UA Fitness Challenge Encourages Healthy Competition for Distance Learning Students

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Distance learning students at The University of Alabama are set to compete in a new online fitness challenge beginning Feb. 6. The goals of the six-week UA Online Gets Fit challenge are to get distance learning students moving and improve overall fitness and health knowledge.

More than 200 distance learning students enrolled in College of Human Environmental Sciences consumer sciences courses and in Culverhouse College of Commerce general business administration courses have been invited to take part in the event.

“It is critical that students earning their degrees through distance learning have opportunities to be fully involved in campus life,” said Eve Pentecost, assistant professor of consumer sciences. “I hope the UA Online Gets Fit project will promote healthy lifestyles for distance learning students, as well as increase their sense of belonging to the UA community.”

Each week participants will earn points by doing one or more of the following:

• Eating at least four cups per day of fruits and vegetables
• Drinking water or unsweetened drinks instead of sweetened beverages
• Getting at least 30 minutes of daily exercise
• Tracking calories consumed throughout the day
• Walking at least 10,000 steps with a pedometer
• Learning new facts about health and/or nutrition from one of the provided reliable nutrition sources
• Losing, gaining or maintaining weight in accordance with fitness goals

Each team will be comprised of three students. Team captains will collect totals for each team member and enter totals on their team’s wiki page. The team with the most points at the conclusion of the six-week challenge will win assorted prizes.

Visit www.uaonlinegetsfit.pbworks.com for more information.