Sixteen people Thursday were rewarded for their physical fitness — and not only with the usual prizes of energy, increased strength or slimming silhouettes.

Members of the United Way and YMCA’s 2010 Get Fit Mower County Healthy Living Challenge teams each left the YMCA with $200 in prizes yesterday.

Executive director of the United Way of Mower County, Mandi Lighthizer-Schmidt, announced the winning teams and handed out the awards.

“There were more than 500 participants in the challenges,” she said. “Nearly 2,000 pounds were lost by participants in just four weeks.

The 14-week challenges, which are a collaboration of the United Way and the YMCA, consist of two team competitions. “Get Fit” is focused on weight loss, exercise and nutrition while “Be Fit” is only about exercise and nutrition.

The Get Fit 2010 team winner is the “Yo-Yos,” who together lost more than 8 percent of their weight, or 147.5 pounds.

Team members are Scott Lightly, Dawn Lightly, Galen Berg, Lisa Berg, Darin Nelson, Melissa Griffith, Dennis Hillson and Steve Lundak.

They each took home a prize package which included a 12-week fitness program at the YMCA; a one-hour consultation with a Hy-Vee dietitian, including a meal plan; a Hy-vee health market basket of snacks; and gift certificates to Games People Play and Rydjor Bike Shop.

The Be Fit 2010 winning team is the “Desperate Housewives,” who accumulated a total of 256,470 exercise, nutrition and bonus points.

Team members are Alissa Rauser, Sarah Nuss, Missy Cline, Michelle Asmus, Kimber Venenga, Naomi Smith, Penny Tupy and Sara Silbaugh.

Their prize packages included a gift certificate to South Central Athlete for new athletic shoes; a one-hour massage from Healing Palms Spa; a Hy-Vee health market basket of snacks; and gift certificates to Games People Play and Rydjor Bike Shop.

The Get Fit and Be Fit challenges are open to anyone living or working in Mower County. Teams were formed this year in January.

Participants are offered a variety of optional fitness events and seminars to earn points and meet fitness goals, and they track their progress online.

This year’s Be Fit participants accumulated more than 1 million points, which averages to about nine hours of exercise a week, Lighthizer-Schmidt said.

“We had a great competition going,” she said. “Everyone did a great job.”