Jumpstart your healthy routine and join the Miles for Wellness challenge

Motivating yourself to exercise can be difficult, but sometimes, all you need is to just take the first step with some encouragement from your colleagues.

Each semester, the Office of State Human Resources sponsors an eight-week Miles for Wellness (MFW) Challenge to encourage state employees to stay active and make their health and wellness a priority, beginning with just a few small steps.

The goal of MFW is to encourage and support employees to increase their level of physical activity with the goal of taking 10,000 steps most days of the week. This semester’s challenge is scheduled to run from Monday, Sept. 27, through Friday, Nov. 19.

Alicia Bartosch, an advocate for employee health and the state’s wellness program, is helping organize teams to represent UNC Charlotte. If you are interested in being on or leading a team, complete this form by Friday, Sept. 17, and Bartosch will follow up with additional details.

“I look forward to the Miles for Wellness each semester to encourage and hold me accountable to keep moving — at least for eight weeks,” said Bartosch. “Invite your colleagues to join us, set realistic goals for yourself and keep one another accountable. I believe that together, we can move towards a healthier routine.”

If you aren’t sure that you can commit to this MFW program, UNC Charlotte offers several other health and wellness opportunities. In 2009, the University created the Advisory Committee to the Chancellor for Employee Health and Wellness (ACCEHW) to promote programs and services that emphasize healthy behaviors and foster a supportive campus culture for health and wellness. Review this website for more information. In addition, all faculty and staff are allowed a one-time, free week trial at UREC. If you haven’t claimed yours, bring your University ID and stop by anytime.

More information on the MFW challenge can be found on the Office of State Human Resources website. Email questions to Bartosch, assistant controller for compliance, at ABartosch@uncc.edu.