24 in '24 Wellness Challenge

When the weather gets frightful, our indoor facilities stay delightful.

• Parker Recreation Center: The 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility features a triple gymnasium and auxiliary gymnasium, cardiovascular and circuit equipment, multi-station and free weights, fitness studios, cycling studio, and lap pool with shallow end.
• Parker Fieldhouse: The Fitness Loft has everything you need for a total body workout. A full lineup of treadmills, elliptical trainers and stationary bikes gives you plenty of cardio options with circuit weight equipment and a stretching station to round out your workout. A suspended running/walking track connects to the Loft and overlooks the gymnasium.
• And when it’s too cold to venture out, work out from the comfort of your own home with virtual workouts saved to the Parker Recreation YouTube channel, YouTube.com/ParkerRecreation.

Ray J. Harvie Open Space will have officially been open a full year Dec. 2.

Located at 22417 E. Mainstreet, just north of the intersection of Mainstreet and Canterberry Parkway, this 72-acre site features a 1.5-mile soft-surface loop trail leading to picnic shelters and unrivaled views of the Front Range and Pikes Peak.

The property was conveyed to the Town by Douglas County in 2016 and includes a conservation easement, held by Douglas Land Conservancy, that allowed for minimal improvements to protect the long-term open space values of the site.

Put your cardio on ice with a visit to the Parker Ice Trail at Discovery Park.

The Ice Trail, which meanders through Discovery Park, 20115 E. Mainstreet, reminiscent of a frozen river or canal, is now open seven days a week, weather permitting. Guests are welcome to bring their own skates or rent a pair.

And for those tracking their daily distance, one lap around the trail is 450 feet.

The popular Thanksgiving Day race is back Nov. 28 at the Parker Recreation Center.

Part of Parker Recreation’s Run Series, this family-friendly community event is a laid-back trot with friends and neighbors. Registered participants will receive a commemorative beanie, souvenir race bib, and hot cocoa, cider or coffee. This event is not officially timed. Space is limited, so register early! Registration costs increase Nov. 14 and Nov. 28, if space remains.

Join Parker Recreation’s Move the Chains Fitness Challenge for an entire football season’s worth of fitness and wellness support.

Want to shred inches and build a championship body? Join the Move the Chains Fitness Challenge today! Synced with the upcoming football season, this program gives you a personalized workout plan, expert guidance, and the motivation to succeed. Compete for prizes while transforming your physique. Ready to tackle the competition (and the gym)?

The Move the Chains Challenge includes 3D body composition assessments, fitness plans and review with a personal trainer, discounts on training and nutrition services to boost your progress and side-challenges to encourage focus, commitment and excitement through next January.

Sign up today and receive more information about challenges, scheduling, discounts and more.

Real People, Real Prizes, Real Results, Real Fun!

Register for the Move the Chains Fitness Challenge online.

For questions about any of our Specialty Fitness programs, please contact Dan Christensen at dchristensen@parkerco.gov or 303.805.3205.

Get your steps in with the new Parker Arts Art Walk self-guided walking tour featuring 37 locations.

This year’s Art Walk map brochure is now available at The Schoolhouse, 19650 Mainstreet, and PACE Center, 20000 Pikes Peak Ave. It has been updated to reflect dozens of locations across town featuring public art and this year’s Art Encounters installments. The first 30 stops are part of a self-guided walking tour; the remaining seven stops are achievable by bike or other means.

You can also download the free Otocast app to learn about the artists with narrated audio guides. Exploring our permanent and rotating art displays is a great way to discover the cultural vibrancy of our town and our mission to make art accessible to all! Download the Art Walk map here.

Part of the Parker Parks and Recreation Run Series, this Sept. 21 event at Salisbury Park is professionally timed. Registered participants will receive a race shirt, custom bib, a delicious post-race pancake breakfast from Flippin' Flapjacks and a tasty beverage (for ages 21+) from Fiction Beer Company. Participants may also choose to add on a finisher medal during registration. The FREE Kids' Dash follows the race for children 8 and under; no registration necessary.

Visit the event page to register for the 5K or 10K.

Speaker Matthew DeCamp, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Center for Bioethics and Humanities and Division of General Internal Medicine, will present the first lecture of the 2024/2025 lecture series at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at The Schoolhouse, 19650 E. Mainstreet.

About the lecture: Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used throughout medicine, from disease prediction to patient-facing chatbots. But are these AI applications merely tools we use, or do they change how we think and who we are? When we come to see how AI influences our choices, reflects our biases in words and images, and affects how we view each other, we come to realize that AI is more than a simple tool. And once we do, we can imagine new possibilities for ensuring this new technology can promote humanism in medicine and beyond.

Take your strength, flexibility and endurance to new heights with the Parker Fieldhouse Indoor Climbing Wall. This 25’ indoor rock climbing tower with an adjacent bouldering structure incorporates natural features for a realistic rock feel with many hand and foot holds, presents a variety of challenges for novice and experienced climbers alike. Benefits of climbing include a sense of self-awareness, a feeling of accomplishment and confidence-building in a safe, yet exciting activity. As you gain strength, flexibility and endurance you will begin to enjoy mastering more difficult routes. You need not be a super-athlete to enjoy climbing since solid technique trumps strength. We cater to all skill levels and provide all of the gear you will need. We offer encouragement and suggestions as we belay climbers as young as age 5 through adults.

Connect with resources to develop healthy aging practices, at all phases of life, during Healthy Aging Month.

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says, “Healthy living is healthy aging. Developing and maintaining healthy aging practices throughout the lifespan contributes to greater resilience and opportunities to thrive as we age – from infancy through older adulthood.” Visit their Healthy Aging webpage for additional resources.
• Watch a recording of the Aging with Intention presentation from the Parker Arts Lecture Series. Parker Arts has also announced the 2024-2025 free lecture series schedule.
• Parker Recreation Active Older Adult Programs: Parker Recreation strives to meet the needs of our rapidly-growing older adult population and promotes healthy lifestyles through innovative programs and activities. This includes discounted memberships and passes, the SilverSneakers and Renew Active programs, fitness equipment orientation, and several fitness and wellness classes.
• Douglas County Active Older Adult Services: A number of local services and resources are available for review on the Douglas County Older Adults Services webpage.