The seventh year of Active U shows the success of the program with more than 10,000 participants logging more than 20 million minutes of physical activity.
Active U pairs healthy living with striving for a healthy community. Teams of two or more U-M faculty, staff, graduate students and retirees signed up to get fit by keeping track of their daily activities and movement, with the goal of increasing overall activity level.
The Box the Sashay team took first place in Active U’s Victors Division and was the only team with more than two members to maintain 100 percent of their goal all 12 program weeks. Left to right, (back row) Lorraine Fig, Cathy Krull, Joanne Kimata, (middle row) Mary Layher, Margaret Evans, (front row) June Escara-Wilke, Gus Buchtel and Joanne Pierson. Missing from the photo is Cathy Gorga. Photo by Jerome Pierson.
“The continued participation of the U-M community has kept this program alive. Without such dedicated participants, Active U would not be as effective as a community fitness program or a way to raise money for charity,” says Carolyn Warheit, physical activity program manager for MHealthy.
More than 630 teams competed this year. The top teams in each division were based on the percentage of a personal goal achieved by team members, and logging minutes at least three days per week.
Division winners include:
• Big House Division — The Oakbrook Warriors
• Wolverines Division — Hearts On Fire
• Big 10 Division — Team IBUprofen
• Victors Division — Box the Sashay
• Blue Division — Muppets
• Maize Division — Great Scott!
New this year, U-M spouses and Other Qualified Adults (OQA) were allowed to participate.
“The contributions from these newcomers made this one of the most successful years of Active U,” Warheit says. “By letting spouses and OQAs participate, MHealthy was able to encourage healthier behaviors not only in the workplace but also at home.”
