Health and Wellness
Bi-Weekly WINter Wellness Challenges
In tandem with the Ravalli County WINter Wellness physical activity, challenge yourself to enhance your well-being this winter. There are seven two-week challenges, running from November 23 to February 28 – available to any adult, regardless of residence. Every other Monday, MSU Extension will release a challenge that will run for two weeks. Challenges will range from tips for better sleep, acing stress relief, attitude of gratitude and more! Each challenge will have a 5-minute video to help you learn about this facet of wellness with resources on incorporating it into your life.
Participants can register their challenge and be entered in a prize drawing, which will be held every two weeks.
Register for these challenges emails here.
This year, Sapphire Lutheran Homes has generously offered to provide additional support to residents 65 years and older in partnership with MSU Extension. Sapphire is providing a free WINter Wellness notebook to individuals who are 65 years and older. These individuals can enter their physical activity in a notebook and turn it into Sapphire's office for online entry. They will then be eligible for the same prizes as participants who enter electronically on their own.
Plus, seniors will able to earn additional prizes from Sapphire for 5 entries, 10 entries, 20 entries, etc. To help encourage physical activity, Sapphire Lutheran Homes has a lending library of exercise DVD for use by the community. Contact Dominic Farrenkopf, Director of Community Life at Sapphire Lutheran Homes, at 363-2800, ext 103 or Katelyn Andersen for questions.
All kids, under 18, can enter for a chance to win a monthly raffle prize from Main Street Toys in Hamilton.
Here are the details:
- Kids can enter their engagement in physical activity by visiting Main Street Toys
- Complete a ticket to enter in the raffle with their parent or guardian
- One ticket entry per visit
- On the ticket, the child will write down what they did for physical activity, like swinging during recess, walking along the river, or playing basketball.
Main Street Toys requires patrons to wear a mask and follow CDC guidelines while in the store.
Raffle will be drawn monthly throughout WINter Wellness.
Thank you Main Street Toys!
Please take a moment to thank
these individuals and businesses:
Alternative Wellness Group: Wellness Gift Basket
Aspen Leaf Yoga & Wellness, LLC : One private (in-person or virtual) Session
Bee Happy Honey Farms : Bee Happy Honey goodie basket
Bitterroot Valley Chamber of Commerce : $50 gift certificate to Chamber businesses
Bitterroot College Continuing Education Program : $50 credit for towards a class
Bouilla : $25 gift certificates - 6 winners!
Camp Sula : one night stay in a deluxe cabin
Corvallis Physical Therapy : Sleeping Bag
Cultivating Connections : half season CSA share
Flominic: Customized birthday (or special day) poem
Grains of Grace Café: $25 Gift Certificate
Grizzly Broadband: Bluetooth stereo earphones with microphone - 2 winners
Health by Heidi : One (1) hour of personal training
Heart of the Valley Adult Education : $30 credit for adult education class
Heritage Market & The Coffee Shack: $25 Gift Certificate - 2 winners!
Healthy Connections : essential oil infused goodie basket
Judy Bank, LMT: One 1/2 hour massage certificates - two winners!
Ken and Patrice Loucks: private x-country ski lesson
Becky Lovejoy, author: Novel "Be Epic or Go Home: A Triathlon Journey" - 10 winners!
New Horizons Physical Therapy, Linda Looser, PT : health goodie basket
MaddiMo Makery: 2 winners, Make & Take Kits
Oboz Footwear: Gift certificate to one pair of Oboz shoes
Ravalli County Federal Credit Union : Trailbuddy trekking poles and ALPS Mountaineering 3-person tent
Step Stone - Becki Koon : Certificate for one introductory HeartMath session
Tipi Rock Yoga & Massage Therapy : punch card for five (5) yoga sessions
Runner's Edge : $25 gift certificate
Wendy Davis Training : Two hours of personal training
Zero Point Tai Chi, Jude Trapani: Gift certificate for 1/2 Session of Tai Chi
Thank you for the businesses and individuals
who donated to this wellness challenge!
Time to Get Out and Play
Places to Go, Things to Do with Toddlers & Preschoolers in the Bitterroot Valley complied by Syble Solomon. Click on photo to see booklet online.
Walking Maps of Ravalli County
Printed maps of Hamilton, Stevensville and Darby are available at the Extension Office.
Explore the City of Hamilton, Montana by taking one of the routes on the Hamilton Walking Map:
Discover the historical aspects of the City of Stevensville, Montana and improve your
health by taking one of the routes on the Stevensville Walking Map! 
Explore the town of Darby and learn how to engage in physical activity in a rural
setting.
Walking Maps in the News:
May 2020 Celebrating health with Bike, Walk, Roll & WIN RR Article
November 2019 WINter Wellness RR article
May 2019 Bike, Walk, Roll & WIN RR Article
November 2018 WINter Wellness RR article
April 2018 Ravalli Republic article
Nov. 2017 Ravalli Republic article
July 2017 Ravalli Republic article
April 2017 Ravalli Republic article
Dec. 2016 Ravalli Republic Article
Questions? Contact Katelyn Andersen, MSU Extension Agent, at the MSU Extension Office - Ravalli County at 406-375-6611 or katelyna@montana.edu or visit the office at 215 S. 4th Street, Ste G, Hamilton, Montana.