COAW Offers Free Community Health Classes in April

Healthier Living Colorado™ Classes in Aurora, Lakewood and Lonetree

A program to help people deal with the challenges of living with an ongoing health condition such as heart disease, a lung condition, diabetes or arthritis will be held on these dates and locations:

• Mondays from April 6 to May 11 at the WISH Clinic, Anschutz Outpatient Building, 1635 Aurora Ct., 3^rd Floor in Aurora.
• Thursdays from April 9 to May 14 at Kaiser Permanente-Lakewood Medical Office, 8383 W. Alameda Ave. in Lakewood.
• Mondays from April 6 to May 11 at the Lakewood Link Recreation Center, 1295 S. Reed St. in Lakewood.
• Mondays from April 13 to May 18 at the University Family Medicine-Park Meadows, 8080 E. Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree.

Healthier Living Colorado™ is the chronic disease self-management program developed at Stanford University. Whatever the diagnosis, this class teaches and supports participants in making better choices and practicing self-management.

For more information and to register, contact Maripat Gallas at COAW, 303-984-1845 or email maripat@coaw.org. For more information on the programs, visit www.coaw.org.

Free Diabetes Prevention Program Begins April 8 in Lakewood

A program to help people deal with the challenges of living with a pre-diabetic condition or other risk factors for type 2 diabetes will be held on Wednesdays beginning April 8 at the COAW Learning Center, 2575 S. Wadsworth Blvd. in Lakewood. The free class is open to the community and meets weekly for 16 weeks from 6-7 p.m. After the initial 16 weeks, the class meets monthly for six follow-up sessions to help participants maintain healthy lifestyle changes.

One out of three American adults has pre-diabetes and are at a higher risk for developing other serious chronic conditions. People with pre-diabetes who do not lose weight or engage in moderate physical activity may develop type 2 diabetes within three years. Research has found that making modest lifestyle changes can cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than half.

Diabetes Prevention Program can help reduce the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. It includes a Centers for Disease Control and Preventions-approved curriculum and gives participants the skills needed to lose weight, be more physically active and manage stress. A trained lifestyle coach guides and encourages participants, who also receive support from other participants with similar goals.

For more information and to register, contact Joni Saunders at COAW, 303-984-1845 or email joni@coaw.org. For more information on the programs, visit www.coaw.org