2018 Go Move Challenge: Final Recap

Published Thursday, March 1

The results of the 6th annual Go Move Challenge are in! Congratulations to Loyola Marymount University for earning the most minutes (575,304) of movement and Saint Peter's University for earning the highest minutes (892) of movement per participant! For many AJCU institutions, the month of February has become synonymous with movement, and this year was no exception. Faculty and staff from 23 Jesuit institutions committed to tracking every minute of their intentional, physical activity for the past 28 days, and the collective numbers are impressive:

Participating AJCU institutions 23
Total Participants 4,263
Total Minutes of Movement:   3,600,000
Avg. Monthly Minutes Per Person:   845
Avg. Daily Minutes Per Person:  30

To see what numbers your institution accumulated, visit the Go Move Challenge web page. Thank you to everyone for participating and finishing strong!

Group Effort

Beyond the competition and with the help of social media, the Go Move Challenge fosters camaraderie and new connections among AJCU colleagues while engaging in heart-healthy, physical exercise. Over 300 participants joined the Go Move Challenge Group on Facebook to share inspiring pictures, videos, and words of encouragement with their colleagues across the nation.

"This challenge has been so gratifying to see the engagement of the Fordham community!" - Jeanne Molloy, Fordham University.

Each week, the picture and video with the most likes on Facebook were featured to help keep the momentum going. Instagram and Twitter were also successful in sharing participants happenings around campus. The creative ways in which institutions stayed active - despite sometimes bone-chilling cold temperatures in the midwest and east coast - was fun to watch unfold.

"We are LOVING the Go Move Challenge at Saint Peter's! Some people may or may not be actively avoiding me on campus because they know I'm going to give them a hard time to work out more - but it's all in good fun!" - Erin Coyne, Saint Peter’s University

Weekly Recaps

As we have been reporting each week, participants have been as excited as ever to share their feedback on how the Go Move Challenge has positively influenced their month of February and beyond. If you missed any stories from previous weeks, you can access them, along with pictures, at any time:

What Moves You?

A few of our top 10 participants with the most minutes of movement shared how they consistently earned many minutes throughout the month:

"My daily routine varies and consists of doing yoga/Pilates every morning for about 45-60 minutes followed by 20-30 minutes of Cardio. I speed walk for 15 minutes on both of my work breaks along with 20-30min during lunch. I go to the gym every day where I do weight lifting/resistance machines for 2 hours along with step class/ Zumba and cardio - up to 1 hour of stair/ elliptical or spinning. I also track my steps daily and convert them to minutes. I have two boys that have soccer practice three times a week so I take advantage and run around the track for up to 1 hour or ride my bike with my daughter. On the weekends my routine changes slightly- I go hiking and do outdoor activities like bike riding in the morning along with gym routine at night. This is my first time being part of the Go Move Challenge, and it's great to see my minutes add up, didn't realize I was such an active individual!" - Nathaly Aguilar, Santa Clara University.

"This is the second year I have participated in the challenge. I enjoy participating because it helps me develop some healthy habits like using the stairs instead of the elevator. What I have found most helpful is to incorporate movement into activities that would otherwise be sedentary. For example, instead of simply watching television I watch while I am on my exercise bike. Instead of sitting on the couch reading, I read while I use the treadmill." - David Ringwood, Le Moyne College.

"I was motivated to be part of this because I am a very active individual. I have been involved in sports all my life (triathlons, running, swimming, weightlifting) and competitively in college (swimming at the University of Nebraska Omaha) so being active is just second nature to me. It helps that I work in Recreation and Wellness so I am always surrounded by activity and people being active all the time. For my daily activity, I do Crossfit 2x per day, Core/Accessory exercises every day, stretching/yoga/relaxation every day and I walk pretty much everywhere I go so my steps per day average 10,000 and more just from work and outdoor activities! I am individual who loves being active and moving around so the Go Move event is something I enjoy doing." - Lucia Zamecnik, Creighton University.

"For me, it’s all about a lifestyle, not just the month. I have a very physical job, and I also exercise before and after work. Usually, I wake up early to get yoga in and cardio and strength training after work." - Bryan King, Le Moyne College.

"No outside motivation or inspiration required. Running is my 'me' time, and I've been a streaker now for (if you can believe it) 13 years! Yep, ever since I've had my twins (who will be 14 in Sep) I've run every single day. Even some days while not 100%, I've put one foot in front of the other. I also have incorporated more cross training- biking and strength training. It's so important to change it up to keep things fun and exciting. For me exercise is like brushing my teeth; it's done every day as a normal part of my daily routine. I love that it makes me feel like I can conquer anything that comes my way during the day. A healthy body, mind and spirit!" - Mary Ann McMenamin, Saint Joseph’s University.

Stay Connected

Although the challenge is over, all participants are encouraged to share your stories and connect on social media. For information on next year’s challenge, contact the Go Move Challenge administrator, Suzy Kisylia, at skisylia@usfca.edu

 

Andrea Middleton, Loyola Marymount University

 

Erika French-Arnold, Santa Clara University

 

Tonya Zalenski, University of Detroit Mercy

 

Louise Lucchesi, USF

 

Alvin N Mangosing, USF

 

Karin Botto, Le Moyne College: Leadership Walk with Bill Brower, Vice President for Communications and Advancement

 

Vivian Papp, Fordham University

 

Karin Botto, Le Moyne College: Leadership Walk with Jim Joseph, Dean of the Madden School of Business

 

Andrea Middleton, Loyola Marymount University

 

St. Ignatius tower tour, University of San Francisco