Rivals Challenge results announced; 13 million exercise minutes logged

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The University of Michigan may not have come out victorious over Ohio State in the first-ever Rivals Challenge but U-M participants were successful in logging millions of exercise minutes and raising $1,600 for Project Health Schools.

The winning university was based on which had the highest average daily exercise minutes per participant at the end the eight-week program. The final numbers were announced July 8 at a recognition reception for participants at the Michigan League: U-M averaged 36 daily minutes per participant, and Ohio State averages 42 daily minutes per participant.

“We may have come up a bit short this year but our community was successful in moving more and encouraging their families, friends and coworkers to do the same,” says Karen Schmidt, associate director of Wellness & Health Culture for MHealthy.

Though U-M fell short in beating Ohio State in The Rivals Challenge employee exercise challenge, more than 7,000 U-M faculty and staff participated, logging 13.4 million activity minutes and raising $1,600 for Project Healthy Schools. From left are Nate Saulter, program assistant for Project Healthy Schools (PHS); LaVaughn Palma-Davis, senior director of health and well-being services; Julie Nelson, communications and special projects facilitator for PHS; Jean DuRussel-Weston, R.N., M.P.H., manager of PHS; Ben Ransier, curriculum and training coordinator for PHS; and Dr. Robert Winfield, U-M chief health officer and executive director of University Health Service. (Photo by Austin Thomason, Michigan Photography)

More than 7,000 U-M faculty and staff participated in the exercise competition, logging over 13.4 million exercise minutes and creating more than 380 teams. In comparison, more than 4,700 Ohio State employees participated logging more than 12.5 million minutes.

“Win or lose, we achieved our ultimate goal of getting our community engaged in fun competition and supporting one another to be more physically active,” Schmidt says.

“We are grateful to the many Rivals Challenge participants who chose to support Project Healthy Schools,” says Dr. Kim Eagle, co-founder of Project Healthy Schools and director of University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center. “By supporting Project Healthy Schools, they are making a difference in the current and future health of Michigan’s youth.”

Project Healthy Schools is a U-M and community collaboration teaching middle-school students how to make healthy choices and creating school environments where students can practice those choices until they become habits. The program is currently in more than 60 middle schools across the State of Michigan. Recent research published in the American Journal of Public Health shows that not only did students’ cardiovascular risk factors improve after participating in this program, but the benefits were sustained over four years, compared to baseline. 

For those looking for the next U-M physical activity challenge, registration for MHealthy’s Active U Autumn program opens Aug. 30. The eight-week program begins Sept. 20 and is open to all employees, students, retirees, as well as employee spouses and other qualified adults. More information will be available in early August at mhealthy.umich.edu/autumn

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