Gators on the Go initiative kicks off Sept. 26

September 20, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — This year, Healthy Gators 2010, a campuswide initiative aimed at producing a healthier University of Florida community, is focusing on helping UF faculty, staff and students reduce stress. Because physical activity has been scientifically proven to be a major stress buster, Healthy Gators 2010 is starting its efforts this fall with Gators on the Go. The Gators on the Go kickoff will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 26 on the Reitz Student Union Colonnade.

Students, faculty and staff will have the chance to learn more about the Healthy Gators 2010 initiative and the Gators on the Go program. At 11:30 a.m., UF First Lady Chris Machen, chairwoman of Healthy Gators 2010, will lead a one-mile walk around campus followed by a speech at noon. “One of our goals is to make sure that our current freshman class leaves UF in 2010 healthier than when they arrived,” Machen said.

Participants in the one-mile walk will follow one of the five new Healthy Gators 2010 campus activity routes. By the end of the fall semester, the coalition’s logo will be painted on campus sidewalks marking five routes that range from one to five miles. “Taking even a short walk during breaks or lunch hour is a great way for faculty and staff to reduce stress,” said Jill Varnes, vice chairwoman of the coalition. A route map will be available at the event and is currently posted on the Healthy Gators 2010 Web site.

The start of another academic year and the stress that comes with it is the perfect time to make a new commitment to physical activity. Gators on the Go is a free Web-based program that allows participants to walk, swim, bike, dance, run or even garden their way to a U.S. or European city of their choice by tracking their physical activity during the fall semester and beyond. Participants choose a goal distance and then log their “mileage” from different activities as they “travel” to their destination. Gators on the Go is open to all UF faculty, staff and students of any fitness level and is sponsored by Healthy Gators 2010, the College of Health and Human Performance and Living Well.

In concert with national programs aimed at improving the health of Americans, the work of Healthy Gators 2010 is being conducted by a coalition of more than 40 UF departments and organizations concerned about the well-being of all members of the campus community. Over the course of the multi-year project, the group will conduct comprehensive assessments of campus health and subsequently will design, implement and evaluate interventions that will move UF toward “a campus environment supportive of the development and maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit for all members of the University of Florida community.”

The work of the coalition is guided by steering committee chairwoman Machen and vice chairwoman Varnes, a professor in the College of Health and Human Performance.

Activities that support Healthy Gators 2010 objectives can be distinguished by a colorful logo and the slogan, “Orange and Blue – A Healthy You.”

Learn more about Healthy Gators 2010 and register for Gators on the Go at www.healthygators.hhp.ufl.edu.