UMass Boston

“Step, run, jump, dance, no matter how you do it, just move!”

Our UMass Boston Recreation team welcomed back the traditional Step Challenge program and repackaged it into the brand new UMB Moves! program this fall semester. The tagline underscores the primary motivation of the return of the campus-wide program—to get our community moving in whichever way feels best for them.

Nearly 70 participants across campus registered for this six-week program that allowed all to participate as individuals or in teams across student or faculty/staff divisions.

“The UMB Moves! challenge this fall was such a great opportunity to connect with my new colleagues in Human Resources! Although I've worked at the university for many years, I was relatively new to HR when the challenge started," said Sam Regan, HR generalist. "It was fun to form teams and to challenge one another each week. The Moves challenge encouraged me to spend every available minute outside enjoying my neighborhood or just taking the long way across campus for a cup of coffee. I really appreciated the incentive to move a little bit extra each day. Looking forward to the next challenge!” 

As many as 80 percent of people who begin an exercise program do not stick to it, however, those numbers change drastically when the activity is performed with friends, and it is an activity that people enjoy. This program aimed to encourage participants to build a community through their favorite physical activity, all while inserting a bit of friendly competition to help motivate them along the way. The inaugural winners of this renewed program were William D. and the HR Steppers in the Faculty/Staff Division, and Abigail S. and the Beacon Baddies in the Student Division.

UMB Moves! will make a return in the second half of spring semester. Until then, “step, run, jump, dance, no matter how you do it, just move!”