Active U, MHealthy’s 12-week physical activity challenge, returns this winter to encourage the entire University of Michigan community to get moving.
Registration is open now through Jan. 7. Tracking exercise minutes starts Jan. 8.
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Now in its 14th year, Active U has become a university tradition for starting off each new year. Last year, more than 12,000 participated in the program, accumulating more than 21 million total exercise minutes over 12 weeks.
All university faculty, staff, and students, as well as retirees and spouses and other qualified adults of employees (OQAs), can participate.
Program highlights include:
• Friendly team competition — Join a team or create a team with coworkers, U-M friends or spouses/OQAs. Team rosters must be set by Jan. 7. Individual participation also is available.
• Sync to your device or app — The online tracker supports a number of activity devices and free apps like Fitbit, Jawbone, Garmin, Withings, Misfit, MapMyWalk, RunKeeper and more.
• Donate to charity — This year, participant donations will go toward the U-M Depression Center.
• Earn an Active U T-shirt — Participants who successfully complete the program qualify for a 2019 Active U T-shirt, which will be free to employees. Spouses/OQAs, students and retirees will be charged a small fee.
An update to the 2019 program includes increasing the minimum weekly exercise goal from 90 minutes to 120 minutes. Health organizations, including Department of Health and Human Services and American College of Sports Medicine, recommend at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week.
“The new minimum 120 minutes per week helps move us closer to national recommendations and encourages our participants to continue to challenge themselves,” says Colleen Greene, MHealthy senior wellness coordinator. “Even 10-minute bouts of exercise three times a day can count towards your goal.”
