Students, profs. compete for ‘Get Moving UD’

Senior Kelia Scott said she swims, runs, and works out regularly. After joining the “Get Moving UD” program, those minutes spent exercising will now benefit more than just her health, she said. 

She said the eight-week program is a competition between a “blue” student team and a “gold” faculty team.  Participants put themselves in a fitness level category at the beginning of the program that determines the number of minutes of exercise they should try to reach every week, she said. 

 “It’s a fitness initiative,” Scott said. “You’re supposed to record how many minutes you do per week.”

“Get Moving” Program Director Kathy Corbitt stated in an email message that HealthyU and Healthy Hens collaborated two years ago to start the program. She said students and faculty can find more encouragement from peers and it can make working out more fun.

“Research shows that people who join teams as part of their participation in these types of physical activity programs tend to be more successful in meeting their own individual goals,” Corbitt said.

She said the program began with a 5K run on Sept. 20 and there was a Wellness Fair at the run with exhibits focused on healthy living. Participants also attended a fitness pre-test last week to find their starting point on simple fitness measures.

There are several upcoming activities that are open to all university students and faculty members, Corbitt said, like a Zumba class, yoga class and a fitness post-test to finish out the eight weeks of exercise.

HealthyU Coordinator Linda Smith said the original name of the program was “Dare to be fit.” She said they changed the name to “Get Moving UD” to keep it “fresh” and to give off a more welcoming vibe.

“It invites everyone to increase the amount of physical activity they do each day, regardless of their current fitness level,” Smith said.

Library Analyst Joan Parker is a member of the “gold” faculty team for “Get Moving.” She said with so many opportunities for exercise on campus, there is no explanation for why people are inactive. 

“There’s so much to get involved in,” Parker said. “There’s something for everybody. There’s no reason just to be sedentary. There’s always something you can find to get active.”

She said without the motivation of the program and the gym classes she pays for, she probably would not exercise as much on her own. 

“I do think it makes you want to work hard,” Parker said. “You don’t want the students showing you up.”

Scott said she hopes the students will win the competition in the end. She works at the university gym and said it has made her familiar with the competitive aspects of exercise that helps to motivate people.

“We have a similar fitness challenge that we do at the gym every fall,” she said. “People take it so dead serious because we’re competing against our friends. If we didn’t have that competitive drive, people wouldn’t push themselves as hard.”