London, ON – The numbers are in! London and Middlesex County residents took up the month-long in motion™ Community Challenge in October, smashing the total number minutes logged in 2014. The totals were counted from the in motion™ app and the paper trackers to reveal more than 8.3 million minutes of physical activity completed by 19,773 people.
This was the third year for the Challenge which first started in 2013, achieving 2.1 million minutes and 2,366 participants. In 2015, the in motion™ committee’s goal was to surpass the 2014 totals of 4.7 million minutes and 11,600 participants. Even with the increased participation in the 2015 in motion™ Community Challenge, the committee’s ultimate hope is that more and more local residents build increased physical activity into their lives and routines.
“We are so impressed with the way the community embraced the Challenge for the third year in a row. 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 make a big step towards changing the way they think about being active. It’s about making physical activity a regular part of your lifestyle.”
The in motion™ Challenge is 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.
The in motion™ 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. Stay tuned for plans for 2016!
Media Contact:
Alex Tyml, Online Communications Coordinator, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-663-5317 ext. 2560 or 226-236-1941 (cell.)
Spokesperson:
Marylou Albanese, Chair, Middlesex-London in motion™