How fitting is it that National Anti-Boredom Month is the same month as Parks & Recreation Month!? We think it’s on point! Parks and recreation spaces are the perfect way to combat boredom while spending time outdoors moving, socializing and playing! Our top five ideas of fun things to do outdoors will help get kids, families and communities having fun together. Who has time to be bored anyway? Take a picture outing! Not only will this flex your creative muscle, but it encourages movement and helps us really see what’s around us. Use phones or disposable cameras for a fun time for all ages and abilities. Exercise! There are so many ways to exercise outdoors. Run, bike, hike or use a local outdoor fitness space to get your daily exercise. ELEVATE® Fitness Course is a great way to involve people of all ages and fitness levels in a workout. With three different levels of challenge, people from fitness beginner to fitness mature can get their move on. Get on or in the water! When it’s hot outside, the water can feel so ...

Movement positively contributes to the physical and mental health of communities. Our places of work are often where we spend the most time and they are a huge part of our community. As we grow older, we tend to lose ourselves in our work routines and a consistent exercise can sometimes take a backseat. Global Employee Health and Fitness Month was launched in 1989 by the National Association for Health and Fitness to help employers and employees create a healthier lifestyle. One of these projects includes the Global Employee Health and Fitness Month — an award-winning worksite health promotion program. This lack of activity doesn’t just affect your health. It can have a direct impact on your work performance and engagement. According to studies from the American College of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Workplace Health Management: 60% of employees said their time management skills, mental performance and ability to meet deadlines improved on days they exercised 27% of employees reported higher levels of “dealing calmly with stress” on days they exercised 41% of employees reported higher rates of “feeling motivated to ...

Fond du Lac, Wis – BCI Burke, a leader in the play, playground, recreation and outdoor fitness industry, and OMNIA Partners, the largest and most experienced organization in public sector procurement, extended their contract for another three-year period. This competitively solicited and publicly awarded cooperative contract through Region 4 ESC, gives participants of OMNIA Partners access to BCI Burke products and services. “This cooperative contract will deliver value for our participating agencies seeking to create outdoor recreation spaces for their communities,” said John Lander, Executive Vice President of Sales at OMNIA Partners. “Burke is a leader in the industry, and we’re excited to have them as part of our offering.” Cooperative purchasing allows agencies to take advantage of contracts that are already publicly solicitated and awarded by another public agency. This is made possible through the OMNIA Partners lead agency model. “Our experience and leadership in the recreation industry helped us earn the OMNIA Partners contract for the next three years and we’re excited to partner with them to bring the best in play to communities throughout the United States,” said Michael Phelan, ...