Literature. She worked for the Michael and Susan Dell Center during the summer of 2013 as a Communications Intern and she is thrilled to be returning to the Center this summer to further contribute her writing skills.
[Image Source: flickr/dfataustralianaid]