The numbers are in! London and Middlesex County residents took up the month-long in motion™ Physical Activity Challenge in October, smashing the total number minutes logged during last year’s inaugural edition of the Challenge. Once the totals were counted from the in motion™ app and the paper trackers, there were more than 4.7 million minutes of physical activity completed by some 11,600 people.

This was the second year for the Challenge and the in motion™ committee had set a goal of surpassing the 2.1 million minutes that 2,366 people spent being active in October of 2013. Among the notable achievements this year was the participation of 1,683 students from over 180 classrooms in 50 schools across the region.

“We’ve been so impressed with the way the community embraced the Challenge this year. The increased participation shows that living a healthier life is important to our community,” says Mary Lou Albanese, Chair of Middlesex-London in motion™. “The success of this event isn’t just that people were active for a month, it’s that they’ve made a big step towards changing the way they think about being active. It’s about making regular physical activity a part of your lifestyle.”

The in motion™ Challenge has proven to be a great way to raise awareness about the importance of physical activity while encouraging people to get active; something organizers hope will continue long after the Challenge has wrapped up.

While there were almost as many types of activities as there were participants in the Challenge, the majority of those who were active took part by walking or running. Although the increased participation in the 2014 in motion™ Physical Activity Community Challenge fulfills one of the committee’s goals, the ultimate hope is that more and more local residents build increased physical activity into their lives and routines.

The in motion™ Physical Activity Community Challenge is a collaborative effort of Middlesex-London in motion™, the broad-based community initiative whose goal is to promote healthy and active living in London and Middlesex County. Middlesex-London in motion™ is grateful for the support and participation of the community organizations and agencies, and municipalities who were involved in this year’s Challenge. Plans are already underway for the 2015 Community Challenge.

Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 ext.2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)

Spokesperson:
Marylou Albanese, Chair, Middlesex-London in motion™