After 35 years of smoking Elaine Crook decided it was time to quit in April and she hasn’t had a cigarette since — a feat she credits in part to participation in the Active U physical activity challenge.
“I could do a lot of cardio and not get out of breath, but I would say to myself: ‘You’re doing all this exercise and still smoking,'” says Crook, senior administrative assistant who works in the Financial Aid Office.
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Crook has participated in the last two Active U eight-week physical activity challenges and says she looks forward to the next one, coming up Feb 5-April 1.
“I’d like to see more people participate,” she says, adding that the friendly competition inspired her to get to the gym on a regular basis, something that has continued beyond the duration of the challenge. In fact, she credits the new routine with helping her ward off the usual 10-pound-plus weight gain that comes with smoking cessation.
Registration for the third Active U physical activity challenge is underway and continues to Feb. 5. To register go to MHealthy.umich.edu.
Active U, which drew some 11,000 participants over the past two years, is part of Michigan Healthy Community, a series of programs and initiatives that seek to promote health and well-being.
“We know that a sedentary lifestyle contributes to the development of a variety of illnesses, and a subsequent deterioration in the quality of life. There is solid evidence that even small increases in physical activity can have significant health benefits. That is the premise behind our Active U program,” says Dr. Robert Winfield, chief health officer.
“If we can get faculty, staff and retirees to increase their activity for eight weeks, chances are they will become more motivated, like Elaine Crook, and adopt a physical routine for life. That improves their lives for the long haul, and reduces the cost of health care.”
This year’s challenge, which is expanded beyond faculty, staff and graduate students to include retirees, has a number of new incentives for participation. Each week a random drawing will be held to give away five prizes, including iPods, gym memberships, gift certificates from local sports shops and more. Additional drawings will be held in weeks six, seven and eight to encourage participants to finish the challenge. Those who complete the program and track results for the entire eight weeks will be eligible for a drawing to win a $500 travel voucher toward a getaway vacation.
In addition to prizes, organizers have enhanced one of the incentives first offered last year — free access to campus recreational facilities during the program. The three Ann Arbor campus centers, and those at Dearborn and Flint, are offering expanded hours this year for faculty, staff and retirees to take advantage of the variety of physical fitness equipment and programs they offer. Information on hours and services can be found on the MHealthy Web site.
This year participants also will find a blog function on the Web site that will allow them to share experiences or fitness tips, comment on the program or ask questions.
Those who sign up again will be encouraged to make a contribution to charity. Three Active U teams and three individuals randomly selected from each U-M campus will choose the six charities to receive contributions. More than $50,000 has been awarded to charities during the past two years.
One feature that changed last year but may not have been obvious to all participants is the way activity is tracked, says Alisa Morningstar, associate director of MFit Health Promotion. The program moved from a system that rewarded participants for total minutes to one that allowed them to establish a target exercise time per week and be tracked on the percentage of goal reached. As the challenge progresses, participants can adjust the goal. Morningstar says the new system really makes Active U a physical activity challenge that is for everyone.
“Don’t think because you’re not a marathon runner you can’t be successful,” she says. “The program is designed for every fitness level and all activity counts.”
Sharita Bell, reading room coordinator in the U-M Hospital Radiology Department, likes going online to track her minutes.
“When I see that I have 400 minutes total and I still have 200 to go, it encourages me to get moving.”
Participants can enroll as individuals or as a member of a team. Bell, who joined the program for the first time last year, says she finds it easier to keep motivated when she has an exercise buddy.
“We have a challenge to see which one will lose more weight,” she says of one of her co-workers.
Information on various programs that focus on physical and mental well-being also can be found on the Web site MHealthy.umich.edu.
