Movement challenge pits Wildcats against Sun Devils and Lumberjacks
Whether you run, walk, dance or do yardwork, your movement will count toward the University of Arizona's team movement toal.
Chad Myler, employee health and wellness promotion manager, Life and Work Connections
For two weeks, you're invited to suit up and take on Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University in your gym, garden, parking garage or anywhere else you can get moving as part of the Tri-University Movement Challenge.
The competition – happening Nov. 7-21 – is being run through the Health Impact Program, a well-being program available to all benefits-eligible employees that provides monetary incentives for points earned by users who participate in certain health-based activities. After enrolling for HIP through third party vendor Virgin Pulse, users can sign up for the challenge by selecting "Challenges" in the dropdown menu under "Social" on the HIP homepage.
The challenge isn't just about school spirit and physical health.
"Movement can improve our mental clarity and give us those much-needed mental breaks throughout our day," said Chad Myler, employee health and wellness promotion manager for Life & Work Connections. "Movement can also bring people together, whether it is through a community walk or a family dance party. Having a little fun and healthy competition can sometimes be just the thing that gets us moving more while also showing some Lumberjacks and Sun Devils that we mean business."
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. The department defines moderate-intensity activity as anything that gets your heart beating faster, such as walking briskly, playing tennis or doing yardwork.
The importance of getting moving is one thing all three state schools can agree on.
"The Tri-University Movement Challenge provides a great opportunity to unite as a community with a common goal in mind, engage in some fun rivalry and improve our health all at the same time," said Elizabeth Badalamenti, Employee Wellness Program manager at Arizona State University. "Winning bragging rights is the cherry on top."
Amy Ulibarri, benefits services manager at Northern Arizona University, says the Lumberjacks are ready for the challenge as well.
"Participating in the Tri-University Movement Challenge incorporates many aspects of our wellness program, including emotional and physical wellness, as well as the social aspect of the Lumberjack spirit," Ulibarri said. "We may have fewer employees participating than our sister institutions, but we are ready to demonstrate what elevated excellence looks like in this challenge."
Participants will receive 100 points for joining the challenge, 100 points for tracking their activity at least once a week for both weeks of the challenge and 50 points for posting a chat comment in both weeks of the challenge. Each member of the winning team, based on the highest average of team member steps, will receive 1,000 HIP points. The second-place team's members will each receive 500 points, and members of the third-place team will each receive 300 points. The people with the top three step counts throughout the challenge will receive 1,000, 500 and 300 points respectively.
Read more about incentives you can earn through HIP in this Lo Que Pasa article: The Health Impact Program's website and app make it easy to track your progress.