Minutes in Motion aims to attract 5,000 exercise participants

Hope springs eternal for Linda Larson, coordinator of Gundersen Health Systems ninth annual Minutes in Motion activity challenge, who aspires to break through the elusive ceiling of 5,000 participants.

We were close last year, so my goal still is to break that ceiling of 5,000, said Larson, a wellness education specialist and coach at Gundersen.

Last years challenge, which enlists people to do at least 30 minutes of exercise a day for six weeks, drew 4,761 registrants, a record that nudged the previous years tally of 4,707.

Larson hosted a luncheon of the sponsors Friday in advance of the registrations opening Monday. The challenge begins March 23 and ends May 3.

Its a great way to kick off spring, Larson said. In our climate, we tend to be more sedentary during the winter months.

The exercise methods dont have to be complicated, she said, adding, You can pick activities that work for you such as walking, jogging, gardening, shoveling snow or, later in spring, mowing the lawn.

The free program can be done individually or in groups, and last years effort included 111 Coulee Region businesses and 29 schools that enlisted employees and staffers, Larson said.

Of the 4,761 who registered last year, 3,066 reported logging a total of more than 5,315 million minutes the equivalent of 88,583.3 hours, or just over a decade of physical activity. Nearly 80 percent of the participants were female, Larson said.

It takes 1,260 minutes to meet the six-week goal. Last year, the average minutes reported was 1,653, and the median was 1,455, she said, with 41 percent of the participants meeting or exceeding 1,260.

The top three health improvements participants cited were more energy, noted by 51 percent; improved mood, by 48 percent , and increased endurance, mentioned by 39 percent. Nearly 40 percent reported losing weight, ranging from 1 to 20 pounds and averaging 5.8 pounds, Larson said.

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Minutes in Motion aims to attract 5,000 exercise participants