Thousands sign up for Colorado health challenge

More than 5,500 people have signed up for a challenge to get more Coloradans off the couch.

The Get Movin’ challenge is offering prizes for Coloradans who do 30 minutes of activity daily from Thursday through Aug. 30 and log it online. Gov. John Hickenlooper, LiveWell Colorado and Kaiser Permanente announced the challenge in July.

LiveWell Colorado says many participants are from the Front Range. Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk lives on the Ute Mountain Ute reservation and is trying to inspire more southwest Colorado residents to participate.

Lopez-Whiteskunk, who works in information technology, says she is exercising more since being diagnosed with diabetes about four years ago. Now she says she often works out twice daily, has lowered her glucose reading from 800 to around 120, and doesn’t need diabetes medication.